Compressor module having oil separator and electric-powered refrigerant compressor having the same

Abstract

A compressor module with an pot-shaped compressor casing with a casing bottom and a casing wall which has an outlet for a compressed refrigerant, with a separator device for separating a lubricant mixed in with the refrigerant, the separator device is introduced into a high-pressure chamber of the compressor casing, wherein the separator device has a hollow-cylindrical chamber wall which forms a separation chamber fluidically connected to the outlet, and the a separator is received in the separation chamber to form an annular space.

Claims

1. A compressor module comprising: a compressor housing having a substantially pot-like shape and configured to receive a refrigerant, wherein the compressor housing includes: a housing base, and a housing wall having an outlet configured to expel a compressed refrigerant and forming a high-pressure chamber; and a single-piece separation device disposed in the high-pressure chamber and the outlet, the separation device configured to separate a lubricant mixed with the refrigerant, wherein the separation device includes a chamber wall having a hollow-cylindrical shape and forming a separation chamber that is fluidly connected to the outlet, wherein the separation device further includes a separator monolithically formed with the chamber wall and disposed in the separation chamber such that an annular space is defined between the chamber wall and the separator, wherein a region of the separator extends beyond the separation chamber along a center axis of the separation device, wherein an outer side of the region defines a guiding contour configured for assembling the separation device within the outlet, wherein the outlet defines a seat and the region includes a radially outwardly and upwardly extending retention contour configured to be received by the seat to retain the separation device in the outlet to prevent the separation device from twisting.

2. The compressor module of claim 1, wherein the annular space is in fluid communication with the separation chamber.

3. The compressor module of claim 1, wherein the outlet forms a receiving member configured to receive the separation device.

4. The compressor module of claim 1, wherein the outlet has a tunnel-like shape.

5. The compressor module of claim 1, wherein the chamber wall defines an inlet opening configured to fluidly connect the separation chamber to the high-pressure chamber.

6. The compressor module of claim 5, wherein the inlet opening is radially offset with respect to a center axis defined by the separation device.

7. The compressor module of claim 5, wherein the inlet opening faces the housing base.

8. The compressor module of claim 1, wherein the housing wall defines a receiving member configured to receive an end of the chamber wall facing away from the outlet, wherein the end is connected to a lubricant reservoir.

9. The compressor module of claim 8, wherein the chamber wall defines a recess configured to receive a twisting prevention means.

10. The compressor module of claim 9, wherein the twisting prevention means extends into the receiving member and wherein the receiving member is connected to the lubricant reservoir.

11. The compressor module of claim 8, wherein the housing wall and the housing base collectively define the lubricant reservoir.

12. The compressor module of claim 1, wherein the chamber wall defines an elongated slot to form an inlet opening, wherein the elongated slot extends along a center axis defined by the separation device.

13. The compressor module of claim 1, wherein the seat includes a first abutment cooperating with the retention contour to secure the separation device in the outlet.

14. The compressor module of claim 13, wherein the seat further includes a second abutment cooperating with another retention contour of the region to further secure the separation device in the outlet.

15. An electric refrigerant compressor configured to receive and compress a refrigerant, the electric refrigerant compressor comprising: an electric motor; and a compressor module operatively coupled to the electric motor and including: a housing provided with a housing base and housing wall collectively forming a high-pressure chamber and an outlet configured to expel the compressed refrigerant, and a separation device configured to separate a lubricant mixed with the refrigerant, wherein the separation device includes: a chamber wall having cylindrical shape and forming a separation chamber, and a separator having a hollow cylindrical shape and including a first portion, disposed in the separation chamber, and a second portion extending from the first portion, wherein first portion and the chamber wall collectively define an annular space, wherein the separator and the chamber wall are integrally formed with one another, wherein a region of the separator extends beyond the chamber along a center axis of the separation device, wherein an outer side of the region defines a guiding contour configured for assembling the separation device within the outlet, wherein the outlet defines a seat and the region includes a radially outwardly and upwardly extending retention contour configured to be received by the seat to retain the separation device in the outlet to prevent the separation device from twisting.

16. The electric refrigerant compressor of claim 15, wherein the housing wall defines a receiving pocket and wherein the separation device extends between the receiving pocket and the outlet.

17. The electric refrigerant compressor of claim 15, wherein the second portion includes a guiding contour configured to position the separation device with respect to the outlet.

18. The electric refrigerant compressor of claim 17, wherein the guiding contour is formed by a number of fins extending from the chamber wall and terminating before a distal end of the second portion.

