KR20190059026A - An air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an air conditioner. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the air conditioner includes a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, and an evaporator. Moreover, the air conditioner comprises: a gas-liquid separating device separating a refrigerant introduced from the expansion valve into a liquid refrigerant and a gas refrigerant; a liquid pipe connecting the gas-liquid separating device to the evaporator for the liquid refrigerant separated from the gas-liquid separating device to flow; and a gas pipe connecting the gas-liquid separating device to the evaporator for the gas refrigerant separated from the gas-liquid separating device to flow. The evaporator has a plurality of heat exchange pipes in which the refrigerants flow. Moreover, a number of the liquid pipe and the gas pipe correspond to a number of the heat exchange pipes.

Description

AN AIR CONDITIONER

The present invention relates to an air conditioner.

The air conditioner is a device for keeping the air in a predetermined space in a most suitable condition according to the purpose of use and purpose. Generally, the air conditioner includes a compressor, a condenser, an expansion device, and an evaporator, and a refrigerant cycle for compressing, condensing, expanding, and evaporating the refrigerant is driven to cool or heat the predetermined space.

At this time, the predetermined space may be variously suggested according to the place where the air conditioner is used. For example, when the air conditioner is installed in a home or an office, the predetermined space may be an indoor space of a house or a building. In addition, when the air conditioner is disposed in a vehicle, the predetermined space may be a boarding space on which a person is boarded.

The air conditioner includes an indoor unit installed in the predetermined space and an outdoor unit supplying refrigerant to the indoor unit. In addition, the air conditioner may operate in a cooling operation or a heating operation depending on the flow of the refrigerant. The cooling operation or the heating operation of the air conditioner is determined according to the flow of circulating refrigerant.

When the air conditioner operates in the cooling operation mode, the refrigerant compressed in the compressor installed in the outdoor unit becomes the liquid refrigerant through the outdoor heat exchanger functioning as the condenser. When the liquid refrigerant is supplied to the indoor unit, the refrigerant expands in the indoor heat exchanger functioning as the evaporator, and vaporization may occur. The temperature of the ambient air of the indoor heat exchanger is lowered by the vaporization phenomenon. When the indoor unit fan rotates, ambient air of the indoor heat exchanger whose temperature is lowered is discharged to the predetermined space, so that the predetermined space can be cooled.

When the high-temperature and high-pressure gas refrigerant is supplied from the compressor of the outdoor unit to the indoor unit, the high-temperature and high-pressure gas refrigerant in the indoor heat exchanger serving as the condenser is liquefied . The energy released by the liquefaction phenomenon raises the temperature of the ambient air of the indoor heat exchanger. When the indoor fan is rotated, the surrounding air of the indoor heat exchanger whose temperature is raised is discharged to the predetermined space, and the predetermined space is heated. Further, the liquefied refrigerant may be introduced into the outdoor heat exchanger which is expanded in the main expansion device and then functions as an evaporator, and may be vaporized.

Thus, the indoor heat exchanger and the outdoor heat exchanger function as a condenser or an evaporator and are heat-exchanged. Particularly, the evaporator serves to evaporate the liquid refrigerant and change the phase of the liquid refrigerant into the gas refrigerant.

The applicant of the present invention has studied the technique for increasing the heat exchange efficiency of the evaporator and filed and filed the following documents.

[Prior Art 1]: Registration No. 10-1615445, air conditioner

In the prior art 1, a gas-liquid separator is provided on the suction side of the evaporator, the liquid refrigerant separated from the gas-liquid separator flows to the evaporator, and the gas refrigerant flows to the compressor.

At this time, when the flow rate of the refrigerant flowing through the evaporator is small or when the air conditioner is operated under the low load condition, the heat exchanging efficiency of the evaporator is lowered.

Specifically, a phenomenon that the liquid refrigerant leans to the lower portion of the evaporator due to the influence of gravity occurs. As a result, unevenness of the flow rate is generated in the evaporator, and heat exchange efficiency is lowered.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an air conditioner that maximizes heat exchange efficiency of an evaporator.

In particular, it is an object of the present invention to provide a low capacity air conditioner which is generally used in the home so as to achieve high efficiency under low flow rate conditions.

Specifically, the present invention provides an air conditioner in which a refrigerant provided to the evaporator is separated into a gaseous refrigerant and a liquid refrigerant and flows uniformly in each pass formed in the evaporator.

The air conditioner according to the present invention includes a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, and an evaporator. The air conditioner includes a gas-liquid separator for separating the refrigerant introduced from the expansion valve into liquid refrigerant and gas refrigerant, A liquid pipe connecting the gas-liquid separator and the evaporator so that the separated liquid refrigerant flows, and a gas pipe connecting the gas-liquid separator and the evaporator such that the gas refrigerant separated from the gas-liquid separator flows, A plurality of heat exchange pipes through which the refrigerant flows, and the liquid pipe and the pipe pipe are provided in a number corresponding to the plurality of heat exchange pipes.

The same amount of liquid refrigerant flows through each of the plurality of liquid pipes and the same amount of gas refrigerant flows through each of the plurality of gas pipes so that the same amount of liquid refrigerant and gas refrigerant can flow respectively into the plurality of heat exchange pipes .

The gas-liquid separator is provided with a refrigerant inlet and a refrigerant outlet, each of which is provided in the form of a pipe through which a refrigerant flows. One end of the refrigerant inlet is coupled to one side of the refrigerant outlet, Lt; / RTI >

The diameter of the refrigerant discharge portion may be larger than the diameter of the refrigerant inflow portion.

