Claims
- 1. Apparatus for pumping both refrigerant and lubricant in a refrigeration chiller comprising:a motor; a drive shaft driven by said motor; a refrigerant pumping element, said refrigerant pumping element being mounted to said drive shaft; and a lubricant pumping element, said lubricant pumping element being mounted to said drive shaft.
- 2. The pumping apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said refrigeration chiller has a lubricant supply tank, said motor and said lubricant pumping element being disposed in said supply tank and said refrigerant pumping element being disposed external of said lubricant supply tank.
- 3. The pumping apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said refrigerant pumping element is a centrifugal impeller.
- 4. The pumping apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said refrigerant pumping element is mounted for rotation on a first end of said drive shaft and wherein said lubricant pumping element is mounted for rotation on a second end of said drive shaft, said drive shaft penetrating a wall of said lubricant supply tank.
- 5. The pumping apparatus according to claim 4 further comprising a housing for said refrigerant pumping impeller said housing having a refrigerant inlet and a refrigerant outlet and being mounted to said wall of said lubricant supply tank.
- 6. The pump according to claim 5 further comprising a housing for said lubricant pumping element, said housing for said lubricant pumping element defining a bearing housing, a first bearing being disposed in said bearing housing defined by said housing for said lubricant pumping element, said drive shaft being rotatably carried in said first bearing.
- 7. The pump according to claim 6 wherein said motor has a stator and a rotor and further comprising a housing for said motor, said stator being mounted in housing for said motor and said housing for said motor being mounted to said wall of said lubricant supply tank.
- 8. The pump according to claim 7 wherein said wall of said lubricant supply tank defines a bearing housing, a second bearing being disposed in said bearing housing defined by said wall, said motor rotor being mounted to said drive shaft for rotation therewith and said drive shaft being rotatably carried in said second bearing and said motor housing defining an aperture, lubricant in said lubricant supply tank flooding said motor housing through said aperture.
- 9. The pumping apparatus according to claim 8 further comprising a pump port plate, said pump port plate being mounted to said lubricant pump element housing, said pump port plate defining a passage by which lubricant is delivered to said lubricant pumping element and a passage by which lubricant is delivered therefrom.
- 10. A method for cooling the compressor drive motor in a refrigeration chiller and for delivering lubricant to a surface therein that requires lubrication comprising the steps of:disposing a lubricant pumping element in the lubricant supply tank of said chiller; connecting a drive shaft to said lubricant pumping element; connecting a refrigerant pumping element to said drive shaft so that said lubricant pumping element and said refrigerant pumping element are driven by a common drive shaft; driving said drive shaft with a pump motor; providing a source of liquid refrigerant from which said refrigerant pumping element can pump; providing a flow path for refrigerant pumped by said refrigerant pumping element to the motor by which the compressor of said chiller is driven; and providing a flow path for lubricant pumped by said lubricant pumping element to said surface that requires lubrication.
- 11. The method according to claim 10 comprising the further step of disposing said refrigerant pumping element outside of the lubricant supply tank of said chiller.
- 12. The method according to claim 11 wherein said pump motor is an electric motor and comprising the further step of immersing said motor by which said drive shaft is driven in lubricant in said lubricant supply tank.
- 13. The method according to claim 12 wherein said source of liquid refrigerant is the condenser of said chiller and further comprising the step of providing a flow path from said chiller condenser to said refrigerant pumping element.
- 14. The method according to claim 13 comprising the further step of rotatably supporting said drive shaft in a bearing disposed in a wall of the lubricant supply tank of said chiller.
Parent Case Info
This application is a Division of U.S. Ser. No. 09/206,198 filed Dec. 3, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,098,422.
US Referenced Citations (22)