Variable volume ratio screw compressor
AssigneeTrane International Inc.
InventorAlberto Scala
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A screw compressor, method of operating, and refrigerant circuit are disclosed. The screw compressor includes a suction inlet that receives a working fluid to be compressed. A compression mechanism is fluidly connected to the suction inlet that compresses the working fluid. A discharge outlet is fluidly connected to the compression mechanism that outputs the working fluid following compression by the compression mechanism. A valve assembly is configured to vary a location at which the compression mechanism compresses the working fluid, the valve assembly being disposed to modify a suction location of the screw compressor.
Claims19
A screw compressor, comprising:
- a suction inlet that receives a working fluid to be compressed;
- a compression mechanism fluidly connected to the suction inlet that compresses the working fluid, the compression mechanism including one or more rotors;
- a rotor housing, the one or more rotors disposed in the rotor housing;
- a discharge outlet fluidly connected to the compression mechanism that outputs the working fluid following compression by the compression mechanism;
- and
- a valve assembly configured to vary a location of a suction port based on a discharge pressure of the screw compressor, the valve assembly including a rotor sealing member configured to move relative to the rotor housing between a first position and a second position to modify a suction location of the screw compressor,
- wherein the rotor sealing member in the first position is disposed away from a discharge end face of the rotor housing so that compression by the compression mechanism is delayed than when the rotor sealing member is in the second position, and the rotor sealing member in the first position is moved forward toward the discharge end face of the rotor housing such that the screw compressor has a volume ratio that is less than a volume ratio when the rotor sealing member is in the second position.
A method of modifying a volume ratio of a screw compressor, comprising:
- determining a discharge pressure of the screw compressor during operation of the screw compressor, the screw compressor including a rotor housing, one or more rotors disposed in the rotor housing, and a valve assembly;
- and
- moving a sealing member of the valve assembly with respect to the rotor housing of the screw compressor to modify a location of a suction port of the screw compressor in response to the discharge pressure of the screw compressor as determined, wherein at a first discharge pressure the suction port is disposed so that compression begins sooner than at a second discharge pressure that is less than the first discharge pressure.
A refrigerant circuit, comprising:
- a screw compressor, a condenser, an expansion device, and an evaporator fluidly connected, wherein the screw compressor includes:
- a suction inlet that receives a working fluid to be compressed;
- a compression mechanism fluidly connected to the suction inlet that compresses the working fluid, the compression mechanism including one or more rotors;
- a rotor housing, the one or more rotors disposed in the rotor housing;
- a discharge outlet fluidly connected to the compression mechanism that outputs the working fluid following compression by the compression mechanism;
- and
- a valve assembly configured to vary a location of a suction port based on a discharge pressure of the screw compressor, the valve assembly including a rotor sealing member configured to move between a first position and a second position relative to the rotor housing to modify a suction location of the screw compressor,
- wherein the rotor sealing member in the first position is disposed so that compression by the compression mechanism is delayed than when the rotor sealing member is in the second position, and the rotor sealing member in the first position is disposed such that the screw compressor has a volume ratio that is less than a volume ratio when the rotor sealing member is in the second position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.