Tandem Compressor Discharge Tube Angle to Prevent Oil Backflow
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Solution Overview
Problem
In tandem compressor systems, oil backflow into the discharge tube assembly can lead to increased mass and reduced tube modal frequencies, causing resonance problems and potential tube failures when only one compressor is running.
Innovation Solution
The discharge tube assembly is designed with a proximate portion elevated relative to the distal portion, angled between 5 degrees and 90 degrees, to prevent oil backflow, thereby maintaining optimal modal frequencies and preventing tube failures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the discharge tube assembly is horizontal or sloped downward toward the non-running compressor, then oil can flow back toward the non-running compressor, but this causes increased mass and reduced modal frequencies leading to resonance problems and tube failures
Solution Approach 1:
The discharge tube assembly is inverted by elevating the proximate portion relative to the distal portion, creating an upward slope that prevents oil backflow. This inversion of the conventional downward slope design stops oil from reaching the non-running compressor, thereby preventing resonance issues and tube failures while maintaining operational reliability
2Reliability
If the proximate portion is elevated at a steep angle, then oil backflow is effectively prevented, but manufacturing complexity and installation difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The elevation angle of the proximate portion is optimized within specific ranges (5-10 degrees or 1-90 degrees) to achieve effective oil backflow prevention while maintaining manufacturability. This parameter optimization balances reliability requirements with ease of manufacture, avoiding excessively steep angles that would complicate fabrication and installation
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 effectively prevents oil backflow, maintaining the integrity of the discharge tube assembly and preventing resonance issues, thus enhancing the reliability and longevity of the compressor system.
Implementation Method 1
a proximate portion of the first discharge tube may be elevated relative the distal portion of the first discharge tube... to prevent a backflow of oil through the discharge tube assembly
Data Source
AI summary
A compressor system including a first compressor and a second compressor. The first and second compressors each include a shell, a compression mechanism disposed within the shell, and a drive member adapted to drive the compression mechanism. A discharge tube assembly interconnects the first compressor and the second compressor, and the discharge tube assembly includes an inlet portion adjacent the first compressor that is inclined relative to another inlet portion adjacent the second compressor. The inlet portion that is inclined is adapted to prevent a backflow of oil through the discharge tube assembly.