Lubricant management in an HVACR system
AssigneeTrane International Inc.
InventorsKeith Adam Novak, Gordon Powell, Jr.
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVACR) system is disclosed. The HVACR system includes a compressor, a condenser, and an evaporator fluidly connected to form a refrigerant circuit. A lubricant return line is fluidly connected to the compressor and to the evaporator. A pressure difference between the compressor and the evaporator induces a fluid flow of lubricant from the evaporator to the compressor.
Claims11
A lubricant management method for a screw compressor in a heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVACR) system, comprising:
- forming a lubricant inlet port in a location of the screw compressor of the HVACR system, and
- fluidly connecting the lubricant inlet port to be in fluid communication with a lubricant supplying component of the HVACR system by connecting an outlet end of a lubricant return line to the screw compressor and connecting an inlet end of the lubricant return line to the lubricant supplying component of the HVACR system,
- wherein the lubricant inlet port is disposed in a sealed bearing cavity of the screw compressor, wherein the sealed bearing cavity is at least partially housed by a bearing housing, a lubricant pool is formed in the sealed bearing cavity,
- wherein a lubricant outlet port of the sealed bearing cavity is fluidly connected to a component of the HVACR system having a lower pressure than a first pressure at the lubricant inlet port such that a second pressure in the sealed bearing cavity is lower than the first pressure at the lubricant inlet port.
A heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVACR) system, comprising:
- a screw compressor including a lubricant inlet port;
- a condenser;
- an evaporator fluidly connected to form a refrigerant circuit;
- and
- a lubricant return line connected at an outlet end to the lubricant inlet port of the screw compressor and connected at an inlet end to a liquid level in a lubricant supplying component of the HVACR system,
- wherein the lubricant inlet port is disposed in a sealed bearing cavity of the screw compressor, wherein the sealed bearing cavity is at least partially housed by a bearing housing, the sealed bearing cavity includes a lubricant pool, wherein a lubricant outlet port of the sealed bearing cavity is fluidly connected to a component of the HVACR system having a lower pressure than a first pressure at the lubricant inlet port such that a second pressure in the sealed bearing cavity is lower than the first pressure at the lubricant inlet port.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.