Patent Application
20140140867
The present invention relates to a variable speed scroll compressor.
As known, a scroll-type compressor may comprise:
In such a scroll-type compressor, the stator windings almost completely fill out the slots provided in the stator core. Therefore, in operation, the low temperature low pressure refrigerant entering the low pressure volume flows essentially through a small annular gap delimited between the rotor core and the stator core.
As a result, the cooling of the stator windings and of the permanent magnets provided in the rotor core could be insufficient. This could lead to a demagnetization of the permanent magnets due to excessive heating of the permanent magnets by the hot stator windings. This issue is more critical at low rotational speed when the refrigerant flow is low.
Further, due to the flow of refrigerant through the small annular gap delimited between the rotor core and the stator core, the pressure drop for the refrigerant is high, which reduces the compressor efficiency especially at high rotational speed when the refrigerant flow is high.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved variable speed scroll compressor which can overcome the drawbacks encountered in conventional scroll compressors.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a variable speed scroll compressor which is reliable and has an enhanced efficiency.
According to the invention such a variable speed scroll compressor comprises:
wherein at least one slot formed between a first and a second adjacent radially extending tooth portions includes a first slot portion in which extends a winding portion of a first stator winding wound around the first radially extending tooth portion, a second slot portion in which extends a winding portion of a second stator winding wound around the second radially extending tooth portion, and a third slot portion arranged between the first and second slot portions and defining a refrigerant flow passage.
Such a winding of the stator windings on the tooth portions of the stator core allows maintaining a large free flow section within the stator slots for the flow of the refrigerant through said stator slots. This leads on the one hand to reduce pressure drop for the refrigerant, which enhances compressor efficiency, and on the other hand to improve the cooling of the stator windings even at low rotational speed of the motor.
Consequently, the stator and rotor cores, and especially the permanent magnets are effectively protected against any degradation whatever the operating conditions of the compressor according to the invention.
According to an embodiment of the invention, each slot formed between a first and a second adjacent radially extending tooth portions includes a first slot portion in which extends a winding portion of a first stator winding wound around the first radially extending tooth portion, a second slot portion in which extends a winding portion of a second stator winding wound around the second radially extending tooth portion, and a third slot portion arranged between the first and second slot portions and defining a refrigerant flow passage.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the variable speed scroll compressor further comprises a refrigerant suction inlet opening into the low pressure volume.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the variable speed scroll compressor is configured to force at least a part of the refrigerant entering the refrigerant suction inlet to pass through the refrigerant flow passages of the slots in order to cool the stator windings and the permanent magnets.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the ratio of the sum of the refrigerant flow passages cross-sectional areas to the stator cross-sectional area is between 3 and 14%, preferably between 5 and 10%, and for example between 6 and 8%. The stator cross-sectional area does not comprise the central opening for accommodating the rotor.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the electric motor is a variable-speed electric motor.
The variable speed scroll compressor may further comprise an intermediate jacket surrounding the stator, the intermediate jacket delimiting an annular outer volume with the closed casing and at least a first inner chamber which contains a first winding head of the stator directed towards the high pressure volume.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the variable speed scroll compressor may further comprise a securing member for securing the stator core to the closed casing, the intermediate jacket being formed by a cap covering an end portion of the stator core directed towards the high pressure volume.
The variable speed scroll compressor may further comprise conveying means for conveying at least some of the refrigerant entering the refrigerant suction inlet into the inner chamber. According to an embodiment of the invention, the conveying means include an intake orifice provided in the cap and facing the refrigerant suction inlet.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the electric motor is entirely arranged in the intermediate jacket, the intermediate jacket being mounted on a support frame separating the low and high pressure volumes.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the variable speed scroll compressor further comprises a centering member secured to the closed casing and on which is secured an end portion of the intermediate jacket opposite to the high pressure volume, the centering member and the intermediate jacket delimiting a second inner chamber which contains a second winding head of the stator opposite to the first winding head, the centering member being further provided with at least one refrigerant passage aperture opening into the second inner chamber.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the rotor is slide-fitted on the drive shaft in a slide-fit relationship arranged to allow limited relative angular and/or axial sliding movements between the rotor and the drive shaft. In other words, the rotor is fitted on the drive shaft with an axial and/or angular play (or clearance).
According to an embodiment of the invention, the centering member is provided with a guide bearing arranged to guide an end portion of the drive shaft opposite to the compression unit.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the variable speed scroll compressor further comprises a locking element adapted to rotatably couple the drive shaft to the rotor. For example, the locking element can be made of non-magnetic material.
For example, an outer surface of the drive shaft has a first longitudinal recess, and an inner surface of the rotor has a second longitudinal recess, the first and second longitudinal recesses being circumferentially aligned and the locking element extending into the first and second longitudinal recesses. The locking element may be adapted to allow limited relative angular sliding movements between the rotor and the drive shaft.
