Gaseous fluid compression device

Abstract

An apparatus for compressing gas-phase fluid including a housing having a wall, a stator having a base plate and a helical wall extending from one side of the base plate, and an orbiter having a base plate and a helical wall extending therefrom. The base plates are disposed such that the wall of the stator and the wall of the orbiter engage with each other to define closed working chambers. The volumes and positions of the working chambers are changed in response to the motion of the orbiter. The apparatus includes a guide device having an opening formed in the base plate of the orbiter and a pin coupled to the housing. The pin engages the opening. A sliding element is disposed between the wall of the housing and the orbiter and coupled to the wall. The pin is pressed into an opening formed in the sliding element.

Claims

1. An apparatus for compressing gas-phase fluid comprising: a housing having a wall; a non-motional stator having a base plate and a helical wall extending from one side of the base plate; a motional orbiter having a base plate and a helical wall extending from the base plate, the base plate of the stator and the base plate of the motional orbiter disposed wherein the wall of the stator and the wall of the motional orbiter engage each other to define closed working chambers, volumes and positions of the working chambers being changed in response to motion of the motional orbiter; a counter-pressure area defined between the wall of the housing and the motional orbiter; a guide device having an opening formed in the base plate of the motional orbiter and a pin fixedly coupled to and protruding from the housing, the pin engaging into the opening; and a sliding element disposed between the wall of the housing and the motional orbiter and fixedly coupled to the wall of the housing, wherein the sliding element is provided for compensation of friction generated by relative motion between the wall of the housing and the motional orbiter, wherein the pin is pressed into an opening formed in the sliding element, wherein the sliding element is pressed into and coupled to the housing by a force-fit, wherein the housing comprises a recess having a side and a base surface, the side of the recess is fitted and coupled to an outer jacket surface of the sliding element so that a first circular ring surface of the sliding element is fixed in contact with the base surface of the recess.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sliding element has a circular ring disk shape that has an inner diameter, an outer diameter, a thickness, the outer jacket surface, the first circular ring surface, and a second circular ring surface.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sliding element and the pin are made of materials in which values of strength and thermal expansion efficiency as material characteristics are similar.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sliding element is made of steel.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pin is made of steel.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sliding element comprises a ring-shaped groove for accommodation of a sealing element formed as an O-ring.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the ring-shaped groove is formed on the outer jacket surface of the sliding element.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the opening formed in the sliding element for accommodation of the pin is formed as a through-bore.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the pin of the guide device is disposed in the through-bore wherein an end of the pin formed away from an end of the guide device engaging into the opening engages into an opening formed in the wall of the housing through the sliding element.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus further comprises pin elements formed to dispose within openings formed in the sliding element and to protrude into openings formed in the wall of the housing.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

(1) FIGS. 1 and 2 are cross-sectional views of a conventional scroll compressor, respectively;

(2) FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view a scroll compressor having a plate-type sliding element for accommodation of pins of a guide device, which are pressed into and coupled to a housing by force-fit coupling;

(3) FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view a scroll compressor having a plate-type sliding element for accommodation of pins of a guide device, which are pressed into a housing by force-fit coupling or coupled to the housing by transition-fit coupling; and

(4) FIGS. 5 and 6 are individual views of the sliding element of FIG. 4.

BEST MODE FOR INVENTION

(5) FIG. 3 illustrates an apparatus for compressing gas-phase fluid 1a, particularly a scroll compressor having a compression mechanism disposed in a housing 2, which consists of a stator 3 and an orbiter 4, in section. Helical walls 3b and 4b, which are respectively disposed on base plates 3a and 4a and engage with each other, define working chambers 5.

(6) Since the orbiter 4 is moved in circular orbit by an eccentric actuator, the helical wall 4b orbits about the stationary helical wall 3b. During the relative motion of the helical walls 3b and 4b, the walls 3b and 4b come into contact with each other many times and define a number of working chambers 5 becoming smaller. The working chambers 5 become smaller and compress a fluid by the relative motion of two intertwined helical walls 3b and 4b. A gas-phase fluid to be compressed, particularly a refrigerant is sucked to be compressed in the apparatus 1a and discharged through an outlet which is not illustrated.

