WO2022253046A1

WO2022253046A1 - Refrigeration system and air conditioner

Info

Publication number: WO2022253046A1
Application number: PCT/CN2022/094678
Authority: WO
Inventors: 齐兆乾; 代传民
Original assignee: 青岛海尔智能技术研发有限公司; 海尔智家股份有限公司
Priority date: 2021-06-04
Filing date: 2022-05-24
Publication date: 2022-12-08
Also published as: CN115435514A

Abstract

A refrigeration system and an air conditioner. The refrigeration system comprises a circulation loop having a compressor, a first heat exchanger, a throttling device and a second heat exchanger; the refrigeration system also comprises a refrigerant regulator, wherein the refrigerant regulator is connected to the circulation loop and is positioned between the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger, the refrigerant regulator is provided with an accommodation cavity and a plurality of pipe openings with different height positions, the pipe openings are used for allowing a refrigerant to flow into and flow out of the accommodation cavity, and refrigerant below the lowest pipe opening serving as a refrigerant outlet is retained in the accommodation cavity; and the refrigeration system is configured to controllably select refrigerant outlets for the accommodation cavity having pipe openings of different heights, so as to adjust the amount of refrigerant retained in the accommodation cavity, thereby changing the circulation amount of the refrigerant. The refrigeration system of the present invention can adjust the circulation amount of the refrigerant according to different working conditions.

Description

Refrigeration Systems and Air Conditioning

technical field

The invention relates to the technical field of air conditioning, in particular to a refrigeration system and an air conditioner.

Background technique

The refrigeration system is usually a vapor compression refrigeration cycle system, which consists of a compressor, a condenser, a throttling device, an evaporator, various control valves and other accessories connected through pipelines to form a circulation loop for refrigeration/heating.

However, in the prior art, in the system circulation loop, the total amount of refrigerant participating in the circulation is usually constant. However, refrigeration systems, especially air-conditioning refrigeration systems, require different optimal refrigerant circulation volumes under different operating conditions. However, it is difficult to adjust the refrigerant circulation volume in the existing technology, which has become a technical problem to be solved urgently in the refrigeration industry.

Contents of the invention

An object of the present invention is to provide a refrigeration system and an air conditioner capable of adjusting the amount of refrigerant circulation according to different working conditions.

A further object of the present invention is to simplify the control logic of the refrigerant circulation amount.

In one aspect, the present invention provides a refrigeration system, comprising: a circulation loop having a compressor, a first heat exchanger, a throttling device and a second heat exchanger;

The refrigerating system further includes a refrigerant regulator connected to the circulation circuit and located between the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger, the refrigerant regulator has a chamber and a different height A plurality of nozzles for the refrigerant to enter and exit the accommodation cavity, as the outlet of the refrigerant and the refrigerant below the lowest nozzle stays in the accommodation chamber; the refrigeration system is configured as follows:

The nozzles of different heights can be controlled and selected as the refrigerant outlet for the refrigerant to flow out of the accommodating chamber, so as to adjust the amount of refrigerant retained in the accommodating chamber, thereby changing the circulation amount of the refrigerant.

Optionally, the refrigeration system further includes: a flow direction switching element, which is used to control the flow direction of the refrigerant in the circulation loop, so that the operation of the refrigeration system makes the first heat exchanger function as a condenser, and the second heat exchanger The cooling mode in which the heat exchanger acts as an evaporator; or the heating mode in which the first heat exchanger acts as an evaporator and the second heat exchanger acts as a condenser;

The multiple nozzles include one or more lower nozzles with different height positions, and one or more higher nozzles with different height positions higher than each of the lower nozzles, and each of the lower nozzles communicates with all The first heat exchanger, each of the high nozzles communicates with the second heat exchanger;

In the cooling mode, the refrigerant downstream of the first heat exchanger enters the accommodating cavity through at least one of the lower nozzles, and flows out through at least one of the higher nozzles, so that the refrigerant below the higher nozzle stays in the accommodating chamber. cavity;

In the heating mode, the refrigerant downstream of the second heat exchanger enters the accommodating chamber through at least one of the high-level nozzles, and flows out through at least one of the low-level nozzles, so that the refrigerant below the low-level nozzles stays in the storage chamber. in the holding chamber.

