Patent Description:
Ejector (also known as injector) is a component that can increase the pressure of the injected fluid without consuming electrical or mechanical energy. Due to its small size, light weight, compact structure, and high efficiency, the ejector has gradually become an indispensable component in refrigeration systems. In traditional refrigeration systems, traditional components such as compressors, evaporators, condensers, and throttling devices are often used for refrigeration. With the continuous development of technology, the combination of ejectors and compressors for cooling has become an emerging refrigeration method. The nozzle, as the main component of the ejector, its installation position is very important. Under different operating conditions, there exists an optimal nozzle position for the ejector. If the distance from the nozzle outlet to the mixing chamber is too large or too small, it will lead to lower ejector efficiency, thereby affecting the power consumption of the compressor. A prior art ejector is known from <CIT>.

In view of the above, the invention provides an ejector, so as to solve or at least alleviate one or more of the aforementioned problems and problems in other aspects existing in the prior art, or to provide an alternative technical solution for the prior art.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, an ejector is provided, comprising:.

Optionally, the guiding mechanism comprises:.

Optionally, the sliding body is a ball, the recess has a hemispherical concave surface that matches the ball, and the sliding groove has a semi-circular cross-section; or.

Optionally, the inner surface of the outer ring is provided with first magnets and second magnets that are alternately connected in sequence, where the magnetic property of the first magnets is opposite to that of the second magnets, and the quantity of the first magnets and that of the second magnets are the same, which are at least two, respectively; and the outer surface of the inner ring is provided with third magnets and fourth magnets that are alternately connected in sequence, where the magnetic property of the third magnets is opposite to that of the fourth magnets, and the quantity of the third magnets and that of the fourth magnet are the same, which are at least two, respectively.

Optionally, the first magnets and the second magnets are fixed on the inner surface of the outer ring by bonding, riveting, or threaded connection, and the third magnets and the fourth magnets are fixed on the outer surface of the inner ring by bonding, riveting, or threaded connection.

Optionally, the first magnet and the second magnet have the same size and shape, and the third magnet and the fourth magnet have the same size and shape.

Optionally, the housing comprises a body and an end cover, where one side of the extending portion is fixedly connected to the body of the housing, and the other side of the extending portion is detachably fixed to the end cover of the housing.

Optionally, the extending portion is provided with a sealant.

Optionally, first retaining rings are respectively provided on both sides of the outer ring, where the first retaining ring comprises: a first annular body arranged between the outer ring and the housing; and a plurality of first balls fixed on the first annular body in a rotatable manner; and
second retaining rings are respectively provided on both sides of the inner ring, where the second retaining ring comprises: a second annular body arranged between the inner ring and the housing; and a plurality of second balls fixed on the second annular body in a rotatable manner.

Optionally, the outer ring and the inner ring are made of aluminum alloy or magnesium alloy; and/or the housing is made of copper; and/or the nozzle is made of stainless steel.

Optionally, the outer surface of the outer ring is provided with a gear, and the outer ring is maintained in transmission connection with an external motor through the gear.

Optionally, the nozzle is provided with four openings for introducing high-pressure fluid, where the four openings are uniformly distributed around the circumference of the nozzle.

Optionally, the hollow structure of the nozzle has a reducing section and an expanding section near the first end.

Optionally, the inner ring is in threaded connection with the second end of the nozzle.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a refrigeration system configured with the ejector according to the first aspect of the invention. The refrigeration system may comprise the ejector of the first aspect.

It can be appreciated that the ejector of the present invention can adapt to different operating conditions by adopting an adjustable nozzle. Under high-pressure conditions, the distance between the nozzle end and the mixing chamber can be increased, while under low-pressure conditions, the distance between the nozzle end and the mixing chamber can be reduced. In this way, when the operating conditions change, the nozzle remains in the optimal position to maintain stable operation of the system.

The technical solution of the present invention will be described in further detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. However, it should be noted that these drawings are only designed for explanatory purposes and are intended to conceptually illustrate the structure described herein, without the need to be drawn proportionally.

The content of the present invention and the differences between the present invention and the prior art can be understood by referring to the accompanying drawings and the text. The technical solution of the present invention will be described in further detail below through the accompanying drawings and by enumerating some optional embodiments of the present invention. The same or similar reference numerals in the drawings represent the same or similar components.

