U.S. patent application number 11/664026 was filed with the patent office on 2007-11-08 for air-conditioning compressor or air conditioning system.
This patent application is currently assigned to LuK Fahrzug-Hydraulik GmbH & Co., KG.. Invention is credited to Thomas Di Vito, Jan Hinrichs, Willi Parsch, Tilo Schaefer.
Application Number | 20070256431 11/664026 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38659980 |
Filed Date | 2007-11-08 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070256431 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Schaefer; Tilo ; et
al. |
November 8, 2007 |
Air-Conditioning Compressor or Air Conditioning System
Abstract
An air-conditioning compressor for air conditioning systems,
especially for motor vehicles, or an air conditioning system
comprising an air-conditioning compressor. The air-conditioning
compressor is connected to a high-pressure zone and a suction
pressure zone. Driving chamber pressure is redirected from the
driving chamber of the air-conditioning compressor, i.e. from the
high-pressure zone of the driving chamber to the suction pressure
zone, if necessary while a filter, particularly a dirt particle
filter, is optionally located in the suction pressure zone.
Inventors: |
Schaefer; Tilo; (Daubach,
DE) ; Di Vito; Thomas; (Wehrheim, DE) ;
Hinrichs; Jan; (Friedrichsdorf, DE) ; Parsch;
Willi; (Seeheim, DE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
DAVIDSON, DAVIDSON & KAPPEL, LLC
485 SEVENTH AVENUE, 14TH FLOOR
NEW YORK
NY
10018
US
|
Assignee: |
LuK Fahrzug-Hydraulik GmbH &
Co., KG.
Georg-Schaeffler-Strasse 3
Bad Homburg
DE
61352
|
Family ID: |
38659980 |
Appl. No.: |
11/664026 |
Filed: |
September 28, 2005 |
PCT Filed: |
September 28, 2005 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/DE05/01719 |
371 Date: |
March 27, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
62/100 ;
62/239 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F04B 39/16 20130101;
F04B 27/1036 20130101; F25B 43/003 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
062/100 ;
062/239 |
International
Class: |
F25B 43/00 20060101
F25B043/00 |
Claims
1-10. (canceled)
11. An air-conditioning system comprising: a high-pressure zone; a
suction pressure zone; an air-conditioning compressor, the
air-conditioning compressor communicating with the high-pressure
zone and with the suction pressure zone; and a dirt particle
separator located in the suction pressure zone.
12. The air conditioning system as recited in claim 11 wherein the
air-conditioning compressor includes a drive chamber, and further
comprising a drive-chamber pressure return from the drive chamber
to the suction pressure zone.
13. The air conditioning system as recited in claim 12 further
comprising a filter located in the suction pressure zone.
14. The air conditioning system as recited in claim 11 further
comprising a filter located in the suction pressure zone.
15. The air conditioning system as recited in claim 14 wherein the
filter is a dirt particle filter.
16. The air-conditioning system as recited in claim 11 wherein the
dirt particle separator is a cyclone separator and the air
conditioning compressor includes a suction-pressure chamber, and
further comprising a dirt-particle collection device, dirt
particles being separated by an action of centrifugal force along
walls of the dirt particle separator and being collected in the
dirt-particle collecting device, while a resultant purified
refrigerant stream is directed toward the suction-pressure
chamber.
17. The air-conditioning system as recited in claim 14 wherein the
dirt particle separator is located upstream of the filter.
18. The air-conditioning system as recited in claim 11 wherein the
compressor includes a housing, the dirt particle separator being
located inside of the compressor housing.
19. The air-conditioning system as recited in claim 18 wherein the
air-conditioning compressor includes a drive chamber and suction
pressure chamber, and further comprising a drive-chamber pressure
return from the drive chamber to the suction pressure zone and a
filter in the suction pressure zone, the drive-chamber pressure
return being connected between the filter and the compressor
suction-pressure chamber.
20. The air-conditioning system as recited in claim 18 wherein the
air-conditioning compressor includes a drive chamber, and further
comprising a drive-chamber pressure return from the drive chamber
to the suction pressure zone and a filter in the suction pressure
zone, the drive-chamber pressure return being connected between the
filter and the dirt particle separator.
