Electric compressor with oil separator and oil separator for use in an electrical compressor
AssigneeMahle International GmbH
InventorsBrent Haseley, Jonathan Hammond, Gary Vreeland, Donald Miller
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An electric compressor includes a housing, refrigerant inlet port, a refrigerant outlet port, an inverter section, a motor section, a compression device and a front cover. The housing defines an intake volume and a discharge volume. The refrigerant inlet port is coupled to the housing and is configured to introduce the refrigerant to the intake volume. The compression device is a scroll-type compression device configured to compress the refrigerant. The refrigerant outlet port is coupled to the housing and is configured to allow compressed refrigerant to exit the scroll-type electric compressor from the discharge volume.
Claims21
A scroll-type electric compressor configured to compress a refrigerant, comprising:
- a housing defining an intake volume and a discharge volume, the housing having a generally cylindrical shape and having a central axis;
- an inverter module mounted inside the housing and adapted to convert direct current electrical power to alternating current electrical power;
- a motor mounted inside the housing;
- a compression device, coupled to the motor, for receiving the refrigerant from the intake volume and compressing the refrigerant as the motor is rotated, the compression device having a compression device outlet port for controllably releasing intermixed oil and compressed refrigerant;
- and,
- an oil separator formed within the discharge chamber of the housing between the compression device and the refrigerant outlet port, the oil separator including:
- a central discharge chamber formed adjacent the compression device outlet port for receiving the intermixed oil and compressed refrigerant via the compression device outlet slot,
- a pair of side discharge chambers located on opposite sides of the central discharge chamber and being connected to the central discharge chamber via respective side channels, the side chambers being configured to separate the intermixed oil and compressed refrigerant,
- an oil reservoir located below the pair of side chambers and connected thereto via respective lower discharge channels, the oil reservoir configured to receive oil separated from the compressed refrigerant in the side chambers, and
- an upper discharge chamber formed above the pair of side chambers and connected thereto via respective upper discharge channels.
A scroll-type electric compressor configured to compress a refrigerant, comprising:
- a housing defining an intake volume and a discharge volume;
- a refrigerant inlet port coupled to the housing and configured to introduce the refrigerant to the intake volume;
- a refrigerant outlet port coupled to the housing and configured to allow compressed refrigerant to exit the scroll-type electric compressor from the discharge volume;
- an inverter module mounted inside the housing and adapted to convert direct current electrical power to alternating current electrical power;
- a motor mounted inside the housing;
- a drive shaft coupled to the motor;
- a compression device coupled to the drive shaft, for receiving the refrigerant from the intake volume and compressing the refrigerant as the drive shaft is rotated by the motor, the compression device having a compression device outlet slot for controllably releasing intermixed oil and compressed refrigerant;
- and,
- an oil separator formed within the discharge chamber of the housing between the compression device and the refrigerant outlet port, the oil separator including:
- a central discharge chamber formed adjacent the compression device outlet port for receiving the intermixed oil and compressed refrigerant via the compression device outlet slot,
- a pair of side discharge chambers located on opposite sides of the central discharge chamber and being connected to the central discharge chamber via respective side channels, the side chambers being configured to separate the intermixed oil and compressed refrigerant,
- an oil reservoir located below the pair of side chambers and connected thereto via respective lower discharge channels, the oil reservoir configured to receive oil separated from the compressed refrigerant in the side chambers,
- an upper discharge chamber formed above the pair of side chambers and connected thereto via respective upper discharge channels.
An oil separator for use in a scroll-type electric compressor, the electric compressor configured to compress a refrigerant, the scroll-type electric compressor including a housing, a housing defining an intake volume and a discharge volume, a motor, and a compression device, the motor located within the housing, the compression device including a fixed scroll located within, and being fixed relative to, the housing and an orbiting scroll, the orbiting scroll and the fixed scroll forming compression chambers for receiving the refrigerant from the intake volume and compressing the refrigerant as the drive shaft is rotated about the center axis, the orbiting scroll having an inner circumferential surface, the oil separator being formed in the discharge chamber, comprising:
- a central discharge chamber formed adjacent the compression device outlet slot for receiving the intermixed oil and compressed refrigerant via the compression device outlet slot,
- a pair of side discharge chambers located on opposite sides of the central discharge chamber and being connected to the central discharge chamber via respective side channels, the side chambers being configured to separate the intermixed oil and compressed refrigerant,
- an oil reservoir located below the pair of side chambers and connected thereto via respective lower discharge channels, the oil reservoir configured to receive oil separated from the compressed refrigerant in the side chambers, and
- an upper discharge chamber formed above the pair of side chambers and connected thereto via respective upper discharge channels.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.