Scroll Compressor Bypass Valve for Refrigerant Stability

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional scroll compressors using refrigerants with small global warming potential, such as hydrofluoroolefin, face instability and decomposition due to excessive compression, leading to reduced reliability and durability in long-term use in appliances like air conditioners and refrigerators.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating bypass holes with check valves in the scroll compressor to allow early communication between compression chambers and the discharge chamber, minimizing temperature increase and decomposition risk by reducing pressure resistance and optimizing the aspect ratio of the bypass holes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If conventional scroll compressors use refrigerants with small global warming potential (such as hydrofluoroolefin), then environmental impact is reduced, but the refrigerant decomposes at high temperatures caused by excessive compression, leading to reduced stability and reliability

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveglobal warming potentialVSAvoidstability and reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The discharge port is positioned to communicate with the compression chamber at an optimal timing before the compression stroke completes, allowing the refrigerant to be discharged at a predetermined pressure before excessive pressure increase occurs. This preliminary discharge action prevents the temperature rise that would cause decomposition of the environmentally friendly refrigerant.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the discharge timing parameter by strategically positioning the discharge port relative to the compression chamber geometry. This parameter change ensures that discharge occurs at the optimal moment in the compression cycle, maintaining refrigerant stability while achieving effective compression.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Productivity

If the discharge port communicates with the compression chamber at certain timing, then compression efficiency is improved, but excessive pressure increase occurs causing unstable behavior of the orbiting scroll (separation or abnormal pressure)

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecompression efficiencyVSAvoidstable behavior of orbiting scroll
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The discharge port is positioned to initiate communication with the compression chamber at an optimal point in the compression cycle, allowing pressure to be released at a predetermined level before excessive pressure buildup occurs. This preliminary discharge action maintains both compression efficiency and scroll stability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The geometric relationship between the discharge port and compression chamber creates an automatic feedback mechanism where pressure buildup naturally triggers discharge at the optimal moment, preventing both excessive pressure and maintaining compression efficiency through self-regulation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Stress or pressure

If the refrigerant is compressed to high pressure, then the compression function is achieved, but the temperature increases causing decomposition of the refrigerant containing hydrofluoroolefin

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecompression pressureVSAvoiddischarge temperature
Core Design Contradiction:
Stress or pressureVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The discharge port is positioned to enable early communication with the compression chamber, allowing the refrigerant to be discharged at a predetermined pressure before the compression stroke completes. This preliminary discharge action prevents the temperature rise that would occur with full compression, thereby preventing decomposition of the hydrofluoroolefin-based refrigerant.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

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 enhances the compressor's efficiency, reliability, and durability by preventing excessive temperature increases and decomposition of the refrigerant, thereby ensuring stable performance in refrigerating cycles.

Implementation Method 1

check valves to allow refrigerant to flow from the compression chambers to the discharge chamber

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPressure differential: Pressure Gradient

Implementation Method 2

allow the compression chambers to communicate with the discharge chamber before the compression chambers communicate with the discharge port, thereby making it possible to minimize an increase in temperature of a discharged refrigerant

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPressure reduction: Depressurisation

Data Source

PatentEP2592274B1Scroll compressor
Publication Date: 2018.10.03 PANASONIC HOLDINGS CORP
  • EP2592274B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2592274B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2592274B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A scroll compressor employs therein a refrigerant having a small global warming potential and a small ozone depletion potential and mainly comprising hydrofluoroolefin having a carbon-carbon double bond. A stationary scroll 12 has and end plate and a discharge port 18 defined in the end plate at a central portion thereof so as to open into a discharge chamber. The stationary scroll 12 also has a bypass hole 68 defined in the end plate to allow a plurality of compression chambers 15 to communicate with the discharge chamber before the compression chambers 15 communicate with the discharge port 18. A check valve 19 is provided on the bypass hole 18 to allow the refrigerant to flow from the compression chambers to the discharge chamber. This construction can restrain a baneful influence on the global environment, reduce a temperature increase caused by excessive compression, and restrain decomposition of the refrigerant even in long-term use.