Carrier Corporation

Bitzer Kuehlmaschinenbau Gmbh

Scroll Technologies

Bitzer Kühlmaschinenbau Gmbh

Bruce A Fraser

Michael J Dormer

Wayne P Beagle

James William Bush

Peter F Kaido

Ronald J Duppert

Kyle D Wessells

Donald Yannascoli

Kurt William Robert Bessel

Robert Wilson

Timothy V Nelson

Alexander Lifson

Foster Philip Lamm

Paul J Flanigan

Russell George Lewis

Steven James Holden

L Thomas Lane

Thomas E Brendel

Yan Tang

John J DeSantis

Terry Nares

Peter J Pileski

Michael N Mantooth

Kevin D Williams

Curtis Holt, Jr

A method of operating a multiple-compressor refrigeration system is provided. This method includes the steps of supplying, via a common supply line, refrigerant gas and oil to a plurality of compressors coupled in series, and attaching an oil flow conduit between adjacent compressors of the plurality of compressors. The oil flow conduit is configured to move oil from a compressor with a relatively higher pressure to a compressor with a relatively lower pressure. The method further includes controlling the pressure for each of the plurality of compressors by regulating a speed at which each of the plurality of compressors operates in order to maintain a pressure differential between the adjacent compressors to facilitate the flow of oil from the compressor with the relatively higher pressure to the compressor with the relatively lower pressure.

Oil distribution in multiple-compressor systems utilizing variable speed

A refrigeration system with two or more compressors configured to compress a flow of refrigerant with oil entrained therein. A suction flow piping arrangement is configured to supply a flow of refrigerant and oil to the two or more compressors. The suction flow piping arrangement has a suction header configured to carry the flow of refrigerant and oil, and a primary compressor supply conduit connected to the suction header. The primary compressor supply conduit supplies refrigerant and oil to a first compressor of the two or more compressors. A secondary compressor supply conduit branches off from the suction header. The secondary compressor supply conduit supplies refrigerant to a second compressor of the two or more compressors. The primary compressor supply conduit is configured to supply more oil to the first compressor than the secondary compressor supply conduit supplies to the second compressor.

Suction header arrangement for oil management in multiple-compressor systems

A refrigeration system with at least three compressors connected in a circuit. Each compressor has a housing with an oil sump. The oil sump is adapted to contain oil that defines an oil level. A supply line supplies refrigerant and entrained oil to each of the at least three compressors. The oil sump of each compressor has at least one oil port. Each oil port is disposed at an elevation that is equal to or minimally higher than the level of oil to promote equalization of oil levels in each compressor. There are a plurality of separate conduits which are not directly connected, but connected through the oil sumps of separate compressors. At least one compressor includes an oil sump extension having connections for the separate conduits. Each oil port is connected to the separate conduits or an oil sump extension. Each separate conduit connects a pair of compressors.

Oil equalization configuration for multiple compressor systems containing three or more compressors

A method of operating a refrigeration system having at least three compressors, in which each compressor has an oil sump with oil at an oil level. The method includes separately connecting the oil sumps of the at least three compressors. Each separate connection allows oil flow only between the oil sumps of two of said compressors thereby preventing bypass flow. The method further includes flowing oil between oil sumps of the at least three compressors and along the separate connections to tend to equalize the oil levels among the oil sumps of the at least three compressors.

A refrigeration system includes a plurality of compressors connected in series with each other. Each compressor has an oil sump located in a gravitational bottom of the compressor. A common supply line supplies refrigerant and oil to each of the plurality of compressors. The plurality of compressors includes a lead compressor and one or more non-lead compressors. The common supply line is configured to return more oil to the lead compressor than to the one or more non-lead compressors. Oil sump pressures for the plurality of compressors are maintained such that the lead compressor has the highest oil sump pressure, and the oil sump pressures of the non-lead compressors are successively lower with respect to its position downstream of the lead compressor. As a result, oil is distributed between adjacent compressors from the lead compressor, which is a most upstream compressor, sequentially downstream to the one or more non-lead compressors.

Cascading oil distribution system

A compressor for compressing fluid is provided. The compressor includes a housing having a housing inlet for receiving fluid and a housing outlet for discharging the fluid. A compressing mechanism is adapted to compress the fluid toward the housing outlet. The compressing mechanism is disposed in the housing. A drive unit is operatively connected to the compressing mechanism for driving the compressing mechanism to compress fluid. A suction duct is disposed in the housing. The suction duct extends vertically downward from the housing inlet toward a sump defined in the housing. The suction duct is configured for attachment to a motor housing. The suction duct has a duct inlet fluidically connected with the housing inlet, and defines a passage fluidically connecting the duct inlet with an interior cavity of the housing. A suction gas filter disposed in the suction duct, and having a filter screen positioned downstream of the duct inlet.

