Patent Application
20110085925
The present disclosure relates to a compressor, and more particularly to a lubrication system for a compressor.
This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
Cooling systems, refrigeration systems, heat-pump systems, and other climate-control systems include a fluid circuit having a condenser, an evaporator, an expansion device disposed between the condenser and evaporator, and a compressor circulating a working fluid (e.g., refrigerant) between the condenser and the evaporator. The compressor may be one of any number of different compressors. For example, the compressor may be a scroll compressor or a reciprocating compressor that selectively circulates the working fluid among the various components of a cooling, refrigeration, or heat-pump system. Regardless of the particular type of compressor employed, consistent and reliable operation of the compressor is required to ensure that the cooling, refrigeration, or heat-pump system in which the compressor is installed is capable of consistently and reliably providing a cooling and/or heating effect on demand.
Compressors typically include a hermetic or semi-hermetic shell. A partition disposed within the shell divides the shell into a suction-pressure zone and a discharge-pressure zone. The working fluid is drawn into the suction-pressure zone and compressed by a compression mechanism and discharged therefrom into the discharge-pressure zone.
A lubricant sump may be disposed within the shell and stores a volume of lubricant, such as oil, for example. The lubricant serves to lubricate the moving components of the compressor and can flow with the working fluid through the compression mechanism and into the discharge-pressure zone of the compressor. The temperature of the lubricant and working fluid in the discharge-pressure zone is elevated relative to the lubricant and working fluid in the suction-pressure zone.
In the discharge-pressure zone, some or all of the lubricant is separated from the working fluid and returned to the lubricant sump. The lubricant is subsequently recycled through the compressor and may interact with the working fluid being drawn in the suction-pressure zone of the compressor. The elevated temperature of the lubricant raises the temperature of the working fluid in the suction-pressure zone, thereby increasing the superheat of the working fluid and reducing the volumetric efficiency of the compressor. Accordingly, it may be desirable to restrict an amount of lubricant flow through the compressor to minimize heating of the working fluid in the suction-pressure zone, while maintaining sufficient lubrication of the moving components of the compressor.
This section provides a general summary of the disclosure, and is not a comprehensive disclosure of its full scope or all of its features.
In one form, the present disclosure provides a lubricant metering system that may include a cap, a cap cage, and a shaft. The cap may include an outer surface, a first recess, and a first radial bore extending between the first recess and the outer surface. The cap cage may include a second recess receiving the cap and a lubricant inlet in communication with the first recess via the first radial bore. The shaft may be received within the first recess and may include an axially extending bore and a second radial bore extending between an outer diameter of the shaft and the axially extending bore. The shaft may be mounted for rotation relative to the cap to allow lubricant to flow into the axially extending bore via the first and second radial bores when the second radial bore is aligned with the first radial bore.
In another form, the present disclosure provides a lubricant metering system for a compressor that may include a lubricant source, a first cup-shaped member, a second cup-shaped member, and a shaft. The first cup-shaped member may include a first recess in communication with the lubricant source. The second cup-shaped member may be received in the first recess and may include a second recess and a radial bore in fluid communication with the lubricant source. The shaft may be at least partially received in the second recess and may include an axially extending bore and a radially extending metering bore. The radially extending metering bore may be in fluid communication with the axially extending bore and selective fluid communication with the radial bore of the second cup-shaped member. The shaft may be mounted for rotation relative to the second cup-shaped member. The second cup-shaped member may be mounted for transverse movement relative to the first recess of the first cup-shaped member to allow axial alignment of the second recess and the shaft relative to each other.
In yet another form, the present disclosure provides a compressor that may include a shell, a compression mechanism, a drive shaft, a motor, a lubricant sump, a cap, and a cap cage. The compression mechanism is disposed within the shell. The drive shaft drivingly engages the compression mechanism and may include an axially extending bore and a first radial aperture extending between an outer diameter of the drive shaft and the axially extending bore. The motor drives the drive shaft. The lubricant sump may be fluidly coupled with the compression mechanism to receive lubricant discharged from the compression mechanism. The cap may include an outer surface, a first recess, and a second radial aperture extending between the first recess and the outer surface. The cap cage may include a second recess receiving the cap and a lubricant inlet in communication with the first recess via the second radial aperture. The drive shaft may be received within the first recess for rotation relative to the cap to allow lubricant to flow into the axially extending bore via the first and second radial apertures when the first radial aperture is aligned with the second radial aperture.
Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. The description and specific examples in this summary are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only of selected embodiments and not all possible implementations, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.
Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Example embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough, and will fully convey the scope to those who are skilled in the art. Numerous specific details are set forth such as examples of specific components, devices, and methods, to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that specific details need not be employed, that example embodiments may be embodied in many different forms and that neither should be construed to limit the scope of the disclosure. In some example embodiments, well-known processes, well-known device structures, and well-known technologies are not described in detail.
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular example embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an” and “the” may be intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “including,” and “having,” are inclusive and therefore specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.
When an element or layer is referred to as being “on,” “engaged to,” “connected to” or “coupled to” another element or layer, it may be directly on, engaged, connected or coupled to the other element or layer, or intervening elements or layers may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly on,” “directly engaged to,” “directly connected to” or “directly coupled to” another element or layer, there may be no intervening elements or layers present. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted in a like fashion (e.g., “between” versus “directly between,” “adjacent” versus “directly adjacent,” etc.). As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.
Although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms may be only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another region, layer or section. Terms such as “first,” “second,” and other numerical terms when used herein do not imply a sequence or order unless clearly indicated by the context. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer or section discussed below could be termed a second element, component, region, layer or section without departing from the teachings of the example embodiments.
Spatially relative terms, such as “inner,” “outer,” “beneath,” “below,” “lower,” “above,” “upper” and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature's relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. Spatially relative terms may be intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned over, elements described as “below” or “beneath” other elements or features would then be oriented “above” the other elements or features. Thus, the example term “below” can encompass both an orientation of above and below. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly.
With reference to
The shell assembly 12 may house the motor assembly 14, the compression mechanism 16, and the lubricant metering system 18. The shell assembly 12 generally forms a compressor housing and may include a cylindrical shell 24, a first end cap 26, a second end cap 28, a transversely extending partition 30, and feet 32. The first end cap 26 and partition 30 may cooperate to form a discharge chamber 34 that functions as a discharge muffler for the compressor 10. A high-side lubricant sump 36 may be disposed within the discharge chamber 34 and stores a lubricant (e.g., oil) for distribution to the motor assembly 14 and compression mechanism 16. While not shown in the Figures, in some configurations, the lubricant sump 36 could be disposed outside of the shell assembly 12. In such configurations, the lubricant sump 36 may be a separate container fluidly coupled with a lubricant separator (not shown) disposed within the discharge chamber 34.
The discharge fitting 20 is attached to the shell assembly 12 at a discharge opening 40 in the first end cap 26. A discharge valve assembly (not shown) may be located within the discharge fitting 20 and may prevent a reverse-flow condition to prevent high-pressure working fluid from entering the compressor 10 via the discharge fitting 20. The suction gas inlet fitting 22 is attached to the shell assembly 12 at a suction opening 38 in the shell 24 and is in fluid communication with a suction chamber 43 disposed within the shell assembly 12. The partition 30 separates the discharge chamber 34 from the suction chamber 43 and includes a discharge passage 44 providing communication between the compression mechanism 16 and the discharge chamber 34. The discharge-valve assembly could alternatively be located at or near the discharge passage 44.
The motor assembly 14 includes a motor stator 46, a rotor 48, a drive shaft 50, and windings that pass through the stator 46. The motor stator 46 may be press fit into the shell 24 to fix the stator 46 relative to the shell 24. The drive shaft 50 is rotatably driven by the rotor 48, which may be press fit on the drive shaft 50.