Optionally, the number of the lower nozzles is two, which are respectively a first lower nozzle and a second lower nozzle located lower than the first lower nozzle; the refrigeration system is configured as follows:

In the heating mode and the outdoor ambient temperature reaches or exceeds the preset temperature, the first low-level nozzle is connected to the first heat exchanger, and the second low-level nozzle is closed to exchange heat with the first flow path between devices;

In the heating mode and when the outdoor ambient temperature is lower than the preset temperature, the flow path between the second lower nozzle and the first heat exchanger is connected.

Optionally, the refrigerant regulator includes a solenoid valve, which is located on the connecting pipeline of the second low nozzle, and is used to turn on or off the flow path between it and the first heat exchanger;

The flow path between the first lower nozzle and the first heat exchanger is in a normally open state.

Optionally, the preset temperature is -7°C.

Optionally, the refrigerant regulator is located between the first heat exchanger and the throttling device.

Optionally, the refrigerant regulator is located between the throttling device and the second heat exchanger.

Optionally, the refrigerant regulator includes:

a tank body defining said receiving chamber; and

A plurality of insertion tubes are inserted into the accommodation cavity upwards from the bottom of the tank body, and the upper ends of the insertion tubes have different heights and positions to form the nozzles respectively.

Optionally, the refrigerant regulator includes a tank body defining the accommodating cavity, and each of the nozzles is a connection hole opened on a side wall of the tank body.

In another aspect, the present invention also provides an air conditioner, which includes the refrigeration system described in any one of the above items.

In the refrigeration system of the present invention, a refrigerant regulator is added between the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger in the circulation loop of the traditional vapor compression refrigeration cycle. The heights of multiple nozzles of the refrigerant regulator are different. The refrigerant between the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger is liquid or gas-liquid two-phase. As the refrigerant outlet, the refrigerant below the nozzle with the lowest position will be retained. Does not participate in circulation in the receiving chamber. Therefore, the refrigerating system can adjust the amount of refrigerant retained in the accommodating chamber by selecting nozzles of different heights as the refrigerant outlet for the refrigerant to flow out of the accommodating chamber, thereby changing the amount of refrigerant circulation (that is, the amount of refrigerant participating in the cycle). In this way, the refrigeration system is convenient to adjust the amount of refrigerant circulation according to different working conditions, so as to keep it in an optimal range, which is conducive to improving the energy efficiency of the refrigeration system.

Further, the refrigeration system of the present invention includes a flow direction switching element, that is, a heat pump system. Each low nozzle of the refrigerant regulator is connected to the first heat exchanger, and each high nozzle is connected to the second heat exchanger. In the cooling mode, the refrigerant downstream of the first heat exchanger (as a condenser) enters the accommodation cavity through at least one low-level nozzle, and flows out through at least one high-level nozzle, so that the refrigerant below the high-level nozzle stays in the accommodation chamber , The retention is too large, so that the refrigerant circulation is small, reducing power consumption and improving system energy efficiency. In the heating mode, the refrigerant downstream of the second heat exchanger enters the accommodation cavity through at least one high-level nozzle, and flows out through at least one low-level nozzle, so that the refrigerant below the low-level nozzle stays in the accommodation chamber, and the retained amount is relatively small , so that the amount of refrigerant circulation is large to meet the requirement of increasing the amount of refrigerant circulation in the heating mode. It can be seen that after the refrigeration system is switched to cooling mode or heating mode, the refrigerant circulation volume changes accordingly, and no complicated control logic is required to control the refrigerant regulator, which is very ingenious in design.

