Patent Application
20250043783
The present disclosure relates to a compressor and an air conditioner.
WO 2017/221571 A discloses a compressor including an injection mechanism that causes a refrigerant having an intermediate pressure to flow into a compression chamber. The injection mechanism includes a check valve that suppresses a flow of the refrigerant from the compression chamber to an injection passage. The check valve includes a valve element and a spring member. When the refrigerant in the compression chamber has a high pressure, the check valve regulates outflow of the refrigerant from the compression chamber to the injection passage. When the refrigerant in the compression chamber has a low pressure, the check valve allows inflow of the refrigerant having an intermediate pressure from the injection passage to the compression chamber.
A compressor according to a first aspect includes a compression mechanism, an injection valve, and an injection pipe. The compression mechanism includes a compression chamber in which a refrigerant is compressed. The injection valve is disposed in an injection passage that communicates with the compression chamber. The injection pipe allows the refrigerant to be supplied to the injection passage.
The injection valve includes a valve body, a valve presser, and a valve seat. The valve body is disposed so as to be movable along a first direction. The valve presser is disposed closer to the injection pipe than the valve body, and restricts movement of the valve body toward the injection pipe. The valve seat is disposed closer to the compression chamber than the valve body, and restricts movement of the valve body toward the compression chamber. The valve presser has a first hole through which the refrigerant flowing out of the compression chamber passes. The valve body has a second hole through which the refrigerant passes.
The compressor has a buffer space that communicates with a first space, in which the valve body is accommodated between the valve presser and the valve seat, and into which the refrigerant flowing from the compression chamber into the first space flows.
An air conditioner 1 including a compressor 21 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.
As shown in
The indoor unit 3 is installed indoors (in a living room, a space above a ceiling, and the like) and constitute a part of the refrigerant circuit 6. The indoor unit 3 mainly includes an indoor heat exchanger 31. In a cooling operation, the indoor heat exchanger 31 functions as a heat absorber (evaporator) for the refrigerant to cool indoor air, and in a heating operation, the indoor heat exchanger 31 functions as a radiator (condenser) for the refrigerant to heat indoor air. A liquid side of the indoor heat exchanger 31 is connected to the liquid-refrigerant connection pipe 4. A gas side of the indoor heat exchanger 31 is connected to the gas-refrigerant connection pipe 5.
The outdoor unit 2 is installed outdoors (on a rooftop of a building, near a wall surface of a building, and the like) and constitutes a part of the refrigerant circuit 6. The outdoor unit 2 mainly includes a compressor 21, a four-way switching valve 22, an outdoor heat exchanger 23, an outdoor expansion valve 24, an accumulator 25, a liquid shutoff valve 26, a gas shutoff valve 27, an economizer heat exchanger 28, and a control unit 29.
The compressor 21 compresses a low-pressure gas refrigerant into a high-pressure gas refrigerant. The compressor 21 is driven by a compressor motor. The compressor 21 is a rotary compressor. In the compressor 21, intermediate injection is performed in which a part of the refrigerant having an intermediate pressure flowing from the outdoor heat exchanger 23 toward the outdoor expansion valve 24 is supplied to the compressor 21 compressing the refrigerant. The intermediate pressure is a predetermined pressure between a pressure (low pressure) of the gas refrigerant sucked into the compressor 21 and a pressure (high pressure) of the gas refrigerant discharged from the compressor 21.
The four-way switching valve 22 switches connection states of internal pipes of the outdoor unit 2. When the air conditioner 1 performs the cooling operation, the four-way switching valve 22 achieves the connection state indicated by the broken line in
The outdoor heat exchanger 23 exchanges heat between the refrigerant circulating in the refrigerant circuit 6 and outdoor air. The outdoor heat exchanger 23 includes a refrigerant flow path through which the refrigerant flows, and a heat transfer fin in contact with the outdoor air. The outdoor heat exchanger 23 functions as a radiator (condenser) for the refrigerant during the cooling operation, and functions as a heat absorber (evaporator) for the refrigerant during the heating operation.
