An inter-stage coupling for a multi-stage vacuum booster pump may include a first coupling face configured to be received by a first adjacent stage of the multi-stage vacuum pump; a second coupling face configured to be received by a second adjacent stage of the multi-stage vacuum pump; and a recirculator comprising a recirculation inlet aperture formed in the first coupling face, a recirculation outlet aperture formed in the first coupling face, and a recirculation conduit having a recirculation valve configured to selectively fluidly couple the recirculation inlet aperture with the recirculation outlet aperture. In this way, the pressure in a stage can be relieved by fluidly coupling the outlet aperture with the inlet aperture in order to recirculate built-up gas from one part of the first stage pump to another part of the first stage pump in order to reduce the strain on the rotor.

An inter-stage coupling for a multi-stage vacuum booster pump may include a first coupling face configured to be received by a first adjacent stage of the multi-stage vacuum pump; a second coupling face configured to be received by a second adjacent stage of the multi-stage vacuum pump; and a recirculator comprising a recirculation inlet aperture formed in the first coupling face, a recirculation outlet aperture formed in the first coupling face, and a recirculation conduit having a recirculation valve configured to selectively fluidly couple the recirculation inlet aperture with the recirculation outlet aperture. In this way, the pressure in a stage can be relieved by fluidly coupling the outlet aperture with the inlet aperture in order to recirculate built-up gas from one part of the first stage pump to another part of the first stage pump in order to reduce the strain on the rotor.

A scroll compressor includes a first scroll member, a second scroll member, and an aerostatic thrust bearing. The aerostatic thrust bearing forms a layer of gas between the second scroll member and a fixed supporting member to support the second scroll member as the second scroll member rotates and/or orbits. Also disclosed is a method of supporting a rotating/orbiting scroll member in a scroll compressor. The method including supplying pressurized gas to an aerostatic thrust bearing such that a layer of gas is formed between the rotating/orbiting scroll member and a fixed supporting member.

A hydraulic pump is described, comprising at least one inlet duct for a fluid, at least one outlet duct for the fluid and at least one pumping unit interposed between the inlet and outlet ducts. At least one multifunction valve is interposed between the inlet duct, upstream of the pumping unit, and the outlet duct, downstream of the pumping unit, which valve is configured to divert the flow of fluid from the inlet duct to the outlet duct without the fluid flowing into the pumping unit. The multifunction valve comprises a valve body that defines an inner bypass channel in which a shutter element is axially movable, an actuator member operatively associated with the shutter element and configured to move it from a closing position to an opening position of the bypass channel, and an elastic contrast element operatively associated with the shutter element and configured to keep it in the first closing position of the bypass channel when such shutter element is not actuated by the actuator member. The actuator member consists of a bias spring manufactured with a shape memory alloy, configured to move the shutter element from the first closing position to the second opening position of the bypass channel when a predefined temperature value is reached.

A hydraulic pump is described, comprising at least one inlet duct for a fluid, at least one outlet duct for the fluid and at least one pumping unit interposed between the inlet and outlet ducts. At least one multifunction valve is interposed between the inlet duct, upstream of the pumping unit, and the outlet duct, downstream of the pumping unit, which valve is configured to divert the flow of fluid from the inlet duct to the outlet duct without the fluid flowing into the pumping unit. The multifunction valve comprises a valve body that defines an inner bypass channel in which a shutter element is axially movable, an actuator member operatively associated with the shutter element and configured to move it from a closing position to an opening position of the bypass channel, and an elastic contrast element operatively associated with the shutter element and configured to keep it in the first closing position of the bypass channel when such shutter element is not actuated by the actuator member. The actuator member consists of a bias spring manufactured with a shape memory alloy, configured to move the shutter element from the first closing position to the second opening position of the bypass channel when a predefined temperature value is reached.

There is disclosed a scroll compressor according to the present disclosure in which a discharge port is formed at a central portion thereof, and a pair of two compression chambers continuously moving toward the discharge port are formed, and a plurality of bypass portions are formed at each interval along a movement path of each compression chamber in the both compression chambers, and compression gradients of the both compression chambers are formed to be different from each other, wherein when an interval between a bypass portion closest to the discharge port and another bypass portion adjacent to the bypass portion among the bypass portions of each compression chamber is defined as a first interval, respectively, a first interval of a second bypass portion belonging to a compression chamber having a relatively larger compression gradient is formed to be smaller than that of a first bypass portion belonging to the other compression chamber between the both compressor chambers.