Further, in the refrigeration system of the present invention, the number of the lower nozzles is two, namely the first lower nozzle and the second lower nozzle located lower than the first lower nozzle. In the heating mode and the outdoor ambient temperature reaches or exceeds the preset temperature (that is, the conventional heating mode), the first low-level nozzle is connected to the first heat exchanger, and the second low-level nozzle is closed to exchange heat with the first The flow path between the heat exchangers; in the heating mode and the outdoor ambient temperature is lower than the preset temperature (that is, the low-temperature heating mode), the flow path between the second low-level nozzle and the first heat exchanger is turned on, so that the second The refrigerant under the low-level nozzle stays in the housing cavity, which makes the stagnation smaller than that of the conventional heating mode, so that the refrigerant circulation is larger, which can match the higher requirements of the low-temperature heating condition for the refrigerant circulation, and make the refrigeration system in the air Low temperature heating mode is more efficient.

Those skilled in the art will be more aware of the above and other objects, advantages and features of the present invention according to the following detailed description of specific embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Description of drawings

Hereinafter, some specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail by way of illustration and not limitation with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals in the drawings designate the same or similar parts or parts. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. In the attached picture:

Fig. 1 is the cycle diagram of the refrigeration system of an embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is the cycle diagram of the refrigeration system of another embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 3 is a schematic structural diagram of a refrigerant regulator in an embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 4 is a schematic structural diagram of a refrigerant regulator according to another embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 5 is a schematic structural diagram of a refrigerant regulator according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed ways

Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the invention, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Each example is provided by way of explanation of the invention, not limitation of the invention. In fact, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in this invention without departing from the scope or spirit of this invention. For example, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be used with another embodiment to yield still a further embodiment. Thus, it is intended that the present invention covers such modifications and changes as come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

The refrigeration system and the air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5 . The terms "first", "second", etc. are used for descriptive purposes only, and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the quantity of the indicated technical features. Thus, features defined as "first", "second", etc. may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features, that is, include one or more of the features. In the description of the present invention, "plurality" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise specifically defined. When a feature "comprises or comprises" one or some of the features it encompasses, unless specifically stated otherwise, this indicates that other features are not excluded and that other features may be further included.

Fig. 1 is a cycle diagram of a refrigeration system according to one embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1 , the solid arrows indicate the flow direction of the refrigeration cycle refrigerant, and the hollow arrows indicate the flow direction of the heating cycle refrigerant.

As shown in Figure 1, the refrigeration system of the embodiment of the present invention includes: a circulation circuit with a compressor 100, a first heat exchanger 300, a throttling device 400 and a second heat exchanger 500, in which a refrigerant circulates to form a vapor Compression refrigeration cycle system. Of course, the refrigeration system also includes some valves such as shut-off

valves

600, 700, filters and other refrigeration accessories. The principle of the vapor compression refrigeration cycle system and the connection relationship of various components are well known to those skilled in the art, and will not be repeated here.

The refrigeration system is used to output cold/heat to cool/heat a specific space, and can be applied to air conditioning equipment, refrigeration and freezing devices, etc. The operating conditions of the refrigeration system (mainly referring to the ambient temperature/humidity of the first heat exchanger 300 and the second heat exchanger 500) are different, and the demand for the amount of refrigerant participating in the cycle (hereinafter referred to as the refrigerant circulation amount) is also different. .

For example, the inventors have found that for the refrigeration system of the air conditioner, the optimal refrigerant circulation required by different operation modes (referring to cooling or heating) are different. Specifically, compared with the cooling mode, in the heating mode, the heat exchange rate per unit mass flow rate of the refrigerant is lower. In order to ensure the heating capacity, more refrigerants are required to participate in the cycle, so the amount of refrigerant circulation needs to be increased. In addition, even in the same operation mode, when the working conditions change (differences in outdoor ambient temperature), the optimal refrigerant circulation volume required is also different. For example, in the same heating mode, under low-temperature heating conditions (for example, when the outdoor ambient temperature is lower than -7°C), the lower the outdoor ambient temperature, the lower the heat transfer per unit mass flow rate of the refrigerant. In order to ensure the heating capacity , need more refrigerant to participate in the cycle, so it is necessary to further increase the amount of refrigerant circulation.