The outdoor expansion valve 24 is an electric valve or an electromagnetic valve having an adjustable opening degree. The outdoor expansion valve 24 decompresses the refrigerant flowing through the internal pipes of the outdoor unit 2. The outdoor expansion valve 24 controls a flow rate of the refrigerant flowing through the internal pipe of the outdoor unit 2.
The accumulator 25 is disposed in a pipe on a suction side of the compressor 21. The accumulator 25 separates a gas-liquid mixed refrigerant flowing in the refrigerant circuit 6 into a gas refrigerant and a liquid refrigerant and stores the liquid refrigerant. The gas refrigerant separated in the accumulator 25 is sent to a suction port of the compressor 21.
The liquid shutoff valve 26 and the gas shutoff valve 27 are valves capable of shutting off the refrigerant flow path. The liquid shutoff valve 26 is disposed between the indoor heat exchanger 31 and the outdoor expansion valve 24. The gas shutoff valve 27 is disposed between the indoor heat exchanger 31 and the four-way switching valve 22. The liquid shutoff valve 26 and the gas shutoff valve 27 are opened and closed by an operator, for example, when the air conditioner 1 is installed.
The economizer heat exchanger 28 is disposed between the outdoor heat exchanger 23 and the outdoor expansion valve 24. The economizer heat exchanger 28 exchanges heat between the refrigerant flowing from the outdoor heat exchanger 23 toward the outdoor expansion valve 24 and the refrigerant flowing through an economizer pipe 90. The economizer pipe 90 is a pipe branching from between the economizer heat exchanger 28 and the outdoor expansion valve 24 in the refrigerant circuit 6 and connected to an injection pipe 92 (described later). An economizer valve 91 is attached to the economizer pipe 90. The refrigerant flowing through the economizer pipe 90 is decompressed by the economizer valve 91, and then exchanges heat with the refrigerant flowing from the outdoor heat exchanger 23 toward the outdoor expansion valve 24 in the economizer heat exchanger 28. The refrigerant flowing from the outdoor heat exchanger 23 toward the outdoor expansion valve 24 and the refrigerant having exchanged heat in the economizer heat exchanger 28 are supplied to the injection pipe 92 as a refrigerant having an intermediate pressure.
The control unit 29 is a computer that controls components of the outdoor unit 2. The control unit 29 mainly includes a calculation device and a storage device. The calculation device is, for example, a CPU or a GPU. The calculation device reads a program stored in the storage device and performs predetermined calculation processing in accordance with the program. The calculation device writes a result of the calculation processing in the storage device and reads information stored in the storage device in accordance with the program.
The liquid-refrigerant connection pipe 4 and the gas-refrigerant connection pipe 5 are refrigerant pipes constructed on site when the air conditioner 1 including the refrigerant circuit 6 is installed at an installation location such as a building. The lengths and pipe diameters of the liquid-refrigerant connection pipe 4 and the gas-refrigerant connection pipe 5 are determined in accordance with installation conditions such as an installation location of the air conditioner 1 and a combination of the outdoor unit 2 and the indoor unit 3. The refrigerant flowing through the liquid-refrigerant connection pipe 4 may be a liquid or alternatively a gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant.
An operation of the air conditioner 1 during the cooling operation and the heating operation will be described with reference to
In a case where the air conditioner 1 performs the heating operation, the four-way switching valve 22 is switched to a state indicated by the solid line in
In a case where the air conditioner 1 performs the cooling operation, the four-way switching valve 22 is switched to a state indicated by the broken line in
As shown in
The casing 10 includes a cylindrical trunk 11, a bowl-shaped top 12, and a bowl-shaped bottom 13. The top 12 is airtightly connected to an upper end of the trunk 11. The bottom 13 is airtightly connected to a lower end of the trunk 11.
