Ejector and refrigeration cycle apparatus having ejector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10345018-B2
Application number	US-201715447585-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 2, 2017
Priority date	Oct 27, 2016
Publication date	Jul 9, 2019
Grant date	Jul 9, 2019

Abstract

An ejector and a refrigeration cycle apparatus having an ejector are provided. The ejector may include an ejector body having an accommodation space therein, a suction portion through which a high pressure refrigerant and a low pressure refrigerant may be suctioned into the accommodation space, and a mixing portion configured to mix the high pressure refrigerant with the low pressure refrigerant; a nozzle provided in the ejector body, having a nozzle neck and an expansion portion, and configured to inject the high pressure refrigerant into the mixing portion; a first needle moveably provided at the expansion portion, and configured to control a flow sectional area of the expansion portion; a second needle moveably provided at the nozzle neck, and configured to control a flow sectional area of the nozzle neck; a first needle drive configured to drive the first needle; and a second needle drive configured to drive the second needle. With such a configuration, the flow sectional area of the nozzle neck and the flow sectional area of the expansion portion may be independently controlled in correspondence to a drive condition.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An ejector, comprising:
an ejector body having an accommodation space therein, a suction portion through which a high pressure refrigerant and a low pressure refrigerant are suctioned into the accommodation space, and a mixing portion configured to mix the high pressure refrigerant with the low pressure refrigerant;
a nozzle provided in the ejector body, having a nozzle neck and an expansion portion, and configured to inject the high pressure refrigerant into the mixing portion; and
first and second needles moveably provided at the expansion portion and the nozzle neck, respectively, and configured to control a flow sectional area of the expansion portion and the nozzle neck, respectively, wherein the first and second needles are coaxial, wherein the first needle is penetratingly-coupled to the second needle so as to be relatively moveable with respect to the second needle.

2. The ejector of claim 1 , further including a needle drive configured to drive the first and second needles.

3. The ejector of claim 2 , wherein the needle drive includes:
a linear actuator configured to drive the first needle; and
an electric motor configured to drive the second needle.

4. A refrigeration cycle apparatus having an ejector, comprising:
a compressor configured to compress a refrigerant;
a high pressure side heat exchanger connected to the compressor, and configured to cool the compressed refrigerant;
a gas-liquid separator connected to the compressor, and configured to separate the refrigerant therein into a gas phase and a liquid phase;
an evaporator connected to the gas-liquid separator, and configured to evaporate the refrigerant; and
the ejector of claim 1 , the ejector having a first side connected to the high pressure side heat exchanger and having a second side connected to the evaporator.

5. An ejector, comprising:
an ejector body having an accommodation space therein, a suction portion through which a high pressure refrigerant and a low pressure refrigerant are suctioned into the accommodation space, and a mixing portion configured to mix the high pressure refrigerant with the low pressure refrigerant;
a nozzle provided in the ejector body, having a nozzle neck and an expansion portion, and configured to inject the high pressure refrigerant into the mixing portion;
a first needle moveably provided at the expansion portion, and configured to control a flow sectional area of the expansion portion;
a second needle moveably provided at the nozzle neck, and configured to control a flow sectional area of the nozzle neck;
a linear actuator configured to drive the first needle; and
an electric motor configured to drive the second needle, wherein the first needle is penetratingly-coupled to the second needle so as to be relatively moveable with respect to the second needle.

6. The ejector of claim 5 , wherein each of the first and second needles is provided with a tapered portion, an outer width of which decreases gradually.

7. The ejector of claim 5 , wherein the electric motor includes piezoelectric devices.

8. The ejector of claim 5 , wherein the linear actuator includes:
a lead screw spaced from the first needle;
a connection member having a first end connected to the lead screw, and a second end connected to the first needle, the connection member being configured to connect the lead screw and the first needle with each other; and
a lead screw drive configured to drive the lead screw.

9. The ejector of claim 8 , wherein the second end of the connection member is connected to the first needle so as to be moveable with the first needle, and a female screw portion screw-coupled to the lead screw is provided at the first end of the connection member.

10. The ejector of claim 8 , wherein the lead screw drive includes an electric motor.

11. A refrigeration cycle apparatus having an ejector, comprising:
a compressor configured to compress a refrigerant;
a high pressure side heat exchanger connected to the compressor, and configured to cool the compressed refrigerant;
a gas-liquid separator connected to the compressor, and configured to separate the refrigerant therein into a gas phase and a liquid phase;
an evaporator connected to the gas-liquid separator, and configured to evaporate the refrigerant; and
the ejector of claim 5 , the ejector having a first side connected to the high pressure side heat exchanger and having a second side connected to the evaporator.

12. The refrigeration cycle apparatus of claim 11 , further including a throttle valve provided between the evaporator and the gas-liquid separator, and configured to control a flow sectional area of a flow path that connects the evaporator with the gas-liquid separator.

13. The refrigeration cycle apparatus of claim 11 , further including:
a controller configured to control the linear actuator and electric motor; and
a drive mode select module associated with the controller by which a drive mode for positioning at least the second needle is selected,
wherein the controller is configured to control the linear actuator and the electric motor, based on a drive mode selected by the drive mode select module.

14. The ejector of claim 5 , wherein the first needle is penetratingly-coupled to the second needle by screws.

15. The ejector of claim 14 , wherein the linear actuator includes piezoelectric devices.

16. The ejector of claim 15 , wherein the electric motor includes:
a rotor provided at the second needle; and
a stator provided around the rotor.

17. The ejector of claim 16 , wherein the rotor is provided with a permanent magnet inserted into a surface of the second needle.

18. The ejector of claim 16 , wherein a male screw portion is formed on an outer surface of the first needle, wherein a female screw portion is formed on an inner surface of the second needle, and wherein a support, rotatable and slidable on an outer surface of the first needle, is formed at one side of the female screw portion.

19. The ejector of claim 18 , wherein the female screw portion and the support are spaced from each other, and wherein a cut-out, spaced from a surface of the first needle, is formed between the female screw portion and the support.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Lee Kangwook
• Yang Dongkeun
• Ryu Choonjae

Classifications

• F25B2400/23

  Separators · CPC title

• F25B9/08 Primary

  using ejectors (F25B9/10 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F04F5/461

  Adjustable nozzles · CPC title

• F04F5/00

  Jet pumps, i.e. devices in which flow is induced by pressure drop caused by velocity of another fluid flow (diffusion pumps F04F9/00; combination of jet pumps with pumps of other than jet type F04B; use of jet pumps for priming or boosting non-positive-displacement pumps F04D) · CPC title

• F25B2341/0013

  Ejector control arrangements · CPC title