JP6715958B2 - Expansion valve and refrigeration cycle apparatus including the same - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an expansion valve and a refrigeration cycle apparatus including the same, and more particularly, to an expansion valve including a rectifying plate and a refrigeration cycle apparatus including the expansion valve.

A refrigeration cycle device such as an air conditioner includes a refrigerant circuit in which a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, and an evaporator are sequentially connected.

The expansion valve of the refrigeration cycle device (air conditioner) has a function of reducing the pressure of the high-pressure liquid refrigerant condensed in the condenser to a state where it can be easily evaporated in the evaporator, and adjusting the flow rate of the refrigerant. The expansion valve includes an orifice and a valve body (needle), and the pressure and flow rate of the refrigerant are adjusted by changing the position of the valve body with respect to the orifice.

Generally, a high-pressure liquid refrigerant flows into the inlet of the expansion valve, and a decompressed two-phase refrigerant is delivered from the outlet of the expansion valve. However, depending on the operating conditions of the refrigeration cycle apparatus, high-pressure liquid refrigerant and gas refrigerant may flow into the inlet of the expansion valve. At this time, a sound (refrigerant sound) may be generated in the expansion valve due to the two-phase refrigerant flowing between the liquid refrigerant and the gas refrigerant. In order to suppress such refrigerant noise, measures have been conventionally taken (for example, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2).

JP, 2007-162851, A JP, 2014-238207, A

As described above, in the refrigeration cycle apparatus, various measures are taken in order to suppress the refrigerant noise generated when the two-phase refrigerant flows into the expansion valve during operation. The present invention has been made as part of measures against the refrigerant noise, and one object is to provide an expansion valve in which refrigerant noise is suppressed, and another object is to provide such an expansion valve. It is to provide a refrigeration cycle device.

The expansion valve according to the present invention includes a valve body, a valve body, a first flow path, a second flow path, and a rectifying plate. The valve body includes a valve seat having a valve chamber and an opening communicating with the valve chamber. The valve body is inserted through the opening of the valve seat to adjust the opening of the opening. The first flow path communicates with the valve chamber. The second flow path communicates with the opening of the valve seat. The baffle plate is arranged in a flow path in which the refrigerant flows toward the valve chamber, of the first flow path and the second flow path, in a direction intersecting with the flow direction of the refrigerant. When the refrigerant includes a liquid refrigerant and a gas refrigerant, the ratio of the liquid refrigerant to the weight ratio of the liquid refrigerant and the gas refrigerant is the liquid ratio. In the straightening vane, the passage resistance increases from the first portion of the straightening vane, which is located in the region where the refrigerant having a low liquid ratio flows, to the second portion, which is located in the region where the refrigerant having a high liquid ratio flows. In this manner, the refrigerant passage that allows the refrigerant to pass therethrough is formed.

A refrigeration cycle apparatus according to the present invention is a refrigeration cycle apparatus including the above expansion valve.

According to the expansion valve of the present invention, the straightening vane is located in the region where the refrigerant having a high liquid ratio flows from the first portion of the straightening vane, which is located in the region where the refrigerant having a low liquid ratio flows. By forming the refrigerant passage through which the refrigerant passes in such a manner that the passage resistance increases toward the second portion, the refrigerant noise can be suppressed.

According to the refrigeration cycle apparatus of the present invention, by including the expansion valve, the refrigerant noise of the refrigeration cycle apparatus can be suppressed.