The casing 10 is formed with a rigid member that is less likely to be deformed and damaged due to changes in pressure and temperature in an internal space and an external space of the casing 10. The casing 10 is disposed with an axial direction of the cylindrical shape of the trunk 11 along a vertical direction. The casing 10 has an internal space including a lower part serving as an oil reservoir 10a that stores lubricating oil. The lubricating oil is refrigerator oil used to improve lubricity of a slider inside the casing 10.
The casing 10 mainly accommodates the compression mechanism 15, the drive motor 16, and the crankshaft 17. The compression mechanism 15 is coupled to the drive motor 16 via the crankshaft 17. The suction pipe 19, the discharge pipe 20, and the injection pipe 92 are airtightly coupled to the casing 10 so as to penetrate the casing 10.
As shown in
The compression mechanism 15 is immersed in the lubricating oil stored in the oil reservoir 10a. The lubricating oil in the oil reservoir 10a is supplied to the slider inside the compression mechanism 15 by differential pressure or the like. Next, constituent elements of the compression mechanism 15 will be described.
As shown in
The cylinder hole 84a is a columnar hole that penetrates the cylinder 84 in the vertical direction from the first cylinder end surface 86a toward the second cylinder end surface 86b. The cylinder hole 84a is a space surrounded by a cylinder inner peripheral surface 86c which is an inner peripheral surface of the cylinder 84. The cylinder hole 84a accommodates the eccentric shaft 17a of the crankshaft 17 and the piston 81.
The suction hole 84b is a hole that penetrates along a radial direction of the cylinder 84 from a cylinder outer peripheral surface 86d, which is an outer peripheral surface of the cylinder 84, toward the cylinder inner peripheral surface 86c.
The discharge cutout 84c is a space formed by cutting out a part of the cylinder inner peripheral surface 86c without penetrating the cylinder 84 in the vertical direction. The discharge cutout 84c is formed on the side of the first cylinder end surface 86a.
The bush accommodation hole 84d is a hole that penetrates the cylinder 84 in the vertical direction and is disposed between the suction hole 84b and the discharge cutout 84c when the cylinder 84 is viewed in the vertical direction. The bush accommodation hole 84d accommodates a part of a vane 81b and the bush 82.
The vane accommodation hole 84e is a hole that penetrates the cylinder 84 in the vertical direction and communicates with the bush accommodation hole 84d. The vane accommodation hole 84e accommodates a part of the vane 81b.
The injection passage 84g is a hole that penetrates along the radial direction of the cylinder 84 from the cylinder outer peripheral surface 86d toward the cylinder inner peripheral surface 86c. As shown in
The piston 81 is a substantially cylindrical member to be inserted into the cylinder hole 84a of the cylinder 84. An upper end surface of the piston 81 is in contact with the lower surface of the front head 83. A lower end surface of the piston 81 is in contact with the upper surface of the rear head 85.
The piston 81 is inserted into the cylinder hole 84a of the cylinder 84 in a state of being fitted into the eccentric shaft 17a of the crankshaft 17. As a result, the piston 81 eccentrically rotates by an axial rotation of the crankshaft 17, and performs an orbital motion about an axis 17g of the crankshaft 17. The piston 81 revolves clockwise in top view of the compression mechanism 15.
The vane 81b is accommodated in the bush accommodation hole 84d and the vane accommodation hole 84e of the cylinder 84. The vane 81b is formed integrally with the piston 81. The vane 81b extends along a radial direction of the piston 81 so as to protrude radially outward of the piston 81. When the piston 81 revolves, the vane 81b moves forward and backward along a longitudinal direction of the vane 81b while swinging. At this time, the bush 82 supports the vane 81b while rotating in the bush accommodation hole 84d.
The compression mechanism 15 includes a compression chamber 40 that is a space surrounded by the cylinder 84, the piston 81, the vane 81b, the front head 83, and the rear head 85. The compression chamber 40 is a part of the cylinder hole 84a, and is a space in which the refrigerant is compressed when the volume changes with the revolution of the piston 81. The lubricating oil in the oil reservoir 10a is supplied to the compression chamber 40.