21. The air-conditioning system as recited in claim 18 wherein the
air-conditioning compressor includes a drive chamber, and further
comprising a drive-chamber pressure return from the drive chamber
to the suction pressure zone, the drive-chamber pressure return
being connected upstream of the dirt particle separator.
22. The air-conditioning system as recited in claim 11 wherein the
air-conditioning compressor includes a housing, a drive chamber and
a suction-pressure chamber, and further comprising a drive-chamber
pressure return from the drive chamber to the suction pressure zone
and a filter in the suction pressure zone, the dirt particle
separator being located outside of the compressor housing and the
filter inside of the compressor housing, and the drive-chamber
pressure return being connected downstream of the filter between
the filter and the suction-pressure chamber.
23. The air-conditioning system as recited in claim 11 wherein the
air-conditioning compressor includes a housing, a drive chamber and
a suction-pressure chamber, and further comprising a drive-chamber
pressure return from the drive chamber to the suction pressure zone
and a filter in the suction pressure zone, the dirt particle
separator and the filter being located outside of the housing, the
drive-chamber pressure return being connected downstream of the
filter between the filter and the suction-pressure chamber.
24. The air-conditioning system as recited in claim 11 wherein the
air-conditioning compressor includes a housing, a drive chamber and
a suction-pressure chamber, and further comprising a drive-chamber
pressure return from the drive chamber to the suction pressure zone
and a filter in the suction pressure zone, the dirt particle
separator being located outside of the housing and the filter
inside of the housing, and the drive-chamber pressure return being
connected upstream of the filter.
25. The air conditioning system as recited in claim 11 wherein the
air-conditioning system is a motor vehicle air-conditioning system.
Description
[0001] The present invention relates to an air-conditioning
compressor for air-conditioning systems, in particular for motor
vehicles, or to an air-conditioning system having an
air-conditioning compressor, the air-conditioning compressor
communicating with a high-pressure zone and with a suction pressure
zone, pressure being optionally returned from the drive chamber of
the air-conditioning compressor, from the drive-chamber pressure
zone to the suction pressure zone, and a filter, in particular a
dirt particle filter, being optionally located in the suction
pressure zone.
[0002] Compressors or air-conditioning systems of this kind are
generally known. In this context, the problem arises that, once a
certain operating time period has elapsed, the dirt particles form
a so-called filter cake in the filters. Over the course of
operation, the filter cake causes an increasing loss of pressure
that is detrimental to the efficiency of the system.
[0003] In addition, compressors having a drive-chamber pressure
return have the disadvantage that the drive-chamber pressure within
the compressor is returned directly to the suction pressure zone,
and, in the process, dirt particles, such as ablated material from
the pressure chamber produced by the mechanical loading of the
driving gear, are returned to the suction pressure zone of the
air-conditioning compressor. There, the dirt particles can do
damage, for example in the area of the pistons and the cylinder
liners or the valve devices.
[0004] It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to
devise an air-conditioning compressor or an air-conditioning system
which will overcome these disadvantages.
[0005] The objective is achieved by an air-conditioning compressor
for air-conditioning systems, in particular for motor vehicles, or
by an air-conditioning system having an air-conditioning
compressor, the air-conditioning compressor communicating with a
high-pressure zone and with a suction pressure zone, pressure being
optionally returned from the drive chamber of the air-conditioning
compressor, from the drive-chamber pressure zone to the suction
pressure zone, and a filter, in particular a dirt particle filter,
being optionally located in the suction pressure zone, an
additional dirt particle separator being located in the suction
pressure zone. Here, the advantage is derived that dirt particles
in the dirt particle separator may be collected in a collecting
space and are, therefore, not able to reach the downstream filter.
As a result, no filter cake that is effective to any appreciable
degree is able to build up in the filter.
[0006] An air-conditioning compressor or an air-conditioning system
is preferred, in which the dirt particle separator is designed as a
cyclone separator, the dirt particles being separated by the action
of centrifugal force along the walls of the dirt particle separator
and being collected in a dirt-particle collecting device, while the
purified refrigerant stream is directed to the suction pressure
zone of the air-conditioning compressor.