It is a figure which shows the refrigerant circuit of the refrigeration cycle apparatus which concerns on each embodiment. FIG. 3 is a side view including a partial cross section of the expansion valve having the flow straightening plate according to the first embodiment. In the same embodiment, it is a perspective view of a current plate arranged in an expansion valve. In the same embodiment, it is a plan view showing a relationship between a refrigerant passage of a current plate and a direction of centrifugal force. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the relationship between the structure of the current plate and the direction of centrifugal force taken along the line VV shown in FIG. 4 in the same embodiment. In the same embodiment, it is a cross-sectional view schematically showing how the refrigerant in the first pipe and the second pipe flows through the rectifying plate. It is a fragmentary sectional view showing an expansion valve concerning a comparative example. It is a top view which shows the current plate arrange|positioned at the expansion valve which concerns on a comparative example. 7 is a graph showing the relationship between refrigerant noise and passage resistance in the same embodiment together with a comparative example. 7 is a graph showing the relationship between pressure loss and passage resistance in the same embodiment together with a comparative example. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a flow straightening plate arranged in the expansion valve according to the second embodiment. In the same embodiment, it is a plan view showing a relationship between a refrigerant passage of a current plate and a direction of centrifugal force. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing the relationship between the structure of the current plate and the direction of centrifugal force taken along the line XIII-XIII shown in FIG. 12 in the same Example; In the same embodiment, it is a cross-sectional view schematically showing how the refrigerant in the first pipe and the second pipe flows through the rectifying plate. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a flow straightening plate arranged in the expansion valve according to the third embodiment. In the same embodiment, it is a plan view showing a relationship between a refrigerant passage of a current plate and a direction of centrifugal force. FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view showing the relationship between the structure of the current plate and the direction of centrifugal force taken along the cross-section line XVII-XVII shown in FIG. 16 in the same embodiment. In the same embodiment, it is a cross-sectional view schematically showing how the refrigerant in the first pipe and the second pipe flows through the rectifying plate. FIG. 10 is a side view including a partial cross section of an expansion valve having a flow regulating plate according to a fourth embodiment. FIG. 11 is a side view including a partial cross section of an expansion valve having a flow regulating plate according to a fifth embodiment.

First, an example of the refrigeration cycle apparatus to which the expansion valve according to each embodiment is applied will be specifically described.

As shown in FIG. 1, in a refrigeration cycle device 51 such as an air conditioner, a refrigerant circuit in which a compressor 53, a condenser 55, an expansion valve 1 and an evaporator 57 are sequentially connected is formed. The refrigerant compressed by the compressor 53 becomes a high-temperature and high-pressure gas refrigerant and is discharged from the compressor 53. The discharged high-temperature and high-pressure gas refrigerant is sent to the condenser 55. In the condenser 55, heat exchange is performed between the flowing refrigerant and the air sent into the condenser 55. Due to the heat exchange, the high-temperature and high-pressure gas refrigerant is condensed to become a high-pressure liquid refrigerant.

The high-pressure liquid refrigerant sent from the condenser 55 becomes a two-phase state refrigerant of a low-pressure gas refrigerant and a liquid refrigerant by the expansion valve 1. The two-phase refrigerant flows into the evaporator 57. In the evaporator 57, heat exchange is performed between the two-phase refrigerant that has flowed in and the air that has been sent into the evaporator 57. The heat exchange causes the liquid refrigerant to evaporate and become a low-pressure gas refrigerant.

The low-pressure gas refrigerant sent from the evaporator 57 flows into the compressor 53 and is compressed into high-temperature and high-pressure gas refrigerant. The high-temperature and high-pressure gas refrigerant is again discharged from the compressor 53 and sent to the condenser 55. Hereinafter, this cycle will be repeated.

Next, the expansion valve 1 used in the refrigeration cycle device 51 will be described in each embodiment.

Embodiment 1.
(Construction)
The expansion valve 1 has a function of reducing the pressure of the high-pressure liquid refrigerant condensed in the condenser 55 (see FIG. 1) in the evaporator 57 so as to be easily evaporated, and adjusting the flow rate of the refrigerant.

As shown in FIG. 2, the expansion valve 1 has a valve body 3. A valve chamber 5 is provided in the valve body 3. A valve seat 9 is provided on the valve body 3. The valve body 7 (needle) is inserted through the valve seat 9. A drive unit 11 is provided above the valve body 3.

The valve body 7 moves up and down by the drive unit 11. By inserting the valve body 7 through the valve seat 9, an annular throttle portion is formed, and the valve body 7 moves in the vertical direction, whereby the flow passage area of the throttle portion is adjusted.

The valve body 7 has a cylindrical portion and a conical portion that are integrally formed. The conical portion forms an annular throttle portion with the valve seat. The columnar portion of the valve body 7 does not need to be in the form of a cylinder itself depending on the method of fixing it to the pressure loss body. Further, the conical portion of the valve body 7 does not need to have a strictly conical shape, and may have a tapered shape.

The valve body 3 is provided with a first pipe 13 (first flow passage) and a second pipe 15 (second flow passage) that communicate with the valve chamber 5, respectively. A rectifying plate 21 is arranged in a portion where the valve body 3 and the first pipe 13 are connected. Further, the current plate 21 is arranged in a portion where the valve body and the second pipe 15 are connected. The structure of the current plate 21 will be described later.