The compression chamber 40 is defined by the piston 81 and the vane 81b into a low-pressure chamber 40a communicating with the suction hole 84b and a high-pressure chamber 40b communicating with the discharge cutout 84c and the injection passage 84g. In
The bush 82 includes a pair of substantially semi-cylindrical members. The bush 82 is accommodated in the bush accommodation hole 84d of the cylinder 84 so as to sandwich the vane 81b. The bush 82 is slidable with the cylinder 84.
The front head 83 is a member that covers the first cylinder end surface 86a of the cylinder 84. The front head 83 is fastened to the casing 10 with a bolt or the like. The front head 83 includes an upper bearing 23a for supporting the crankshaft 17.
The front head 83 includes a discharge port 23b. The discharge port 23b is a cylindrical hole that penetrates the front head 83 in the vertical direction. The discharge port 23b communicates with the discharge cutout 84c and the compression chamber 40 (high-pressure chamber 40b) on a lower side in the vertical direction. The discharge port 23b communicates with the high-pressure space HS on an upper side in the vertical direction. The discharge port 23b is a flow path for sending the refrigerant compressed by the compression mechanism 15 from the high-pressure chamber 40b to the high-pressure space HS.
A discharge valve 23c that closes the discharge port 23b is attached to an upper surface of the front head 83. The discharge valve 23c is a valve for preventing backflow of the refrigerant from the high-pressure space HS to the high-pressure chamber 40b. The discharge valve 23c is lifted upward by the pressure of the refrigerant inside the discharge port 23b. As a result, the discharge port 23b opens, and the discharge port 23b communicates with the high-pressure space HS.
The rear head 85 is a member that covers the second cylinder end surface 86b of the cylinder 84. The rear head 85 has a lower bearing 25a for supporting the crankshaft 17. The cylinder hole 84a of the cylinder 84 is closed by the front head 83 and the rear head 85.
The drive motor 16 is a brushless DC motor accommodated in the casing 10 and disposed above the compression mechanism 15. The drive motor 16 mainly includes a stator 51 fixed to an inner wall surface of the casing 10 and a rotor 52 rotatably accommodated on an inner side of the stator 51. The stator 51 and the rotor 52 have an air gap therebetween.
The stator 51 includes a stator core 61 and a pair of insulators 62 attached to both end surfaces of the stator core 61 in the vertical direction. The stator core 61 includes a cylindrical portion and a plurality of teeth (not shown) protruding radially inward from an inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion. A conductive wire is wound around the teeth of the stator core 61 together with the pair of insulators 62. As a result, a coil 72a is formed in each tooth of the stator core 61.
On an outer side surface of the stator 51, a plurality of core cut portions (not shown) formed by cutting are provided from an upper end surface to a lower end surface of the stator 51 and at predetermined intervals in a circumferential direction. The core cut portion forms a motor cooling passage extending in the vertical direction between the trunk 11 and the stator 51.
The rotor 52 has a rotor core 52a including a plurality of metal plates stacked in the vertical direction and a plurality of magnets 52b embedded in the rotor core 52a. The magnets 52b are arranged at equal intervals along a circumferential direction of the rotor core 52a. The rotor 52 has a rotation center coupled to the crankshaft 17 penetrating in the vertical direction. The rotor 52 is connected to the compression mechanism 15 via the crankshaft 17.
The crankshaft 17 is accommodated in the casing 10 and is disposed with an axial direction of the crankshaft 17 along the vertical direction. The crankshaft 17 is coupled to the rotor 52 of the drive motor 16 and the piston 81 of the compression mechanism 15. The crankshaft 17 includes the eccentric shaft 17a. The eccentric shaft 17a is coupled to the piston 81 inserted into the cylinder hole 84a of the cylinder 84. An upper end of the crankshaft 17 is coupled to the rotor 52 of the drive motor 16. The crankshaft 17 is supported by the upper bearing 23a of the front head 83 and a lower bearing 25a of the rear head 85. The crankshaft 17 rotates about the axis 17g.