[0007] Also preferred is an air-conditioning compressor or an
air-conditioning system, in which the dirt particle separator is
located in the direction of flow upstream of the filter. Also
preferred is an air-conditioning compressor or an air-conditioning
system, in which the dirt particle separator is located inside of
the compressor housing. An air-conditioning compressor or an
air-conditioning system is likewise preferred in which the
drive-chamber pressure return is connected between the filter and
the compressor inlet. An air-conditioning compressor or an
air-conditioning system is likewise preferred in which the
drive-chamber pressure return is connected between the filter and
the dirt particle separator, so that the drive-chamber pressure
return is also filtered. Another air-conditioning compressor or an
air-conditioning system is preferred in which the drive-chamber
pressure return is connected in the direction of flow upstream of
the dirt particle separator, so that the drive-chamber pressure
return is also cleaned of dirt particles in the dirt particle
separator.
[0008] A compressor in accordance with the present invention or an
air-conditioning system in accordance with the present invention
has the distinguishing feature that the dirt particle separator is
located outside of the compressor housing and the filter inside of
the compressor housing, and the drive-chamber pressure return is
connected in the direction of flow downstream of the filter,
between the filter and the compressor suction-pressure zone.
[0009] Another air-conditioning compressor in accordance with the
present invention or an air-conditioning system in accordance with
the present invention has the distinguishing feature that the dirt
particle separator and the filter are located outside of the
compressor housing, and the drive-chamber pressure return is
redirected in the direction of flow downstream of the filter, to
the suction pressure zone of the compressor. An air-conditioning
compressor or an air-conditioning system is likewise preferred in
which the dirt particle separator is located outside of the housing
and the filter inside of the housing, and the drive-chamber
pressure return is connected in the direction of flow upstream of
the filter, so that the drive-chamber pressure return flow is
filtered.
[0010] The present invention is described in the following with
reference to the figures, which show:
[0011] FIG. 1 schematically, in a circuit diagram, an
air-conditioning compressor according to the present invention or
an air-conditioning system according to the present invention;
[0012] FIG. 2 a second circuit diagram variant;
[0013] FIG. 3 a third circuit diagram variant;
[0014] FIG. 4 a fourth circuit diagram variant;
[0015] FIG. 5 a fifth circuit diagram variant;
[0016] FIG. 6 a sixth circuit diagram variant.
[0017] FIG. 1 schematically shows an air-conditioning compressor 1,
a dirt particle filter 3, and a dirt particle separator 5. These
three elements are located inside of the air-conditioning
compressor housing, which is represented by dashed line 7. Dirt
particle separator 5 functions in accordance with the cyclone
operating principle, the dirt particles being separated by the
action of centrifugal force along the walls of separator 5 and
being collected in a dirt-particle collecting device 9. The
refrigerant stream liberated from the dirt particles flows through
line 11 and continues to dirt particle filter 3. Downstream of dirt
particle filter 3, a connecting line 13 leads to suction-pressure
chamber 15 of compressor 1, a drive-chamber pressure return 17,
which originates at drive-chamber pressure zone 19, leading into
connecting line 13. Drive-chamber pressure returns of this kind are
generally known in the context of variable displacement
compressors, and will not be described in greater detail here. Of
fundamental importance to the present invention is the placement of
a dirt particle separator 5 in the system in order to extract dirt
particles which may be collected in a collecting space 9 and,
therefore, not be able to reach downstream filter 3. Thus, it is
not possible for a filter cake that is effective to an appreciable
degree to build up in filter 3 which, otherwise, over the course of
operation, would cause an increasing loss of pressure, that, in
turn, would be detrimental to the efficiency of the system. The
compressor itself and the above described devices constituted of
filter 3 and dirt particle separator 5 are connected at the outlet
of housing 7 to suction pressure zone 21 and, respectively, to
high-pressure zone 23 of the air-conditioning system.