A first connecting pipe 17 is connected to the first pipe 13. The second connection pipe 19 is connected to the second pipe 15. The first connecting pipe 17 and the second connecting pipe 19 are bent pipes. The position (circumferential position) of the current plate 21 is determined by the orientation of the first connecting pipe 17 (bent pipe). Further, the position of the current plate 21 (position in the circumferential direction of the flow path) is determined by the orientation of the second connecting pipe 19 (bent pipe).

Next, the structure of the current plate 21 will be described. As shown in FIG. 3, the current plate 21 is provided with a refrigerant passage 23a and a refrigerant passage 23b having different passage areas through which the refrigerant passes. The passage area of the refrigerant passage 23b is smaller than the passage area of the refrigerant passage 23a. The thickness of the current plate 21 is a uniform thickness T.

In addition to the uniform thickness T, the rectifying plate 21 may be formed such that the side on which the refrigerant passage 23a is arranged is thin and the side on which the refrigerant passage 23b is arranged is thick. For example, the thickness may be continuously changed, or the thickness may be discontinuously changed in two steps or more in a mode shown in FIG. 13 described later.

(Action and effect)
As described above, generally, in the expansion valve, the high-pressure liquid refrigerant flows in, and the decompressed two-phase refrigerant of the liquid refrigerant and the gas refrigerant flows out. However, when the refrigeration cycle apparatus is started or under specific conditions, not the high-pressure liquid refrigerant (single-phase) but the two-phase refrigerant of the high-pressure liquid refrigerant and the gas refrigerant may flow into the expansion valve. is there.

When the high-pressure two-phase refrigerant flows into the expansion valve, the gas refrigerant and the liquid refrigerant may be discontinuous in the throttle portion of the expansion valve, and refrigerant noise may be discontinuously generated. In particular, an unpleasant sound (refrigerant sound) is generated, such as a refrigerant sound of a specific frequency or a refrigerant sound of a discontinuous frequency being randomly generated.

Even if the refrigerant flowing into the expansion valve is a two-phase refrigerant, the dryness is low. Further, even though the volume of the gas refrigerant is large, the ratio of the liquid refrigerant (liquid ratio) is high. Furthermore, the flow velocity flowing into the expansion valve is relatively low. Therefore, when a bent pipe is arranged as a pipe for guiding the refrigerant to the expansion valve, the distribution of the liquid refrigerant and the gas refrigerant in the cross section of the flow path becomes non-uniform. It is also assumed that the distribution of the liquid refrigerant and the gas refrigerant in the cross section of the flow path becomes non-uniform due to gravity.

Here, when the refrigerant contains a liquid refrigerant and a gas refrigerant, the ratio of the liquid refrigerant to the weight ratio of the liquid refrigerant and the gas refrigerant is the liquid ratio. The refrigerant passage 23a having a large passage area is formed in the portion (first portion) of the flow straightening plate 21 through which the refrigerant having a low liquid ratio flows. The refrigerant passage 23b having a small passage area is formed in a portion (second portion) of the straightening plate 21 through which the refrigerant having a high liquid ratio flows.

A first connecting pipe 17 is connected to the first pipe 13 as a bent pipe. Further, the second connection pipe 19 is connected to the second pipe 15 as a bent pipe. Here, as the operation mode of the refrigeration cycle apparatus 51 (see FIG. 1), it is assumed that the refrigerant flows from the first connection pipe 17 into the valve chamber 5 of the expansion valve 1 via the first pipe 13. In this case, while the refrigerant flows in the first connection pipe 17, the refrigerant having a higher liquid ratio than the inner circumference side flows on the outer peripheral side in the first connection pipe 17 due to the centrifugal force. For this reason, in the first pipe 13, the refrigerant having a high liquid ratio flows in the upper region toward the paper surface, and the refrigerant having a low liquid ratio flows in the lower region.

On the other hand, as the operation mode of the refrigeration cycle apparatus 51 (see FIG. 1), it is assumed that the refrigerant flows from the second connection pipe 19 into the valve chamber 5 of the expansion valve 1 via the second pipe 15. In this case, while the refrigerant flows in the second connecting pipe 19, the refrigerant having a higher liquid ratio than the inner peripheral side flows on the outer peripheral side in the second connecting pipe 19 due to the centrifugal force. Therefore, in the second pipe 15, the refrigerant having a high liquid ratio flows in the area on the left side of the drawing, and the refrigerant having a low liquid ratio flows in the area on the right side.

