Foreign body suction device

Abstract

To provide a foreign object suction device in a screw compressor which can easily remove foreign objects occurring due to brine mixing into a refrigeration oil for lubricating the interior of the screw compressor.SOLUTION: A foreign object suction device 10 in a screw compressor 110 is used to remove foreign objects E occurring due to brine C mixing into a refrigeration oil B for lubricating the interior of the screw compressor 110 and includes: a separation part 11 for separating the foreign objects E from air; a suction device 12 which is connected to the separation part 11 and generates a suction force; and a suction part 13 which is connected to the separation part 11 and suctions the foreign objects E in the screw compressor 110. The separation part 11 suctions the foreign objects E in the screw compressor 110 from the suction part 13 by the suction device 12 suctioning air in the separation part 11.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a foreign matter suction device for use inside a screw compressor, which removes foreign matter generated when brine gets mixed into refrigeration oil that lubricates the inside of the screw compressor. [Background technology]

[0002] Screw compressors are used in refrigeration systems such as refrigeration, freezing, and air conditioning equipment. A screw compressor is a device that compresses refrigerant gas by rotating a rotor. Refrigeration oil is filled inside the screw compressor to lubricate the rotation of the rotor, and circulates inside the screw compressor together with the refrigerant gas.

[0003] The brine cooler in a refrigeration system circulates low-temperature refrigerant gas inside the cooler, removing heat from the brine, which acts as an antifreeze, to cool the brine. In rare cases, the brine cooler can break, allowing the brine to enter the screw compressor. The brine is then stirred inside the screw compressor along with the refrigerant gas and refrigeration oil, forming a highly viscous gel-like substance that accumulates at the bottom of the screw compressor. While the refrigerant gas inside the screw compressor can be recovered using a refrigerant recovery machine, the brine and refrigeration oil remain as a gel-like substance inside the screw compressor.

[0004] In the past, removing gel-like foreign matter from screw compressors required overhauling the compressor, which required advanced skills and was time-consuming. In some cases, on-site overhauls were not possible, requiring the compressor to be removed and the work carried out elsewhere, or the compressor itself to be replaced.

[0005] It is possible to remove the oil strainer or suction strainer from the screw compressor and suck out the foreign matter, but because the foreign matter is a highly viscous gel, it is not possible to suck it out sufficiently with a Hunt pump or electric pump.In addition, it is not possible to suck out the fine parts inside the screw compressor.

[0006] Patent Document 1 describes an air compressor for removing drainage that accumulates in an oil separator inside a screw compressor. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 6-58189 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] The air compressor of Patent Document 1 removes minute amounts of water mixed in the oil, but does not remove foreign matter generated when refrigeration oil and brine are mixed together. Removing foreign matter from inside a screw compressor is a difficult and time-consuming task.

[0009] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a foreign matter suction device for use inside a screw compressor that can easily remove foreign matter that occurs when brine gets mixed into the refrigeration oil that lubricates the inside of the screw compressor. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The foreign matter suction device for a screw compressor according to the present disclosure is for removing foreign matter generated when brine gets mixed into the refrigeration oil that lubricates the inside of the screw compressor, and includes a separation section for separating the foreign matter from air, a suction device connected to the separation section and generating suction force, and a suction section connected to the separation section and for sucking the foreign matter inside the screw compressor. The separation section is characterized in that the suction device sucks the air inside the separation section, thereby sucking the foreign matter inside the screw compressor through the suction section. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] The foreign matter suction device for use inside a screw compressor according to the present disclosure can easily remove foreign matter that occurs when brine gets mixed into the refrigeration oil that lubricates the inside of the screw compressor. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating the overall configuration of a foreign matter suction device inside a screw compressor according to the present disclosure. FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a detailed configuration diagram of a separation unit in a foreign matter suction device inside a screw compressor according to the present disclosure. [Figure 3] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a method of using a foreign object suction device for use inside a screw compressor according to the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an outline of a cleaning method for a screw compressor. [Figure 5] 1 is a schematic diagram of the overall configuration of a brine refrigerator system. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an internal configuration of a screw compressor. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the circulation paths of refrigerant gas and refrigerating machine oil inside the screw compressor. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the generation of foreign matter inside a screw compressor. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following description, specific shapes, materials, directions, numerical values, etc. are examples for facilitating understanding of the present disclosure and can be appropriately changed according to the application, purpose, specifications, etc. Furthermore, it is originally anticipated that the components of the embodiments and modified examples described below can be selectively combined.