The refrigerant discharge portion may be disposed perpendicular to the bottom surface, and the refrigerant inflow portion may be disposed to form a predetermined inclination (c) with the bottom surface.

The predetermined inclination (c) may be 30 degrees or more and 45 degrees or less.

The refrigerant discharge portion is composed of a first refrigerant discharge portion located at a lower portion and a second refrigerant discharge portion positioned at an upper portion with respect to a portion connected to the refrigerant inflow portion, and the liquid pipe is connected to the first refrigerant discharge portion And the gas pipe may be connected to the second refrigerant discharge portion.

Wherein the heat exchange pipe includes a first heat exchange pipe, a second heat exchange pipe and a third heat exchange pipe, and the liquid pipe includes a first liquid pipe connected to the first heat exchange pipe, a second liquid pipe connected to the second heat exchange pipe, And a third liquid pipe connected to the third heat exchange pipe, wherein the first pipe is connected to the first heat exchange pipe, and the second pipe is connected to the second heat exchange pipe, And a third pipe connected to the third heat exchange pipe.

The first liquid pipe and the refrigerant flowing in the first pipe are heat-exchanged and the second liquid pipe and the refrigerant flowing in the second pipe are heat-exchanged in the second heat exchange pipe, The third heat exchange pipe is heat exchanged with the refrigerant flowing in the third liquid pipe and the third pipe, and the refrigerant discharged from the first to third heat exchange pipes may be connected to the compressor.

The same amount of refrigerant flows into the first liquid pipe, the second liquid pipe, and the third liquid pipe, and the same amount of refrigerant flows into the first, second, and third pipe .

The refrigerant flows in a predetermined ratio to the first liquid pipe, the second liquid pipe and the third liquid pipe, and the refrigerant flows to the first pipe, the second pipe and the third pipe at a predetermined ratio Can flow.

The refrigerant flows to at least one of the first liquid pipe, the second liquid pipe and the third liquid pipe, and the refrigerant flows to at least one of the first pipe, the second pipe and the third pipe .

The second refrigerant discharge portion may be provided with a gas-liquid pipe for shielding the refrigerant flowing through the pipe.

The evaporator may be an outdoor heat exchanger.

The refrigerant may be R32.

The following effects can be expected in the air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present invention.

According to the embodiment of the present invention, the liquid refrigerant and the gaseous refrigerant are uniformly distributed to the plurality of paths provided in the evaporator, thereby improving the heat exchange efficiency of the evaporator.

In addition, since the efficiency of the entire air conditioner is increased and the efficiency is not changed according to changes in external conditions, there is an advantage that reliability can be secured in driving the air conditioner.

Particularly, there is an advantage that it is possible to prevent the refrigerant from leaning due to the influence of gravity under a low load or a low load.

In addition, since the refrigerant is separated into the liquid refrigerant and the gas refrigerant, and each piping is connected to the evaporator, the refrigerant can be more evenly distributed.

Further, by providing a gas-liquid separator having a simple configuration, it is possible to reduce manufacturing cost, installation cost, and installation time.

1 is a view illustrating an indoor unit and an outdoor unit of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line I-I 'of FIG.
3 is an exploded view of an outdoor unit of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a schematic view illustrating a refrigerant flow in an outdoor unit of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a view illustrating a refrigerant flow in a gas-liquid separator and an evaporator of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a view illustrating a gas-liquid separator of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a view showing a control configuration of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the spirit of the invention is not limited to the embodiments shown and that those skilled in the art, upon reading and understanding the spirit of the invention, may easily suggest other embodiments within the scope of the same concept.

1 is a view illustrating an indoor unit and an outdoor unit of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

1, an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an indoor unit 1 installed in a predetermined space for providing cooling or heating, and an outdoor unit connected to the indoor unit 1 to form a refrigeration cycle 10 are provided.

Generally, the indoor unit 1 is installed in an indoor space, and the outdoor unit 10 is installed in an outdoor space. In FIG. 1, the indoor unit 1 and the outdoor unit 10 are shown together for convenience of description.

The indoor unit (1) and the outdoor unit (10) can be connected to a refrigerant pipe through which refrigerant flows. At this time, the refrigerant flowing into the air conditioner according to the present invention may correspond to R32. The R32 refrigerant has attracted attention as a highly efficient eco-friendly refrigerant capable of achieving high efficiency with a relatively small amount.

In addition, the indoor unit 1 and the outdoor unit 10 may be provided in various forms.

Hereinafter, referring to Fig. 1, an example of the indoor unit 1 and the outdoor unit 10 will be described with reference to Figs. 2 and 3. Fig.

2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line I-I 'of FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the indoor unit 1 may correspond to a wall-mounted indoor unit attached to a wall of an indoor space. The wall-mounted type indoor unit is generally used in the home and corresponds to a relatively small capacity.

The indoor unit 1 is provided with a case 1a which forms an outer appearance and in which an indoor heat exchanger 4 and an indoor air blowing fan 3 are disposed and a case 1a connected to the front of the case 1a, And a front panel 1b that forms a front appearance. At this time, in a broad sense, the front panel 1b can be understood as a constitution of the case 1a.

The case 1a includes a discharge port 5 through which the indoor air is introduced and the air introduced through the suction port 2 is heat-exchanged and discharged into the indoor space.

