Centrifugal refrigerant vapour compressors
AssigneeVenus Systems Limited
InventorMichael Creamer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A centrifugal compressor for compressing a refrigerant vapor in a refrigeration cycle. The compressor comprises an impeller drive shaft (28) supported by first and second radial bearings (32) for rotation within the compressor housing and an impeller assembly including at least one centrifugal impeller wheel mounted on the impeller drive shaft to rotate with the impeller drive shaft. The first and second radial bearings are hydrodynamic fluid bearings in which the bearing fluid is the refrigerant vapor. The compressor further comprising a conduit (36) for supplying a portion of the refrigerant vapor from the impeller assembly to the first and second fluid bearings.
Claims29
A centrifugal compressor for compressing a refrigerant vapour in a refrigeration cycle, the compressor comprising:
- an impeller drive shaft supported by first and second radial bearings for rotation within the compressor housing;
- an impeller assembly including at least one centrifugal impeller wheel mounted on the impeller drive shaft to rotate with the impeller drive shaft;
- and
- a refrigerant vapour feed taken from two or more regions of the impeller wheel or wheels of the impeller assembly, including a relatively low pressure region and a relatively high pressure region;
- the compressor further comprises a valve arrangement for selectively connecting either the higher pressure region or the lower pressure region of the impeller wheels(s) to the conduit that supplies refrigerant vapour to the radial bearings;
- wherein the first and second radial bearings are hydrodynamic fluid bearings in which the bearing fluid is the refrigerant vapour, the compressor further comprising a conduit for supplying a portion of the refrigerant vapour from the impeller assembly to the first and second fluid bearings.
A centrifugal compressor for compressing a refrigerant vapour in a refrigeration cycle, the compressor comprising:
- an impeller drive shaft supported by first and second radial bearings for rotation within the compressor housing, wherein the first and second radial bearings are hydrodynamic fluid bearings in which the bearing fluid is the refrigerant vapour;
- an impeller assembly including at least one centrifugal impeller wheel mounted on the impeller drive shaft to rotate with the impeller drive shaft;
- a refrigerant vapour feed taken from two or more regions of the impeller wheel or wheels of the impeller assembly, including a relatively low pressure region and a relatively high pressure region;
- the compressor further comprises a valve arrangement for selectively connecting either the higher pressure region or the lower pressure region of the impeller wheels(s) to the conduit that supplies refrigerant vapour to the radial bearings and;
- an external supply of pressurised refrigerant vapour that is independent of the operation of the compressor and is adapted to be connected to the bearings to supply pressurised refrigerant vapour to the bearings.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.