It should be noted that any technical features or solutions in the embodiments are one or several of multiple optional technical features or technical solutions. For brevity, it is neither possible to exhaustively enumerate herein all alternative technical features and technical solutions of the present invention, nor is it possible to emphasize that the implementation mode of each technical feature is one of the optional multiple implementation modes. Therefore, those skilled in the art should be aware that any technical means provided by the present invention can be substituted, or any two or more technical means or technical features provided by the present invention can be combined with each other to obtain a new technical solution.

Any technical feature or technical solution within the embodiments does not limit the scope of protection of the present invention, which is as set out in the appended claims. The scope of protection of the present invention should include any alternative technical solutions that those skilled in the art can think of without creative labor, as well as any new technical solutions obtained by those skilled in the art by combining any two or more technical means or technical features provided by the present invention.

Those skilled in the art are aware that the ejector uses the Venturi effect to increase the pressure energy of the fluid at the inlet of the ejector by virtue of the dynamic fluid supplied to the dynamic inlet of the ejector. As a result, the ejector can be arranged in the refrigeration system to cause the refrigerant to do work. For example, the ejector is configured to use high-pressure refrigerant from the condenser to inject low-pressure refrigerant from the evaporator and mix them into a medium pressure gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant.

<FIG> schematically illustrates the structure of an embodiment of an ejector according to the present invention in general. In conjunction with <FIG>, an ejector <NUM> is composed of a housing <NUM>, a nozzle <NUM>, a magnetic rotating mechanism <NUM>, a guiding mechanism <NUM>, and other components. The body <NUM> of the housing <NUM> has a first chamber <NUM> and a second chamber <NUM>, wherein the axis of the first chamber <NUM>, the axis of the second chamber <NUM>, and the axis of the nozzle <NUM> are the same. The first chamber <NUM> is provided with a first inlet <NUM> (also known as a dynamic inlet) for introducing high-pressure fluid and a second inlet <NUM> (also known as a suction inlet) for introducing low-pressure fluid. The second chamber <NUM> is sequentially provided with a reducing section 112a, a mixing section 112b (also known as a mixing chamber), and an expanding section 112c along the direction of fluid movement. The high-pressure fluid entering from the first inlet <NUM> and the low-pressure fluid entering from the second inlet <NUM> converge at the reducing section 112a, and then undergo sufficient momentum and energy transfer in the mixing section 112b. The mixed airflow is pressurized through the expanding section 112c and discharged from the end of the ejector <NUM> into a compressor (not shown).

As can be clearly seen from <FIG>, the nozzle <NUM> is installed in the first chamber <NUM> of the housing <NUM>, and is capable of only moving along the axis direction of the first chamber <NUM> of the housing <NUM>. The nozzle <NUM> has a first end <NUM> and a second end <NUM>, where the first end <NUM> of the nozzle <NUM> extends into the reducing section 112a of the second chamber <NUM>. The nozzle <NUM> has a hollow structure for maintaining fluid communication with the first inlet <NUM>, and the second inlet <NUM> is located on the outer side the outlet of the first end <NUM> of the nozzle <NUM>. The magnetic rotating mechanism <NUM> comprises an outer ring <NUM> and an inner ring <NUM> concentrically arranged on the inner side of the outer ring <NUM>. The outer ring <NUM> and the inner ring <NUM> are installed at the housing <NUM> around the axis of the first chamber <NUM> of the housing <NUM> in a rotatable manner, wherein the inner ring <NUM> is rotatably connected to the second end <NUM> of the nozzle <NUM>, for example, by a threaded connection. In order to protect the second end <NUM> of the nozzle <NUM>, the housing <NUM> further comprises an end cover <NUM>, which is provided at or near the second end <NUM> of the nozzle <NUM>. The outer surface of the inner ring <NUM> and the inner surface of the outer ring <NUM> are respectively provided with magnets with opposite magnetic properties and the same quantity, and an extending portion <NUM> for sealing is provided between the inner ring <NUM> and the outer ring <NUM>. One side of the extending portion <NUM> is fixedly connected to the body <NUM> of the housing <NUM>, and the other side is detachably fixed to the end cover <NUM> of the housing <NUM>. The guiding mechanism <NUM> is arranged between the housing <NUM> and the nozzle <NUM> to prevent the nozzle <NUM> from rotating around the axis of the first chamber <NUM> of the housing <NUM>. As shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, the outer surface of the outer ring <NUM> is provided with a gear <NUM>, and the outer ring <NUM> can maintain a transmission connection with a driving device, such as an external motor (not shown), through the gear <NUM>.