The suction port (2) is formed at least a part of the upper portion of the case (1a). In addition, a suction grille 2a for preventing the inflow of foreign matter may be formed in the suction port 2. [

The discharge port 5 may be formed by opening at least a part of the lower portion of the case 1a. A discharge vane 5a is provided at one side of the discharge port 5 so as to be movable for opening or closing the discharge port 5.

When the discharge vane 5a is opened, harmonized air can be discharged into the indoor space in the case 1a. For example, the discharge vane 5a may be opened by rotating the lower portion of the discharge vane 5a upward. The discharge port 5 may be provided with a discharge grill (not shown).

An indoor heat exchanger (4) is installed in the case (1a) for heat exchange with the air sucked from the suction port (2). The indoor heat exchanger (4) is disposed so as to surround the suction side of the indoor blowing fan (3). That is, the indoor heat exchanger 4 may be formed by bending a plurality of the indoor heat exchangers 4.

The indoor air blowing fan (3) includes a cross flow fan for discharging the air sucked in the circumferential direction in the circumferential direction. The indoor air blowing fan 3 includes a fan body 3a as a fixing member and a plurality of blades 3b fixed to one side of the fan body 3a and spaced apart in the circumferential direction. That is, the plurality of blades 3b are arranged along the circumferential direction.

Inside the case 1a, there are provided flow guides 8 and 9 arranged near the outer peripheral surface of the indoor air blowing fan 3 and guiding the flow of air. The flow guides 8 and 9 include a rear guide 8 and a stabilizer 9.

The rear guide (8) extends from the rear side of the case (1a) to the suction side of the indoor blowing fan (3). The rear guide 8 guides the intake air to the indoor ventilation fan 3 smoothly when the indoor ventilation fan 3 is rotated. Further, the rear guide 8 can prevent the air flowing by the indoor air blowing fan 3 from peeling off from the indoor air blowing fan 3.

The stabilizer (9) is disposed on the discharge side of the indoor air blowing fan (3). The stabilizer 9 is spaced apart from the outer circumferential surface of the indoor air blowing fan 3 to prevent the air discharged from the indoor air blowing fan 3 from flowing back to the indoor heat exchanger 4 side. The rear guide 8 and the stabilizer 9 extend along the longitudinal direction of the indoor air blowing fan 3.

A drain portion 6 is provided below the indoor heat exchanger 4 to store condensed water generated during heat exchange between air and refrigerant.

A filter (7) for filtering foreign matter in the air sucked through the suction port (2) is provided in the case (1a). The filter (7) is arranged to surround the indoor heat exchanger (4) inside the suction port (2). The air filtered by the filter (7) can flow to the indoor heat exchanger (4) side.

The shape of the indoor unit 1 is an example, and the indoor unit 1 may have various shapes.

3 is an exploded view of an outdoor unit of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

1 and 3, an outdoor unit 10 of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention is arranged to exchange heat with outdoor air.

The outdoor unit (10) includes a case which forms an appearance and contains a large number of parts. The case includes a front panel 11, a rear panel 12, an upper panel 13, and side panels 14 and 15.

The front panel 11 constitutes a front surface of the outdoor unit 10 and a front discharge port 11a through which air is discharged to the outside of the outdoor unit 10 is provided.

The rear panel 12 is spaced rearward from the front panel 11 so as to form an inner space of the outdoor unit 10. Also, the rear panel 12 is provided with a rear suction port 12a through which air is sucked into the outdoor unit 10.

The side panels constitute both side surfaces of the outdoor unit 10 and include a left panel 14 and a right panel 15. The left panel 14 and the right panel 15 are coupled to the front panel 11 and the rear panel 12 to form an internal space of the outdoor unit 10. The left panel 14 and the right panel 15 are provided with side suction ports 14a and 15a, respectively.

The upper panel 13 is coupled to the upper portions of the front panel 11, the rear panel 12 and the side panels 14 and 15 so as to constitute the upper surface of the outdoor unit 10.

Further, the case further includes a base 17 constituting the lower surface of the outdoor unit 10. As the lower surface of the base 17 is fixed to the installation position, the outdoor unit 10 can be fixed to the installation position.

Accordingly, the outdoor unit 10 is formed with an inner space surrounded by the case, and a compressor or the like to be described later may be disposed in the inner space. That is, the compressor or the like may be mounted on the upper surface of the base 17.

As described above, the outdoor unit (10) is provided with the suction ports (12a, 14a, 15a) for sucking outdoor air and the discharge port (11a) through which the sucked air is discharged. The discharge port 11a may be formed in the front of the case, and the suction ports 12a, 14a, and 15a may be formed on the rear or side of the case. However, this is merely an example, and the discharge port and the suction port may be formed in various forms and may be located at various positions.

The outdoor unit (10) may further include a service panel (16) that covers an electric room including a compressor and the like. The service panel 16 may be formed to be rounded to one side from the front surface of the outdoor unit 10.

For example, the service panel 16 may be rounded from the front to the right of the outdoor unit 10, and one end of the service panel 16 is fastened to the right end of the front panel 11 , And the other end of the service panel 16 can be fastened to the front end of the right panel 15. The service panel 16 is provided as one panel, and can open and close the front and the side at the same time, so that the installer or the manager can easily access the electric room.

In addition, the service panel 16 may include a service window and a service cover 16a. The service window is an opening through the service panel 16, and the service cover 16a is installed to open and close the service window.