In order to realize the adjustment of the circulation amount of the refrigerant, the refrigeration system in the embodiment of the present invention further includes a refrigerant regulator 800 . The refrigerant regulator 800 is connected to the circulation loop and is located between the first heat exchanger 300 and the second heat exchanger 500 . The refrigerant regulator 800 has an accommodating cavity 851 and a plurality of

nozzles

801 , 802 , 803 with different heights for refrigerant entering and exiting the accommodating cavity 851 . Part of the nozzles are used as refrigerant inlets for the refrigerant to flow into the accommodating chamber 851 . Some nozzles are used as refrigerant outlets for the refrigerant to flow out of the accommodating cavity 851 . Since the refrigerant regulator 800 is located between the first heat exchanger 300 and the second heat exchanger 500, and the refrigerant between the first heat exchanger 300 and the second heat exchanger 500 is liquid or gas-liquid two-phase, it is used as The refrigerant outlet and the refrigerant below the nozzle at the lowest position will not be able to enter the nozzle, but stay in the accommodating chamber 851 and not participate in the circulation, while the refrigerant in the space above the nozzle will all flow out of the nozzle to participate in the circulation. Therefore, the refrigeration system of the present invention is configured such that nozzles of different heights are controllably selected as refrigerant outlets for the refrigerant to flow out of the chamber 851, so as to adjust the amount of refrigerant retained in the chamber 851, thereby changing the circulation amount of the refrigerant. In this way, the refrigeration system is convenient to adjust the amount of refrigerant circulation according to different working conditions, so as to keep it in the optimal range, and improve the energy efficiency of the refrigeration system.

Specifically, when the refrigerating system needs to increase the refrigerant circulation volume, the

nozzles

801 and 802 at lower positions can be selected as the refrigerant outlets. Conversely, when it is necessary to reduce the circulation amount of the refrigerant, it is sufficient to select the nozzle 803 with a higher position as the outlet of the refrigerant. It can be designed so that more (such as three, four, five or more) nozzles can be switched to refrigerant outlets, so that there are more adjustment gears for the amount of refrigerant circulation.

In some embodiments, the refrigeration system further includes a flow direction switching element 200 . The flow direction switching element 200 is also used to control the flow direction of the refrigerant in the circulation loop, so that the refrigeration system operates in a refrigeration mode in which the first heat exchanger 300 acts as a condenser and the second heat exchanger 500 acts as an evaporator; or operates to make the first heat exchanger The heat exchanger 300 is used as an evaporator, and the second heat exchanger 500 is used as a condenser in a heating mode. At this time, the refrigeration system is a heat pump refrigeration system, which is mainly used in air conditioning. In the scheme shown in Fig. 1, the flow direction switching element 200 is specifically a four-way valve, and its four valve ports are connected to the suction port of the compressor 100, the discharge port of the compressor 100, the first heat exchanger 300 and the second heat exchanger respectively. Heater 500. The scheme of using the four-way valve to adjust and switch between cooling and heating modes is widely used in the refrigeration field, and will not be repeated here.

The

multiple nozzles

801, 802, 803 of the aforementioned refrigerant regulator 800 include one or more

lower nozzles

801, 802 with different height positions, and one or more height positions higher than the

lower nozzles

801, 802 Different elevated nozzles 803. Each

lower nozzle

801 , 802 communicates with the first heat exchanger 300 , and each upper nozzle 803 communicates with the second heat exchanger 500 . In this way, in the cooling mode, the downstream refrigerant of the first heat exchanger 300 (as a condenser) enters the accommodating cavity 851 through at least one low-

level nozzle

801, 802, and then flows out through at least one high-level nozzle 803, so that the high-level The refrigerant below the nozzle 803 stays in the accommodating chamber 851 , that is, more refrigerant stays, so that the circulating amount of the refrigerant is larger. Similarly, in the heating mode, the downstream refrigerant of the second heat exchanger 500 (as a condenser) enters the accommodation chamber 851 through at least one high-level nozzle 803, and flows out through at least one low-

level nozzle

801, 802, so that the low-level nozzle The refrigerant below 801 and 802 stays in the accommodation cavity 851 .

