Gas-Liquid Separator and Refrigeration System With Gas-Liquid Seperator

Abstract

A refrigeration system includes a refrigerant circuit including a gas-liquid separator ( 18 ) and operating in a two-stage compression and two-stage expansion refrigeration cycle. In the refrigerant circuit, intermediate-pressure gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant having flowed through an intermediate expansion valve after flowing through an outdoor heat exchanger is introduced through an inflow pipe ( 20 ) of the gas-liquid separator ( 18 ) into the vessel body ( 16 ) thereof and separated therein into liquid refrigerant and gas refrigerant. The liquid refrigerant flows out through a liquid outflow pipe ( 30 ), then flows through a main expansion valve and then through a refrigeration heat exchanger and is then sucked into a low-pressure stage compressor. The gas refrigerant flows out through a gas outflow pipe ( 40 ), is then fed to the suction side of a high-pressure stage compressor and is then sucked into the high-pressure stage compressor together with refrigerant discharged from the low-pressure stage compressor. The inflow pipe ( 20 ) is provided with a mesh member ( 50 ) for fragmentizing gas bubbles ( 80 ) of gas refrigerant in the gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant.

1 . A gas-liquid separator comprising:
 a vessel body ( 16 ) for separating gas-liquid two-phase fluid into liquid fluid and gaseous fluid;   an inflow pipe ( 20 ) through which the gas-liquid two-phase fluid flows into the vessel body ( 16 );   a liquid outflow pipe ( 30 ) through which liquid fluid in the vessel body ( 16 ) flows out of the vessel body ( 16 ); and   a gas outflow pipe ( 40 ) through which gaseous fluid in the vessel body ( 16 ) flows out of the vessel body ( 16 ),   wherein the inflow pipe ( 20 ) is provided with a fragmentation device ( 50 ) for fragmentizing gas bubbles in the gas-liquid two-phase fluid.   
   
   
       2 . The gas-liquid separator of  claim 1 , wherein the fragmentation device ( 50 ) comprises a mesh member ( 50 ). 
   
   
       3 . The gas-liquid separator of  claim 1 , wherein
 an opening end ( 21 ) of the inflow pipe ( 20 ) and an opening end ( 41 ) of the gas outflow pipe ( 40 ) are placed in an upper part of the vessel body ( 16 ) and arranged to face each other at opposite sides of the vessel body ( 16 ), and   an opening end ( 31 ) of the liquid outflow pipe ( 30 ) is placed in a lower part of the vessel body ( 16 ).   
   
   
       4 . The gas-liquid separator of  claim 1 , wherein the vessel body ( 16 ) is installed so that the under surface ( 16 d) thereof inclines downward towards a point thereof corresponding to the opening end ( 31 ) of the liquid outflow pipe ( 30 ). 
   
   
       5 . The gas-liquid separator of  claim 1 , wherein the inflow pipe ( 20 ) is horizontally extended to the interior of the vessel body ( 16 ) and the opening end ( 21 ) of the inflow pipe ( 20 ) opens obliquely downward. 
   
   
       6 . The gas-liquid separator of  claim 1 , wherein the inflow pipe ( 20 ) is installed to horizontally extend. 
   
   
       7 . The gas-liquid separator of  claim 3 , wherein the opening end ( 41 ) of the gas outflow pipe ( 40 ) is placed above the opening end ( 21 ) of the inflow pipe ( 20 ). 
   
   
       8 . A refrigeration system including a refrigerant circuit ( 10 ) including the gas-liquid separator ( 18 ) of  claim 1 , wherein
 the refrigerant circuit ( 10 ) is configured so that a first expansion mechanism ( 17 ), an evaporator ( 13 ), a low-pressure stage compressor ( 11 ), a high-pressure stage compressor ( 12 ), a condenser ( 14 ) and a second expansion mechanism ( 15 ) are connected in this order therein to operate in a two-stage compression and two-stage expansion refrigeration cycle,   the inflow pipe ( 20 ) of the gas-liquid separator ( 18 ) is connected to the downstream side of the second expansion valve ( 15 ) so that gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant flowing through the condenser ( 14 ) and then reduced to an intermediate pressure in the second expansion mechanism ( 15 ) flows into the vessel body ( 16 ) of the gas-liquid separator ( 18 ),   the liquid outflow pipe ( 30 ) of the gas-liquid separator ( 18 ) is connected to the upstream side of the first expansion mechanism ( 17 ) so that liquid refrigerant separated by the gas-liquid separator ( 18 ) is fed to the first expansion mechanism ( 17 ), and   the gas outflow pipe ( 40 ) of the gas-liquid separator ( 18 ) is connected to the suction side of the high-pressure stage compressor ( 12 ) so that gas refrigerant separated by the gas-liquid separator ( 18 ) is fed to the suction side of the high-pressure stage compressor ( 12 ).   
   