The service window may be formed so as to correspond to a display unit that allows the user to determine and operate the state of the outdoor unit 10. [ At this time, since the display unit is exposed to the outside through the service window, the installer can remove the service panel 16 and remove only the service cover 16a to check the state of the outdoor unit 10. [

The service window may be provided on a side surface of the outdoor unit 10. That is, the service cover 16a may be provided on the side surface of the outdoor unit 10, and may be provided on the right side of the service panel 16 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, for example.

The service window is disposed on the side surface of the outdoor unit 10 so that even when the outdoor unit 10 is disposed in a narrow space such as a veranda or a wall of a building and is difficult to access the front side, It is possible to grasp the state of the outdoor unit 10 through a service window installed in the outdoor unit 10.

The outdoor unit 10 may further include a partition wall 18 extending upward from the base 17 to divide the interior space into a heat exchange chamber and an electric compressor chamber. The separating wall 18 prevents the moisture in the heat exchange chamber from penetrating into the electric field chamber.

The separating wall 18 is a plate extending in the vertical direction, and one end thereof may be coupled to the upper surface of the base 17. The separating wall 18 may be formed in a curved surface so as to correspond to the arrangements disposed in the electric field chamber.

The heat exchange chamber is a space in which the outdoor heat exchanger 24 and the outdoor air blowing fan 32 are disposed and the refrigerant passing through the outdoor heat exchanger 24 and the outdoor air flowing by the outdoor air blowing fan 32 It is a space where heat exchange takes place.

The outdoor heat exchanger 24 exchanges heat between the outside air and the refrigerant, and functions as a condenser when the air conditioner performs cooling operation and as an evaporator when the air conditioner performs heating operation. The outdoor heat exchanger (24) may include a heat exchange pipe through which refrigerant flows, and a heat exchange fin that enlarges the heat exchange appearance between the refrigerant and the air.

The outdoor air blowing fan 32 is connected to the motor 31 and the motor mount 33 so that the air inside the outdoor unit 10 can be forcedly convected. In detail, the outdoor air blowing fan 32 is coupled to the rotating shaft of the motor 31 and can be rotated according to the driving of the motor 31.

The motor 31 may be coupled to and supported by the motor mount 33. That is, the motor mount 33 can support the motor 31 and the outdoor blowing fan 32 coupled to the motor 31.

The motor mount 33 is understood to be a structure formed between the base 17 and the upper panel 13. Therefore, one end of the motor mount 33 is fastened to the upper surface of the base 17, and the other end is disposed adjacent to the lower surface of the upper panel 13.

The motor 31 and the outdoor blowing fan 32 may be fastened to the front surface of the motor mount 33. Particularly, the motor 31 and the outdoor blowing fan 32 can be fastened at positions corresponding to the front discharge port 11a.

Describing in detail the flow of air through the outdoor unit 10, the outdoor air blowing fan 32 is rotated by the motor 31 to generate air flow. Air sucked through the inlets (12a, 14a, 15a) provided on the rear and side surfaces of the outdoor unit (10) passes through the outdoor heat exchanger (24) and performs heat exchange with the refrigerant. The air having passed through the outdoor heat exchanger (24) is discharged to the outside of the outdoor unit (10) through the front discharge port (11a).

The outdoor air flowing in this way and the refrigerant flowing through the outdoor heat exchanger (24) can be heat-exchanged.

The electric room is a space in which the compressor (21) and the front section (22) are located.

The compressor (21) is fixed to the base (18) to compress the refrigerant. The compressor 21 may be provided with various shapes and various compression methods. For example, the compressor 21 may be a reciprocating compressor that compresses the refrigerant while linearly reciprocating the piston in the cylinder so that a compression space in which the working gas is sucked or discharged is formed between the piston and the cylinder.

The front portion 22 may be positioned above the electric field chamber to prevent the penetration of moisture. The controller 22 may be provided with a controller for controlling various configurations of the air conditioner.

In addition, various devices may be further provided in the inner space of the outdoor unit 10.

The shape of the outdoor unit 10 is an example, and the outdoor unit 10 may have various shapes. Hereinafter, the flow of the refrigerant flowing into the outdoor unit (10) will be described in detail with reference to the apparatus provided in the outdoor unit (10).

4 is a schematic view illustrating a refrigerant flow in an outdoor unit of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 shows only a part of the structure described above to show the flow of the refrigerant, and a refrigerant pipe connecting the components is schematically shown. The refrigerant pipe extending to the outside of the outdoor unit 10 for connection with the indoor unit 1 is omitted.

As described above, the outdoor unit (10) is provided with the compressor (21) and the outdoor heat exchanger (24). The outdoor unit 10 is provided with a main expansion unit 27, an accumulator 26, a flow switching unit 25, an oil separator (not shown), a gas-liquid separator 100 and a plurality of refrigerant pipes.

The main expansion device (27) is configured to expand the liquid refrigerant in the high-temperature and high-pressure state condensed in the condenser to the liquid refrigerant in the low-pressure state. For example, the main expansion device 27 may include an electric expansion valve (EEV).

That is, the main expansion device 27 is provided to change the opening rate. At this time, the opening amount can be controlled in a pulse unit, and the opening amount of the main expansion device 27 can be changed within a predetermined range.

At this time, the increase in the opening amount means that the valve is opened, and the decrease in the opening amount means that the valve is closed. Also, when the opening amount is increased, the amount of refrigerant flowing increases, and when the opening amount is decreased, the amount of refrigerant flowing can be reduced.