19. A compressor module comprising: a compressor housing having a substantially pot-like shape and configured to receive a refrigerant, wherein the compressor housing includes: a housing base, and a housing wall defining an outlet configured to expel a compressed refrigerant and forming a high-pressure chamber; and a single-piece separation device disposed in the high-pressure chamber and configured to separate a lubricant mixed with the refrigerant, wherein the separation device includes a chamber wall having a hollow-cylindrical shape and forming a separation chamber that is fluidly connected to the outlet, wherein the separation device further includes a separator monolithically formed with the chamber wall and disposed in the separation chamber such that an annular space is defined between the chamber wall and the separator, and wherein the chamber wall defines an inlet opening facing the housing base and configured to fluidly connect the separation chamber to the high-pressure chamber.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) An embodiment of the invention is explained in greater detail below with reference to the drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a longitudinal section of an electromotive refrigerant compressor with a motor module having the electric motor and with a compressor module,

(3) FIG. 2 is a perspective illustration of a compressor housing of the compressor module, and a housing wall of the compressor housing has an outlet for a compressed refrigerant, and the outlet forms a receiving member for a separation device,

(4) FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the compressor housing with a separation device introduced therein, and the compressor housing is illustrated in a transparent manner,

(5) FIG. 4 is a perspective plan view of the compressor housing as a cut-out, drawn to an enlarged scale, having a receiving member in which the separation devices is located in a manner secured to the housing,

(6) FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the separation device having a hollow-cylindrical chamber wall, which forms a separation chamber, and having a separator which is introduced in the separation chamber,

(7) FIG. 6 is a sectioned illustration of the separation device, and an annular space is formed between the separator and the chamber wall,

(8) FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the separation device, and the separator has a retention contour in a region which protrudes beyond the separation chamber, and

(9) FIGS. 8a and 8b are a plan view and a perspective view of the outlet as a cut-out, with the separation device received therein according to the alternative embodiment of FIG. 7, and a retention contour of the separator which protrudes beyond the separation chamber is received in a seat of the outlet.

(10) Mutually corresponding components and variables are always given the same reference numerals in all the Figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(11) As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention that may be embodied in various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale; some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention.

(12) Within the compressor, there is further provided a lubricant which is mixed with the gaseous refrigerant during operation. The lubricant, in particular oil, serves to reduce friction which occurs and which during operation is produced in the compressor between a first compressor component element and a second, fixedly supported compressor component element at the high-pressure side. Furthermore, the lubricant performs a sealing function so that any (refrigerant) leakages which are produced between the compressor component elements are reduced to the greatest possible extent or completely prevented, which increases the degree of efficiency of the refrigerant compressor.

(13) In the compressor and at that location in the (compressor) housing thereof, in the flow direction a compressor component which is provided to convey the fluid formed by means of the lubricant and the refrigerant from an inlet at the low pressure side to an outlet at the high pressure side and to compress the fluid, a high-pressure chamber (compression chamber) and a separation device are arranged one behind the other. In the separation device, the lubricant is separated from the refrigerant so that the separated lubricant is or can be returned to the compressor and the refrigerant is directed in a lubricant-free manner to the greatest possible extent via an outlet of the separation device into the refrigerant circuit.

(14) In this instance, the separation device is in particular integrated in the compressor housing. At least one chamber wall which surrounds a separation chamber of the separation device is thus formed by means of the compressor housing.

(15) DE 698 23 117 T2 discloses, for example, a helical compressor in which a rear housing delimits an oil separation chamber.

(16) Furthermore, US 2006/0065012 A1 discloses a compressor having an oil separator which has a cylindrical hole having a separation pipe which is received therein. In this instance, the hole is arranged inside a wall of a rear housing.

(17) In order to produce a compressor housing having such an integrated separation device, however, a comparatively complex (casting) tool geometry and in particular in addition a sliding member are required. As a result, the production of the compressor housing and consequently of the compressor is comparatively complex and cost-intensive.

(18) In compressors, a pressure pulse, that is to say, a time-varying pressure path may further occur and is brought about in particular by means of a pulsed (intermittent) output of the compressed fluid into the high-pressure chamber. This pressure pulse may, for example, also continue in technical flow components of the refrigerant circuit which are arranged downstream of the high-pressure chamber and also in a disadvantageous manner lead, for example, to noise generation in the refrigerant circuit.

(19) The electromotive refrigerant compressor 2, which is illustrated in FIG. 1 and which is also referred to as a compressor 2 below for short, may be installed or can be installed as an electromotive refrigerant compressor 2 in a refrigerant circuit (which is not illustrated in greater detail) of an air-conditioning system of a motor vehicle. The compressor 2 is in this instance constructed to be modular. It thus comprises a motor module 4 having an electric motor 5 which in turn comprises a rotor 6 and a stator 8 and having an electronics compartment 9 which receives an electronic system which is not illustrated in greater detail for controlling the electric motor 5. Furthermore, the compressor 2 comprises a compressor module 10 which is joined to the motor module 4.

