Rotary Compressor Centrifugal Oil Separator Vibration Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional scroll compressors face challenges in oil separation efficiency due to the vibration and instability of centrifugal separating members, which affects the reliability and efficiency of refrigerant compression, especially at high and low speeds.
Innovation Solution
The oil-separator is directly connected to the rotation shaft, with a coupler ensuring concentric rotation and a centrifugal separator extending beyond the rotor to maximize centrifugal force, reducing vibration and improving separation efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a centrifugal separating member is used to separate oil from refrigerant, then oil separation efficiency is improved, but vibration and instability increase affecting reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The oil separator is merged with the drive unit to form an integrated assembly. The oil separator becomes an integral part of the drive unit structure, sharing the same rotational axis and housing. This merging eliminates relative motion between the oil separator and drive unit, reducing vibration and improving operational reliability while maintaining effective oil separation through centrifugal force.
Solution Approach 2:
The oil separator is positioned such that its rotational axis coincides with the rotational axis of the drive unit, creating a concentric configuration. This equipotential alignment ensures that both components rotate together without relative motion, eliminating centrifugal imbalances and vibration that would occur with eccentric positioning, thereby improving reliability while maintaining separation efficiency.
2Volume of stationary object
If the compression unit is disposed above the drive unit close to the discharge part, then space is saved, but oil supply into the compression unit becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The drive unit serves as an intermediary component between the oil reservoir and the compression unit. Oil is supplied from the oil reservoir, passes through the drive unit which acts as a mediator, and then reaches the compression unit. This intermediary positioning allows the drive unit to facilitate oil distribution while maintaining the space-efficient configuration with the compression unit above the drive unit.
3Reliability
If the rotation shaft is connected through the compression unit, then the point of applications of gas force and reaction force match, but additional lower frame is required
Solution Approach 1:
The drive unit and compression unit are merged into a single integrated assembly where the rotation shaft connects both components. This merging eliminates the need for a separate lower frame structure, as the integrated design provides both the force balance alignment and structural support in one configuration, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining reliability.
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 configuration enhances oil separation efficiency by minimizing vibration, maintaining stability, and increasing centrifugal force, thereby improving the overall performance of the scroll compressor across various operating speeds.
Implementation Method 1
a centrifugal separator 620 that rotates together with the rotation shaft 230 and provides a centrifugal force for separating the oil from the refrigerant
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~3(b)
Figure 4~4(e)
AI summary
Compressor including a casing (100) configured to include a discharge part (121) for discharging a refrigerant on one side and a reservoir space for storing oil, a driver (200) including a stator (210) coupled to an inner circumferential surface of the casing and generating a rotating magnetic field, and a rotor (220) accommodated in the stator and rotated by the rotating magnetic field, a rotation shaft (230) coupled to the rotor (220) and rotating together with the rotor, a compression unit (300) coupled to the rotation shaft (230) and lubricated with the oil, wherein the compression unit (300) compresses and discharges the refrigerant, and an oil-separator (600) disposed between the discharge part (121) and the driver (200) for separating the oil from the refrigerant to be guided to the discharge part , wherein the oil-separator includes a centrifugal separator (620) rotating together with the rotation shaft (230) to provide a centrifugal force for separating the oil from the refrigerant, and a coupler (610) for coupling the centrifugal separator (620) to the driver (200) such that the centrifugal separator and the rotation shaft (230) rotate together, and wherein the coupler is coupled to the rotor (220) or the rotation shaft (230).