Evaporator assembly

Abstract

Provided in the present application is an evaporator assembly, comprising an evaporator and at least one oil cooler. The evaporator comprises an evaporator housing for accommodating a refrigerant. The oil cooler comprises an oil cooler housing and at least one oil cooler heat exchange pipe which is arranged in the oil cooler housing and used for receiving a fluid to be cooled. The evaporator housing comprises at least one evaporator housing opening. The oil cooler housing comprises at least one oil cooler housing opening which is in fluid communication with the at least one corresponding evaporator housing opening. The positions of the evaporator and the oil cooler are configured such that at least a portion of the liquid refrigerant in the evaporator housing can flow into the oil cooler housing via the evaporator housing opening and the corresponding oil cooler housing opening by gravity so as to be used for cooling the fluid to be cooled in the oil cooler heat exchange pipe. In addition, a gaseous refrigerant in the oil cooler housing can also flow back into the evaporator housing via the oil cooler housing opening and the corresponding evaporator housing opening.

1 . An evaporator assembly, comprising:
 an evaporator comprising an evaporator housing configured to accommodate a refrigerant; and   at least one oil cooler comprising an oil cooler housing and at least one oil cooler heat exchange pipe arranged in the oil cooler housing, wherein the at least one oil cooler heat exchange pipe is configured to receive a fluid to be cooled,   wherein the evaporator housing comprises at least one evaporator housing opening, the oil cooler housing comprises at least one oil cooler housing opening, and the at least one evaporator housing opening is in fluid communication with at least one corresponding oil cooler housing opening;   wherein positions of the evaporator and the at least one oil cooler are configured such that at least a portion of a liquid refrigerant in the evaporator housing can flow into the oil cooler housing via the at least one evaporator housing opening and the at least one corresponding oil cooler housing opening by gravity to cool the fluid to be cooled in the at least one oil cooler heat exchange pipe, and   wherein a gaseous refrigerant in the oil cooler housing can flow back into the evaporator housing via the at least one oil cooler housing opening and at least one corresponding evaporator housing opening.   
     
     
         2 . The evaporator assembly of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the positions of the evaporator and the at least one oil cooler are configured such that an actual liquid level of the liquid refrigerant in the evaporator housing is higher than an actual liquid level of the liquid refrigerant in the oil cooler housing.   
     
     
         3 . The evaporator assembly of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the oil cooler housing and the evaporator housing are connected via at least one connecting pipe such that the at least one evaporator housing opening is in fluid communication with the at least one corresponding oil cooler housing opening.   
     
     
         4 . The evaporator assembly of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the evaporator housing and the oil cooler housing are directly connected at the at least one evaporator housing opening and the at least one corresponding oil cooler housing opening, respectively, such that the at least one evaporator housing opening is in fluid communication with the at least one corresponding oil cooler housing opening.   
     
     
         5 . The evaporator assembly of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the evaporator housing is cylindrical and has a longitudinal axis Y 1  extending along a length direction of the evaporator housing, and the at least one evaporator housing opening is located on a cylindrical surface of the evaporator housing,   the oil cooler housing is cylindrical and has a longitudinal axis Y 2  extending along a length direction of the oil cooler housing, and the at least one oil cooler housing opening is located on a cylindrical surface of the oil cooler housing, and   the longitudinal axis Y 2  of the oil cooler housing is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis Y 1  of the evaporator housing.   
     
     
         6 . The evaporator assembly of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the evaporator housing is cylindrical and has a longitudinal axis Y 1  extending along a length direction of the evaporator housing, and the at least one evaporator housing opening is located on a cylindrical surface of the evaporator housing,   the oil cooler housing is cylindrical and has a longitudinal axis Y 2  extending along a length direction of the oil cooler housing, and the at least one oil cooler housing opening is located on a cylindrical surface of the oil cooler housing, and   the longitudinal axis Y 2  of the oil cooler housing is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis Y 1  of the evaporator housing.   
     
     
         7 . The evaporator assembly of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the evaporator housing is cylindrical and has a longitudinal axis Y 1  extending along a length direction of the evaporator housing, and the at least one evaporator housing opening is located on a cylindrical surface of the evaporator housing,   the oil cooler housing is cylindrical and has a longitudinal axis Y 2  extending along a length direction of the oil cooler housing, and the at least one oil cooler housing opening is located at one end of the oil cooler housing, and   the longitudinal axis Y 2  of the oil cooler housing is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis Y 1  of the evaporator housing.   
     