[0014] <Brine Refrigeration System> First, the configuration of a brine refrigerator system 100 using a screw compressor 110 will be described with reference to Fig. 5. The brine refrigerator system 100 includes the screw compressor 110, a condenser 130, an expansion valve 140, and a brine cooler 150, and forms a refrigeration cycle.

[0015] Refrigerant gas A is heated to a high pressure and temperature by screw compressor 110, and the heat is dissipated to cooling water D by condenser 130 to lower the temperature of refrigerant gas A. Refrigerant gas A is then cooled to a low pressure and low temperature by expansion valve 140, and the brine cooler 150 absorbs the heat of brine C, lowering the temperature of brine C, while conversely raising the temperature of refrigerant gas A. Refrigerant gas A that has absorbed the heat is taken back into screw compressor 110 and compressed. By repeating this refrigeration cycle, the temperature of brine C is lowered, thereby controlling the temperature of freezers, refrigerators, and air conditioners.

[0016] <Screw compressor> Next, Fig. 6 shows a schematic diagram of the internal configuration of the screw compressor 110. The screw compressor 110 has a refrigerant gas suction port 111 that takes in low-pressure, low-temperature refrigerant gas A, and a refrigerant gas discharge port 112 that converts the refrigerant gas A into high-pressure, high-temperature refrigerant gas A inside the screw compressor 110 and discharges it. As will be described later, the inside of the screw compressor 110 is filled with refrigeration oil B to lubricate the inside.

[0017] The screw compressor 110 further has a suction strainer 113 at the refrigerant gas suction port 111 for removing solid matter contained in the sucked refrigerant gas A. The screw compressor 110 also has an oil strainer 114 for removing solid matter contained in the refrigerating machine oil B circulating inside the screw compressor 110.

[0018] The screw compressor 110 has an induction motor 115, a rotor 116, a screw rotor 117, a gate rotor 118, etc. as a compression mechanism for the refrigerant gas A. The screw rotor 117 is fixed by a main bearing 119 on the axially opposite side of the induction motor 115 and an auxiliary bearing 120 located on the rotor 116 side.

[0019] Induction motor 115 is the power source of screw compressor 110, and rotates rotor 116 and screw rotor 117, which is formed integrally with rotor 116 on the axis perpendicular to the rotor 116. Screw rotor 117 has spiral grooves on its rotational circumference. Gate rotor 118 is provided on the axial side of screw rotor 117, and engages with the grooved portion of screw rotor 117 to rotate screw rotor 117, thereby compressing refrigerant gas A.

[0020] In the screw compressor 110, the compressed refrigerant gas A and refrigerating machine oil B are separated into refrigerant gas A and refrigerating machine oil B in the oil separator 121, and only the refrigerant gas A is discharged from the refrigerant gas discharge port 112, while the refrigerating machine oil B circulates within the screw compressor 110.

[0021] The screw compressor 110 has a structure in which the screw rotor 117 and the gate rotor 118 engage with each other to compress the refrigerant gas A, and therefore requires lubrication of the contact surfaces between the screw rotor 117 and the gate rotor 118. Furthermore, in order for the screw rotor 117 to rotate smoothly due to the induction motor 115, lubrication is also required for the main bearing 119 and the sub-bearing 120. Although details are omitted, the gate rotor 118 also has a bearing that similarly requires lubrication.

[0022] As described above, the screw compressor 110 is filled with refrigerating machine oil B, and the refrigerant gas A and refrigerating machine oil B coexist and circulate inside the screw compressor 110 to lubricate each part.

[0023] Next, with reference to Fig. 7, the circulation paths of refrigerant gas A and refrigerating machine oil B inside the screw compressor 110 will be described. In Fig. 7, the circulation path of refrigerant gas A is indicated by a chain line, and the circulation path of refrigerating machine oil B is indicated by a dashed line.

[0024] Refrigerant gas A taken in from refrigerant gas suction port 111 of screw compressor 110 is mixed with refrigerant oil B and passes through induction motor 115 and auxiliary bearing 120 to lubricate the contact surfaces of gate rotor 118 and screw rotor 117, and refrigerant gas A and refrigerant oil B are separated in oil separator 121.

[0025] The refrigerant gas A is discharged from the refrigerant gas discharge port 112 to the condenser 130 .

[0026] A portion of the refrigerating machine oil B passes through the oil strainer 114 to lubricate the main bearing 119, and the remaining portion passes through a hole that penetrates the center of the shaft of the screw rotor 117 to lubricate the induction motor 115. In addition, the bearing of the gate rotor 118 is lubricated by the refrigerating machine oil B that has scattered inside the screw compressor 110.