The accumulator 26 is disposed before the refrigerant flows into the compressor 21, that is, at the inlet side of the compressor 21 to separate the gaseous refrigerant. The gaseous refrigerant separated from the accumulator (26) flows into the compressor (21).

The flow switching unit 25 is disposed at the outlet side of the compressor 21 and switches the direction of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 21. That is, the flow switching unit 25 causes the refrigerant to flow toward the outdoor heat exchanger 24 or the indoor unit in accordance with the cooling operation and the heating operation. For example, the flow switching unit 25 may be provided as a four-way valve.

The oil separator is disposed at the outlet side of the compressor (21) and separates oil from the refrigerant discharged from the compressor (21).

The gas-liquid separator 100 is disposed on the suction side of the evaporator, and can separate the refrigerant flowing into the gas refrigerant and the liquid refrigerant. As shown in FIG. 4, the gas-liquid separator 100 is disposed on one side of the outdoor heat exchanger 24. In particular, when the outdoor heat exchanger 24 functions as an evaporator, it is disposed on the suction side of the outdoor heat exchanger 24.

In addition, the gas-liquid separator 100 according to the present invention allows both the separated gas refrigerant and the liquid refrigerant to flow to the evaporator. In particular, when the outdoor heat exchanger 24 functions as an evaporator, the refrigerant flowing into the outdoor heat exchanger 24 can be separated into gas refrigerant and liquid refrigerant and supplied to the outdoor heat exchanger 24. This will be described in detail later.

The plurality of refrigerant pipes are provided with refrigerant pipes through which respective components are connected to flow the refrigerant. For convenience of explanation, each refrigerant pipe is divided into a first pipe to a sixth pipe.

The first pipe 40 is connected to the main expansion device 27 and extends to the indoor unit. The second pipe 42 connects the main expansion device 27 and the outdoor heat exchanger 24 Refrigerant piping.

At this time, the gas-liquid separator 100 is installed in the second pipe 42. That is, as described above, the gas-liquid separator 100 can also be understood as at least a part of the second pipe 42.

The third pipe 44 is a refrigerant pipe connecting the outdoor heat exchanger 24 and the flow switching unit 25 and the fourth pipe 46 passes through the accumulator 26, (25) and the suction side of the compressor (21). At this time, the accumulator (26) is installed in the fourth pipe (46).

The fifth pipe 48 is a refrigerant pipe connecting the discharge side of the compressor 21 and the flow switching unit 25. The sixth pipe 50 is connected to the indoor unit It is an extended refrigerant piping.

Hereinafter, the flow of the refrigerant in the operation mode of the air conditioner will be described with reference to FIG.

In the case where the air conditioner according to the present invention performs cooling operation, the flow of the refrigerant is indicated by a dotted arrow in Fig. Cooling operation corresponds to a case where cool air is supplied to the indoor space in which the indoor unit 1 is installed, and the outdoor heat exchanger 24 functions as a condenser. In addition, the indoor heat exchanger (4) disposed in the indoor unit (1) functions as an evaporator and can supply cold air to the indoor space.

Accordingly, the low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant evaporated in the indoor heat exchanger (4) flows into the outdoor unit (10) through the sixth pipe (50). The flow switching unit 25 connects the sixth piping 50 and the fourth piping 46 so that the refrigerant flows into the compressor 21 through the accumulator 26.

The refrigerant discharged from the compressor (21) at high temperature and high pressure flows along the fifth pipe (48) and the third pipe (44). The refrigerant is condensed in the outdoor heat exchanger 24 functioning as a condenser and flows into the indoor unit along the second pipe 42 and the first pipe 40 so as to be circulated as described above.

At this time, the main expansion device 27 may not have any influence on the refrigerant being completely opened and flowing. In addition, the gas-liquid separator 100 functions as one refrigerant pipe through which the refrigerant flows.

On the other hand, when the air conditioner according to the present invention performs the heating operation, the flow of the refrigerant is indicated by a solid line arrow in FIG. The heating operation corresponds to a case of supplying warm air to the indoor space in which the indoor unit 1 is installed, and the outdoor heat exchanger 24 functions as an evaporator. In addition, the indoor heat exchanger (4) disposed in the indoor unit (1) functions as a condenser and can supply warmth to the predetermined space.

Accordingly, the refrigerant condensed in the indoor unit (1) flows into the outdoor unit (10) through the first pipe (40). The refrigerant is expanded in the main expansion device 27 and flows along the second pipe 42 to the outdoor heat exchanger 24 through the gas-liquid separator 100.

The outdoor heat exchanger (24) exchanges heat between the refrigerant flowing through the gas-liquid separator (100) and outdoor air to evaporate the refrigerant. The evaporated refrigerant flows along the third pipe 44 to the flow switching unit 25 and the flow switching unit 25 connects the third pipe 44 and the fourth pipe 46 . That is, different pipes are connected to the cooling mode.

The refrigerant passes through the accumulator (26) along the fourth pipe (46) and flows into the compressor (21). The refrigerant discharged from the compressor 21 at a high temperature and a high pressure flows into the fifth pipe 48 and flows along the sixth pipe 50 in the flow switching unit 25. The refrigerant may flow into the indoor unit along the sixth pipe 50 and may be circulated as described above.