     
         8 . The evaporator assembly of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the at least one oil cooler heat exchange pipe extends between two ends of the oil cooler housing, and   the at least one oil cooler further comprises:
 an internal support plate disposed within the oil cooler housing, wherein the internal support plate includes at least one internal support plate hole arranged thereon, and the at least one oil cooler heat exchange pipe extends into the at least one internal support plate hole; 
 a first end support plate and a second end support plate, wherein the first end support plate and the second end support plate are respectively arranged at two ends of the oil cooler housing, the first end support plate and the second end support plate each include at least one end support plate hole arranged thereon, and the at least one oil cooler heat exchange pipe extends into the respective at least one end support plate hole of each of the first end support plate and the second end support plate; and 
 a first cover plate and a second cover plate, wherein the first cover plate and the second cover plate are respectively arranged at two ends of the oil cooler housing, the first cover plate covers the first end support plate, the second cover plate covers the second end support plate, and the first cover plate includes a fluid-to-be-cooled inlet and a fluid-to-be-cooled outlet arranged thereon. 
   
     
     
         9 . The evaporator assembly of  claim 8 , wherein
 the first cover plate and the second cover plate are configured such that the fluid to be cooled flows in the at least one oil cooler heat exchange pipe for a predetermined number of passes.   
     
     
         10 . The evaporator assembly of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the first cover plate comprises:
 a first inner surface facing the first end support plate; 
 a first periphery extending from the first inner surface towards the first end support plate and abutting the first end support plate, wherein the first periphery and the first inner surface define a first cavity of the first cover plate; 
 a first guide plate of the first cover plate, wherein the first guide plate of the first cover plate is located in the first cavity, extends from the first inner surface towards the first end support plate, and abuts the first end support plate, and the first guide plate of the first cover plate divides the first cavity into a first region and a second region; and 
 a second guide plate of the first cover plate, wherein the second guide plate of the first cover plate is located in the second region of the first cavity, the second guide plate of the first cover plate extends from the first inner surface towards the first end support plate and abuts the first end support plate, the second guide plate of the first cover plate is perpendicular to the first guide plate of the first cover plate and divides the second region into a third region and a fourth region, the fluid-to-be-cooled inlet is located in the third region, and the fluid-to-be-cooled outlet is located in the fourth region; and 
   the second cover plate comprises:
 a second inner surface facing the second end support plate; 
 a second periphery extending from the second inner surface towards the second end support plate and abutting the second end support plate, wherein the second periphery and the second inner surface define a second cavity of the second cover plate; and 
 a guide plate of the second cover plate guide plate, wherein the guide plate of the second cover plate divides the second cavity into a fifth region and a sixth region, and the guide plate of the second cover plate is perpendicular to the first guide plate of the first cover plate. 
   
     
     
         11 . The evaporator assembly of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the at least one oil cooler heat exchange pipe comprises a coil disposed within the oil cooler housing, and   the at least one oil cooler further comprises:
 a spacer arranged between adjacent oil cooler heat exchange pipes of the at least one oil cooler heat exchange pipe; 
 a cover plate arranged at an end of the oil cooler housing opposite the at least one oil cooler housing opening, wherein the cover plate comprises an inlet and an outlet arranged thereon; 
 a fluid-to-be-cooled reception pipe extending into and fixed to the inlet, wherein the fluid-to-be-cooled reception pipe is in fluid communication with the at least one oil cooler heat exchange pipe and is configured to receive the fluid to be cooled and guide the fluid to be cooled into the at least one oil cooler heat exchange pipe; and 
 a fluid-to-be-cooled discharge pipe extending into and fixed to the outlet, wherein the fluid-to-be-cooled discharge pipe is in fluid communication with the at least one oil cooler heat exchange pipe and is configured to receive and discharge the fluid to be cooled from the at least one oil cooler heat exchange pipe. 
   
     
     
         12 . The evaporator assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the evaporator comprises:
 at least one evaporator heat exchange pipe arranged in the evaporator housing and configured to receive a liquid to be cooled;   end pipe plates arranged at two ends of the evaporator housing, wherein each of the end pipe plates comprises at least one end pipe plate hole arranged thereon, and the at least one evaporator heat exchange pipe extends into and is fixed to the respective at least one end pipe plate hole of each of the end pipe plates; and   an internal pipe plate arranged within the evaporator housing, wherein the internal pipe plate comprises at least one internal pipe plate hole arranged thereon, and the at least one evaporator heat exchange pipe extends through the at least one internal pipe plate hole,   wherein at least one evaporator housing opening is located at a position near one of the end pipe plates and the internal pipe plate, and the internal pipe plate near the at least one evaporator housing opening is fixedly connected to the at least one evaporator heat exchange pipe.   
     
     
         13 . A chiller unit or heat pump unit, comprising the evaporator assembly of  claim 1 .