Variable-Capacity Compressor Pin Surface Seal for Leakage Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing variable-capacity compressors suffer from high refrigerant leakage due to clearance seals between the pin and pin hole, leading to reduced volumetric efficiency and inconsistent compressor performance across production batches.
Innovation Solution
A surface seal structure is implemented between the pin and low-pressure passage, utilizing a pin with a step surface and seal gasket or seal division plate to form a tight seal, reducing refrigerant leakage and improving compressor efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a clearance seal is used between the pin and pin hole to allow the pin to slide, then the pin can move freely for locking/unlocking, but refrigerant leakage increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The pin hole is divided into two segments: an upper larger-diameter portion and a lower smaller-diameter portion. The pin slides in the upper portion with clearance for locking/unlocking operation, while the lower portion provides a tighter fit to reduce refrigerant leakage. This segmentation allows both sliding capability and reduced leakage to coexist.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the pin hole have different diameters to serve different functions. The upper portion has a larger diameter to facilitate pin sliding and locking/unlocking operations, while the lower portion has a smaller diameter to minimize refrigerant leakage. This local quality variation resolves the contradiction between operational ease and substance loss.
2Loss of substance
If a tight seal is implemented between the pin and pin hole to reduce refrigerant leakage, then volumetric efficiency improves, but the pin cannot slide freely for locking/unlocking
Solution Approach 1:
The pin hole is segmented into an upper sliding region with larger diameter and a lower sealing region with smaller diameter. This segmentation allows the pin to slide freely in the upper region for locking/unlocking while maintaining a tight seal in the lower region to prevent refrigerant leakage.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution moves from a single-diameter hole to a stepped hole with varying diameters along the axial dimension. This dimensional change allows different functional requirements (sliding and sealing) to be satisfied at different positions along the pin hole's length.
3Loss of substance
If precise machining of the pin hole is performed to reduce clearance and leakage, then refrigerant leakage decreases, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The pin hole is machined as a stepped hole with two distinct diameter portions. This segmentation allows the use of standard machining operations to create the shape, avoiding the need for highly precise single-diameter hole machining while still achieving reduced leakage in the lower portion.
Solution Approach 2:
The pin hole geometry is changed from a uniform diameter to a stepped diameter configuration. This parameter change allows the lower portion to have a smaller diameter for reduced leakage without requiring the entire hole to be machined with high precision, thus easing manufacturing requirements.
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided is a sliding vane control structure for a variable-capacity cylinder, including a pin (113, 213) provided on a lower side of a sliding vane (11), the pin (113, 213) having a first position capable of stopping the sliding vane (11) and a second position capable of being separated from the sliding vane (11), wherein a low-pressure passage (115, 215) is provided under the pin (113, 213); and a surface seal structure is provided between the pin (113, 213) and the low-pressure passage (115, 215), and when the pin (113, 213) is at the second position, a surface seal is formed at a lower end of the pin (113, 213). Since the sliding vane control structure is provided with a surface seal structure, a seal effect of the surface seal is much better than that of a clearance seal, thereby greatly reducing a leakage of a refrigerant. Consequently, an efficiency of a compressor is increased when a variable-capacity cylinder is in a working mode, and a performance of the compressor is optimized. Also provided is the variable-capacity cylinder with the sliding vane control structure and a variable-capacity compressor.