The number of the upper nozzle and the lower nozzle can be one or more. details as follows:

In an optional solution, as shown in FIG. 1, the number of low-

level nozzles

801 and 802 is two, so that the refrigeration system has three refrigerant circulation adjustment gears, which are refrigeration mode and normal heating mode. and low temperature heating mode. The two

lower nozzles

801 and 802 are respectively a first lower nozzle 801 and a second lower nozzle 802 lower than the first lower nozzle 801 . The refrigeration system is configured as follows: in the heating mode and when the outdoor ambient temperature reaches or exceeds the preset temperature, the first lower nozzle 801 is connected to the first heat exchanger 300, and the second lower nozzle 802 is closed from the first heat exchanger 300. The flow path between the heaters 300 only works with the first lower nozzle 801 at a higher position and its flow path, so that the amount of refrigerant circulation is relatively small. In the heating mode and the outdoor ambient temperature is lower than the preset temperature (which can be referred to as low-temperature heating), the flow path between the second lower nozzle 802 and the first heat exchanger 300 is turned on, so that the lower position The second lower nozzle 802 works to increase the amount of refrigerant circulation. The preset temperature may be -7°C. In the low-temperature heating mode, the flow path between the first lower nozzle 801 and the first heat exchanger 300 can be opened or closed without affecting the circulation amount of the refrigerant. For example, as shown in FIG. 1 , the flow path between the first low-level nozzle 801 and the first heat exchanger 300 can be in a normally open state, so that the refrigerant regulator 800 includes a solenoid valve 900 located at the connection of the second low-level nozzle 802 On the pipeline, it is used to turn on or off the flow path between it and the first heat exchanger 300 . This embodiment can match the higher requirement of the refrigerant circulation volume in the low-temperature heating condition, so that the efficiency of the refrigeration system in the low-temperature heating mode is higher.

In other optional solutions (not shown), the number of the lower nozzle and the upper nozzle may both be one. At this time, the refrigeration system only has two adjustment gears for refrigerant circulation, namely cooling mode and heating mode.

In other optional solutions (not shown), the number of high-level nozzles can also be multiple. At this time, in the cooling mode, the refrigeration system has multiple adjustment gears for the refrigerant circulation volume; in the heating mode, it has only one refrigerant circulation volume adjustment gear.

In other optional solutions (not shown), the number of low-level nozzles and high-level nozzles can be multiple. At this time, the refrigeration system has multiple refrigerant circulation adjustment gears in the refrigeration mode; In the heating mode, there are also multiple adjustment gears for the amount of refrigerant circulation.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 , the refrigerant regulator 800 can be located between the first heat exchanger 300 and the throttling device 400 . At this time, the

lower nozzles

801 and 802 are connected to the first heat exchanger 300 , and the higher nozzles 803 are connected to the throttling device 400 . Specifically as shown in Figure 1, in the refrigeration mode, refer to the solid arrow to indicate that after being compressed by the compressor 100, the refrigerant enters the first heat exchanger 300 (as a condenser) to condense into a liquid state, and then flows into it through the first low-level nozzle 801 The accommodating cavity 851, the solenoid valve 900 is closed (or opened), and the flow from the high nozzle 803 to the throttling device 400 is throttled to form a gas-liquid two-phase state, and then flows to the second heat exchanger 500 (as an evaporator) for evaporation It forms a low-temperature and low-pressure gaseous state, and then flows to the suction port of the compressor 100 for recompression, so that the circulation flows. In the normal heating mode (outdoor ambient temperature is at or higher than the preset temperature), refer to the hollow arrow, the solenoid valve 900 is closed, and the refrigerant is compressed by the compressor 100, and then passes through the second heat exchanger 500 (as a condenser) And the throttling device 400 enters the accommodating cavity 851 through the high-level nozzle 803, flows out through the first low-level nozzle 801, enters the first heat exchanger 300 (as an evaporator), and then flows to the suction port of the compressor 100 for recompression , so that the circulation flows. In the low-temperature heating mode (the outdoor ambient temperature is lower than the preset temperature), refer to the hollow arrow and a double arrow to indicate, the solenoid valve 900 is opened, and the refrigerant is compressed by the compressor 100, and then passes through the second heat exchanger 500 (as a condensation device) and throttling device 400, enter the chamber 851 through the high nozzle 803, flow out through the first low nozzle 801 and the second low nozzle 802, enter the first heat exchanger 300 (as an evaporator), and then flow to The suction port of the compressor 100 re-compresses, and the circulation flows like this.