(7) A drive shaft 6 driving the orbiter 4 is supported and maintained on the housing 2 by a first bearing 9, particularly a ball bearing. The drive shaft 6 and the first bearing 9 rotate about an axis of rotation 7 of the drive shaft 6. The first bearing 9 is disposed around the drive shaft 6 and the areas of the outer surface and side thereof abut on a wall 12 of the housing 2. The drive shaft 6 is mechanically connected to the orbiter 4 with eccentricity by an intermediate element 8 and a second bearing 10. The wall 12 limits a counter-pressure area 13 defined between the orbiter 4 and the housing 2 and forms a separation wall between the counter-pressure area 13 and a suction area 14. The counter-pressure area 13 is defined on the rear of the base plate 4a of the motional spiral 4 with respect to the helical wall 4b and provided to apply the pressure of the motional spiral 4 to the fixed spiral 3. An intermediate pressure between suction pressure and discharge pressure of a gas-phase fluid is substantially applied to the counter-pressure area 13 referred to as a counter-pressure chamber.

(8) To seal the counter-pressure area 13 and the suction area 14 from each other, a ring-shaped sealing element 15 is disposed between the facing wall 12 and the surface 16 of the motional spiral 4 aligned toward the facing wall 12. The sealing concept with the sealing element 15 includes a sliding element 17a formed as a plate, and the sliding element is disposed between the facing wall 12 and the spiral 4. The plate-type fixed sliding element 17a provides a contact surface to the surface of the motional spiral 4 together with the sealing element 15 and is provided for compensation of friction occurring during the relative motion between the facing wall 12 and the spiral 4. The suction area 14 and the counter-pressure area 13 are sealed from each other by the sliding element 17a and the sealing element 15. In addition, the sliding element 17a abuts on the facing wall 12 of the housing 2 in a sealed manner, and the sealed coupling is ensured by adhesion and lubricants, particularly refrigerant oil mixtures. To reduce frictional heat occurring during the motion of the helical walls 3b and 4b and during the motion of the helical wall 4b of the orbiter 4 relative to the facing wall 12, and to improve sealing between the limited surfaces of the waking chambers 5 and between the counter-pressure area 13 and the suction area 14, a lubricant is provided for a fluid.

(9) The apparatus 1a includes a guide device 11 to prevent the rotation of the motional spiral 4 and achieve the orbiting thereof. The guide device 11 includes a number of circular openings 11a and pins 11b formed in a direction of the counter-pressure area 13 in the base plate 4a of the orbiter 4. The first ends of the pins 11b protrude into the openings 11a and the second ends thereof are coupled to the housing 2. The pins 11b formed as position elements and guide elements and the openings 11a formed as recesses in the base plate 4a of the motional spiral 4 are provided to guide the motional spiral 4.

(10) The sliding element 17a made of a corrosion-resistant and heat-resistant material having very good tribological characteristics such as steel is coupled to the housing 2, particularly the facing wall 12 without being fixed and moved thereto.

(11) The pins 11b made of steel as well are arranged in the openings, particularly through-bores formed in the sliding element 17a, respectively. The pins 11b are pressed into the openings by the sliding element 17a. Since each of the pins 11b and the sliding element 17a which are made of steel have a very high strength and a similar thermal expansion efficiency, different thermal expansions between the pins 11b and the sliding element 17a are prevented. This prevents the wall 12 of the housing 2 and thus the pins 11b to the openings 11a of the motional spiral 4 from tilting during the operation of the apparatus 1a. The pins 11b are continuously disposed in position and in parallel to each other, thereby ensuring an optimal guide condition for the motional spiral 4.

(12) The sliding element 17a is coupled to the housing 2 by external force-fit. The sliding element 17a formed as a plate-type or circular ring disk is pressed into the housing 2 in the area of an outer jacket, which ensures the optimal guide of the sliding element 17a in the housing. The housing 2 includes a recess having a side and a base surface in the area of the facing wall 12. In an assembled state, one circular ring surface of the sliding element 17a abuts on the base surface of the recess of the housing 2, and the side of the recess is coupled to the outer jacket surface of the sliding element 17a by force-fit. In addition to or instead of the external force-fit, the sliding element 17a is supported in the housing 2 by at least one pin element which is not illustrated, and the pin element prevents the sliding element 17a from rotating relative to the housing 2. Preferably, one or two pin elements referred to as rotation prevention pins are used.