[0027] As described above, the refrigerating machine oil B, while being mixed with the refrigerant gas A in some sections, constantly circulates inside the screw compressor 110 to lubricate each part.

[0028] Next, referring to FIG. 8, a situation will be described in which a malfunction of the brine cooler 150 causes brine C to enter the screw compressor 110, resulting in the generation of foreign matter E. The brine cooler 150 generally employs a shell-and-tube system in which a large number of tubes (pipes) are arranged inside a cylinder called a shell. Although rare, a pipe rupture may occur inside the brine cooler 150. When a pipe rupture occurs, brine C enters the low-pressure side of the piping for refrigerant gas A and enters the screw compressor 110 together with refrigerant gas A. The brine C, refrigeration oil B, and refrigerant gas A that have entered the screw compressor 110 are mixed inside the screw compressor 110, becoming a gel-like foreign matter E that accumulates at the bottom of the screw compressor 110.

[0029] The gaseous refrigerant gas A can be recovered using a refrigerant recovery machine, but the gel-like foreign matter E, which is a mixture of brine C and refrigeration oil B, remains inside the screw compressor 110. As mentioned in the conventional problem, removing this foreign matter E requires an overhaul of the screw compressor 110, but on-site overhaul work requires advanced skills and takes a long time, so it is often almost impossible to do.

[0030] <Foreign object suction device inside screw compressor> Next, the foreign body suction device 10 inside the screw compressor 110 of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 shows the overall configuration of the foreign body suction device 10 inside the screw compressor 110, and Figure 2 shows the detailed configuration of the separation section 11 of the foreign body suction device 10 inside the screw compressor 110.

[0031] Foreign body suction device 10 comprises separation section 11 for separating sucked foreign body E from air, suction device 12 which is a vacuum pump for generating suction force, and suction section 13 made of elastic material such as a rubber hose which is inserted into screw compressor 110 to suck foreign body E. Separation section 11, suction device 12, and suction section 13 are connected by connecting joints 22, copper pipes 18 and 19, rubber hoses, high-pressure hose 21, etc. to form the entire device.

[0032] The separation section 11 has a cylindrical main body 14, a lid 15 that is tightly engaged to prevent air from entering the main body 14, an intake port 16 which is an opening provided in the lid 15, and an exhaust port 17 which is another opening provided in the lid 15.

[0033] The main body 14 of the separation unit 11 is configured as a transparent container so that the state of the sucked foreign matter E can be visually observed from the outside. The main body 14 is formed, for example, from transparent glass or the like. However, the main body 14 is not particularly limited and may be made of a material such as acrylic resin as long as it is transparent enough to allow the inside to be seen.

[0034] A first copper pipe 18 inserted into the main body 14 is connected to the suction port 16 of the lid 15. A second copper pipe 19 inserted into the main body 14 is connected to the discharge port 17 of the lid 15. The first copper pipe 18 is inserted further into the separation section 11, closer to the bottom than the second copper pipe 19. On the other hand, the second copper pipe 19 inserted on the discharge port 17 side is shorter than the first copper pipe 18, and is inserted so that one end slightly protrudes from the lid 15.

[0035] In this way, it is more effective to separate one end of the first copper pipe 18 and one end of the second copper pipe 19 from each other inside the main body 14 in order to separate the foreign matter E from the air. That is, since the foreign matter E accumulates at the bottom of the main body 14, by separating one end of the second copper pipe 19 from the bottom, the foreign matter E does not bounce and adhere to the one end of the second copper pipe 19, and the foreign matter E is not sucked in, and only the air can be sucked out.

[0036] Sealing materials 20, such as rubber bushings, are provided between the suction port 16 and the first copper pipe 18 and between the discharge port 17 and the second copper pipe 19 to prevent air from entering through the gaps. The sealing materials 20 seal the gaps to prevent air from entering during suction, which would reduce the suction force.

[0037] The first copper pipe 18 and the suction part 13 are connected by a connection joint 22. A high-pressure compatible hose 21 that can be used even under high pressure from the suction device 12 is connected to the second copper pipe 19 via the connection joint 22.

[0038] <How to use the foreign body suction device> A method of using the foreign matter suction device 10 inside the screw compressor 110 of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figure 3. Note that the refrigerant gas A has been recovered in advance by a refrigerant recovery machine, and the remaining brine C and refrigerating machine oil B are stirred to remove the gel-like foreign matter E.

[0039] In order to remove foreign matter E from inside the screw compressor 110, the suction strainer 113 at the refrigerant gas intake port 111 of the screw compressor 110 is removed, the suction part 13 of the foreign matter suction device 10 is inserted into the opening, and the suction device 12 is operated.