According to an aspect of the invention, the locking element is slide-fitted into at least one of the first and second longitudinal recesses.
According to an aspect of the invention, the section dimensions of the locking element and of the first and second longitudinal recesses are adapted to allow limited relative axial and/or angular sliding movements between the rotor and the drive shaft.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the variable speed scroll compressor further comprises a positioning element secured on the drive shaft, the positioning element having an axial stop surface arranged to slidably co-operate with an end portion of the rotor opposite to the compression unit. The positioning element may be a positioning ring secured to the drive shaft.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the positioning element is heat shrink fitted to the drive shaft. For example, the positioning element can be made of non-magnetic material.
According to an aspect of the invention, in use, the drive shaft extends substantially vertically.
According to an embodiment of the invention, a lower end portion of the rotor rests on the axial stop surface of the positioning element.
These and other advantages will become apparent upon reading the following description in view of the drawing attached hereto representing, as non-limiting examples, two embodiments of the variable speed scroll compressor according to the invention.
The following detailed description of embodiments of the invention is better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings being understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed.
The refrigeration compressor 2 shown in
The refrigeration compressor 2 also comprises a support frame 7 fixed in the closed casing 3, the closed casing 3 and the support frame 7 defining a low pressure volume.
The refrigeration compressor 2 further comprises a scroll compression unit 8 disposed above the support frame 7. The scroll compression unit 8 has a fixed scroll member 9 and an orbiting scroll member 11 interfitting with each other. In particular the orbiting scroll member 11 is supported by and in slidable contact with an upper face of the support frame 7, and the fixed scroll member 11 is fixed in relation to the closed casing 3. The fixed scroll member 11 could for example be fixed to the support frame 7.
As known, the fixed scroll member 9 has an end plate 12 and a spiral wrap 13 projecting from the end plate 12 towards the orbiting scroll member 11, and the orbiting scroll member 11 has an end plate 14 and a spiral wrap 15 projecting from the end plate 14 towards the fixed scroll member 9. The spiral wrap 15 of the orbiting scroll member 11 meshes with the spiral wrap 13 of the fixed scroll member 9 to form a plurality of compression chambers 16 between them. The compression chambers 16 have a variable volume which decreases from the outside towards the inside, when the orbiting scroll member 11 is driven to orbit relative to the fixed scroll member 9. The end plate 12 of the fixed scroll member 9 includes, in its central part, a discharge aperture 17 opening into the central compression chamber 16 and leading to a high pressure discharge chamber 18.
The refrigeration compressor 2 also includes a refrigerant suction inlet 19 opening into the low pressure volume to achieve the supply of refrigerant to the compressor, and a discharge outlet 20 which opens into the discharge chamber 18.
The refrigeration compressor 2 further comprises an electric variable-speed motor disposed below the support frame 7, i.e. in the low pressure volume. The electric motor has a rotor 21 and a stator 22 disposed around the rotor 21.
As shown in
As shown in
The stator core 26 may for example includes six tooth portions 28 and six longitudinal slots 29, and the stator 22 may therefore includes six stator windings 27.
Furthermore the refrigeration compressor 2 comprises a drive shaft 31 adapted for driving the orbiting scroll member 11 in an orbital movement. The drive shaft 31 extends into the axial through passage 24 of the rotor 21 and is rotatably coupled to the rotor 21 so that the drive shaft 31 is driven to rotate by the rotor 21 about a rotational axis.
The drive shaft 31 comprises, at its top end, an eccentric pin 32 which is off-centered from the center of the drive shaft 31, and which is inserted in a connecting sleeve part 33 of the orbiting scroll member 11 so as to cause the orbiting scroll member 11 to be driven in an orbital movement relative to a fixed scroll member 9 when the electric motor is operated.
The bottom end of the drive shaft 31 drives an oil pump 34 which supplies oil from a sump defined by the closed casing 3 to a lubrication passage 35 formed inside the central part of the drive shaft 31.
The refrigeration compressor 2 further includes a positioning ring 36 secured to the drive shaft 31. For example, the positioning ring 36 is heat shrink fitted to the drive shaft 31. The positioning ring 36 may be made of non-magnetic material.
The positioning ring 36 has an axial stop surface 37 on which rests a lower end portion of the rotor 21, and more precisely a radial abutment surface 38 provided on the lower end portion of the rotor 21. Thus the positioning ring 36 is arranged to axially position the rotor 21.
As shown in
Particularly, the first annular axial abutment surface 28 is provided on the upper end face of the rotor 21, and the drive shaft 28 has a radial step delimiting the second annular axial abutment surface 29. The first and second annular axial abutment surfaces 28, 29 are arranged to prevent the rotor 21 from axially moving relative to the drive shaft 24 beyond a predetermined position towards the compression unit 8.
