Refrigerant Compressor Discharge Valve Damping for Noise Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional refrigerant reciprocating compressors experience noise due to the rapid opening of the valve member and are complex and costly to manufacture, primarily due to the arrangement of the valve member and biasing member interacting with a stop surface during each piston cycle.
Innovation Solution
A discharge valve arrangement with a gas damping device in the valve housing, featuring a gas damping chamber and an exhaust opening, which decelerates the valve member during opening, preventing impact with the stop surface and simplifying assembly and manufacturing by eliminating the central cone and reducing noise.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the valve member opens at high speed, then the compression efficiency is improved, but noise is generated due to abutment against the stop surface
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a damping element (elastic element or viscous fluid damper) positioned between the valve member and stop surface to provide cushioning before impact occurs. This allows the valve member to maintain high opening speed for compression efficiency while the damping element absorbs impact energy to prevent noise generation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary damping element between the valve member and stop surface. This intermediary component (elastic element or viscous fluid) mediates the interaction by providing a compliant interface that reduces impact forces while allowing the valve member to open rapidly.
2Reliability
If the valve member and biasing member are arranged between the valve plate and stop surface, then the discharge valve function is achieved, but the assembly becomes complicated and manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the damping function with existing components by positioning the damping element within the valve housing structure. The damping element is integrated into the housing rather than being a separate assembly, combining noise reduction functionality with the existing discharge valve assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the damping function from complex mechanical arrangements and implements it through a simple, standalone damping element (elastic or viscous) that can be easily added to the existing valve housing without complicating the overall assembly.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the valve member is biased against the valve plate, then the discharge passage remains closed during suction stroke, but impact noise occurs during valve opening
Solution Approach 1:
The damping element is positioned to provide cushioning before the valve member impacts the stop surface during opening. This maintains the stable closed position during suction stroke while preventing impact noise during the transition to open position.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the harmful impact force into a beneficial damping effect by using the elastic or viscous properties of the damping element. The impact energy that would create noise is instead absorbed and dissipated through the damping mechanism, transforming a harmful effect into a useful noise reduction feature.
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 gas damping device reduces noise generation by decelerating the valve member, simplifies the assembly and manufacturing process, and lowers costs by eliminating the central cone, resulting in a quieter and more cost-effective refrigerant compressor.
Implementation Method 1
a gas damping device including: a gas damping chamber defined by the bottom portion and the sidewall of the valve housing, the biasing member being at least partially arranged within the gas damping chamber and the gas damping chamber being configured to accommodate the valve member when the valve member is in the open position
Data Source
AI summary
The discharge valve arrangement (17) includes a valve plate (18) including a discharge passage (22) and a valve seat (23) surrounding the discharge passage (22); a valve housing (24) being secured to the valve plate (18) and including a bottom portion (25) facing away from the valve plate (18), a sidewall (26) extending from the bottom portion (25) and towards the valve plate (18), and a discharge opening (28) formed in the sidewall (26); a valve member (31) displaceable between a closed position in which the valve member (31) closes the discharge passage (22) and an open position in which the valve member (31) opens the discharge passage (22). The valve housing (24) includes a gas damping chamber defined by the bottom portion (25) and the sidewall (26) and being configured to accommodate the valve member (31) in the open position; and an exhaust opening (37) formed in the bottom portion (25) and emerging in the gas damping chamber.