The drive shaft 50 may be rotatably supported at a first end by a main-bearing housing 54 and by a second bearing 56 at a second end. The main-bearing housing 54 and the second bearing 56 are fixedly secured to the shell assembly 12. The drive shaft 50 may include an eccentric crank pin 58 having a crank pin flat 60 disposed thereon. The drive shaft 50 may also include an axially extending bore 62, radially extending metering bores 64, and radially extending lubricant delivery bores 66. The metering bores 64 may include a diameter of about three (3) millimeters, for example. While the configuration shown in
The compression mechanism 16 may generally include an orbiting scroll 80 and a non-orbiting scroll 82. The orbiting scroll 80 includes an end plate 84 having a spiral vane or wrap 86 extending therefrom. The orbiting scroll 80 may also include a cylindrical hub 88 that projects from the end plate 84 in a direction opposite the spiral wrap 86 and engages a drive bushing 90. The drive bushing 90 may include an inner bore in which the crank pin 58 is drivingly disposed. In one configuration, the crank pin flat 60 drivingly engages a flat surface in a portion of the inner bore of the drive bushing 90 to provide a radially compliant driving arrangement.
The non-orbiting scroll 82 includes an end plate 92 having a spiral wrap 94 extending therefrom and a discharge passage 96 extending through the end plate 92. The spiral wrap 94 cooperates with the wrap 86 of the orbiting scroll 80 to create a series of moving fluid pockets when the orbiting scroll 80 is moved relative to the non-orbiting scroll 82. The pockets created by the spiral wraps 86, 94 decrease in volume as they move from a radially outer position to a radially inner position, thereby compressing the working fluid throughout a compression cycle of the compression mechanism 16.
An Oldham coupling 98 may be positioned between orbiting scroll 80 and the main-bearing housing 54 and keyed to orbiting scroll 80 and non-orbiting scroll 82. The Oldham coupling 98 may engage the orbiting scroll 80 and the non-orbiting scroll 82 to prevent relative rotation therebetween while allowing the orbiting scroll 80 to orbit relative to the non-orbiting scroll 82.
The lubricant metering system 18 may include a cap cage 100, a cap 102, a gasket 104, a sealing plate 106, and a lubricant conduit 108 fluidly coupling the lubricant metering system 18 and the lubricant sump 36. The lubricant metering system 18 may be secured to the second bearing 56 via a plurality of bolts 110.
The cap cage 100 may be a generally cup-shaped member and may include a generally cylindrical body portion 112, an end wall 114, and an annular flange portion 116 cooperating with each other to define a cylindrical recess 118. A plurality of bolt holes 120 may extend through the annular flange portion 116 and may receive the bolts 110. A slot 122 may be disposed in the annular flange portion 116 and may be in communication with the recess 118. A lubricant inlet 124 may extend between an outer diameter of the annular flange portion 116 and the recess 118.
The cap 102 may be a generally cup-shaped member and may include a generally cylindrical body portion 128, a protrusion 132, and a radial bore 134. The body portion 128 may include an outer diameter 136, an inner diameter 138, an end wall 140, and a rim 141. The inner diameter 138 and the end wall 140 may cooperate to define a generally cylindrical recess 142. The body portion 128 of the cap 102 may be received within the recess 118 of the cap cage 100. The protrusion 132 may extend from the outer diameter 136 of the cap 102 and may engage the slot 122 of the cap cage 100 to prevent relative rotation therebetween. The recess 118 of the cap cage 100 and the body portion 128 of the cap 102 may be sized relative to each other to allow the cap 102 to move axially and radially relative to the recess 118 while the cap 102 is received within the recess 118. High-pressure lubricant from the lubricant conduit 108 may occupy a spaced between the cap 102 and the cap cage 100, forming a high-pressure lubricant reservoir 143.
The radial bore 134 may extend between the outer diameter 136 of the body portion 128 and the recess 142 and may include a diameter of about two (2) millimeters, for example. The radial bore 134 may be aligned with the lubricant inlet 124 of the cap cage 100. The radial bore 134 and the lubricant inlet 124 may or may not be coaxial.