5 is a view illustrating a refrigerant flow in a gas-liquid separator and an evaporator of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention. 5 shows the flow of the refrigerant when the air conditioner is in the heating operation, that is, when the outdoor heat exchanger 24 functions as the evaporator. 6 is a view showing a gas-liquid separator of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

5, the refrigerant that has passed through the expansion valve 27 flows into the gas-liquid separator 100, and flows from the gas-liquid separator 100 to the outdoor heat exchanger 24, as shown in FIG. Further, the refrigerant passing through the outdoor heat exchanger (24) may flow into the compressor (21).

Referring to FIG. 6, the gas-liquid separator 100 includes a refrigerant inlet 102 and a refrigerant outlet 104, 106. At this time, the refrigerant inlet portion 102 is connected to the expansion valve 27, and the refrigerant discharge portions 104 and 106 are connected to the outdoor heat exchanger 24.

The refrigerant inlet portion 102 and the refrigerant outlet portions 104 and 106 are provided in the form of a pipe provided with a space through which the refrigerant flows. Accordingly, the coolant inlet portion 102 and the coolant outlet portions 104 and 106 have diameters, respectively.

For convenience of explanation, the diameter of the refrigerant inlet portion 102 is a and the diameter of the refrigerant outlet portion 104, 106 is b. In this case, a corresponds to a value smaller than b. That is, the refrigerant discharging portions 104 and 106 are formed to have a larger diameter than the refrigerant inflow portion 102.

For example, a may be provided at 6.35 mm or more, and b may be provided at 23 mm or less. This is not an exemplary value considering the actual design such as the kind of refrigerant, the flow rate, etc., and any value greater than b is not relevant.

As shown in FIG. 6, the refrigerant discharging units 104 and 106 are provided to extend in a direction perpendicular to the bottom surface. In other words, the refrigerant discharge portions 104 and 106 may be arranged to extend in the gravity direction.

At this time, the refrigerant inflow portion 102 is connected to one side of the refrigerant discharge portions 104 and 106 so that the inside is communicated. Further, the coolant inflow portion 102 is installed to be inclined by a c angle with respect to the bottom surface. At this time, c may be 30 degrees or more and 45 degrees or less.

4 and 5, the gas-liquid separator 100 and the main expansion device 27 are shown separated from each other in order to illustrate the flow direction of the refrigerant. However, the refrigerant introduction part 102 may be formed in the main expansion device 27) and the refrigerant discharge portions (104, 106). In other words, one end of the refrigerant inlet portion 102 is coupled to the refrigerant outlet portion 104, 106, and the other end is connected to the main expansion device 27.

The length of the refrigerant inlet 102 may be d. Also, d may be understood as the length of the refrigerant flowing from the main expansion device 27 to the refrigerant discharge portions 104 and 106. At this time, d may be 160 mm or more.

The refrigerant discharge portion includes a first refrigerant discharge portion 104 positioned at a lower portion and a second refrigerant discharge portion 106 positioned at an upper portion with respect to a portion connected to the refrigerant inlet portion 102.

The refrigerant flowing through the expansion valve 27 flows through the refrigerant inlet 102 and flows into the refrigerant outlet 104 and the refrigerant discharging unit 106 through the gas-liquid separator 100. At this time, the gas refrigerant flows upwardly by gravity, and the liquid refrigerant can flow downward.

Accordingly, the liquid refrigerant flows into the first refrigerant discharge portion 104, and the gas refrigerant flows into the second refrigerant discharge portion 106. At this time, the gas refrigerant may actually flow into the first refrigerant discharge part 104 or the liquid refrigerant may flow into the second refrigerant discharge part 106, but this is negligible.

Thus, the gas-liquid separator 100 can separate the refrigerant into the gas refrigerant and the liquid refrigerant.

At this time, if b is larger than a, the refrigerant is more easily separated. That is, the refrigerant can be separated into a gas refrigerant and a liquid refrigerant in a process of flowing from a narrow space to a wide space and expanding its volume.

In addition, d means a length enough to allow the refrigerant to be well separated into gas and liquid. For example, if the length d is too small, the flow rate of the refrigerant at the refrigerant discharge portions 104 and 106 may be too fast to be separated.

Also, c means an angle at which the flow rate of the refrigerant can be made relatively large. For example, if the c is provided at an excessively large angle, the refrigerant flows at a relatively high speed and the liquid refrigerant can be moved close to the inside of the refrigerant inlet portion 102. Therefore, there is a possibility that the refrigerant may flow upward when it reaches the refrigerant discharging sections 104 and 106.

Therefore, the numerical values of a to d described above are exemplary and not restrictive.

The separated gas refrigerant and liquid refrigerant flow into the outdoor heat exchanger (24). Here, the pipe through which the liquid refrigerant flows is referred to as a liquid pipe 110, and the pipe through which the gas refrigerant flows is referred to as a pipe pipe 120.

The gas pipe 120 may be provided with a gas-liquid valve 130. This is to prevent the refrigerant from flowing into the pipe 120 during the cooling operation of the air conditioner. In addition, during the heating operation of the air conditioner, the gas-liquid valve 130 can block the flow of the refrigerant to the gas pipe 120.

Specifically, under a predetermined condition, the gas-liquid valve 130 may be opened to allow refrigerant to flow into the pipe 120. For example, when the flow rate of the refrigerant is low and the air conditioner is operated under a low load condition, the gas-liquid valve 130 may be opened and the refrigerant may flow into the pipe 120.

When the gas-liquid valve 130 is closed during the heating operation of the air conditioner, all of the refrigerant passing through the main expansion device 27 flows to the liquid pipe 110. In this case, since the amount of the gas refrigerant flowing through the liquid pipe 110 is much smaller than the amount of the liquid refrigerant, the liquid refrigerant flows into the liquid pipe 110 in this case.