[0040] The inserted suction part 13 is moved up, down, left, and right to bring the tip of the suction part 13 into contact with the foreign matter E and suck it in. At this time, by checking the amount of foreign matter E sucked into the main body part 14, it becomes easy to see the location and presence of accumulated foreign matter E inside the screw compressor 110.

[0041] Next, the oil strainer 114 is removed, and the suction part 13 is inserted into the opening thereof to suck up the foreign matter E in the same manner.

[0042] <How to clean the inside of a screw compressor> Although the above-described method can remove most of the foreign matter E, it cannot completely remove it, so next, the inside of the screw compressor 110 is cleaned. Figure 4 shows an outline of the method for cleaning the inside of the screw compressor 110.

[0043] Cleaning oil F is injected at low pressure from a cleaning oil injector 23, which is a general cleaning machine, through an opening where a suction strainer 113 and an oil strainer 114 have been removed, and then cleaning is performed by spraying the cleaning oil F at high pressure from a cleaning oil hose 24 of the cleaning oil injector 23, and simultaneously, foreign matter E is sucked up by a foreign matter suction device 10.

[0044] At this time, the viscosity of the gel-like foreign matter E sucked into the main body 14 and the amount sucked can be checked to see how much of the foreign matter E remains.

[0045] The above suction and cleaning are repeated until the foreign matter E inside the main body 14 is removed, and the work of removing the foreign matter E inside the screw compressor 110 is completed.

[0046] The foreign body suction device 10 inside the screw compressor 110 of the present disclosure has a suction part 13 made of a flexible elastic material, so that the tip of the suction part 13 can be directed in various directions inside the screw compressor 110 to suck in foreign body E. Furthermore, because the suction part 13 is made of a soft material such as a rubber hose, it will not damage the inside of the screw compressor 110.

[0047] Since the main body 14 of the separating unit 11 is made of a transparent material, the state of the sucked foreign matter E and the amount sucked can be easily visually confirmed while performing the suction work.

[0048] The suction device 12 uses a general vacuum pump, so suction work can be easily performed by selecting a vacuum pump that corresponds to the required suction power.

[0049] As described above, according to the foreign matter suction device 10 of the present disclosure, in order to remove the foreign matter E that is generated when brine C enters the screw compressor 110, there is no need to perform an on-site overhaul, and no highly skilled worker is required, and even an ordinary worker can take action to quickly restore the system.

[0050] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment and its modifications, and various changes and modifications are possible within the scope of the claims of this application. [Explanation of symbols]

[0051] 10 Foreign matter suction device, 11 Separation section, 12 Suction device, 13 Suction section, 14 Main body, 15 Lid, 16 Suction port, 17 Discharge port, 18 First copper pipe, 19 Second copper pipe, 20 Sealing material, 21 High-pressure hose, 22 Connection joint, 23 Cleaning oil injector, 24 Cleaning oil hose, 100 Brine refrigeration system, 110 Screw compressor, 111 Refrigerant gas suction port, 112 Refrigerant gas discharge port, 113 Suction strainer, 114 Oil strainer, 115 Induction motor, 116 Rotor, 117 Screw rotor, 118 Gate rotor, 119 Main bearing, 120 Sub-bearing, 121 Oil separator, 130 Condenser, 140 Expansion valve, 150 Brine cooler, A Refrigerant gas, B Refrigeration oil, C Brine, D Cooling water, E Foreign matter, F Washing oil

Claims

1. A foreign matter suction device for removing foreign matter generated in a screw compressor due to brine being mixed into refrigeration oil lubricating the inside of the screw compressor, the foreign matter suction device is provided independently of the screw compressor, a separation unit for separating the foreign matter from air; a suction device connected to the separation unit and generating a suction force; a suction section connected to the separation section and configured to suck the foreign matter in the screw compressor; Equipped with The separation unit is a foreign matter suction device in which the suction device suctions air in the separation unit, thereby suctioning the foreign matter in the screw compressor from the suction unit.

2. The suction device is composed of a vacuum pump. The foreign body suction device according to claim 1.

3. The separation unit is a main body formed of a transparent container; a suction port to which the suction unit is connected; an outlet to which the suction device is connected; having 3. The foreign body suction device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. the suction unit is connected to the separation unit by a first copper pipe; the suction device is connected to the separation unit by a second copper pipe; The first copper tube is inserted further into the separation section, closer to the bottom than the second copper tube. The foreign body suction device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. the suction portion is formed of a tube made of an elastic material that is freely movable within the screw compressor. The foreign body suction device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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