   
       9 . A gas-liquid separator comprising:
 a vessel body ( 16 ) for separating gas-liquid two-phase fluid into liquid fluid and gaseous fluid;   an inflow pipe ( 20 ) through which the gas-liquid two-phase fluid flows into the vessel body ( 16 );   a liquid outflow pipe ( 30 ) through which liquid fluid in the vessel body ( 16 ) flows out of the vessel body ( 16 ); and   a gas outflow pipe ( 40 ) through which gaseous fluid in the vessel body ( 16 ) flows out of the vessel body ( 16 ),   wherein the vessel body ( 16 ) is formed to have a longer horizontal dimension than the vertical dimension,   an opening end ( 21 ) of the inflow pipe ( 20 ) and an opening end ( 41 ) of the gas outflow pipe ( 40 ) are placed in an upper part of the vessel body ( 16 ) and arranged to face each other at longitudinally opposite sides of the vessel body ( 16 ), and   an opening end ( 31 ) of the liquid outflow pipe ( 30 ) is placed in a lower part of the vessel body ( 16 ).   
   
   
       10 . The gas-liquid separator of  claim 9 , wherein the vessel body ( 16 ) is installed so that the under surface ( 16 d) thereof inclines downward towards a point thereof corresponding to the opening end ( 31 ) of the liquid outflow pipe ( 30 ). 
   
   
       11 . The gas-liquid separator of  claim 9 , wherein the inflow pipe ( 20 ) is horizontally extended to the interior of the vessel body ( 16 ) and the opening end ( 21 ) of the inflow pipe ( 20 ) opens obliquely downward. 
   
   
       12 . The gas-liquid separator of  claim 9 , wherein the inflow pipe ( 20 ) is installed to horizontally extend. 
   
   
       13 . The gas-liquid separator of  claim 9 , wherein the opening end ( 41 ) of the gas outflow pipe ( 40 ) is placed above the opening end ( 21 ) of the inflow pipe ( 20 ). 
   
   
       14 . A refrigeration system including a refrigerant circuit ( 10 ) including the gas-liquid separator ( 18 ) of  claim 9 , wherein
 the refrigerant circuit ( 10 ) is configured so that a first expansion mechanism ( 17 ), an evaporator ( 13 ), a low-pressure stage compressor ( 11 ), a high-pressure stage compressor ( 12 ), a condenser ( 14 ) and a second expansion mechanism ( 15 ) are connected in this order therein to operate in a two-stage compression and two-stage expansion refrigeration cycle,   the inflow pipe ( 20 ) of the gas-liquid separator ( 18 ) is connected to the downstream side of the second expansion valve ( 15 ) so that gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant, flowing through the condenser ( 14 ) and then reduced to an intermediate pressure in the second expansion mechanism ( 15 ) flows into the vessel body ( 16 ) of the gas-liquid separator ( 18 ),   the liquid outflow pipe ( 30 ) of the gas-liquid separator ( 18 ) is connected to the upstream side of the first expansion mechanism ( 17 ) so that liquid refrigerant separated by the gas-liquid separator ( 18 ) is fed to the first expansion mechanism ( 17 ), and   the gas outflow pipe ( 40 ) of the gas-liquid separator ( 18 ) is connected to the suction side of the high-pressure stage compressor ( 12 ) so that gas refrigerant separated by the gas-liquid separator ( 18 ) is fed to the suction side of the high-pressure stage compressor ( 12 ).