The suction pipe 19 is a pipe that penetrates the trunk 11 of the casing 10. An end of the suction pipe 19 inside of the casing 10 is fitted into the suction hole 84b of the cylinder 84. An end of the suction pipe 19 outside the casing 10 is connected to the refrigerant circuit 6. The suction pipe 19 allows the refrigerant to be supplied from the refrigerant circuit 6 to the compression mechanism 15.
The discharge pipe 20 is a pipe that penetrates the top 12 of the casing 10. An end of the discharge pipe 20 inside the casing 10 is located in a space above the drive motor 16. An end of the discharge pipe 20 outside the casing 10 is connected to the refrigerant circuit 6. The discharge pipe 20 allows the refrigerant compressed by the compression mechanism 15 to be supplied to the refrigerant circuit 6.
The injection pipe 92 is a pipe that penetrates the trunk 11 of the casing 10. An end of the injection pipe 92 inside the casing 10 is connected to the injection valve 93 disposed in the injection passage 84g of the cylinder 84. An end of the injection pipe 92 outside the casing 10 is connected to the economizer pipe 90. The injection pipe 92 allows the refrigerant in the economizer pipe 90 to be supplied to the injection passage 84g.
The injection valve 93 performs intermediate injection and prevents a reverse flow of the refrigerant from the compression chamber 40 to the injection passage 84g. As shown in
The injection passage 84g is a circular hole having different inner diameters along the first direction D1. The injection passage 84g has the largest inner diameter at an end closer to the cylinder outer peripheral surface 86d, and has the smallest inner diameter at an end closer to the cylinder inner peripheral surface 86c. Specifically, the inner diameter of the injection passage 84g increases from the cylinder inner peripheral surface 86c toward the cylinder outer peripheral surface 86d.
The valve body 94 is a circular flat plate. The valve body 94 is formed with spring steel such as GIN6 (stainless steel hardened by Hitachi Metals, Ltd.). As shown in
The valve presser 95 is press-fitted on the side of the cylinder outer peripheral surface 86d of the injection passage 84g. The valve presser 95 have different outer diameters along the first direction D1. A part of the valve presser 95 protrudes outward from the cylinder outer peripheral surface 86d. The injection pipe 92 is inserted into the valve presser 95 from the side of the cylinder outer peripheral surface 86d. The injection pipe 92 is fixed to the valve presser 95. As shown in
The first hole 95a is a hole through which the refrigerant passes, and is closed by the valve body 94 when the refrigerant flows out of the compression chamber 40. The first hole 95a penetrates the valve presser 95 along the first direction D1. As shown in
The buffer space 95c is a space formed in communication with the first space 97 such that the refrigerant flowing into the first space 97 from the compression chamber 40 flows in before reaching the first hole 95a. The buffer space 95c is formed closer to the injection pipe 92 than the second hole 94a. In the present embodiment, the buffer space 95c is a columnar concave portion formed on a surface of the closing portion 95b facing the valve body 94. The buffer space 95c is formed so as to be located on a center axis CL of the first space 97 together with the second hole 94a (see
In the present embodiment, the buffer space 95c is formed such that an area of a circular opening 95co facing the valve body 94 is smaller than a flow path area of the second hole 94a. A ratio of the area of the opening 95co of the buffer space 95c facing the valve body 94 to the flow path area of the second hole 94a is preferably 0.5 or more and 1.0 or less. The opening 95co is preferably formed so as to be entirely exposed to the cylinder inner peripheral surface 86c through the second hole 94a. In other words, the opening 95co is preferably formed so as not to generate a region overlapping the peripheral edge 94b when viewed from the cylinder inner peripheral surface 86c along the first direction D1.