Fig. 2 is a cycle diagram of a refrigeration system according to another embodiment of the present invention.

The difference between the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 and the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 is that the position of the refrigerant regulator 800 is changed, and it is arranged between the throttling device 400 and the second heat exchanger 500 . At this time, the

lower nozzles

801 and 802 are connected to the throttling device 400 , and the higher nozzles 803 are connected to the second heat exchanger 500 . The structure of the refrigerant regulator 800 is the same as that of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 , so the detailed description of the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 is omitted here.

Fig. 3 is a schematic structural diagram of a refrigerant regulator 800 in an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 4 is a schematic structural diagram of a refrigerant regulator 800 according to another embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 5 is a schematic structural diagram of a refrigerant regulator 800 according to another embodiment of the present invention;

In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 , the refrigerant regulator 800 may include a tank body 850 and a plurality of

insertion pipes

810 , 820 , 830 . The tank body 850 defines the aforesaid accommodating cavity 851, which may be a pressure-resistant container made of metal material. A plurality of

insertion tubes

810, 820, 830 are inserted upward into the accommodating cavity 851 from the bottom of the tank body 850, and the upper ends of the

insertion tubes

810, 820, 830 have different heights and positions, forming

nozzles

801, 802, 803 respectively. Of course, the tank body 850 has holes to allow the inserting

tubes

810, 820, 830 to be inserted. The

insertion pipes

810, 820, 830 and the holes of the tank body 850 are fixed and sealed by means of welding or the like. The tank body 850 and a plurality of connecting

pipes

810, 820, 830 constitute the refrigerant regulator 800 as a whole. When assembling the refrigeration system, the remaining relevant pipelines of the refrigeration system can be connected to the connecting

pipes

810, 820, 830.

In some other embodiments, as shown in FIG. 4 , the refrigerant regulator 800 includes a tank body 850 defining an accommodating cavity 851 , and each

nozzle

801 , 802 , 803 is a connection hole opened on a side wall of the tank body 850 . The refrigerant regulator 800 of this embodiment does not include a plug-in pipe, and when the refrigeration system is assembled, the relevant pipelines of the refrigeration system need to connect with the connection holes on the side wall of the tank body 850 .

In some other embodiments, as shown in FIG. 5 , the refrigerant regulator 800 includes a tank body 850 and a plurality of

insertion pipes

810 , 820 , 830 . The tank body 850 defines the aforesaid accommodating cavity 851 , which may be a pressure-resistant container made of metal material. A plurality of inserting

tubes

810, 820, 830 are horizontally inserted into the housing cavity 851 from the side wall of the tank body 850, and the height positions of the ports inserted into the inside of the tank body by each inserting

tube

810, 820, 830 are different, forming the

respective nozzles

801, 802, 803. Of course, the side wall of the tank body 850 has holes to allow insertion of the

insertion tubes

810 , 820 , 830 . The

insertion pipes

pipes

810, 820, 830 constitute the refrigerant regulator 800 as a whole. When assembling the refrigeration system, the remaining relevant pipelines of the refrigeration system can be connected with the connecting

pipes

810, 820, 830.

Another aspect of the embodiments of the present invention also provides an air conditioner. The air conditioner includes the refrigerating system of any of the above embodiments. The present invention does not limit the specific form of the air conditioner. It can be a household air conditioner or various central air conditioners for directly cooling/heating the indoor environment, or through The secondary refrigerant transmits cold or heat, and indirectly cools/heats the indoor environment.