[0018] The circuit diagram in FIG. 2 differs from that in FIG. 1 in
that a different drive-chamber pressure return 25 is now connected
to a suction pressure-zone line section 27 between filter 3 and
dirt particle separator 5. As a result, dirt particles from
drive-chamber pressure return 25 now pass through filter 3 in any
case, while the main suction-pressure flow from zone 21
additionally passes through dirt particle separator 5. Dirt
particles, which originate within the drive chamber, are thus
trapped in any case by filter 3 and are not carried directly to
suction pressure zone 15 of air-conditioning compressor 1, as shown
in FIG. 1.
[0019] The circuit diagram in FIG. 3 differs from those in FIG. 1
and 2 in that a different drive-chamber pressure return 29 is now
connected to a line section 31 in suction pressure zone 21, so that
drive-chamber pressure return 29 must also pass through dirt
particle separator 5, and, consequently, filter 3 connected
downstream thereof also no longer needs to trap these dirt
particles, thereby further minimizing any pressure loss and further
enhancing the efficiency of the system over the period of
operation.
[0020] In another circuit diagram in FIG. 4, dirt particle
separator 5 is located outside of air-conditioning compressor
housing 7 in a line section 33 of the air-conditioning system.
Thus, dirt particle separator 5 may be located at a separate
installation site where it is easily accessible, independently of
the installation location of the air-conditioning compressor,
thereby facilitating maintenance of collecting basin 9. In this
case, drive-chamber pressure return 17 is again provided within
compressor housing 7 and communicates with connecting line 13 and,
thus, with suction pressure zone 15 of compressor 1, as already
illustrated in FIG. 1.
[0021] In FIG. 5, both dirt particle separator 5, as well as dirt
particle filter 3 are located outside of air-conditioning
compressor housing 7. Thus, a configuration of dirt particle filter
3 that is independent of the installation location of the
air-conditioning compressor is additionally provided. However, for
that reason, drive-chamber pressure return 17 must be provided
within air-conditioning compressor housing 7 and communicate with
connecting line 13 and, thus, directly with suction pressure zone
15 of the air-conditioning compressor.
[0022] In FIG. 6, in turn, only dirt particle separator 5 is
located outside of compressor housing 7. Since filter 3 is again
located within compressor housing 7, as illustrated in FIG. 2,
drive-chamber pressure return 25 may again communicate with
connecting line 27 and thus pass through filter 3, thereby enabling
dirt particles from the drive chamber to be trapped therein.
[0023] Thus, the essential principle underlying the present
invention is the introduction of an additional dirt particle
separator 5 for extracting particles which may be collected in a
collecting space 9 and, therefore, not be able to reach downstream
filter 3. Thus, no appreciably noticeable filter cake is able to
build up in filter 3 which, otherwise, over the course of
operation, would cause an increasing loss of pressure that would be
detrimental to the efficiency of the system.
[0024] It is also an aim of the present invention for drive-chamber
outflow 25 or 29 to be linked to suction pressure zone 15 of
compressor 1 in such a way that the compressor control
characteristic is not unintentionally influenced, for example by
the increasing loss of pressure across filter 3. This may be
achieved, in particular, by returning the drive-chamber outflow via
connecting line 29 in FIG. 3 upstream of dirt particle separator 5.
It is not possible to accomplish these tasks, for example, by using
dirt separators and screen filters on the discharge side of the
machine.
LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS
[0025] 1 air-conditioning compressor [0026] 3 dirt particle filter
[0027] 5 dirt particle separator [0028] 7 air-conditioning
compressor housing [0029] 9 dirt-particle collecting device [0030]
11 line [0031] 13 connecting line leading to suction-pressure
chamber [0032] 15 suction-pressure chamber of the compressor [0033]
17 drive-chamber pressure return [0034] 19 drive-chamber pressure
zone [0035] 21 suction pressure zone of the air-conditioning system
[0036] 23 high-pressure zone of the air-conditioning system [0037]
25 drive-chamber pressure return [0038] 27 suction pressure-zone
line section [0039] 29 drive-chamber pressure return [0040] 31 line
section in the suction pressure zone [0041] 33 line section of the
air-conditioning system
* * * * *