Scroll Compressor Oil Outlet Channel Design

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing scroll compressor designs face issues with insufficient lubrication of the friction pair, leading to increased power consumption and reduced compression efficiency due to refrigerant leakage and churning of refrigeration oil, which affects the cooling capacity and durability of the compressor.

Innovation Solution

The design incorporates an oil outlet channel with an inlet connected to the oil discharging hole of the oil separation structure and an outlet connected to the oil storage tank, where the outlet is positioned above the inlet, allowing the refrigeration oil to flow against gravity, reducing outflow pressure and velocity, and ensuring stable oil storage and effective lubrication of the friction pair.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If the oil discharging hole is disposed to directly face towards the oil storage tank, then the refrigeration oil can be discharged directly into the storage tank, but the refrigeration oil will wash out and churn due to impact, causing refrigerant leakage and reducing lubrication effectiveness

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoil discharge structure simplicityVSAvoidlubrication effectiveness
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an oil outlet channel as an intermediary structure between the oil discharging hole and the oil storage tank. This channel serves as a mediator that receives the discharged refrigeration oil and delivers it to the storage tank in a controlled manner, preventing direct impact and churning while maintaining structural simplicity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent positions the oil outlet at a location different from the direct facing position, utilizing spatial dimensionality change. By routing the oil through a channel and positioning the outlet at an optimized location, the system achieves both simple manufacturing and effective lubrication without refrigerant leakage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Device complexity

If the refrigeration oil flows directly into the oil storage tank, then the oil return process is simple, but the outflow pressure and velocity are high, causing churning and refrigerant dissolution in the oil

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoil return structure complexityVSAvoidrefrigeration oil stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The oil outlet channel acts as an intermediary that reduces the kinetic energy of the discharged refrigeration oil before it enters the storage tank. This mediator structure lowers the outflow pressure and velocity, preventing churning and refrigerant dissolution while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Length of moving object

If the oil storage tank is positioned to receive oil directly from the separation structure, then the oil delivery path is short, but the impact of discharged oil causes churning and reduces the proportion of refrigeration oil in the return oil

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoil delivery path lengthVSAvoidrefrigeration oil proportion in return oil
Core Design Contradiction:
Length of moving objectVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The oil outlet channel serves as an intermediary that extends the oil delivery path in a controlled manner. This channel allows the refrigeration oil to decelerate and settle before entering the storage tank, ensuring that the refrigeration oil proportion in the return oil is maintained while keeping the overall delivery path compact.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

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 configuration maintains stable refrigeration oil in the storage tank, prevents refrigerant leakage, and ensures sufficient oil return, thereby enhancing the compression efficiency and refrigeration capacity of the scroll compressor, improving the cooling performance and extending the compressor's lifespan.

Implementation Method 1

the outlet is positioned above the inlet, allowing the refrigeration oil to flow against gravity, reducing outflow pressure and velocity

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectGravity: Gravitation

Data Source

PatentEP4105485B1Scroll compressor, refrigeration device, and vehicle
Publication Date: 2024.12.25 ANHUI WELLING AUTO PARTS CO LTD
  • EP4105485B1 patent drawingFigure 2

AI summary

Provided are a scroll compressor, a refrigeration device, and a vehicle. In the scroll compressor, an oil discharging hole (1017) of an oil separation structure(100) and an oil storage tank(12) are connected to each other by an oil outlet channel(13) disposed in a housing(10), and an oil outlet(132) of the oil outlet channel(13) is located above an oil inlet(131). The oil outlet channel (13) can guide a refrigeration oil discharged from the oil discharging hole (1017) to flow into the oil storage tank (12). After passing through the oil outlet channel (13), a flow rate and a pressure of the refrigeration oil decrease, and thus an impact of the refrigeration oil on the remaining refrigeration oil in the oil storage tank (12) is reduced when discharged from the oil outlet (132). Therefore, the refrigeration oil within the oil storage tank (12) remains stable and can always immerse an oil return hole (121) of the oil storage tank (12). Therefore, a refrigerant may be prevented from leaking into an oil return channel (20) of the compressor through the oil return hole (121), thereby ensuring sufficient oil return of the compressor, effectively lubrication of a friction pair, and improved compression efficiency.