A ratio of a depth d (see
The valve presser 95 restricts movement of the valve body 94 toward the injection pipe 92. In other words, when moving in the first direction D1 toward the injection pipe 92, the valve body 94 is movable until hitting the valve presser 95. In a state where the valve body 94 is in contact with the valve presser 95, the first hole 95a of the valve presser 95 is closed by the peripheral edge 94b of the valve body 94. At this time, the second hole 94a of the valve body 94 is closed by the closing portion 95b of the valve presser 95. In a state where the valve body 94 is separated from the valve presser 95, the first hole 95a of the valve presser 95 is not closed by the peripheral edge 94b of the valve body 94. At this time, the second hole 94a of the valve body 94 is not closed by the closing portion 95b of the valve presser 95.
In this manner, the first hole 95a of the valve presser 95 is opened and closed by the valve body 94. Specifically, in a state where the valve body 94 is in contact with the valve presser 95, the second hole 94a of the valve body 94 and the first hole 95a of the valve presser 95 are closed, and thus, the injection valve 93 is closed (see
The valve seat 96 restricts movement of the valve body 94 toward the compression chamber 40. The valve seat 96 is press-fitted on the side of the cylinder inner peripheral surface 86c of the injection passage 84g. The valve seat 96 has a cylindrical shape whose outer diameter is substantially constant along the first direction D1. The valve seat 96 has the third hole 96a. The third hole 96a penetrates the valve seat 96 along the first direction D1. The valve seat 96 allows the first space 97 and the compression chamber 40 to communicate with each other. The third hole 96a includes an enlarged portion 96ae having an inner diameter enlarged from the compression chamber 40 to an opening closer to the injection pipe 92. The smallest inner diameter of the third hole 96a is substantially the same as an inner diameter of the second hole 94a of the valve body 94. The inner diameter of the opening of the enlarged portion 96ae, which is the largest inner diameter of the third hole 96a, is larger than the inner diameter of the second hole 94a of the valve body 94. The third hole 96a always communicates with the compression chamber 40 via the injection passage 84g.
When moving in the first direction D1 toward the compression chamber 40, the valve body 94 is movable until hitting the valve seat 96. In a state where the valve body 94 is in contact with the valve seat 96, the second hole 94a of the valve body 94 communicates with the third hole 96a of the valve seat 96. When the valve body 94 is in contact with the valve seat 96, since the valve body 94 is separated from the valve presser 95, the injection valve 93 is opened (see
When the drive motor 16 is started, the eccentric shaft 17a of the crankshaft 17 eccentrically rotates about the axis 17g of the crankshaft 17. As a result, the piston 81 coupled to the eccentric shaft 17a revolves in the cylinder hole 84a of the cylinder 84. While the piston 81 is revolving, the piston outer peripheral surface 81c is in contact with the cylinder inner peripheral surface 86c. The revolution of the piston 81 causes the vane 81b to move forward and backward while both side surfaces of the vane 81b are sandwiched by the bush 82.
As the piston 81 revolves, the compression chamber 40 (low-pressure chamber 40a) communicating with the suction hole 84b gradually increases in volume. At this time, the low-pressure refrigerant flows from outside the casing 10 into the low-pressure chamber 40a via the suction pipe 19. As the piston 81 revolves, the low-pressure chamber 40a becomes the high-pressure chamber 40b communicating with the discharge cutout 84c, the high-pressure chamber 40b gradually decreases in volume and disappears, and then a new low-pressure chamber 40a is formed. As a result, the low-pressure refrigerant flowing from the suction pipe 19 into the low-pressure chamber 40a via the suction hole 84b is compressed in the compression chamber 40 (high-pressure chamber 40b). While the refrigerant is compressed in the compression chamber 40, the vane 81b is held between the pair of bushes so as to be movable forward and backward.