Therefore, in the straightening vane 21 arranged in the portion to which the first pipe 13 is connected, the refrigerant having a narrow passage area is provided in the portion (second portion) of the straightening vane 21 located above the first pipe 13. The refrigerant passage 23a having a wide passage area is located at a portion (first portion) of the straightening vane 21 where the passage 23b is located and is located below the first pipe 13.

On the other hand, in the straightening vane 21 arranged in the portion to which the second pipe 15 is connected, the refrigerant having a narrow passage area is provided in the portion (second portion) of the straightening vane 21 located on the left side in the second pipe 15. The refrigerant passage 23a having a wide passage area is located at the portion (first portion) of the flow straightening plate 21 where the passage 23b is located and is located on the right side in the second pipe 15.

That is, as shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, in consideration of the direction of the centrifugal force acting on the refrigerant (arrow CFV), the side on which the centrifugal force acts (the side to which the arrow CFV faces) is arranged on the straightening plate 21. , The refrigerant passage 23b having a small passage area is located in the second side, and the refrigerant passage 23a having a large passage area is located on the side opposite to the side on which the centrifugal force acts.

As shown in FIG. 6, the refrigerant having a high liquid ratio passes through the refrigerant passage 23b having a small passage area, so that the speed of the liquid refrigerant increases (see a dotted arrow). When the refrigerant having a low liquid ratio passes through the refrigerant passage 23a having a large passage area, the gas refrigerant bubbles are subdivided. The subdivided gas refrigerant bubbles are agitated by the liquid refrigerant having an increased flow velocity.

As a result, after passing through the flow straightening plate 21 , the distribution of the liquid refrigerant and the gas refrigerant becomes relatively uniform, and the refrigerant in the two-phase state flows into the throttle portion of the expansion valve 1. As a result, the refrigerant noise of the refrigerant flowing through the expansion valve 1 can be reduced. This will be described in comparison with the expansion valve according to the comparative example.

As shown in FIG. 7, the expansion valve 101 according to the comparative example has a valve body 103. A valve chamber 105 is provided in the valve body 103. A valve seat 109 is provided on the valve body 103. The valve body 107 (needle) is inserted through the valve seat 109. By inserting the valve body 107 into the valve seat 109, an annular throttle portion is formed between the valve seat 109 and the valve body 107.

The valve body 103 is provided with a first pipe 113 and a second pipe 115 that communicate with the valve chamber 105, respectively. Here, for example, the current plate 121 is arranged in a portion where the valve body 103 and the second pipe 115 are connected.

A refrigerant passage through which a refrigerant passes is formed in the flow straightening plate 121 of the expansion valve 101 according to the comparative example. FIG. 8 shows rectification plates 121a, 121b, 121c, 121d as variations of the rectification plate 121. A refrigerant passage 123 is formed in each of the straightening vanes 121a to 121d. As shown in FIG. 8, in each of the straightening vanes 121a to 121d, the refrigerant passage 123 is formed in a position that is line-symmetrical or point-symmetrical with the same opening diameter.

Here, when the two-phase refrigerant of the high-pressure liquid refrigerant and the gas refrigerant flows into the second pipe 115 of the expansion valve, the second force is generated by the centrifugal force acting on the refrigerant flowing through the connecting pipe (not shown). In the pipe 115, it is assumed that a refrigerant having a high liquid ratio flows in a region on the left side of the drawing and a refrigerant having a low liquid ratio flows in a region on the right side.

In this case, in each of the straightening vanes 121a to 121d, since the refrigerant passage 123 is formed in a position of line symmetry or point symmetry, the speed of the refrigerant having a high liquid ratio cannot be sufficiently increased. Further, it is not possible to sufficiently subdivide the bubbles of the refrigerant having a low liquid ratio. Therefore, the distribution of the liquid refrigerant and the gas refrigerant flowing into the expansion valve 101 cannot be made uniform.

As compared with the expansion valve 101 according to the comparative example, in the expansion valve 1 according to the embodiment, the refrigerant having a high liquid ratio passes through the refrigerant passage 23b having a small passage area and a high passage resistance, so that the speed of the liquid refrigerant is increased. However, the pressure loss is relatively small. On the other hand, when the refrigerant having a low liquid ratio passes through the refrigerant passage 23a having a large passage area and a low passage resistance, the gas refrigerant bubbles are subdivided, but the pressure loss is relatively small.

