Compressor Cooling Passage for Drive Member Heat Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Compressor systems generate significant heat during fluid compression, which can damage components and shorten their operational life, and existing cooling methods are inadequate for effectively managing this heat across all system components.
Innovation Solution
A compressor system incorporating a refrigeration system with an evaporator to cool compressed fluid and a cooling passage that extends from downstream of the evaporator to upstream of the compressor, with portions in thermal exchange relationship with the drive member and other components to efficiently dissipate heat.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If conventional cooling methods are used, then the compressed fluid can be cooled, but the drive member and other components cannot be effectively cooled
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is segmented into multiple independent cooling circuits: a first cooling circuit cools the compressed fluid through the evaporator, while a second cooling circuit cools the drive member through a separate cooling passage. This segmentation allows each component to be cooled independently according to its specific thermal requirements, resolving the contradiction between cooling the compressed fluid and cooling the drive member.
Solution Approach 2:
The refrigeration system serves multiple functions simultaneously: it cools the compressed fluid through the evaporator and also cools the drive member through the cooling passage that extends into the drive member housing. This multi-functionality allows a single refrigeration system to address the cooling needs of both the fluid and the drive member, improving overall system reliability.
2Temperature
If the cooling passage extends into the drive member housing, then the drive member can be cooled, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling passage is merged with the drive member housing structure, allowing the housing to serve dual purposes: structural enclosure and thermal conduction path. The cooling passage extends into the housing and is in thermal exchange relationship with the drive member, combining the structural and cooling functions into a single integrated component, thereby reducing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling passage acts as an intermediary element between the refrigerant and the drive member. It provides a thermal exchange pathway that allows heat to be transferred from the drive member to the refrigerant without requiring direct contact or complex cooling mechanisms, simplifying the overall cooling system design.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system effectively cools compressed fluid and reduces the temperature of critical components like the drive member, VFD, and oil, thereby extending their operational life and improving system efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
an evaporator that passes a flow of refrigerant therethrough and is operable to cool the flow of compressed fluid
Implementation Method 2
at least a portion of the cooling passage is in thermal exchange relationship with the drive member
Data Source
AI summary
A compressor system that includes a compressor (16), a refrigeration system (44), a drive member (18) and a cooling passage (46). The compressor (16) is operable to produce a flow of compressed fluid. The refrigeration system includes an evaporator (38), and a flow of refrigerant passes through the evaporator (38) and is operable to cool the flow of compressed fluid. The drive member (18) is coupled to the compressor (16) and is operable to drive the compressor (16). The cooling passage (46) extends from a point downstream of the evaporator (38) to a point upstream of the compressor (32). At least a portion of the cooling passage (46) is in thermal exchange relationship with the drive member (18).