Refrigerant Compressor with Separate Stator and Rotor Cooling Inlets
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Solution Overview
Problem
Refrigerant compressors face inefficiencies in cooling the motor components due to overlapping and intermixing of cooling fluids, leading to increased pressure drop and reduced flow rates, which affects heat transfer efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A refrigerant compressor design with separate and dedicated cooling lines for the stator and rotor, utilizing a magnetic rotor directly mounted to a shaft with a sleeve, and a housing that allows independent fluid flow paths to maintain fluid separation until exit, reducing pressure drop and enhancing flow rates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If cooling fluids for stator and rotor are allowed to intermix and overlap, then device complexity is reduced, but heat transfer efficiency deteriorates due to increased pressure drop and reduced flow rates
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is segmented into separate cooling lines for the stator and rotor. The stator cooling line and rotor cooling line are kept distinct throughout their paths, with separate inlets and separate outlets, preventing intermixing of cooling fluids. This segmentation maintains independent flow control and prevents pressure drop issues while keeping the overall device complexity manageable through modular design.
2Temperature
If separate cooling lines are used for stator and rotor, then heat transfer efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The housing structure serves multiple functions: it provides structural support for the motor components and simultaneously integrates the cooling line pathways. The housing is configured to define both the stator cooling line pathway and the rotor cooling line pathway, eliminating the need for separate cooling line components and reducing overall device complexity while maintaining separate cooling flows.
3Productivity
If cooling fluids flow independently through separate paths, then flow rate is increased, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is designed as a single integrated component that combines multiple functions: structural support, stator cooling line pathway definition, and rotor cooling line pathway definition. By merging these functions into one housing structure, the manufacturing process is simplified compared to assembling multiple separate cooling line components, while still maintaining independent high-flow pathways for both cooling fluids.
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 enhances heat transfer efficiency by maintaining separate fluid paths for stator and rotor cooling, reducing pressure drop and increasing flow rates, resulting in improved cooling performance.
Implementation Method 1
a first inlet configured to permit fluid to enter the housing and flow along a stator cooling line and a second inlet configured to permit fluid to enter the housing and flow a rotor cooling line
Implementation Method 2
maintaining separate fluid paths for stator and rotor cooling, reducing pressure drop and increasing flow rates
Implementation Method 3
the rotor is provided by magnetic material
Data Source
AI summary
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a refrigerant compressor, including: an impeller; a shaft; a motor configured to rotate the impeller via the shaft, wherein the motor includes a stator and a rotor; and a housing surrounding the motor, wherein the housing includes a first inlet configured to permit fluid to enter the housing and flow along a stator cooling line and a second inlet configured to permit fluid to enter the housing and flow a rotor cooling line, and wherein the first inlet is separate from the second inlet.