As a result, after passing through the straightening vane 21, the gas bubbles of the fragmented gas refrigerant are agitated by the liquid refrigerant having an increased flow velocity, and the distribution of the liquid refrigerant and the gas refrigerant is relatively uniform while suppressing the pressure loss. In this state (rectification), the refrigerant noise can be reduced. As a result showing this, the relationship between the refrigerant noise and the passage resistance is shown in FIG. 9, and the relationship between the pressure loss and the passage resistance is shown in FIG.

In the graph shown in FIG. 9, the horizontal axis represents passage resistance and the vertical axis represents refrigerant noise. The refrigerant noise tends to increase as the passage resistance decreases, that is, as the passage area of the refrigerant passage increases.

Further, in the graph shown in FIG. 10, the horizontal axis represents the passage resistance and the vertical axis represents the pressure loss. The pressure loss tends to decrease as the passage resistance decreases, that is, as the passage area of the refrigerant passage increases.

In the rectifying plate 21 of the expansion valve 1 according to the first embodiment, the refrigerant passage 23b having a high passage resistance and the refrigerant passage 23a having a low passage resistance are arranged according to the liquid ratio of the refrigerant flowing into the expansion valve 1. .. On the other hand, in the straightening plate 121 of the expansion valve 101 according to the comparative example, the refrigerant passages having the same passage area are arranged line-symmetrically or point-symmetrically.

As a result, as shown in FIG. 9, when compared with the case where the average passage resistance is the same, the rectifying plate 21 of the expansion valve 1 according to the first embodiment is similar to the rectifying plate 121 of the expansion valve 101 according to the comparative example. In comparison, the refrigerant noise can be reduced. Further, compared with the case where the average passage resistance is the same, the pressure loss increases in the rectifying plate 21 of the expansion valve 1 according to the first embodiment as compared with the rectifying plate 121 of the expansion valve 101 according to the comparative example. Can be suppressed.

In the expansion valve 1 described above, the flow straightening plates 21 are arranged at both the portion where the first pipe 13 is connected to the expansion valve 1 and the portion where the second pipe 15 is connected to the expansion valve 1. I explained about the case. In particular, the refrigerant flowing through the second pipe 15 toward the expansion valve 1 will flow toward the valve seat 9 or the valve body 7 after flowing through the second pipe 15. At this time, if the distribution of the liquid refrigerant and the gas refrigerant is nonuniform, the nonuniform distribution affects the generation of the refrigerant noise. Therefore, it is desirable that the flow regulating plate 21 is arranged at least in the flow path (pipe) through which the refrigerant flows toward the valve seat 9 and the like.

Further, in the rectifying plate 21 arranged in the expansion valve 1 described above, the case where the two refrigerant passages 23a and 23b are formed as the refrigerant passages having different passage areas has been described, but three or more different passage areas are provided. It may be a straightening vane in which the refrigerant passage (not shown) is formed. Also in this case, the refrigerant passages may be arranged in such a manner that the passage area gradually decreases along the direction in which the centrifugal force acts.

Embodiment 2.
Here, an example of a variation of the current plate 21 arranged in the expansion valve 1 (see FIG. 2) will be described. The structure of the expansion valve, the arrangement of the first pipe, the second pipe, the first connecting pipe, and the second connecting pipe, which are not shown, are the same as those shown in FIG. , The description will not be repeated.

As shown in FIG. 11, the flow straightening plate 21 is provided with a plurality of refrigerant passages 23b having a substantially uniform passage area through which the refrigerant passes. The plurality of refrigerant passages 23b are arranged with a substantially uniform pitch. In the current plate 21, the thickness on one end side in the diametrical direction is the thickness T1. The thickness on the other end side in the one diameter direction is set to a thickness T2 smaller than the thickness T1.

As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, a portion having a thickness T1 is located on the side on which the centrifugal force acts (the side on which the arrow CFV faces), and on the side opposite to the side on which the centrifugal force acts, The current plate 21 is arranged so that the portion having the thickness T2 is located.