The first end 68 of the drive shaft 50 may be received within the recess 142 and may be rotatable therein relative to the cap 102. The inner diameter 138 of the cap 102 and the outer diameter of the drive shaft 50 may be sized relative to each other to minimize the friction therebetween, while preventing or minimizing lubricant leakage therebetween. When the drive shaft 50 is rotating relative to the cap 102, the metering bores 64 are moved in and out of angular alignment with the radial bore 134, thereby selectively allowing fluid communication between the axial bore 62 and the lubricant inlet 124. When none of the metering bores 64 are angularly aligned with the radial bore 134, fluid communication between the axial bore 62 and the lubricant inlet 124 may be restricted or prohibited.
The sealing plate 106 may be an annular disk including a central aperture 144 and a plurality of mounting apertures 146 engaging the bolts 110. Similarly, the gasket 104 may be an annular disk including a central aperture 148 and a plurality of mounting apertures 150 engaging the bolts 110. The gasket 104 may be formed from a compliant polymeric or metallic material, while the sealing plate 106 may be formed from a relatively rigid polymeric or metallic material. The drive shaft 50 may extend through the central apertures 144 and 148 of the sealing plate 106 and gasket 104, respectively. A first side of the sealing plate 106 may abut a flange 152 of the second bearing 56. A second side of the sealing plate 106 may abut a first side of the gasket 104. In some configurations, the gasket 104 and/or the sealing plate 106 may be integrally formed with the second bearing 56. The second side of the gasket 104 may sealingly abut the cap cage 100 and the cap 102. The relatively high-pressure of the lubricant disposed within the high-pressure lubricant reservoir 143 may urge the rim 141 of the cap 102 into sealing engagement with the gasket 104. In this manner, the gasket 104 and the sealing plate 106 cooperate to prevent fluid communication between the lubricant reservoir 143 and the recess 142 via any path other than through the radial bore 134. Furthermore, the sealed relationship between the cap cage 100 and the gasket 104 prevents lubricant from leaking therebetween into the suction chamber 43.
The lubricant conduit 108 provides fluid communication between the lubricant sump 36 and the recess 118 of the cap cage 100. A fitting 154 may engage the lubricant inlet 124 and the lubricant conduit 108 and provide fluid communication therebetween. The lubricant conduit 108 may be routed within the shell assembly 12, as shown in
With continued reference to
As shown in
As described above, the clearance between the outer diameter 136 of the of the cap 102 and the inner diameter of the recess 118 of the cap cage 100 allows the cap 102 to “float” or move in a radial direction relative to the cap cage 100. In this manner, the cap 102 may be movable to “self-align” the axis of rotational symmetry of the recess 142 of the cap 102 with the rotational axis of the drive shaft 50. This self-aligning feature provides a more robust seal between the inner diameter 138 of the cap 102 and the outer diameter of the drive shaft 50. Because the drive shaft 50 is axially centered within the recess 142 of the cap 102, clearance between the inner diameter 138 of the cap 102 and the outer diameter of the drive shaft 50 may be minimized, thereby minimizing lubricant leakage therebetween. Minimized lubricant leakage between the inner diameter 138 of the cap 102 and the outer diameter of the drive shaft 50 due to the self-alignment of the recess 142 and the drive shaft 50 ensures that lubricant is delivered to desirable locations, such as the main bearing housing 54 and the second bearing 56, for example. Furthermore, localized friction between the outer diameter of the drive shaft 50 and the recess 142 due to rotational misalignment may be minimized or eliminated, thereby minimizing or eliminating localized wear and improving the longevity and efficiency of these components.
Using the fluid pressure of the lubricant within the high-pressure lubricant reservoir 143 to bias the rim 141 of the cap 102 against the gasket 104, as described above, ensures axial alignment of the metering bores 64 and the radial bore 134 and allows the radial movement of the cap 102 relative to the cap cage 100. In contrast, if the rim 141 were biased against the gasket 104 via a bolt or other fastener, the retaining force that the bolt or other fastener would be required to exert on the cap 102 to seal the rim 141 against the gasket 104 would prevent or restrict the radial self-alignment of the cap 102 relative to the drive shaft 50.