Duct-mounted suction gas filter

A method of operating a refrigeration system uses a plurality of compressors in connected parallel. The method includes returning refrigerant and oil to the compressors, the refrigerant also having oil entrained therein, separating the oil entrained in the refrigerant, and returning more of the oil entrained in the refrigerant to a lead compressor of the plurality of compressors regardless of whether the lead compressor is operating. The method also includes connecting the oil sumps of all of the plurality of compressors such that oil is supplied from the lead compressor to at least one non-lead compressor of the plurality of compressors when the at least one non-lead compressor is operating.

Method of active oil management for multiple scroll compressors

A method of operating a refrigeration system, that includes providing a plurality of compressors connected in parallel. The plurality of compressors includes a plurality of scroll compressors. The method further includes returning circulated refrigerant to the plurality of compressors, the circulated refrigerant having oil entrained therein. Returning circulated refrigerant to the plurality of compressors includes returning more oil to one of the plurality of compressors than to another of the plurality of compressors. The method also includes supplying oil from one of the plurality of compressors to at least one other of the plurality of compressors. Supplying oil from one of the plurality of compressors includes supplying oil from the one of the plurality of compressors having an opening in its housing. A fitting is assembled into the opening. The fitting protrudes through the housing into an interior portion of the housing.

Apparatus and method for oil equalization in multiple-compressor systems

A compressor () has a housing () having first () and second () members. A motor () within the housing () is coupled to one or more working elements () to drive the one or more working elements () to compress a fluid. A number of electrical terminals () are each mounted in an associated aperture () in the second housing member () and electrically connected to the motor ().

Compressor terminal plate

A unique positioning of a discharge tube relative to a pivot axis of a check valve in a compressor reduces the wear and fatigue stresses on the pivoting check valve components. The tube is centered on an axis that is non-perpendicular to an axis that is parallel to the pivot axis of the check valve, and in one embodiment was at 45&#xb0;. With the inventive positioning of the discharge tube relative to the pivot axis, the flow streamlines heading from the discharge port to the discharge tube are no loner normal to the flapper valve surface, and the amount of wear between moving valve components and fatigue stresses are reduced.

Compressor with check valve orientated at angle relative to discharge tube

An abradable coating is formed on portions of the flank wall of the wraps of a scroll compressor. The radially outer portions of the flank wall are left uncoated, and can bear a force between the scroll wraps. In this manner, the load is not transferred through a coated portion, but rather through the uncoated portion. As the scroll wraps move relative to each other at run-in, the abradable coating wears away leaving a tight fit between the flank walls at the radially inner locations.

Scroll compressor with wrap walls provided with an abradable coating and a load-bearing surface at radially outer locations

A scroll compressor is provided with a generally spiral wrap having an abradable or conformable coating on radially inner portions of its tip. The coating is not applied to radially outer portions. During operation of the scroll compressor, the coating will eliminate tip gap leakage adjacent radially inner, higher discharge pressure portions of the compression process. The outer, non-coated portions will bear the axial load, and ensure the coating will not wear away to an undue amount.

Scroll wrap tip with abradable selectively applied coating and load-bearing surface

An axial slide valve is provided with an axially extending fluid chamber at each end with one chamber receiving a spring and being acted on by suction pressure and the other chamber coacting with a fixed piston and being acted upon by discharge pressure or the like whereby the slide valve is positioned so as to balance the spring and fluid pressures and thereby the compressor capacity.

Compact control mechanism for axial motion control valves in helical screw compressors

In its unstressed state, a suction valve is spaced from its valve seat such that the suction valve must be deformed against its inherent spring force in order to achieve seating. The spring force due to deformation provides an opening bias to the suction valve such that it opens earlier in the suction stroke and offsets the effects of adhesion due to the presence of oil between the seating surface and the valve.

Normally unseated suction valve

The seat of a suction valve of a reciprocating compressor is modified to limit the radial extent and thereby the area in which an annular oil film can be established between the valve and the valve seat. The preferred radial extent of the seating surface is 0.014 to 0.018 inches and the preferred ratio of the area of the suction valve seat to the passage therethrough is in the range of 13% to 25%.

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Manlius, NY, United States of America

Bruce A Fraser