Compressor Stator Radial Passage Oil Return
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Solution Overview
Problem
In conventional compressors, lubricating oil discharged from the bearing is impeded by refrigerant gas, making it difficult to return to the upstream side of the motor, leading to oil shortages and inefficient cooling of heat-generating components.
Innovation Solution
The compressor design includes radial inside spaces of the stator as a delivery passage for refrigerant gas and lubricating oil to flow in one direction, and radial outside spaces as a return passage for lubricating oil, allowing efficient return of lubricating oil to the upstream side of the motor, while also utilizing these passages for cooling heat-generating components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If lubricating oil is discharged from the oil discharge port together with refrigerant gas, then the lubricating oil can be delivered to downstream side of the motor, but the lubricating oil becomes impeded by refrigerant gas and becomes hard to return to upstream side of the motor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the motor structure into two distinct spatial zones: radial inside spaces and radial outside spaces. The radial inside spaces form a delivery passage for refrigerant gas and lubricating oil to flow downstream, while the radial outside spaces form a separate return passage for lubricating oil to flow upstream. This segmentation allows the two fluid streams to be separated in space, eliminating the impediment caused by refrigerant gas and enabling efficient oil return to the upstream side of the motor.
2Device complexity
If lubricating oil flows through the same passage as refrigerant gas, then the passage structure is simple, but the lubricating oil cannot efficiently return to upstream side of the motor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes the radial dimension of the motor structure to create separate flow paths. By directing lubricating oil and refrigerant gas to flow through radial inside spaces while providing radial outside spaces for oil return, the invention adds a spatial dimension (radial positioning) to the passage design. This dimensional approach enables functional separation of delivery and return passages without requiring completely separate physical routes, thus improving oil return efficiency while maintaining reasonable structural complexity.
3Quantity of substance
If lubricating oil is not efficiently returned to upstream side, then oil accumulates downstream, but oil shortage occurs in upstream side leading to inadequate cooling of heat-generating parts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the fluid flow paths into distinct delivery and return passages using radial inside and outside spaces. This segmentation ensures that lubricating oil can efficiently return to the upstream side of the motor without being impeded by refrigerant gas, maintaining adequate oil quantity in the upstream region and ensuring continuous cooling of heat-generating parts such as the stator and rotor.
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 ensures efficient return of lubricating oil to prevent oil shortages and effectively cools the stator, rotor, and other heat-generating parts by separating lubricating oil from refrigerant gas and utilizing their flow for cooling.
Implementation Method 1
the guide parts guide, toward radial inside of the stator, the lubricating oil discharged from the oil discharge port of the support part and the refrigerant gas discharged from the compression element into the sealed casing
Implementation Method 2
spaces on radial inside of the stator being used as a delivery passage through which refrigerant gas discharged from the compression element into the sealed casing and lubricating oil in the sealed casing flow in a direction opposite to the compression element with respect to the motor
Implementation Method 3
spaces on radial outside of the stator being used as a return passage through which the lubricating oil in the sealed casing is returned toward the compression element with respect to the motor
Implementation Method 4
heat generating parts of the stator, the rotor and the like can efficiently be cooled by lubricating oil flowing along radial inside of the stator
Data Source
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AI summary
A discharge port 340a of a compression element 2 is positioned inside an outer circumferential surface of a stator 5, as seen looking in a direction of a rotation axis 12a of a shaft 12, and overlaps the stator 5, as seen looking in a direction orthogonal to the rotation axis 12a of the shaft 12. Accordingly, refrigerant gas discharged from the compression element 2 can be made to flow mainly into spaces inside the outer circumferential surface of the stator 5.