The passage resistance of the refrigerant passage 23b formed in the relatively thick portion of the current plate 21 is higher than the passage resistance of the refrigerant passage 23b formed in the relatively thin portion. That is, the refrigerant passage 23b is arranged so that the passage resistance of the flow straightening plate 21 increases toward the side on which the centrifugal force acts (the side on which the arrow CFV faces).

In the flow straightening plate 21 of the expansion valve 1 described above, as shown in FIG. 14, the refrigerant having a high liquid ratio passes through the refrigerant passage 23b having a high passage resistance, thereby increasing the speed of the liquid refrigerant (see a dotted arrow). .. When the refrigerant having a low liquid ratio passes through the refrigerant passage 23b having a low passage resistance, the gas refrigerant bubbles are subdivided. The subdivided gas refrigerant bubbles are agitated by the liquid refrigerant having an increased flow velocity.

As a result, similar to the straightening vane 21 described in the first embodiment, after passing through the straightening vane 21 , the liquid refrigerant and the gas refrigerant have a relatively uniform distribution, and the refrigerant in the two-phase state expands. It will flow to the throttle of valve 1. As a result, the refrigerant noise can be reduced.

Further, in the above-described straightening plate 21, by disposing the plurality of refrigerant passages 23b with a substantially uniform pitch, the processing of the refrigerant passages 23b becomes easy. Furthermore, by making the pitches of the plurality of refrigerant passages 23b uniform, the distribution of the liquid refrigerant and the gas refrigerant after flowing through the straightening plate 21 is likely to be more uniform, which can contribute to further reduction of the refrigerant noise. ..

Embodiment 3.
Here, another example of a variation of the current plate 21 arranged in the expansion valve 1 (see FIG. 2) will be described. The structure of the expansion valve, the arrangement of the first pipe, the second pipe, the first connecting pipe, and the second connecting pipe, which are not shown, are the same as those shown in FIG. , The description will not be repeated.

As shown in FIG. 15, the flow straightening plate 21 is provided with a plurality of refrigerant passages 23c and 23d having a substantially uniform passage area through which the refrigerant passes. The plurality of refrigerant passages 23c and the plurality of refrigerant passages 23d are arranged with a substantially uniform pitch. The thickness of the current plate 21 is T. The coolant passage 23c is formed in a direction substantially orthogonal to the straightening vane 21 along the flow direction of the coolant. On the other hand, the refrigerant passage 23d is formed so as to intersect with the direction in which the refrigerant flows and to incline in a direction intersecting with the orthogonal direction.

As shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, the refrigerant passage 23d is located on the side on which the centrifugal force acts (the side on which the arrow CFV faces), and the refrigerant passage 23c is provided on the side opposite to the side on which the centrifugal force acts. The current plate 21 is arranged so as to be positioned.

The passage resistance of the refrigerant passage 23d formed in the straightening vane 21 so as to intersect with the flow of the refrigerant becomes higher than the passage resistance of the refrigerant passage 23c formed in the straightening vane 21 along the flow of the refrigerant. That is, the refrigerant passage 23c and the refrigerant passage 23d are arranged so that the passage resistance of the rectifying plate 21 increases toward the side on which the centrifugal force acts (the side on which the arrow CFV faces).

In the straightening plate 21 of the expansion valve 1 described above, as shown in FIG. 18, the refrigerant having a high liquid ratio passes through the refrigerant passage 23d having a high passage resistance, so that the speed of the liquid refrigerant increases (see a dotted arrow). .. When the refrigerant having a low liquid ratio passes through the refrigerant passage 23c having a low passage resistance, the gas refrigerant bubbles are subdivided. The subdivided gas refrigerant bubbles are agitated by the liquid refrigerant having an increased flow velocity.

As a result, similar to the straightening vane 21 described in the first embodiment, after passing through the straightening vane 21 , the liquid refrigerant and the gas refrigerant have a relatively uniform distribution, and the refrigerant in the two-phase state expands. It will flow to the throttle of valve 1. As a result, the refrigerant noise can be reduced.

In the rectifying plate 21 of the expansion valve 1 described above, the passage as the resistance is relatively high refrigerant passage, rectifying plate 2 1 uniformly tilted refrigerant passage 23d so as to cross the direction is formed of the flow of the refrigerant and it describes.

The angle of inclination of the refrigerant passage with respect to the direction in which the refrigerant flows is not limited to one angle, and a refrigerant passage inclined at two or more different angles may be formed. In that case, the refrigerant passage may be arranged so that the angle of inclination gradually increases toward the side on which the centrifugal force acts (the side on which the arrow CFV faces).