(13) In particular, as illustrated in FIG. 3, the pins 11b of the guide device 11 are arranged to achieve the function of the rotation prevention pins. The pins 11b are arranged to protrude into the facing wall 12 through the sliding element 17a abutting on the facing wall 12. The openings provided to accommodate the pins 11b in the sliding element 17a are formed as through-openings. To accommodate the pins 11b, preferably openings or recesses are formed in the facing wall 12. In the case where the pins 11b are disposed to pass through the openings formed in the wall 12 through the sliding element 17a, the sliding element 17a is fixed on the housing 2.

(14) By forming the sliding element 17a as a circular ring disk made of steel with a large inner diameter, the inner diameter of the circular ring disk becomes large by the high strength of material. Thus, the inner diameter of the substantially hollow cylindrical-type area of the housing 2, which is limited by the facing wall 12 and provided to accommodate the bearings 9 and 10 of the intermediate element 8, also becomes large. Therefore, the counter-pressure area 13 has a large inner diameter. The large inner diameter of the housing 2 and the large inner diameter of the sliding element 17a in the area of the counter-pressure chamber 13 create a large installation space for the bearings 9 and 10, particularly the second bearing 10 to support the orbiter on the intermediate element 8. The wall thickness between the pin bore in the sliding element 17a and in some cases the facing wall 12 and the bore for the bearing 10 is minimized by the very high strength of steel which is a material of the sliding element 17a and the pins 11b. The installation space for the bearing 10 is increased. The expansion of the installation space in the counter-pressure area 13 allows the volume of the intermediate element 8 to be large and thus ensures the use of a heavier counterweight.

(15) FIG. 4 illustrates an apparatus for compressing gas-phase fluid 1b, particularly a scroll compressor having a plate-type sliding element 17b to accommodate the pins 11b of the guide device 11. The difference from the apparatus 1a illustrated in FIG. 3 is in that the sliding element 17b includes a groove 18, particularly a ring-shaped groove 18 for accommodation of an O-ring. The groove 18 and the O-ring as a sealing element disposed in the groove extend on the outer jacket surface of the circular ring disk and seal the sliding element 17b to the facing wall 12 and thus the housing 2.

(16) Alternatively, the sliding element 17b is coupled to the housing 2 by external force-fit or transition-fit. The sliding element 17b formed as a circular ring disk is pressed into and put in the housing 2 in the area of the outer jacket. In addition to the individual fit coupling, the sliding element 17b may be disposed to be supported in the housing 2 by at least one pin element 19 that prevents the rotation of the sliding element 17b relative to the housing 2. Preferably, one or two pin elements 19 referred to as rotation prevention pins are used. The pin elements 19 are disposed within the openings formed in the sliding element 17b and protrude into the openings formed in the housing wall 12.

(17) In the apparatus 1b including the ring-shaped groove 18 and the sliding element 17b having the O-ring, several and repetitive assembly and disassembly are possible, unlike the apparatus 1a, illustrated in FIG. 3, including the sliding element 17a disposed by force-fit coupling. The sealing of the counter-pressure area to the suction area 14 is always recoverable.

(18) In addition, the apparatus 1b may be provided with an intermediate element 8 that has a larger volume and thus has a heavier counterweight. It is possible to more flexibly use the provided installation space because the intermediate element 8, particularly the counterweight may have an undercut shape.

(19) FIGS. 5 and 6 are individual views illustrating the sliding element 17b of the apparatus 1b illustrated in FIG. 4. The circular ring disk type sliding element 17b has an inner diameter d, an outer diameter D, and a thickness b. The thickness b ranges from 4 mm to 8 mm, particularly is made of about 6 mm. The inner diameter ranges from 50 mm to 55 mm, particularly is made of about 53 mm. The outer diameter ranges from 90 mm to 100 mm, particularly is made of about 96 mm.

(20) The pins 11b are guided or inserted into the sliding element 17b within the openings formed in the area of the inner diameter d, and the openings are uniformly distributed and arranged at the same distance. In contrast, the pin elements 19 are rotation prevention pins, which are inserted into the sliding element 17b within the openings formed in the area of the outer diameter D.

(21) The present disclosure relates to an apparatus for compressing a gas-phase fluid, particularly a refrigerant. The apparatus includes a housing having a wall, a non-motional stator having a base plate and a helical wall extending from a first side of the base plate, and a motional orbiter having a base plate and a helical wall extending from the base plate. The base plates are disposed such that the wall of the stator and the wall of the orbiter engage with each other to define closed working chambers. The volumes and positions of the working chambers are changed in response to the motion of the orbiter.