Scroll Compressor Conical Cut Spiral End Region
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current scroll compressor designs experience stress concentrations, deformations, increased temperature, wear, and friction due to contact between spirals at the inner end segment, leading to overpressure and suboptimal refrigerant flow, which results in unbalanced forces and reduced efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A scroll compressor with a conical cut in the spiral end region, reducing contact between spirals and shifting forces to areas with greater curvature, allowing for improved refrigerant flow and reduced overpressure, while maintaining mechanical strength and efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a vertical cut (prismatic cut) is used to connect the two scroll compartments, then the spirals can be connected, but stress concentrations occur at the inner corner of the cuts leading to wall deformations and contact between spirals
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies curvature by replacing the vertical prismatic cut with a conical cut that has a curved surface. The conical cut is defined by a conical surface generated by rotating a line around the spiral axis, creating a smooth curved transition instead of a sharp corner. This eliminates stress concentrations at the inner corner while maintaining structural integrity and preventing wall deformations that would cause spiral contact.
2Ease of manufacture
If the wall thickness is reduced at the end segment to create the cut, then the cut can be formed, but the size of the end area for discharging refrigerant is reduced leading to suboptimal refrigerant flow
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a two-dimensional vertical cut to a three-dimensional conical cut that extends along the spiral axis. The conical cut is defined by a conical surface with a specific half-angle, creating a volumetric removal pattern rather than a simple planar cut. This dimensional approach allows the cut to be formed while maintaining adequate wall thickness and preserving the end area size for refrigerant discharge, thus optimizing refrigerant flow.
3Strength
If a prismatic cut is used, then the spirals can be connected, but contact between fixed and moving spiral bodies occurs leading to increased temperature, wear and friction
Solution Approach 1:
The conical cut with its curved surface eliminates the sharp inner corner present in prismatic cuts, distributing stresses more evenly and preventing wall deformations. This maintains proper spacing between the fixed and moving spiral bodies, preventing contact and the associated problems of increased temperature, wear, and friction while still providing the necessary structural connection.
4Strength
If the current geometry of the cut is used, then the spirals can be connected, but unbalanced forces and torque occur in the middle of the spiral reducing efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The conical cut creates a symmetric, smoothly curved transition that distributes forces evenly throughout the spiral structure. This eliminates the unbalanced forces and torque that occur with prismatic cuts, maintaining proper force distribution in the middle of the spiral and preserving compressor efficiency while still providing the necessary spiral connection.
Data Source
AI summary
A scroll compressor for a motor vehicle air-conditioning system includes a compressor housing, two interleaving spirals within the compressor housing, of which one spiral is stationary and the other spiral is movable eccentrically on a circular orbit, whereby the volume of compression chambers formed between the spirals changes cyclically and refrigerant is suctioned in and compressed; at least one refrigerant outlet port for ejecting the compressed refrigerant in a wall, frontal to the spirals, of the compressor housing in the center of the stationary spiral, wherein in the spiral end region on the inner end of at least one of the two spirals the concave side of the spiral wall is provided with a cut that has the form of a cone segment with concave curvature, decreasing from the upper end in the direction toward the lower end of the spiral wall.