Air conditioner

Abstract

Provided is an air conditioner. The air conditioner including a compressor for compressing a refrigerant, a condenser for condensing the refrigerant compressed by the compressor, a phase separator for separating a gaseous refrigerant from the refrigerant passing through the condenser, and an evaporator for evaporating the refrigerant passing through the phase separator includes an inflow part provided in the phase separator to introduce the refrigerant into the phase separator, a gas separation part configured to discharge the gaseous refrigerant separated by the phase separator, an injection passage configured to inject the refrigerant discharged from the phase separator into the compressor, and an internal heat-exchanger provided within the phase separator to heat-exchange a refrigerant therein with the refrigerant introduced through the inflow part.

1 . An air conditioner comprising a compressor for compressing a refrigerant, a condenser for condensing the refrigerant compressed by the compressor, a phase separator for separating a gaseous refrigerant from the refrigerant passing through the condenser, and an evaporator for evaporating the refrigerant passing through the phase separator, the air conditioner comprising:
 an inflow part provided in the phase separator to introduce the refrigerant into the phase separator;   a gas separation part configured to discharge the gaseous refrigerant separated by the phase separator;   an injection passage configured to inject the refrigerant discharged from the phase separator into the compressor; and   an internal heat-exchanger provided within the phase separator to heat-exchange a refrigerant therein with the refrigerant introduced through the inflow part.   
     
     
         2 . The air conditioner according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an outflow part provided in the phase separator to discharge the refrigerant introduced through the inflow part after the refrigerant introduced through the inflow part is heat-exchanged with the refrigerant within the internal heat-exchanger.   
     
     
         3 . The air conditioner according to  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a first inflow tube bypassing the refrigerant discharged from the outflow part to introduce the discharged refrigerant into the phase separator; and   a first outflow tube discharging the refrigerant introduced through the first inflow tube to the outside of the phase separator.   
     
     
         4 . The air conditioner according to  claim 3 , wherein the first inflow tube and the first outflow tube communicate with the internal heat-exchanger. 
     
     
         5 . The air conditioner according to  claim 3 , wherein the refrigerant introduced through the first inflow tube flows into the internal heat-exchanger and is heat-exchanged with the refrigerant introduced through the inflow part. 
     
     
         6 . The air conditioner according to  claim 3 , wherein the injection passage comprises a low pressure injection passage for guiding the refrigerant discharged through the first outflow tube so that the refrigerant is injected into a low pressure part of the compressor. 
     
     
         7 . The air conditioner according to  claim 6 , wherein the injection passage comprises a high pressure injection passage for guiding the refrigerant discharged through the gas separation part so that the refrigerant is injected into a high pressure part of the compressor. 
     
     
         8 . The air conditioner according to  claim 7 , wherein the compressor comprises a first compression part for compressing the refrigerant passing through the evaporator, a second compression part for compressing the refrigerant compressed by the first compression part, and a third compression part for compressing the refrigerant compressed by the second compression part,
 the refrigerant discharged from the gas separation part flows into between the second compression part and the third compression part, and   the refrigerant discharged through the first outflow tube flows into between the first compression part and the second compression part.   
     
     
         9 . The air conditioner according to  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a first expansion unit provided at an inlet side of the inflow part to expand a refrigerant to be introduced into the phase separator; and   a second expansion unit provided at an outlet side of the outflow part to expand a refrigerant.   
     
     
         10 . The air conditioner according to  claim 3 , further comprising:
 a third expansion unit provided in the first inflow tube to expand a refrigerant to be introduced into the phase separator through the first inflow tube.   
     
     
         11 . The air conditioner according to  claim 2 , wherein the condenser or the evaporator is an indoor heat-exchanger, and
 the air conditioner further comprises:   a first connection passage connecting the outflow part to the indoor heat-exchanger; and   a first check valve provided in the first connection passage to guide the refrigerant in one direction.   
     
     
         12 . The air conditioner according to  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a second connection passage branched from one point of a passage defined between the first check valve and the indoor heat-exchanger to communicate with the inflow part; and   a second check valve provided in the second connection passage to guide a refrigerant flow in a direction of the inflow part.   
     
     
         13 . The air conditioner according to  claim 11 , wherein the condenser or the evaporator is an outdoor heat-exchanger, and
 the air conditioner further comprises:   a third connection passage configured to introduce a refrigerant from the outdoor heat-exchanger into the inflow part; and   a third check valve provided in the third connection passage to guide the refrigerant flow from the outdoor heat-exchanger toward the inflow part.   
     
     
         14 . The air conditioner according to  claim 13 , further comprising:
 a fourth connection passage branched from one point of the first connection passage to communicate with the third connection passage; and   a fourth check valve provided in the fourth connection passage to introduce a refrigerant from the first connection passage toward the third connection passage.   
     
     
         15 . An air conditioner comprising:
 a multi-stage compressible compressor;   a phase separator for separating a gaseous refrigerant from a liquid refrigerant;   a gas separation part configured to discharge the gaseous refrigerant separated by the phase separator, the gas separation part guiding injection of the refrigerant into the compressor;   an inflow part configured to introduce the refrigerant into the phase separator;   an outflow part configured to discharge the refrigerant introduced through the inflow part;   a bypass part branched from the outflow part to guide the inflow of the refrigerant into the phase separator; and   an internal heat-exchanger configured to heat-exchange the refrigerant stored in the phase separator with the refrigerant flowing into the bypass part.   
     
     
         16 . The air conditioner according to  claim 15 , wherein the bypass part is connected to the internal heat-exchanger, and
 a first outflow tube for guiding discharge of the heat-exchanged refrigerant to the outside of the phase separator is connected to an outlet side of the internal heat-exchanger.   
     
     
         17 . The air conditioner according to  claim 16 , wherein the refrigerant discharged through the first outflow tube is injected into the compressor. 
     
     
         18 . The air conditioner according to  claim 17 , wherein the refrigerant injected from the gas separation part into the compressor has a pressure greater than that of the refrigerant injected from the first outflow tube into the compressor. 
     
     
         19 . The air conditioner according to  claim 16 , wherein at least one of the gas separation part and the first outflow tube extends upward from a top surface of the phase separator. 
     
     
         20 . The air conditioner according to  claim 15 , further comprising:
 a first expansion unit provided at an inlet side of the inflow part to expand a refrigerant to be introduced into the phase separator;   a second expansion unit provided at an outlet side of the outflow part to expand a refrigerant; and   a third expansion unit provided in the bypass part to expand a refrigerant to be introduced into the phase separator through the bypass part.