When the outer ring <NUM> of the magnetic rotating mechanism <NUM> rotates when driven by an external motor, the magnetic field between the outer ring <NUM> and the inner ring <NUM> changes, so the inner ring <NUM> rotates together with the outer ring <NUM> under the magnetic force of the magnet. Driven by the inner ring <NUM>, the nozzle <NUM> generates relative motion simultaneously, and is capable of only moving forward and backward along the axis direction of the first chamber <NUM> under the action of the guiding mechanism <NUM>. During this period, the distance L from the first end <NUM> of the nozzle <NUM> to the inlet of the mixing section 112b of the second chamber <NUM> changes to cover operating conditions under various pressures. Specifically, when the compressor operates under high-pressure conditions, the L value should be large to ensure that the high-pressure fluid and low-pressure fluid can be fully mixed. Whereas, when the compressor operates under low-pressure conditions, the L value should be small to ensure subsequent pressure rise. In short, the distance L from the first end <NUM> of the nozzle <NUM> to the inlet of the mixing section 112b of the second chamber <NUM> can be adjusted with changes in pressure. This can improve the operational efficiency of the ejector, further reduce the power consumption of the compressor, and thus improve the operational efficiency of the entire refrigeration system.

Referring to <FIG>, the guiding mechanism <NUM> may comprise: a sliding groove <NUM> provided on the sidewall of the first chamber <NUM> and extending along the axis direction of the first chamber <NUM>; a sliding body <NUM> capable of moving along the sliding groove <NUM>; and a recess <NUM> provided on the outer sidewall of the nozzle <NUM> for partially accommodating the sliding body <NUM>, wherein the shape of the recess <NUM> matches the shape of a portion of the sliding body <NUM> extending into the recess <NUM>. When the inner ring <NUM> drives the nozzle <NUM> to rotate, the sliding body <NUM> creates constraints in the radial direction of the nozzle <NUM>, thus preventing the nozzle <NUM> from rotating around the axis of the first chamber <NUM> and forcing it to only move linearly along the axis direction of the first chamber <NUM>. For example, the sliding body <NUM> can be in the form of a ball, the recess <NUM> has a hemispherical concave surface that matches the ball, and the sliding groove <NUM> has a semi-circular cross-section. For another example, the sliding body can be in the form of a square block, the recess is a square groove that matches the block, and the sliding groove has a square cross-section. For yet another example, the sliding body can be in the form of a cylinder, the recess is a cylindrical groove that matches the cylinder, and the sliding groove has a semi-circular cross-section. It is easy to understand that the length of the sliding groove <NUM> is usually designed to be slightly larger than the distance L from the first end <NUM> of the nozzle <NUM> to the inlet of the mixing section 112b of the second chamber <NUM>.

The specific structure of the magnetic rotating mechanism <NUM> is described in detail below in conjunction with <FIG>. The inner surface of the outer ring <NUM> is provided with first magnets <NUM> and second magnets <NUM>, where the first magnets <NUM> and the second magnets <NUM> are alternately connected in sequence. The magnetic property of the first magnets <NUM> is opposite to that of the second magnets <NUM> (i.e., one direction of the center of the circle facing outward is N-pole, and the other direction towards the center of the circle is S-pole; or vice versa), and the quantity of the first magnets <NUM> and that of the second magnets <NUM> are the same, which are respectively two. The outer surface of the inner ring <NUM> is provided with third magnets <NUM> and fourth magnets <NUM>, where the third magnets <NUM> and the fourth magnets <NUM> are alternately connected in sequence. The magnetic property of the third magnets <NUM> is opposite to that of the fourth magnets <NUM> (i.e., one direction of the center of the circle facing outward is N-pole, and the other direction towards the center of the circle is S-pole; or vice versa), and the quantity of the third magnets <NUM> and that of the fourth magnets <NUM> are the same, which are respectively two. That is to say, one of the first magnets <NUM> and the second magnets <NUM> on the outer ring <NUM> corresponds one-to-one and is arranged in pairs with the other of the third magnets <NUM> and the fourth magnets <NUM> on the inner ring <NUM>, as shown in <FIG>. Based on the above, when the outer ring <NUM> rotates, the magnetic field of the four pairs of magnets between the inner ring <NUM> and the outer ring <NUM> changes, thus causing the inner ring <NUM> to rotate under the action of magnetic force. Of course, it is readily appreciated by those skilled in the art that the quantity of the first magnets <NUM>, the second magnets <NUM>, the third magnets <NUM>, and the fourth magnets <NUM> is not limited to two, and can be three, four, five, or more. That is to say, six pairs of magnets, eight pairs of magnets, ten pairs of magnets, or more can be arranged between the inner ring <NUM> and the outer ring <NUM> (see <FIG>). In addition, the first magnets <NUM> and the second magnets <NUM> can be fixed on the inner surface of the outer ring <NUM> by bonding, riveting, or threaded connection etc., and the third magnets <NUM> and the fourth magnets <NUM> can be fixed on the outer surface of the inner ring <NUM> by bonding, riveting, or threaded connection etc. Furthermore, the size and shape of the first magnet <NUM> and the second magnet <NUM> can be designed to be the same, and the size and shape of the third magnet <NUM> and the fourth magnet <NUM> can be designed to be the same, thereby reducing production costs.

