Suction muffler for chiller compressor

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6647738
  • Patent Number
    6,647,738
  • Date Filed
    Wednesday, October 2, 2002
    22 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, November 18, 2003
    21 years ago
Abstract
The gas flow direction and the noise generation direction are in opposite directions in the suction muffler. The flow path in the muffler has a number of changes in direction and the flow path cross section decreases at each change of direction in the direction of flow.
Description




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




In positive displacement compressors, discrete volumes of gas are trapped and compressed with the trapped, compressed volumes being discharged from the compressor. The trapping of the volumes at suction pressure and their discharge at discharge pressure each produce pressure pulsations and the related noise generation. In the case of chillers, the suction pipe extends into the cooler and the suction gas pulsation in the cooler has been found to be one of the major noise sources in a chiller. This noise source becomes significant after vibration and acoustic treatments have been performed to control compressor vibration and discharge gas pulsation utilizing compressor isolators and a discharge muffler.




The flow of gas is along a flow path defined by a pressure differential and, for the suction flow, is through the suction pipe into the compressor. The direction of noise generation is not dictated by the flow direction.




The gas pulsation resulting from the intermittent nature of gas intake is exacerbated by variable speed operation which greatly extends the frequency range over which noise can be generated during operation. A suction inlet muffler, an acoustic treatment or lagging the cooler, partially or completely, can be employed for noise attenuation. While an absorptive suction muffler is an obvious choice, they are made to attenuate noise in a particular frequency range, or ranges, much less extensive than the frequency range associated with variable speed operation.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




In the suction pipe of a chiller compressor the gas flow and the gas intake noise pulsations are traveling in primarily opposite directions, although some acoustic energy is reflected back towards the compressor where the suction pipe terminates in the cooler. The present invention locates a dissipative-type muffler at the inlet end of the suction pipe which is within the cooler. The inlet cross section of the muffler is oversized so as to permit a series of reductions in cross section down to the cross section of the suction pipe which is suitable for feeding the suction inlet of the compressor. The changes in the areas of the cross sections are primarily for reducing flow losses but could have slight acoustic benefits as where the wave propagation in the suction pipe is highly modal in nature, i.e. only is beneficial where the pipe cross section is small compared to an acoustic wavelength of 300 Hz, or less. The flow path through the muffler into the suction pipe involves a number of changes in flow direction. At each directional change in the muffler, the cross section of the flow path is decreased in the direction of flow. A preferred area reduction at each directional change is on the order of one third which keeps the flow and turning losses small.




It is an object of this invention to provide enhanced muffler performance.




It is another object of this invention to attenuate suction gas pulsation in a variable speed chiller compressor. These objects, and others as will become apparent hereinafter, are accomplished by the present invention.




Basically, the gas flow direction and the noise generation direction are in opposite directions in the suction muffler. The flow path in the muffler has a number of changes in direction and the flow path cross section decreases at each change of direction in the direction of flow.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS




For a fuller and understanding of the present invention, reference should now be made to the following detailed description thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:





FIG. 1

is a schematic representation of a chiller employing the present invention;





FIG. 2

is a cross section of a suction muffler made according to the teachings of the present invention;





FIG. 3

is a cross section of a modified suction muffler; and





FIG. 4

is a cross section of a second modified suction muffler.











DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS




In

FIG. 1

, the numeral


10


generally designates a chiller. Chiller


10


includes a positive displacement compressor


12


, such as a screw compressor, which discharges hot, compressed refrigerant gas into condenser


14


. The gaseous refrigerant condenses in condenser


14


and high pressure liquid refrigerant passes from condenser


14


to cooler


20


via expansion device


16


whereby the liquid refrigerant partially flashes. The refrigerant is in a heat exchange relationship with water, or the like) in cooler


20


such that the liquid refrigerant is evaporated and the water is cooled so as to be available for air conditioning. The gaseous refrigerant is drawn from cooler


20


by compressor


12


via suction muffler


30


and suction pipe


22


. Suction pipe


22


is sized to deliver suction gas to compressor in the absence of a muffler and all of the flow path segments in the muffler are successively larger in cross section at each change in flow direction in an upstream direction.




As best shown in

FIG. 2

, suction pipe


22


extends downwardly into cooler


20


and is received in a spaced relationship within muffler


30


. Muffler


30


is in the form of an annular cylinder with one closed end


30


-


1


. End


30


-


1


is serially overlain by an acoustical lining


31


, such as fiberglass, and a perforate member


32


which may be metal or plastic and preferably having a porosity of 40-70%. Member


32


faces and is spaced from the inlet end


22


-


1


of suction pipe


22


. For the purposes of the present invention, a change in flow direction will normally be a nominal 90° . Other angles are possible but make the device less compact.




Assuming that the cross sectional area of suction pipe


22


is S, the area of the surface S′ defined by the extension of pipe


22


to perforate member


32


is greater than S. Preferably S′ is 125% to 175% of S with 150% being preferred. The area of the annular area S″ defined between annular wall


30


-


2


of muffler


30


and suction pipe


22


will be 125% to 175% of S′ with 150% being preferred. Wall


30


-


2


is spaced from inner surface


20


-


1


of cooler


20


and the area of the surface S′″ defined by the extension of wall


30


-


2


to the inner surface


20


-


1


is greater than S″. Preferably S′″ is 125% to 175% of S″ with 150% being preferred.