At this time, a plurality of the liquid pipe 110 and the pipe 120 may be provided. The liquid pipe 110 and the pipe 120 are provided in the same number and correspond to the number of passes of the outdoor heat exchanger 24.

The outdoor heat exchanger 24 may include heat exchange pipes 242, 244, and 246 through which refrigerant flows, and a heat exchange fin 240 that expands a heat exchange area between the refrigerant and the air. At this time, the heat exchange pipe is composed of a plurality of heat exchange pipes through which refrigerant flows.

Specifically, the heat exchange pipe includes a first heat exchange pipe 242, a second heat exchange pipe 244, and a third heat exchange pipe 246. The number of such heat exchange pipes is an exemplary one and may be provided in various numbers.

The first liquid pipe 112 connected to the first heat exchange pipe 242 and the second liquid pipe 114 connected to the second heat exchange pipe 244 are connected to the liquid pipe 110, And a third liquid pipe 116 connected to the third heat exchange pipe 246.

The first pipe 122 connected to the first heat exchange pipe 242 and the second pipe 124 connected to the second heat exchange pipe 244 are connected to the pipe 120, And a third pipe 126 connected to the third heat exchange pipe 246.

At this time, the liquid pipes 112, 114, and 116 and the pipe pipes 122, 124, and 126 may be connected to the heat exchange pipes 242, 244, and 246, respectively. At this time, as shown in FIG. 5, the joint portions where the liquid pipes 112, 114, and 116 and the pipe pipes 122, 124, and 126 are joined are disposed outside the heat exchange pipes 242, 244, and 246 And may be the inside of the heat exchange pipes 242, 244, and 246.

One end of each of the heat exchange pipes 242, 244 and 246 is connected to the liquid pipes 112, 114 and 116 and the pipe pipes 122, 124 and 126, respectively. The other end of the heat exchange pipes 242, 244 and 246 is connected to the third pipe 44.

Accordingly, referring to Fig. 5, a description will be given of the flow of the refrigerant when the air conditioner performs the heating operation, that is, when the outdoor heat exchanger 24 functions as the evaporator. At this time, the refrigerant flowed from the main expansion device 27 to the gas-liquid separator 100 in the open state of the gas-liquid valve 130 is separated into the liquid refrigerant and the gas refrigerant as described above.

Liquid refrigerant flows to the liquid pipe 110 along the first refrigerant discharge portion 104 of the gas-liquid separator 100. [ The liquid refrigerant is divided into the first liquid pipe 112, the second liquid pipe 114 and the third liquid pipe 116 to be discharged to the first heat exchange pipe 242, the second heat exchange pipe 244 and the third heat exchange pipe 246, respectively.

On the other hand, the gas refrigerant flows to the gas pipe 120 along the second refrigerant discharge portion 106 of the gas-liquid separator 100. The gas refrigerant is divided into the first gas pipe 122, the second gas pipe 124 and the third gas pipe 126 to be supplied to the first heat exchange pipe 242, the second heat exchange pipe 244 and the third heat exchange pipe 246, respectively.

The refrigerant heat-exchanged in the first heat exchange pipe 242, the second heat exchange pipe 244 and the third heat exchange pipe 246 is discharged and connected to the compressor 21 along the third pipe 44, Lt; / RTI >

7 is a view showing a control configuration of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 7, the air conditioner according to the present invention includes a control unit 150 for controlling the respective components. The configuration shown in FIG. 7 is illustrative and the configuration controlled by the controller 150 is not limited thereto.

The controller 150 may control the driving of the compressor 21, the opening of the main expansion device 27, and the like. In more detail, the load can be adjusted by driving the compressor 21, or information on the load can be stored. In addition, the flow rate of the refrigerant can be adjusted through the main expansion device 27, or information on the flow rate can be stored.

Also, the controller 150 may control the gas-liquid valve 130. As described above, the controller 150 may open the gas-liquid valve 130 under the conditions such as a low flow rate and a low load during a heating operation.

The controller 150 may control the same amount of the refrigerant to flow through the first liquid pipe 112, the second liquid pipe 114, and the third liquid pipe 116. Also, it is possible to control the same amount of refrigerant to flow through the first, second, and third pipes 122, 124, and 126.

The refrigerant flow as described above may be provided on the hardware (device) side and may be controlled by the controller 150.

The same amount of liquid refrigerant and gas refrigerant can flow through the first heat exchange pipe 242, the second heat exchange pipe 244 and the third heat exchange pipe 246, respectively. Accordingly, efficient heat exchange is performed in the first heat exchange pipe 242, the second heat exchange pipe 244 and the third heat exchange pipe 246, and the evaporation efficiency of the outdoor heat exchanger 24 is improved .

Particularly, the heat exchange efficiency is improved as the liquid refrigerant and the gas refrigerant are equally distributed to the respective heat exchange pipes 242, 244, and 246 under a low refrigerant flow rate or a low load condition. That is, the liquid refrigerant and the gas refrigerant can be equally divided by the gas-liquid separator 100 to prevent the refrigerant from leaking due to gravity or the like.

The control unit 150 may control the refrigerant to flow to at least one of the first to third liquid pipes 112, 114 and 116 or the first to third pipe units 122, 124 and 126. For example, when the flow rate of the refrigerant is very small, the third liquid pipe 116 and the third pipe 126 are controlled so that the refrigerant does not flow.