In the aforementioned magnetic rotating mechanism <NUM>, first retaining rings <NUM> are respectively provided on both sides of the outer ring <NUM> to prevent the outer ring <NUM> from moving axially, and to constrain the outer ring <NUM> radially, so that the outer ring <NUM> can only rotate around its axis. As shown in <FIG>, the first retaining ring <NUM> comprises a first annular body <NUM> and a plurality of first balls <NUM>, wherein the first annular body <NUM> is provided between the outer ring <NUM> and the housing <NUM>, and the plurality of first balls <NUM> are fixed on the first annular body <NUM> in a rotatable manner. Specifically, the first annular body <NUM> of the first retaining ring <NUM> on one side of the outer ring <NUM> is arranged between the outer ring <NUM> and the body <NUM> of the housing <NUM>, while the first annular body <NUM> on the other side of the first retaining ring <NUM> of the outer ring <NUM> is arranged between the outer ring <NUM> and the end cover <NUM> of the housing <NUM>. Similarly, second retaining rings <NUM> are respectively provided on both sides of the inner ring <NUM> to prevent the inner ring <NUM> from moving axially, and at the same time to constrain the inner ring <NUM> radially, so that the inner ring <NUM> can only rotate around its axis. The second retaining ring <NUM> comprises a second annular body and a plurality of second balls, wherein the second annular body is provided between the inner ring <NUM> and the housing <NUM>, and the plurality of second balls are fixed on the second annular body in a rotatable manner. Specifically, the second annular body of the second retaining ring <NUM> on one side of the inner ring <NUM> is arranged between the inner ring <NUM> and the body <NUM> of the housing <NUM>, while the second annular body of the second retaining ring on the other side of the inner ring <NUM> is arranged between the inner ring <NUM> and the end cover <NUM> of the housing <NUM>. It can be seen that the first retaining ring <NUM> and the second retaining ring <NUM> play a role similar to that of a ball bearing.

As an example, the outer ring <NUM> and the inner ring <NUM> can be made of aluminum alloy or magnesium alloy. In addition, the housing <NUM> can be made of non-magnetic materials such as copper. In addition, the nozzle <NUM> can be made of stainless steel to prevent cavitation from occurring.

Referring again to <FIG> and <FIG>, for convenience of manufacture, one side of the extending portion <NUM> can be fixedly connected to the body <NUM> of the housing <NUM> through welding, riveting, or threaded connection etc., or can even be integrally formed with the body <NUM> of the housing <NUM>. The other side of the extending portion <NUM> can be fixedly connected to the end cover <NUM> of the housing <NUM> through threaded connection to prevent high-pressure fluid inside the ejector <NUM> from leaking from the connection between the magnetic rotating mechanism <NUM> and the housing <NUM>. In order to further improve the sealing effect, the extending portion <NUM> is provided with sealant to prevent leakage of high-pressure or low-pressure fluids. It should be noted that during the operation of the ejector, the pressure inside the ejector chamber is much higher than the ambient pressure (atmospheric pressure). In this case, the ejector according to the present invention, through an innovative design, by arranging a motor and other driving mechanisms outside the ejector, avoids refrigerant leakage and other problems that may be caused by components of the motor and other driving mechanisms.