Operation of compressor


12


serially draws gaseous refrigerant from cooler


20


through muffler


30


in a flow path serially having the reduced cross sections of S′″, S″ and S′ before entering suction pipe


22


which has a cross section of S. The reductions in cross section at the locations of change in the flow direction keeps flow/turning losses small. The noise generated by the suction process in compressor


12


reflects along the interior of suction pipe


22


before impinging upon the surface defined by perforate member


32


and the underlying acoustical lining


31


. Sound passing through perforations


32


-


1


of perforate member


32


are attenuated by acoustical lining


31


.




Muffler


130


of

FIG. 3

is the same as muffler


30


except that acoustical lining


131


covers both end


130


-


1


and annular wall


130


-


2


and is overlain by perforate member


132


. The additional flow path length over the portion of perforate member


132


covering the wall


130


-


2


and the underlying acoustical lining


131


would tend to provide increased flow resistance over muffler


30


but the oversized flow path cross section area, S″, in that region mitigates flow losses. Additionally, flow is over perforate member


132


and its perforations


132


-


1


in passing through the area having cross section S′″. The increased area provided by perforate member


132


, perforations


132


-


1


and the acoustical lining


131


for noise impingement provides further attenuation.




Muffler


230


is the same as muffler


130


except that the outer end portion of suction pipe


222


has been covered with acoustical segments lining


231


-


1


which is spaced by spacer(s)


232


-


2


overlain by perforate member


232


having perforations


232


-


1


and acoustical lining


131


has been replaced by a series of segments


131


-


1


spaced by spacers


132


-


2


. Acoustic liners


31


and


131


are illustrated as bulk type liners but could be of the locally reacting type such as acoustic liner segments


131


-


1


. Because acoustic liner segments


131


-


1


and


231


-


1


are separated by spacers


132


-


2


and


232


-


2


, respectively, acoustic wave propagation in the liner segments


131


-


1


and


231


-


1


is prevented so that there is primarily propagation normal to the liner only. This results in enhanced low frequency performance where the distance between spacers


132


-


2


is small compared to the acoustic wavelength, i.e. less than about one eighth of the wavelength. The flow path between perforate members


132


and


232


would have the cross sectional areas S″, as defined above. Perforate member


132


is spaced from inner surface


20


-


1


of cooler


20


and the area of the surface S′″ defined between perforate member


132


to the inner surface


20


-


1


is greater than S″. Preferably S′″ is 125% to 175% of S″ with 150% being preferred.




Muffler


230


has an additional flow path length over the perforate member


232


when compared to muffler


130


but the oversized flow path cross sectional area S″ in that region mitigates flow losses. The provision of a flow path portion where noise reflects and impinges between two perforate members underlain by acoustical lining provides further attenuation. The shape of spacers


132


-


2


and


232


-


2


is arbitrary in that they only need to block wave travel longitudinally between liner segments


131


-


1


and


231


-


1


, respectively, and can be a series of annular discs for the annular walls and spaced circles or a grid for end


230


-


1


.




Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described other changes will occur to those skilled in the art. It is therefore intended that the scope of the present invention is to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.



Claims
  • 1. A muffler and a suction pipe with an inlet and a cross sectional area, said muffler coacting with said suction pipe to define a flow path having an inlet and a plurality of changes in flow direction and terminating at said inlet of said suction pipe with said flow path having a cross sectional area which serialy reduces at each change in flow direction in the direction of flow.
  • 2. The muffler of claim 1 wherein each reduction in cross sectional area of said flow path is at least 25%.
  • 3. The muffler of claim 1 wherein at least part of said flow path is made up of a perforate material underlain by an acoustical material.
  • 4. The muffler of claim 3 wherein the perforate member has a porosity of at least 40%.
  • 5. The muffler of claim 3 wherein at least a portion of said acoustical material is made up of a plurality of segments separated by spacers.
  • 6. A chiller including a cooler and a compressor with a suction pipe having an inlet and extending into said cooler, a muffler in said cooler and coacting with said suction pipe to define a fluid path extending from the interior of said cooler to said inlet of said suction pipe, and having a plurality of changes of direction, said suction pipe having a cross sectional area and said fluid path having an increased cross sectional area at each change of direction when starting at said inlet of said suction pipe and going towards the interior of said cooler.
  • 7. The chiller of claim 6 wherein each increase of cross sectional area is at least 125% of the cross section of the adjacent region.
  • 8. The chiller of claim 6 wherein at least part of said flow path is made up of a perforate material underlain by an acoustical material.
  • 9. The chiller of claim 8 wherein the perforate member has a porosity of at least 40%.
  • 10. The chiller of claim 8 wherein at least a portion of said acoustical material is made up of a plurality of segments separated by spacers.
  • 11. A muffler and a suction pipe with an inlet and a cross sectional area, said muffler being spaced from and coacting with said suction pipe to define a flow path through the space between said suction pipe and said muffler with said flow path having an inlet and a plurality of changes in flow direction and terminating at said inlet of said suction pipe with said flow path having a cross sectional area which reduces at each change in flow direction.
  • 12. The muffler of claim 11 wherein each reduction in cross sectional area of said flow path is at least 25%.
  • 13. The muffler of claim 11 wherein at least part of said flow path is made up of a perforate material underlain by an acoustical material.
  • 14. The muffler of claim 13 wherein the perforate member has a porosity of at least 40%.
  • 15. The muffler of claim 13 wherein at least a portion of said acoustical material is made up of a plurality of segments separated by spacers.
US Referenced Citations (8)
Number Name Date Kind
2675088 McLeod Apr 1954 A
2838128 Kliewer, Sr. Jun 1958 A
3853201 Smale Dec 1974 A
5200582 Kraai et al. Apr 1993 A
5444197 Flugger Aug 1995 A
5584674 Mo Dec 1996 A
6089347 Flugger Jul 2000 A
6446454 Lee et al. Sep 2002 B1