There is disclosed a scroll compressor according to the present disclosure in which a discharge port is formed at a central portion thereof, and a pair of two compression chambers continuously moving toward the discharge port are formed, and a plurality of bypass portions are formed at each interval along a movement path of each compression chamber in the both compression chambers, and compression gradients of the both compression chambers are formed to be different from each other, wherein when an interval between a bypass portion closest to the discharge port and another bypass portion adjacent to the bypass portion among the bypass portions of each compression chamber is defined as a first interval, respectively, a first interval of a second bypass portion belonging to a compression chamber having a relatively larger compression gradient is formed to be smaller than that of a first bypass portion belonging to the other compression chamber between the both compressor chambers.

The present invention relates to a redundant vacuum pumping system (300) and a pumping method using this system, comprising a primary roots pump (302), a first pumping sub-system (310) and a second pumping sub-system (320), wherein the first pumping sub-system (310) and the second pumping sub-system (320) are arranged to pump in parallel the gas evacuated by the primary roots pump (302), the first pumping sub-system (310) comprising a first secondary roots pump (311) and a first positive displacement pump (312) and a first valve (313) positioned between the gas discharge outlet (302b) of the primary roots pump (302) and the gas suction inlet (311a) of the first secondary roots pump (311), and the second pumping sub-system (320) comprising a second secondary roots pump (311) and a second positive displacement pump (312) and a second valve (323) positioned between the gas discharge outlet (302b) of the primary roots pump (302) and the gas suction inlet (321a) of the second secondary roots pump (321). According to the invention, the first pumping sub-system (310) and the second pumping sub-system (320) are configured to pump at a same flow rate, and the primary roots pump (302) is configured to be able to pump at a flow rate F equal to the pumping flow rate of the primary pumping sub-system (310) plus the pumping flow rate of the secondary pumping sub-system (320).

Disclosed herein is a high-pressure scroll compressor, in response to a discharged refrigerant flowing into a back pressure chamber, capable of directly discharging the refrigerant to a space inside a main body, and capable of maintaining an intermediate pressure of the back pressure chamber to be less than a discharge pressure of the refrigerant by separately providing a discharge flow path in the back pressure chamber. The high-pressure scroll compressor comprises a main body, a fixed scroll fixed inside the main body, an orbiting scroll engaged with the fixed scroll to perform a relative orbiting motion, and forming a compression chamber with the fixed scroll, a main frame located under the orbiting scroll and including a back pressure chamber filled with an intermediate-pressure refrigerant, a back pressure hole provided in the orbiting scroll and provided to allow the compression chamber to communicate with the back pressure chamber, a bypass portion configured to selectively bypass the refrigerant of the compression chamber to a space inside the main body, and a back pressure chamber discharge portion configured to selectively discharge the refrigerant of the back pressure chamber to the space inside the main body.

Disclosed herein is a high-pressure scroll compressor, in response to a discharged refrigerant flowing into a back pressure chamber, capable of directly discharging the refrigerant to a space inside a main body, and capable of maintaining an intermediate pressure of the back pressure chamber to be less than a discharge pressure of the refrigerant by separately providing a discharge flow path in the back pressure chamber. The high-pressure scroll compressor comprises a main body, a fixed scroll fixed inside the main body, an orbiting scroll engaged with the fixed scroll to perform a relative orbiting motion, and forming a compression chamber with the fixed scroll, a main frame located under the orbiting scroll and including a back pressure chamber filled with an intermediate-pressure refrigerant, a back pressure hole provided in the orbiting scroll and provided to allow the compression chamber to communicate with the back pressure chamber, a bypass portion configured to selectively bypass the refrigerant of the compression chamber to a space inside the main body, and a back pressure chamber discharge portion configured to selectively discharge the refrigerant of the back pressure chamber to the space inside the main body.