The high-pressure refrigerant compressed in the high-pressure chamber 40b is discharged into the high-pressure space HS via the discharge cutout 84c and the discharge port 23b. The refrigerant discharged into the high-pressure space HS flows upward through the motor cooling passage of the drive motor 16, and then is discharged from the discharge pipe 20 to the outside of the casing 10.
The intermediate injection is performed when the refrigerant having an intermediate pressure is supplied from the injection passage 84g to the high-pressure chamber 40b in a state where the injection valve 93 is opened. The intermediate injection is performed when the pressure in the compression chamber 40 (high-pressure chamber 40b) is lower than the intermediate pressure, and is not performed when the pressure in the compression chamber 40 (high-pressure chamber 40b) is equal to or higher than the intermediate pressure.
While the piston 81 is revolving, the injection valve 93 repeats opening and closing as described below.
As shown in
When the piston 81 revolves from the state shown in
The refrigerant in the compression chamber 40 (high-pressure chamber 40b) flows into the first space 97 immediately before the end of the intermediate injection. At least a part of the refrigerant flowing into the first space 97 flows into the buffer space 95c before passing through the second hole 94a of the valve body 94 and reaching the first hole 95a as indicated by an arrow in
As described above, the inner diameter of the opening of the enlarged portion 96ae formed in the third hole 96a is formed to be larger than the inner diameter of the second hole 94a formed in the valve body 94. As a result, since a part of the refrigerant flowing into the third hole 96a from the compression chamber 40 hits the periphery of the second hole 94a, the valve body 94 can reliably move toward the valve presser 95 and close the first hole 95a of the valve presser 95.
When the piston 81 further revolves, as shown in
As described above, while the piston 81 is revolving, the injection valve 93 is opened and closed by the pressure difference between the refrigerant in the compression chamber 40 and the refrigerant having an intermediate pressure in the injection pipe 92. As a result, when the pressure in the compression chamber 40 is lower than the intermediate pressure in the injection pipe 92, the injection valve 93 is opened, and the intermediate injection is performed. When the pressure in the compression chamber 40 is equal to or higher than the intermediate pressure, the injection valve 93 is closed, and the intermediate injection is not performed.
In this manner, the injection valve 93 can perform the intermediate injection and suppress the refrigerant from flowing out of the compression chamber 40 into the injection passage 84g when the intermediate injection is not performed. Therefore, since a sufficient amount of the refrigerant having an intermediate pressure is supplied to the compression chamber 40 while the compressor 21 is operating, the compressor 21 can obtain a higher compression rate than in a case where the injection valve 93 is not provided.
(3-1)
The compressor 21 includes the compression mechanism 15, the injection valve 93, and the injection pipe 92. The compression mechanism 15 includes the compression chamber 40 in which the refrigerant is compressed. The injection valve 93 is disposed in the injection passage 84g that communicates with the compression chamber 40. The injection pipe 92 allows the refrigerant to be supplied to the injection passage 84g.
The injection valve 93 includes the valve body 94, the valve presser 95, and the valve seat 96. The valve body 94 is disposed so as to be movable along the first direction D1. The valve presser 95 is disposed closer to the injection pipe 92 than the valve body 94, and restricts the movement of the valve body 94 toward the injection pipe 92. The valve seat 96 is disposed closer to the compression chamber 40 than the valve body 94, and restricts the movement of the valve body 94 toward the compression chamber 40. The valve presser 95 has the first hole 95a that is closed by the valve body 94 when the refrigerant passes and flows out of the compression chamber 40. The valve body 94 has the second hole 94a through which the refrigerant passes.
The compressor 21 has the buffer space 95c that communicates with the first space 97 in which the valve body 94 is accommodated between the valve presser 95 and the valve seat 96, and into which the refrigerant flowing from the compression chamber 40 into the first space 97 flows before reaching the first hole 95a.