In the embodiment shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, the nozzle <NUM> is provided with four openings <NUM> for introducing high-pressure fluid, where the four openings <NUM> are uniformly distributed around the circumference of the nozzle <NUM>. In addition, the hollow structure of the nozzle <NUM> has a reducing section <NUM> and an expanding section <NUM> near the first end <NUM>, allowing the high-pressure fluid to be expanded and accelerated through the nozzle. The velocity is maximized at the outlet of the first end <NUM> of the nozzle <NUM>, and a low-pressure area is formed between the outlet cross-section of the nozzle <NUM> and the inlet cross-section of the mixing section 112b. A pressure difference is formed at the end outlet of the nozzle, and under the effect of the pressure difference, the low-pressure fluid is sucked into the reducing section 112a of the second chamber <NUM> from the second inlet <NUM>. In order to prevent the low-pressure fluid from entering the hollow structure of the nozzle <NUM> and mixing with the high-pressure fluid in advance, a protrusion <NUM> arranged circumferentially around the nozzle <NUM> is also provided on the outer sidewall of the nozzle <NUM>.

In summary, the ejector of the present invention has a simple structure, low cost, and high reliability. By adjusting the position of the nozzle, the distance between the end outlet of the nozzle and the mixing chamber changes, thereby achieving optimal position adjustment under different operating conditions and ensuring system stability.

In addition, the present invention also provides a refrigeration system configured with the aforementioned ejector. The refrigeration system comprises a cooling tower, a chiller unit, a pumping device, etc., connected by pipelines, wherein the chiller unit is composed of components such as a compressor, a condenser, a throttling device, and an evaporator. As mentioned earlier, the aforementioned ejector can meet the needs of the compressor under various pressure conditions, further reducing the power consumption of the compressor and thereby improving the operational efficiency of the entire refrigeration system. Therefore, it is highly recommended to apply the aforementioned ejector to various refrigeration systems.

If terms such as "first" and "second" are used herein to limit components, those skilled in the art should be aware that the use of "first" and "second" is only for the convenience of describing and distinguishing components. Unless otherwise stated, the above terms do not have any special meanings.

In addition, as to the terms used to indicate positional relationships or shapes in any of the technical solutions disclosed in the present invention, unless otherwise stated, the implications thereof include states or shapes that are approximate, similar, or close to them. Any component provided by the present invention can be either assembled from multiple individual components or manufactured as a separate component using an integration process.

If terms such as "center", "longitudinal", "transverse", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", etc. are used in the depiction of the present invention, the orientations or positional relationships indicated by the above terms are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the drawings. These terms are used merely for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device, mechanism, component or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, so they cannot be understood as forming limitations on the scope of protection of the present invention, which is as set out in the appended claims.

Claim 1:
An ejector (<NUM>), comprising:
a housing (<NUM>) having a first chamber (<NUM>) and a second chamber (<NUM>), wherein the first chamber is provided with a first inlet (<NUM>) for introducing high-pressure fluid and a second inlet (<NUM>) for introducing low-pressure fluid, and the second chamber is sequentially provided with a reducing section (112a), a mixing section (112b), and an expanding section (112c) along a direction of fluid movement;
a nozzle (<NUM>) installed in the first chamber of the housing and is only capable of moving along an axis direction of the first chamber of the housing, wherein the nozzle has a first end (<NUM>) and a second end (<NUM>), the first end of the nozzle extends into the reducing section of the second chamber, the nozzle has a hollow structure for maintaining fluid communication with the first inlet, and the second inlet is located outside an outlet of the first end of the nozzle;
and characterised by comprising
a magnetic rotating mechanism (<NUM>), comprising an outer ring (<NUM>) and an inner ring (<NUM>) concentrically arranged on an inner side of the outer ring, where the outer ring and the inner ring are installed at the housing in a rotatable manner around an axis of the first chamber of the housing, wherein the inner ring is rotatably connected to the second end of the nozzle, an outer surface of the inner ring and an inner surface of the outer ring are respectively provided with magnets (<NUM>,<NUM>,<NUM>,<NUM>) with opposite magnetic properties and the same quantity, and an extending portion (<NUM>) for sealing is provided between the inner ring and the outer ring, where the extending portion is fixedly connected to the housing; and
a guiding mechanism (<NUM>) arranged between the housing and the nozzle to prevent the nozzle from rotating around the axis of the first chamber of the housing;
wherein, when the outer ring of the magnetic rotating mechanism rotates, a magnetic field between the inner ring and the outer ring changes, and the inner ring rotates under action of magnetic force, thereby driving the nozzle to move along the axis direction of the first chamber of the housing.