Accordingly, the refrigerant may not flow into the third heat exchange pipe 246. That is, when the flow rate of the refrigerant is very small, heat exchange can be controlled to occur only in a part of the outdoor heat exchanger (24).

The controller 150 may control the refrigerant to flow to the first to third liquid pipes 112, 114, and 116 or the first to third pipes 122, 124, and 126 at a predetermined ratio .

For example, heat exchange efficiency of each of the heat exchange pipes 242, 244, and 246 may be different depending on the type of the outdoor unit installed. A larger amount of refrigerant can be flowed into the first heat exchange pipe 242, assuming that the heat exchange efficiency of the first heat exchange pipe 242 is higher than the heat exchange efficiency of the other heat exchange pipes 244 and 246.

For example, 50% of the total amount of the first liquid pipe 112 and the first main pipe 122, 25% of the total amount of the second liquid pipe 114 and the second main pipe 124, %, And the third liquid pipe 116 and the third liquid pipe 126, so that the refrigerant corresponding to 25% of the entire refrigerant flows.

In addition, the proportions of the liquid refrigerant and the gas refrigerant in each piping can be controlled differently if necessary. Such control can be realized by a valve or the like provided in each pipe. For example, the valve may be a flow control valve.

10: outdoor unit 21: compressor
24: outdoor heat exchanger 27: expansion valve
100: gas-liquid separator 102: refrigerant inlet
104: first refrigerant discharging part 106: second refrigerant discharging part
110: liquid pipe 120: gas pipe

Claims (15)

1. An air conditioner comprising a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve and an evaporator,
A gas-liquid separator for separating the refrigerant introduced from the expansion valve into liquid refrigerant and gas refrigerant;
A liquid pipe connecting the gas-liquid separator and the evaporator so that the liquid refrigerant separated from the gas-liquid separator flows; And
And a gas pipe for connecting the gas-liquid separator and the evaporator so that the gas refrigerant separated from the gas-liquid separator flows,
The evaporator is provided with a plurality of heat exchange pipes through which refrigerant flows,
Wherein the liquid pipe and the pipe pipe are provided in a number corresponding to the plurality of heat exchange pipes. The method according to claim 1,
The same amount of liquid refrigerant flows in each of the plurality of liquid pipes,
The same amount of gas refrigerant flows in each of a plurality of pipe lines,
Wherein the same amount of liquid refrigerant and gas refrigerant flow through the plurality of heat exchange pipes, respectively. The method according to claim 1,
The gas-liquid separator is provided with a refrigerant inflow portion and a refrigerant discharge portion, each of which is provided in the form of a pipe through which refrigerant flows,
Wherein one end of the refrigerant inflow portion is coupled to one side of the refrigerant discharge portion and the other end is connected to the expansion valve. The method of claim 3,
And the diameter of the refrigerant discharge portion is larger than the diameter of the refrigerant inflow portion. The method of claim 3,
The refrigerant discharge portion is disposed perpendicular to the bottom surface,
And the refrigerant inlet portion is disposed to form a predetermined inclination (c) with the floor surface. 6. The method of claim 5,
Wherein the predetermined inclination (c) is 30 degrees or more and 45 degrees or less. The method of claim 3,
Wherein the refrigerant discharge portion is composed of a first refrigerant discharge portion located at a lower portion and a second refrigerant discharge portion located at an upper portion with respect to a portion connected to the refrigerant inlet portion,
The liquid pipe is connected to the first refrigerant discharge portion,
And the pipe is connected to the second refrigerant discharge portion. 8. The method of claim 7,
Wherein the heat exchange pipe includes a first heat exchange pipe, a second heat exchange pipe and a third heat exchange pipe,
Wherein the liquid pipe includes a first liquid pipe connected to the first heat exchange pipe, a second liquid pipe connected to the second heat exchange pipe, and a third liquid pipe connected to the third heat exchange pipe,
Wherein the pipe includes a first pipe connected to the first heat exchange pipe, a second pipe connected to the second heat exchange pipe, and a third pipe connected to the third heat exchange pipe. Air conditioner. 9. The method of claim 8,
The first liquid pipe and the refrigerant flowing in the first pipe are heat-exchanged in the first heat exchange pipe,
And the second liquid pipe and the second pipe are heat exchanged with the second heat exchange pipe,
And the third liquid pipe and the third pipe are heat exchanged with the third heat exchange pipe,
And the refrigerant discharged from the first to third heat exchange pipes is connected to the compressor. 9. The method of claim 8,
The same amount of refrigerant flows through the first liquid pipe, the second liquid pipe, and the third liquid pipe,
Wherein the same amount of refrigerant flows through the first pipe, the second pipe, and the third pipe. 9. The method of claim 8,
The refrigerant flows in the first liquid pipe, the second liquid pipe and the third liquid pipe at a predetermined ratio,
Wherein the refrigerant flows into the first pipe, the second pipe, and the third pipe at a predetermined ratio. 9. The method of claim 8,
The refrigerant flows to at least one of the first liquid pipe, the second liquid pipe and the third liquid pipe,
Wherein the refrigerant flows to at least one of the first pipe, the second pipe, and the third pipe. 8. The method of claim 7,
Wherein the second refrigerant discharging portion is provided with a gas-liquid pipe for shielding the refrigerant flowing into the gas pipe. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the evaporator is an outdoor heat exchanger. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the refrigerant is R32.

Images