Evaporator Shell Edge Damping for Quieter Coolant Compressors
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The existing designs of refrigerant compressors with evaporator shells suffer from noise emission due to vibration transmission from the compressor housing to the metallic evaporator shell, which is exacerbated by the direct attachment and open structure, requiring either increased rigidity or damping solutions that are either impractical or compromise on space and production efficiency.
Innovation Solution
Attaching damping elements to the free upper edge of the evaporator shell, which can be made of metal, plastic, or composite materials, to convert vibration energy into heat, thereby reducing resonance and noise emission, with options for form-fitting, non-positive, or material-locking attachments for ease of installation and durability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If the metallic boundary wall is directly attached to the compressor housing, then the heat dissipation efficiency is improved, but the vibration transmission and noise emission increase
Solution Approach 1:
A damping element is introduced as an intermediary component between the compressor housing and the metallic boundary wall. This damping element serves as a mediator that allows thermal energy transfer while blocking and damping mechanical vibration transmission, thus resolving the contradiction between heat dissipation efficiency and noise emission.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If additional stiffening or ribs are added to increase the rigidity of the evaporator shell, then the noise emission is reduced, but the manufacturing complexity and production effort increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The vibration damping function is extracted from the structural design of the evaporator shell itself and transferred to a separate, independently attachable damping element. This allows the evaporator shell to maintain its simple deep-drawn structure while achieving noise reduction through the separate damping component, significantly reducing manufacturing complexity.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If the wall of the evaporator shell is made thicker or more rigid, then the vibration damping is improved, but the space required increases and the production effort for deep-drawing increases
Solution Approach 1:
A composite damping structure is created by combining the metallic boundary wall with a separate damping element made of different material properties. This composite construction achieves superior vibration damping compared to thickening the metal wall alone, while maintaining a compact overall volume and avoiding the need for complex deep-drawing processes.
4Object-generated harmful factors
If damping elements are attached to the free upper edge of the wall, then the vibration amplitude at the free edge is reduced, but the attachment complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The damping elements are strategically positioned at the free upper edge of the wall where vibration amplitude is highest, rather than distributing damping uniformly throughout the structure. This localized approach effectively reduces vibration amplitude at the critical location while minimizing attachment complexity and maintaining structural simplicity.
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 solution effectively reduces noise emission by converting vibration energy into heat, improving the acoustic performance of the compressor without the need for extensive stiffening or space-consuming modifications, offering a practical and efficient damping solution.
Implementation Method 1
at least one damping element for damping the vibrations transmitted from the housing to the wall is fastened to the wall
Implementation Method 2
convert vibration energy into heat
Data Source
AI summary
What is shown is a housing of a small coolant compressor comprising an evaporator shell, wherein the evaporator shell is formed at least by a metal wall (2) fastened directly to the housing (1) in sealing fashion, said wall following a perimeter line of the housing (1) and by at least one partial surface (1a) of the housing disposed inside the wall (2). At least one damping element (5) for damping the oscillations transferred from the housing (1) to the wall (2) is fastened to the wall (2) at a distance from the housing (1). In order to reduce noise emissions, one or more damping elements (5-10) encompass the free upper edge of the wall (2).