(20) The compressor module 10 has a substantially pot-like compressor housing 12 (housing 12) having a housing base 14 and having a housing wall 16. A compressor component 18 is supported in the compressor housing 12 and is drivingly connected to the electric motor 5 of the motor module 4. The compressor component 18 has a first compressor component element 20 which is stationary with respect to the compressor housing 12 and a movable second compressor component element 22 which engages therein. The compressor component 18 is in this instance constructed as a scroll compressor.

(21) Within the compressor 2, there is provided a lubricant S which is used to lubricate the compressor component 18 and which performs a sealing function so that leakages are prevented between the compressor component elements 20 and 22. For operational reasons in this instance, a refrigerant K which is compressed by means of the compressor component and the lubricant S are mixed to form the fluid F. The fluid F flows at the low-pressure side of the compressor component 18 through a compressor inlet 24 into a compressor component chamber 26. There, the fluid F is compressed, and the compressor component 18 acts in the manner of a displacement pump. Subsequently, the fluid F flows out of the compressor component 18 through a high-pressure-side compressor component outlet 28 into a high-pressure chamber 30.

(22) The radial direction with respect to the compressor housing 12 and the axial direction perpendicular to the housing base 14 in the direction of the compressor component 18 are designated R and A in the accompanying directional diagram, respectively.

(23) FIGS. 2 and 3 show the compressor housing 12 whose housing wall 16 has a tunnel-like outlet 32 for the refrigerant K which has been compressed by means of the compressor component 18. In this instance, the outlet 32 forms a receiving member for a separation device 34 which is illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6.

(24) The separation device 34 has a hollow-cylindrical (tubular) chamber wall 36. This wall forms a separation chamber 38 which is connected in technical flow terms to the outlet 32. In other words, the chamber wall 36 delimits the separation chamber 38. A hollow-cylindrical separator 40 is arranged coaxially in the separation chamber 38, and between the separator 40 and the chamber wall an annular space 42 (annular gap) is formed. In addition, the separation device 34 is constructed in one piece. In other words, the chamber wall and the separator 40 are constructed in a coherent (monolithic) manner and, for example, produced by means of an injection-molding method as an injection-molded insertion component for plug-in assembly.

(25) The separation device 34 serves to separate the lubricant S contained in the fluid F in a lubricant reservoir 44 in the manner of a centrifugal separator. The fluid F which flows via an inlet opening 45 of the chamber wall 36 into the separation chamber 38 flows in the separation chamber 38 in a helical manner (in the manner of a cyclone) around the separator 40 in the direction of the lubricant reservoir 44, and the centrifugal force acting on the refrigerant K contained in the fluid F and on the lubricant S contained in the fluid F acts as a separation mechanism. Subsequently, the refrigerant K which is separated from the lubricant S flows away through the hollow-cylindrical separator 40 and the outlet 32 into the refrigerant circuit, which is accordingly depicted with an arrow as shown in FIG. 1.

(26) The separator 40 has a region 46 which in the direction of the center axis M of the separation device 34, that is to say, in the axial direction thereof, projects beyond the separation chamber 38. This region 46 has at the outer side a guiding contour 48 for the assembly of the separation device 34 in the outlet 32, which guiding contour 48 is formed as ribs which extend in the direction of the center axis. Using the guiding contour 48, the separation device 34 is centered in the outlet 32 during the introduction during assembly, and a tilting with respect to the provided assembly direction is prevented. Furthermore, the region 46 expands in a conical manner so that the outer diameter of the separator 40 is adapted to the inner diameter of the outlet 32.

(27) The inlet opening of the chamber wall 36 opens in the separation chamber 38 in a radially offset manner with respect to the center axis M of the separation device 34. In addition, the inlet opening 45 is constructed in the direction of the center axis M of the separation device 34 in the manner of a slot. As a result of the radially offset inlet opening 45, the compressed fluid F flows tangentially into the annular space 42 which is formed between the separator 40 and the chamber wall 36 so that the fluid F is guided along in a selective manner only at one side of the separator 40 and an undesirable formation of turbulence is prevented. In particular, the flow cross-section formed by the clear width of the inlet opening 45 is adapted by means of the slot-like construction in the direction of the center axis M even with a radially offset arrangement of the inlet opening 45 to a conveying volume of the fluid F which occurs during operation.

(28) The separated lubricant S is returned in a manner not illustrated in greater detail to the stationary compressor component element 20 and, furthermore, to bearings (roller or ball bearings) 50 of the electric motor 5 in order to lubricate and/or cool them.

(29) Furthermore, the housing base 14 has an annular wall 52. This wall divides the space which is surrounded by the stationary compressor component element 20 and the compressor housing 12 into an inner annular region 54 and an outer annular region 56. The high-pressure chamber 30, also referred to as a compression chamber, is formed by the inner annular region 54 (delimited by the housing base 14), the annular wall 52 and the compressor component element 20 which is positioned on the annular wall 52.