As in the compressor 21, the injection valve 93 that moves the plate-shaped valve body 94 using the pressure difference between the compression chamber 40 and the injection passage 84g has a simpler structure than a check valve that moves the valve body 94 with a spring member. On the other hand, depending on the weight and the shape, the valve body 94 does not move quickly in the first space 97, and the high-pressure refrigerant flows out from the compression chamber 40 to the injection passage 84g immediately before the intermediate injection ends, and there is a possibility that a high compression rate cannot be achieved.
In the compressor 21, at least a part of the refrigerant flowing into the first space 97 immediately before the end of the intermediate injection flows into the buffer space 95c before reaching the first hole 95a. Accordingly, a time lag is generated between when the refrigerant flows into the first space 97 and when the refrigerant reaches the first hole 95a. The valve body 94 hitting the valve seat 96 in the intermediate injection can move toward the valve presser 95 during this time lag to close the first hole 95a of the valve presser 95 and suppress the outflow of the refrigerant from the compression chamber 40 to the injection passage 84g.
As described above, the compressor 21 has a simple structure in which the injection valve 93 does not use a spring member, and can still obtain a high compression efficiency by suppressing the outflow of the refrigerant from the compression chamber 40 to the injection passage 84g immediately before the end of the intermediate injection.
(3-2)
The buffer space 95c is formed closer to the injection pipe 92 than the second hole 94a.
(3-3)
The buffer space 95c is a concave portion formed on a surface of the valve presser 95 facing the valve body 94.
(3-4)
The first space 97 has a cylindrical shape. The valve body 94 is a circular flat plate having a second hole 94a at the center. The buffer space 95c is located on the center axis CL of the first space 97 together with the second hole 94a.
As a result, since the buffer space 95c and the second hole 94a are located on the center axis CL, most of the refrigerant passing through the second hole 94a can flow into the buffer space 95c, and the outflow of the refrigerant from the compression chamber 40 is effectively suppressed.
(3-5)
The ratio of the area of the opening 95co of the buffer space 95c facing the valve body 94 to the flow path area of the second hole 94a is 0.5 or more and 1.0 or less.
As a result, since most of the refrigerant passing through the second hole 94a can flow into the buffer space 95c, the outflow of the refrigerant from the compression chamber 40 is effectively suppressed.
(3-6)
The ratio between the depth d of the buffer space 95c in the first direction D1 of the first space 97 and the length L of the first hole 95a in the first direction D1 is 0.3 or more and 0.6 or less.
As a result, since most of the refrigerant passing through the second hole 94a can flow into the buffer space 95c, a time lag from when the refrigerant flows into the first space 97 to when the refrigerant reaches the first hole 95a is reliably generated, and the outflow of the refrigerant from the compression chamber 40 is effectively suppressed.
(3-7)
The valve seat 96 has the third hole 96a that allows the first space 97 and the compression chamber 40 to communicate with each other. The ratio pf the volumes of the first space 97 and the third hole 96a to the volume of the buffer space 95c is 0.2 or more and 0.8 or less.
As a result, since most of the refrigerant flowing into the first space 97 can flow into the buffer space 95c, a time lag from when the refrigerant flows into the first space 97 to when the refrigerant reaches the first hole 95a is reliably generated, and the outflow of the refrigerant from the compression chamber 40 is effectively suppressed.
(3-8)
The air conditioner 1 includes the compressor 21.
The air conditioner 1 including the compressor 21 having a high compression efficiency can perform an air conditioning operation with high efficiency.
The injection valve 93 can also be applied to a compressor other than the rotary compressor. For example, the injection valve 93 can also be applied to a scroll compressor.
The embodiment of the present disclosure has been described above. Various modifications to modes and details should be available without departing from the gist and the scope of the present disclosure recited in the claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-075940 | May 2022 | JP | national |
This is a continuation of International Application No. PCT/JP2023/014991 filed on Apr. 13, 2023, which claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-075940, filed on May 2, 2022. The entire disclosures of these applications are incorporated by reference herein.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | PCT/JP2023/014991 | Apr 2023 | WO |
| Child | 18918936 | US |