As described above, the axial bore 62 is in fluid communication with the lubricant inlet 124 via the radial bore 134 of the cap 102 and the metering bores 64 of the drive shaft 50. Since the cap 102 is rotationally fixed relative to the cap cage 100, and the drive shaft 50 is rotatable relative to the cap 102, each of the metering bores 64 are only selectively communicating with the radial bore 134. That is, the radial bore 134 may be in communication with one or more of the metering bores 64 when the one or more metering bores 64 are angularly aligned with the radial bore 134. Accordingly, the lubricant flow rate into the axial bore 62 is dependent upon the number of metering bores 64 and the diameters of the metering bores 64 and the radial bore 134.
In the particular configuration shown in the figures, the metering bores 64 are angularly spaced 180 degrees apart from each other. Therefore, while the compressor 10 is operating at a constant speed, lubricant flows into the axial bore 62 from the radial bore 134 twice, in equal increments, for every complete revolution of the drive shaft 50. In other configurations, the number of metering bores 64, the spacing therebetween, and/or the diameters of the metering bores 64 and/or radial bore 134 may differ from the configuration described above to achieve a desired lubricant flow rate. In some configurations, the metering bores 64 may be elongated in a direction parallel to the rotational axis of the drive shaft 50 to provide more tolerance with respect to the axial alignment of the metering bores 64 and the radial bore 134.
Once the lubricant reaches the axial bore 62, a first portion of the lubricant may flow through the lubricant delivery bore 66 disposed therein to lubricate the second bearing 56. Centrifugal force causes a second portion of the lubricant to enter the eccentric bore 63, through which the lubricant may flow along the length of the drive shaft 50. Lubricant may exit the eccentric bore 63 at the second end 70 of the drive shaft 50 and/or any remaining lubricant delivery bores 66 disposed in the eccentric bore 63 to be distributed to various components of the compressor 10 such as the rotor 48, the main-bearing housing 54, and/or compression mechanism 16, for example. As described above, lubricant may mix with the working fluid that is drawn into the compression mechanism 16 and is discharged therefrom at a relatively high pressure into the discharge chamber 34 and returned to the lubricant sump 36. In this manner, the lubricant may be cycled between the lubricant sump 36 and the lubricant metering system 18.
With reference to
The cap cage 300 may include a recess 318, a slot 322, and a lubricant inlet 324. The recess 318 may include an annular step 319 and an annular groove 321 disposed between the annular step 319 and an open end 323 of the recess 318. The lubricant inlet 324 may be in fluid communication with the lubricant conduit 108 to provide fluid communication between the lubricant sump 36 and the recess 318, as described above. The cap 302 may be received within the recess 318 and may include a protrusion 332 engaging the slot 322, as described above. The flange 152 of the second bearing 56 may be at least partially received in the recess 318.
The wear plate 304 may be an annular disk-shaped member and may be received in the recess 318 and engage the annular step 319. The wear plate 304 may abut the cap 302 and the flange 152 of the second bearing 56. High-pressure lubricant between the cap cage 300 and the cap 302 biases the cap 302 against the wear plate 304. As described above, biasing the cap 302 against the wear plate 304 in this manner ensures axial alignment of the metering bores 64 in the drive shaft 50 with a radial bore 334 in the cap 302 and allows radial movement of the cap 302 relative to the cap cage 300.
The sealing member 306 may be an O-ring or other annular seal, for example, and may be received in the annular groove 321 in the recess 318. The sealing member 306 may sealingly engage the recess 318 and the flange 152 of the second bearing 56 to prevent lubricant from leaking out of the recess 318 into the suction chamber 43 of the compressor 10.
The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention. Individual elements or features of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment, but, where applicable, are interchangeable and can be used in a selected embodiment, even if not specifically shown or described. The same may also be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the invention, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the invention.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 201010273028.4 | Sep 2010 | CN | national |
| 201020517978.2 | Sep 2010 | CN | national |
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/250,723, filed on Oct. 12, 2009. The entire disclosure of the above application is incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61250723 | Oct 2009 | US |
