Suction Muffler Siphon Structure for Gas-Tight Compressor Silencing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Hermetically encapsulated refrigerant compressors face issues with gas and sound leakage through oil drain holes in suction silencers, reducing efficiency and soundproofing effectiveness.

Innovation Solution

The design incorporates siphon sections connecting the bases of damping chambers to allow oil drainage while maintaining gas-tightness and soundproofing by preventing gaseous refrigerant exchange, with a single oil drain hole and channels optimizing oil collection and supply to siphon sections.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If oil drain holes are provided in damping chambers to remove oil, then oil can be drained from the suction silencer, but gas can be exchanged with the compressor housing and sound can escape through the holes

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoil drainage functionVSAvoidgas exchange and sound leakage
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The suction silencer utilizes the liquid refrigerant itself as a flexible sealing medium. The liquid refrigerant fills the lower portion of the damping chamber and forms a liquid seal at the oil drain hole, allowing oil to pass through while blocking gas and sound. This converts the harmful effect of liquid accumulation into a beneficial sealing function.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Solution Approach 2:

The invention introduces liquid refrigerant as an intermediary substance between the damping chamber and the compressor housing. This liquid refrigerant acts as a mediator that selectively allows oil to pass through the oil drain hole while preventing gas exchange and sound transmission, thus resolving the contradiction between drainage function and sealing requirement.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If multiple oil drain holes are provided in each damping chamber for oil removal, then oil drainage is improved, but gas exchange and sound escape increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoil drainage efficiencyVSAvoidgas exchange and sound leakage
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The invention employs a single oil drain hole positioned at the lowermost point of the damping chamber, utilizing the liquid refrigerant seal to prevent gas and sound passage. This single-hole design with liquid sealing is more effective than multiple holes, as it concentrates the sealing function at one location while maintaining efficient oil drainage through the liquid barrier.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

3Reliability

If connecting passages are provided between damping chambers for liquid separation, then liquid can collect in separators, but sound can escape from individual damping chambers

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveliquid separation functionVSAvoidsound escape
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The invention eliminates the need for separate connecting passages by using the liquid refrigerant itself as the separation medium. The liquid refrigerant accumulates at the bottom of the damping chamber and naturally separates from the gaseous refrigerant, with the liquid layer acting as a sound barrier. This approach achieves liquid separation without creating sound escape paths.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Solution Approach 2:

The invention extracts the liquid separation function from the connecting passages and implements it directly within the damping chamber using liquid refrigerant accumulation. By removing the connecting passages that caused sound escape, the design achieves liquid separation through a simpler, more effective mechanism that eliminates the harmful sound transmission path.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

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 enhances the gas-tightness and soundproofing of suction silencers, leading to a more efficient refrigerant compressor with reduced noise levels.

Implementation Method 1

a siphon section connecting the two bases is arranged in the region of the wall element in order to take up oil in an operating position of the suction silencer, the at least one siphon section connecting the two damping chambers to one another in a siphon-like manner for the oil

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSiphon: Syphon

Implementation Method 2

These dampen the sound based on the well-known Helmholtz principle, i.e. the damping chambers act as resonators that absorb sound

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHelmholtz resonance: Helmholtz Resonance

Implementation Method 3

The oil collects at the bottom of the damping chambers

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectGravity settling: Gravitation

Data Source

PatentEP3209883B1Suction muffler for a hermetically encapsulated refrigerant compressor
Publication Date: 2018.04.18 NIDEC GLOBAL APPLIANCE AUSTRIA GMBH
  • EP3209883B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3209883B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP3209883B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

The invention relates to a suction muffler (1) for a hermetically encapsulated refrigerant compressor (2), said suction muffler (1) comprising an inlet (3) in order to allow a coolant to be able to flow into the suction muffler (1), and an outlet (4) in order to allow a coolant to be able to flow out from the suction muffler (1), said suction muffler (1) also comprises at least two damping chambers (5, 6) for damping sound, said two damping chambers (5, 6) respectively comprising a base (8, 9). A wall element (11) is provided in order to separate said two damping chambers (5, 6) in the region of the base thereof (8, 9) for the coolant. The aim of the invention is to ensure that the damping chambers (5, 6) altogether are as gas-tight and soundproof as much as possible. According to the invention, at least one siphon section (16) connecting both bases is arranged in the region of the wall element (11), said siphon section being provided to receive oil (14) in an operating position of the suction muffler (1). The at least one siphon section (16) joins both damping chambers (5, 6) together for the oil (14) in a siphon-like manner.