The refrigeration compressor 2 further comprises a locking pin 42 adapted to rotatably couple the drive shaft 31 to the rotor 21. For example the locking pin 42 is made of non-magnetic material.
The locking pin 42 extends respectively into a first longitudinal recess 43 provided on the outer surface of the drive shaft 31 and into a second longitudinal recess 44 provided on the inner surface of the rotor core 23, the first and second longitudinal recesses 43, 44 being circumferentially aligned. The section dimensions of the locking pin 42 and of the first and second longitudinal recesses 43, 44 are adapted to allow limited relative axial and angular sliding movements between the rotor 21 and the drive shaft 31. The locking pin 42 may be slightly larger than the first longitudinal recesses 43 so that the locking pin 42 is press fitted into the first longitudinal recess 43, and the locking pin 42 may be slide-fitted into the second longitudinal recess 44. However, alternately the locking pin 42 may be slide-fitted into the first and second longitudinal recesses 43, 44.
The second longitudinal recess 44 provided on the rotor 21 can extend along the entire length of the rotor core 23. Advantageously, the first longitudinal recess 43 extends only along a partial length of the drive shaft 31 and delimits an axial stop surface 45 for the upper end of the locking pin 42. Furthermore the axial stop surface 37 provided on the positioning ring 36 forms also an axial stop for the lower end of the locking pin 42.
The refrigeration compressor 2 also includes an annular fixing member 46 for fixing the stator 22 to the closed casing, and a centering member 47 secured to the closed casing 3 and provided with a guide bearing 40 arranged to guide the lower end portion of the drive shaft 31.
The refrigeration compressor 2 further comprises an intermediate jacket 48 surrounding the stator 22 and covering the upper end of the electric motor. The intermediate jacket 48 and the closed casing 3 delimit an annular outer volume 49 into which opens the refrigerant suction inlet 19. The intermediate jacket 48 delimits, with the electric motor, an inner chamber 50 containing the winding head 27a of the stator 22 oriented towards the scroll compression unit 8. The winding head 27a is formed by the portions of the stator windings 27 extending towards outside from the end face 26a of the stator core 26 oriented towards the scroll compression unit 8.
The intermediate jacket 48 is provided with an intake orifice 51 opening into the proximal chamber 50 and facing the refrigerant suction inlet 19 in order to allow admission of refrigerant into the proximal chamber 49. Further, the support frame 7 comprises one or several refrigerant passage apertures 52 opening into the low pressure volume and into the scroll compression unit 8.
In operation, a first part of the refrigerant entering through the refrigerant suction inlet 19 flows into the annular outer volume 49, and then flows upwardly directly towards the scroll compression unit 8 via the refrigerant passage apertures 52.
Further, a second part of the refrigerant entering the refrigerant suction inlet 19 flows into the inner chamber 50 through the intake orifice 51 of the intermediate jacket 48, and then flows downwardly towards the centering member 47 by passing through the refrigerant flow passages 30 (shown in
Next, the refrigerant travels upwards through the low pressure volume towards the scroll compression unit 8 and enters the compression chambers 16 via the refrigerant passage apertures 52.
Then, the refrigerant entering the scroll compression unit 8 is compressed in the compression chambers 16 and escapes from the centre of the fixed and orbiting scroll members 9, 11 through the discharge aperture 17 leading to the discharge chamber 18, from which the compressed refrigerant is discharged by the discharge outlet 20.
According to the second embodiment, the upper end of the intermediate jacket 48 is secured to the support frame 7 and the lower end of the intermediate jacket 48 is secured to the centering member 47, so that the intermediate jacket 48 serves to fix the stator core 26. It should be noted that an annular connection element 56 may be arranged between the intermediate jacket 48 and the stator 22.
Further, according to the second embodiment, the centering member 47 is further provided with at least one refrigerant passage aperture 57 opening into the distal chamber 54b.
In operation, the refrigerant entering through the refrigerant suction inlet 19 flows downwardly in the annular outer volume 49 towards the centering member 47. Then, the refrigerant flows through the refrigerant passage aperture 57 provided in the centering member 47, and enters the distal chamber 55b. The refrigerant that has entered into the distal chamber 55b flows upwardly towards the scroll compression unit 8 via the refrigerant flow passages 30 delimited by the stator core 26 and the stator windings 27, the proximal chamber 55a and refrigerant passage apertures (non shown in
Next, the refrigerant entering the scroll compression unit 8 is compressed in the compression chambers 16 and escapes from the centre of the fixed and orbiting scroll members 9, 11 through the discharge aperture 17 leading to the discharge chamber 18, from which the compressed refrigerant is discharged by the discharge outlet 20.
Of course, the invention is not restricted to the embodiments described above by way of non-limiting examples, but on the contrary it encompasses all embodiments thereof.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12/60989 | Nov 2012 | FR | national |