Fourth Embodiment
Here, an example of the variation of the pipe connected to the expansion valve 1 and the current plate will be described.

In each of the embodiments described above, the case where the first pipe 13 as a straight pipe is connected to the first connection pipe 17 as a bent pipe has been described. When the length of the first pipe 13 as a straight pipe is relatively short, the refrigerant flowing in the first pipe 13 flows in a state affected by the centrifugal force. However, when the length of the first pipe 13 becomes longer, the refrigerant flowing in the first pipe 13 gradually becomes more susceptible to the gravity than the centrifugal force.

As shown in FIG. 19, when the length L of the first pipe 13 connected to the expansion valve 1 is equal to or more than 5 times the inner diameter of the first pipe 13, the inside of the first pipe 13 is Gravity gradually becomes dominant in the flowing refrigerant. Therefore, in the first pipe 13, the refrigerant having a high liquid ratio flows in the lower portion of the first pipe 13, and the refrigerant having a low liquid ratio flows in the upper portion of the first pipe 13.

In this case, in the current plate 21 arranged in the portion to which the first pipe 13 is connected, the refrigerant passage 23b having a high passage resistance is located on the lower side and the refrigerant passage 23a having a low passage resistance is located on the upper side. Will be placed.

The refrigerant having a high liquid ratio flowing in the lower portion of the first pipe 13 by the action of gravity passes through the refrigerant passage 23b having a high passage resistance, so that the speed of the liquid refrigerant increases. On the other hand, the refrigerant having a low liquid ratio flowing in the upper portion of the first pipe 13 passes through the refrigerant passage 23 a having a low passage resistance, whereby the gas refrigerant bubbles are subdivided. The subdivided gas refrigerant bubbles are agitated by the liquid refrigerant having an increased flow velocity.

As a result, similarly to the case described in the first embodiment, after passing through the flow straightening plate 21 , the distribution of the liquid refrigerant and the gas refrigerant becomes relatively uniform, and the refrigerant in the two-phase state becomes the expansion valve 1. It will flow to the squeezing part. As a result, the refrigerant noise can be reduced.

Embodiment 5.
Here, an example of an expansion valve capable of easily confirming the positional relationship of the flow straightening plates will be described.

As shown in FIG. 20, the first pipe 13 connected to the expansion valve 1 is provided with the protrusion 14, and the second pipe 15 is provided with the protrusion 16. In this case, in the first pipe 13, the protrusion 14 is formed in a portion of the pipe wall portion on the side where the refrigerant having a high liquid ratio flows, in such a manner as to project from the inner side to the outer side of the first pipe 13. There is. Further, in the second pipe 15, a protrusion 16 is formed in a portion of the pipe wall portion on the side where the refrigerant having a high liquid ratio flows, in such a manner as to project from the inner side to the outer side of the second pipe 15. ..

In the expansion valve described above, the direction of bending of the first connecting pipe 17 when connecting the first connecting pipe 17 as the bending pipe to the first pipe 13 due to the position of the protrusion 14 provided on the first pipe 13. On the other hand, it is possible to easily confirm whether or not the current plate 21 is arranged at a predetermined position (circumferential position) for reducing the refrigerant noise.

Further, depending on the position of the protrusion 16 provided on the second pipe 15, when connecting the second connecting pipe 19 as the bending pipe to the second pipe 15, with respect to the bending direction of the second connecting pipe 19, It is possible to easily confirm whether or not the current plate 21 is arranged at a predetermined position (circumferential position) for reducing the refrigerant noise.

Accordingly, when the refrigeration cycle apparatus 51 (see FIG. 1) is assembled, the position (circumferential position) of the flow straightening plate 21 in the expansion valve 1 is misaligned from a predetermined position for reducing refrigerant noise. Can be suppressed.

In the expansion valve 1 described above, the protrusion 14 is used to confirm whether or not the rectifying plate 21 is arranged at a predetermined position (circumferential position) for reducing the refrigerant noise, in relation to the position of the bent pipe. Although the case has been described, the mark is not limited to the protrusion 14 as long as it is a mark that can confirm a predetermined position (circumferential position) for reducing the refrigerant noise.

The expansion valves including the flow regulating plates described in each embodiment can be combined in various ways as necessary.

