Temperature range extension for electric compressor
AssigneeDanfoss A/S
InventorsFrank Ford, Jason Eick, Brandon Keith Pritchard, Lin Xiang Sun
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An electric compressor includes an electric motor including a rotor and stator and a shaft rotating with the rotor to drive a compressor impeller. Bearings support the shaft. A housing encloses the impeller shaft, the bearings and the electric motor, and a sensor for sensing a condition within the housing. A control for the electric motor receives information from the sensor indicative of the potential of migrated refrigerant when the electric motor is not running. The control is operable to actuate a countermeasure to deliver heat into the housing to boil off the migrated refrigerant. A method is also disclosed.
Claims20
An electric compressor comprising:
- an electric motor including a rotor and stator and a shaft rotating with the rotor to drive a compressor impeller;
- bearings supporting the shaft;
- a housing enclosing the impeller shaft, the bearings and the electric motor, and a sensor for sensing a condition within the housing;
- and
- a control for the electric motor receiving information from the sensor indicative of the potential of migrated refrigerant when the electric motor is not running, and the control being operable to actuate a countermeasure to deliver heat into the housing to boil off the migrated refrigerant.
A method of operating a compressor comprising the steps of:
- determining that an electric motor for a compressor is not driving an impeller for the compressor;
- evaluating conditions with the housing to determine if they are indicative of the likely presence of migrated refrigerant when the electric motor is not driving the impeller;
- and
- taking countermeasures to boil off the migrated refrigerant within the housing, and while the electric motor is not driving the impeller.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.