So far, those skilled in the art should appreciate that, although a number of exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described in detail herein, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, the disclosed embodiments of the present invention can still be used. Many other variations or modifications consistent with the principles of the invention are directly identified or derived from the content. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention should be understood and deemed to cover all such other variations or modifications.

Claims

A refrigeration system comprising: a circulation loop having a compressor, a first heat exchanger, a throttling device and a second heat exchanger;

The refrigerating system further includes a refrigerant regulator connected to the circulation circuit and located between the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger, the refrigerant regulator has a chamber and a different height A plurality of nozzles for the refrigerant to enter and exit the accommodation cavity, as the outlet of the refrigerant and the refrigerant below the lowest nozzle stays in the accommodation chamber; the refrigeration system is configured as follows:

The nozzles of different heights can be controlled and selected as the refrigerant outlet for the refrigerant to flow out of the accommodating chamber, so as to adjust the amount of refrigerant retained in the accommodating chamber, thereby changing the circulation amount of the refrigerant.
The refrigeration system according to claim 1, further comprising:

A flow direction switching element, which is used to control the flow direction of the refrigerant in the circulation loop, so that the refrigeration system operates in a refrigeration mode in which the first heat exchanger acts as a condenser and the second heat exchanger acts as an evaporator; or Operate the heating mode in which the first heat exchanger acts as an evaporator and the second heat exchanger acts as a condenser;

The multiple nozzles include one or more lower nozzles with different height positions, and one or more higher nozzles with different height positions higher than each of the lower nozzles, and each of the lower nozzles communicates with all The first heat exchanger, each of the high nozzles communicates with the second heat exchanger;

In the cooling mode, the refrigerant downstream of the first heat exchanger enters the accommodating cavity through at least one of the lower nozzles, and flows out through at least one of the higher nozzles, so that the refrigerant below the higher nozzle stays in the accommodating chamber. cavity;

In the heating mode, the refrigerant downstream of the second heat exchanger enters the accommodating chamber through at least one of the high-level nozzles, and flows out through at least one of the low-level nozzles, so that the refrigerant below the low-level nozzles stays in the storage chamber. in the holding chamber.
The refrigeration system according to claim 2, wherein

There are two low-level nozzles, which are the first low-level nozzle and the second low-level nozzle lower than the first low-level nozzle; the refrigeration system is configured as follows:

In the heating mode and the outdoor ambient temperature reaches or exceeds the preset temperature, the first low-level nozzle is connected to the first heat exchanger, and the second low-level nozzle is closed to exchange heat with the first flow path between devices;

In the heating mode and when the outdoor ambient temperature is lower than the preset temperature, the flow path between the second lower nozzle and the first heat exchanger is connected.
The refrigeration system according to claim 3, wherein

The refrigerant regulator includes a solenoid valve, which is located on the connecting pipeline of the second low nozzle, and is used to turn on or off the flow path between it and the first heat exchanger;

The flow path between the first lower nozzle and the first heat exchanger is in a normally open state.
A refrigeration system according to claim 3 or 4, wherein

The preset temperature is -7°C.
The refrigeration system according to any one of claims 1-6, wherein

The refrigerant regulator is located between the first heat exchanger and the throttling device.
The refrigeration system according to any one of claims 1-6, wherein

The refrigerant regulator is located between the throttling device and the second heat exchanger.
The refrigeration system according to any one of claims 1-7, wherein the refrigerant regulator comprises:

a tank body defining said receiving chamber; and

A plurality of insertion tubes are inserted into the accommodation cavity upwards from the bottom of the tank body, and the upper ends of the insertion tubes have different heights and positions to form the nozzles respectively.
The refrigeration system according to any one of claims 1-7, wherein

The refrigerant regulator includes a tank body defining the accommodating cavity, and each of the nozzles is a connecting hole opened on a side wall of the tank body.
An air conditioner comprising the refrigeration system according to any one of claims 1-9.