Electric Compressor Oil Separator Layout for Foreign Substance Capture

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Solution Overview

Problem

In electric compressors, foreign substances generated by friction between components can cause unnecessary abrasion and noise, and existing technologies lack an effective method to reliably separate these substances from oil, leading to potential operational inefficiencies and component deterioration.

Innovation Solution

An electric compressor design featuring a separate storage region at the lower end of the oil separator, with a conical or rectangular cross-section foreign substance storage part, positioned below the discharge hole, and a filter unit to prevent recirculation of foreign substances, ensuring they are collected and filtered out effectively.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a conventional oil separator is used without a separate storage region, then the structure is simple, but foreign substances cannot be reliably separated from oil leading to component abrasion and noise

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveforeign substance separation effectivenessVSAvoidoil separator structure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The oil separator is segmented into distinct functional regions: a foreign substance storage part at the lower end and an oil discharge part above it. This segmentation allows foreign substances to be collected in the lower storage region while oil is discharged from the upper region, achieving reliable separation without requiring complex external filtration systems.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The foreign substance storage part is extracted as a distinct functional element from the conventional oil separator design. By taking out the foreign substance collection function and providing it with a dedicated storage region, the patent enables effective foreign substance separation while maintaining relative structural simplicity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Productivity

If foreign substances are not separated from oil, then the system operates continuously, but foreign substances cause unnecessary abrasion and noise in compressor components

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecompressor continuous operationVSAvoidabrasion and noise from foreign substances

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent converts the harmful effect of foreign substances by providing a dedicated storage region that captures and retains them. Foreign substances that would otherwise cause abrasion and noise are instead collected in the foreign substance storage part, transforming a harmful continuous operation into a beneficial separation process that maintains compressor productivity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

3Reliability

If the foreign substance storage part is positioned above the discharge hole, then the structure is simpler, but foreign substances cannot be effectively separated from oil

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveforeign substance separation effectivenessVSAvoidpositioning and structural arrangement

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of placing the foreign substance storage part above the discharge hole as might be intuitively expected, the patent inverts this arrangement by positioning the storage part at the lower end below the discharge hole. This inverted positioning enables effective separation as foreign substances settle downward while oil discharge occurs from the upper part.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

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

This design effectively prevents the recirculation of foreign substances, minimizing noise and abrasion, enhancing the compressor's efficiency and reliability by ensuring foreign substances are separated from oil and do not re-enter the drive unit.

Implementation Method 1

a foreign substance storage part (210) storing therein foreign substances contained in the refrigerant drawn through the refrigerant inlet hole (201)

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectGravitational settling: Gravitation

Implementation Method 2

foreign substances can be independently separated from oil

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectDensity separation: Density Gradient

Data Source

PatentUS10138890B2Electric compressor and method of forming oil separator of electric compressor

Publication Date: 2018.11.27 HANON SYST CO LTD

AI summary

Disclosed herein is an electric compressor. The electric compressor includes: a housing (100) which has a discharge chamber (102) through which refrigerant is discharged; and an oil separator (200) which is disposed in the discharge chamber (102), and includes a refrigerant inlet hole (201) through which refrigerant is drawn into the oil separator (200), and a foreign substance storage part (210) storing therein foreign substances contained in the refrigerant drawn through the refrigerant inlet hole (201).