The embodiment disclosed this time is an example, and the present invention is not limited to this. The present invention is shown not by the scope described above but by the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and range equivalent to the claims.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention is effectively used for an expansion valve used in a refrigeration cycle device.

1 expansion valve, 3 valve body, 5 valve chamber, 7 valve body, 9 valve seat, 11 drive part, 13 1st piping, 14 protrusion, 15 2nd piping, 16 protrusion, 17 1st connection pipe, 19 2nd connection Tube, 21 straightening plate, 23a, 23b, 23c, 23d refrigerant passage, 31 liquid refrigerant, 33 gas refrigerant, CFV arrow, 51 refrigeration cycle device, 53 compressor, 55 condenser, 57 evaporator.

Claims (10)

A valve body including a valve chamber having a valve chamber and an opening communicating with the valve chamber;
A valve element that is inserted into the opening of the valve seat to adjust the opening of the opening,
A first flow path communicating with the valve chamber,
A second flow path communicating with the opening of the valve seat;
Of the first flow path and the second flow path, a flow path in which the refrigerant flows toward the valve chamber, a flow straightening plate arranged in a direction intersecting the direction in which the refrigerant flows,
In the case where the refrigerant includes a liquid refrigerant and a gas refrigerant, when the ratio of the liquid refrigerant in the weight ratio of the liquid refrigerant and the gas refrigerant is the liquid ratio,
In the straightening vane, from the first portion of the straightening vane, which is located in the region where the refrigerant having a low liquid ratio flows, to the second portion, where the refrigerant is flowing in the high liquid ratio, An expansion valve in which a refrigerant passage through which the refrigerant passes is formed in a manner that increases passage resistance. The straightening vane has a first thickness,
In the current plate,
A first refrigerant passage having a first passage cross-sectional area is formed as the refrigerant passage in the first portion,
A second refrigerant passage having a second passage cross-sectional area is formed as the refrigerant passage in the second portion,
The expansion valve according to claim 1, wherein the second passage cross-sectional area is smaller than the first passage cross-sectional area. In the current plate,
The first portion has a first thickness,
The second portion has a second thickness greater than the first thickness,
A first refrigerant passage having a first passage cross-sectional area is formed as the refrigerant passage in the first portion,
A second refrigerant passage having a second passage cross-sectional area is formed as the refrigerant passage in the second portion,
The expansion valve according to claim 1, wherein the first passage cross-sectional area and the second passage cross-sectional area are set to be the same. The straightening vane has a first thickness,
In the current plate,
A first refrigerant passage having a first passage cross-sectional area is formed as the refrigerant passage in the first portion,
A second refrigerant passage having a second passage cross-sectional area is formed as the refrigerant passage in the second portion,
The first passage cross-sectional area and the second passage cross-sectional area are set to be the same,
The second refrigerant passage is a mode in which the refrigerant flowing through the second refrigerant passage approaches the refrigerant flowing through the first refrigerant passage, with respect to a direction in which the refrigerant flows through the first refrigerant passage. The expansion valve according to claim 1, which is tilted. A first pipe serving as the first flow path,
A second pipe serving as the second flow path,
Of the first pipe and the second pipe, a straight pipe is connected to a pipe which is horizontally arranged and in which the refrigerant flows toward the valve chamber,
The expansion valve according to claim 1, wherein the length of the straight pipe is 5 times or more the opening diameter of the straight pipe. A first pipe serving as the first flow path,
A second pipe serving as the second flow path,
Of the first pipe and the second pipe, a pipe in which the refrigerant flows toward the valve chamber is provided with a mark at a circumferential position of the pipe where the second portion of the flow straightening plate is located, The expansion valve according to claim 1. The expansion valve according to claim 6, wherein the mark includes a protrusion that protrudes outward from the inside of the pipe. A first pipe serving as the first flow path,
A second pipe serving as the second flow path,
Among the first pipe and the second pipe, a bending pipe is connected to the pipe through which the refrigerant flows toward the valve chamber,
The said straightening board is arrange|positioned so that the said refrigerant which flowed on the outer peripheral side of the said bending piping may flow through the said refrigerant passage formed in the said 2nd part of the said straightening board. The expansion valve according to item. The expansion valve according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the flow straightening plate is arranged in the second flow path communicating with the opening of the valve seat. A refrigeration cycle apparatus comprising the expansion valve according to claim 1.

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