(30) The separation device 34 is introduced into the high-pressure chamber 30. Consequently, the high-pressure chamber 30 is coupled to the separation chamber 38 in technical flow terms by means of the inlet opening 45. The separation device 34 is in this instance arranged spaced apart from the housing base 14, and the center axis M of the separation device extends parallel with the housing base 14, that is to say, in a radial direction R. As a result of the spatial region between the separation device 34 and the housing base 14, a pressure pulsation of the fluid F is reduced. The inlet opening 45 faces the housing base 14 in this instance and consequently faces away from the compressor component outlet 28 of the compressor component 18, from which the compressed fluid F flows or is conveyed out of the compressor component into the high-pressure chamber 30.

(31) The end of the chamber wall 36 which faces away from the outlet 32 is located in a receiving member 58 of the compressor housing 12, which receiving member is raised in a dome-like manner relative to the housing base 14 and is to the lubricant reservoir 44.

(32) The chamber wall 36 has at the end facing away from the outlet 32, that is to say, the chamber wall end which rests in the receiving member 58, a recess 60 for receiving a twisting prevention means 64. This means is constructed as a pin and introduced into the receiving member 58 which is connected to the lubricant reservoir 44.

(33) FIG. 4 shows to an enlarged scale that the recess 60 is in alignment with a passage 62 which is introduced into the receiving member 58 for receiving the twisting prevention means 64 which is constructed as a pin. Using the twisting prevention means 64, the separation device 34 is consequently secured against rotation in a manner secured to the housing.

(34) The separation device 34 is further located in the receiving member 58 which is connected to the lubricant reservoir 44 and with the expanded region 46 thereof in the outlet, with a press-fit being formed in each case.

(35) FIG. 7 shows an alternative embodiment of the separation device 34. With the exception of what is described below, the separation device 34 has the above-mentioned features so that these are not described in greater detail. The separator 40 has in the region 46 which projects beyond the separation chamber 38 a radially outwardly upwardly extending retention contour 66. This contour is constructed in this instance as two hook-like continuations which are arranged opposite each other and which in each case extend upwardly in a direction perpendicular to the center axis M of the separation device 34. In FIGS. 8a and 8b, the alternative embodiment of the separation device 34 which is received in the outlet 32 is shown, and, in the cut-out of FIG. 8b, only one of these continuations is illustrated, and the continuations are received in a corresponding seat 68 of the outlet 32. In this instance, a wall of the seat 68 which is orientated perpendicularly to the center axis M forms a first abutment (first shoulder 70) with respect to the direction along the center axis M. In addition, the seat 68 is not formed over the entire periphery, in this instance over half of the periphery, of the outlet 32. The seat 68 thus has two walls which extend at least partially in a plane parallel with the center axis. These walls consequently form a second abutment 72 (second shoulder 72) for the retention contour 66 which is constructed as continuations against a twisting of the separation device 34 about the center axis M thereof.

(36) Such securing against twisting of the separation device 34 is in this instance provided and configured in a manner not illustrated in greater detail either alternatively or additionally to the twisting prevention means 64 introduced into the receiving member 58.

(37) The invention is not limited to the embodiment described above. Instead, other variants of the invention can also be derived from it by the person skilled in the art without departing from the subject-matter of the invention. In particular, all the individual features described in connection with the embodiment can further be combined with each other in another manner without departing from the subject-matter of the invention.

(38) The following is a list of reference numbers shown in the Figures. However, it should be understood that the use of these terms is for illustrative purposes only with respect to one embodiment. And, use of reference numbers correlating a certain term that is both illustrated in the Figures and present in the claims is not intended to limit the claims to only cover the illustrated embodiment.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

(39) 2 Electromotive refrigerant compressor 4 Motor module 6 Rotor 5 Electric motor 8 Stator 9 Electronics compartment 10 Compressor module 12 Compressor housing 14 Housing base 16 Housing wall 18 Compressor component 20 First compressor component element 22 Second compressor component element 24 Compressor component inlet 26 Compressor component chamber 28 Compressor component outlet 30 High-pressure chamber 32 Outlet 34 Separation device 36 Chamber wall 38 Separation chamber 40 Separator 42 Annular space 44 Lubricant reservoir 45 Inlet opening 46 Region of the separator 48 Guiding contour 50 Roller bearing 52 Annular wall 54 Inner annular region 56 Outer annular region 58 Receiving member 60 Recess 62 Passage 64 Twisting prevention means 66 Retention contour 68 Seat 70 First abutment 72 Second abutment A Axial direction F Fluid K Refrigerant M Center axis of the separation device R Radial direction S Lubricant

(40) While exemplary embodiments are described above, it is not intended that these embodiments describe all possible forms of the invention. Rather, the words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Additionally, the features of various implementing embodiments may be combined to form further embodiments of the invention.