Arthur D. Little, Inc.

Daikin Industries, Ltd.

John E McCullough

Ronald J Forni

Yoshitaka Shibamoto

Hiromichi Ueno

Hiroyuki Taniwa

William P Hidden

Shigeki Hagiwara

Robert M Lucas

Niels O Young

John Thomas Dieckmann

Thomas P Hosmer

Allen E Armstrong

Robert W Shaffer

Katsumi Sakitani

Richard J Whitehead

A scroll type fluid machinery which is provided with: a first scroll and a second scroll which moves with respect to the first scroll, where the base of the first scroll is provided with suction bores perforating through the base from the rear surface thereof to the front surface, and open at the outer peripheral portion of the front surface of the base, so that fluid released into an internal space of the body casing passes through the suction bores, and into the suction sides of compression volumes formed between spiral members of the scrolls, whereby suction pressure in the compression volumes is maximized and volumetric efficiency is improved.

Scroll apparatus with reduced inlet pressure drop

A thermal isolation arrangement for use in a co-rotating scroll refrigerant compressor includes various thermal insulation elements adapted to minimize heat transfer between hot rotating members of the scroll fluid device and the return refrigerant to be compressed, and between hot lubricant in the compressor and the return refrigerant. The thermal isolation elements of the present invention may be used individually or collectively to minimize the preheating of the inlet refrigerant so as to maintain the density of the return refrigerant being compressed to thereby increase the total efficiency of the scroll fluid device.

Thermal isolation arrangement for scroll fluid device

A bearing and lubrication system for a sealed, integrated motor driven co-rotating scroll refrigerant compressor includes hydrostatic bearings and an independent motor driven lubricant supply pump for supplying lubricant to the hydrostatic bearings mounting in the housing. The housing is divided into a high-pressure section that receives compressed refrigerant and a low pressure section containing the involute scroll compressor wraps. Individual lubricant supply sumps are provided in the high and lower pressure housing sections for supplying lubricant to the compressor bearings. The lubricant pump is capable of drawing lubricant from one or both of the lubricant supply sumps. A lubricant level sensor associated with one of the low or high pressure housing sumps is provided to maintain a desired level of lubricant therein. The lubricant supply pump is controlled so that pressure is supplied to the hydrostatic bearings during compressor operation. The lubricant may be pressurized by compressed refrigerant in the high-pressure housing section for supply to the compressor bearings with or without operation of the lubricant supply pump.

Bearing and lubrication system for a scroll fluid device

An expander driven compressor assembly is disclosed comprising a scroll-type expander having at least one pair of meshed axially extending involute spiral wraps wherein one of the wraps orbits relative to the other wrap and a scroll-type compressor having at least one pair of relatively orbiting meshed axially extending involute spiral wraps. The orbital wrap of the expander is drivingly connected to the orbital wrap of the compressor through a common synchronizer and counterweight assembly. Auxiliary drive power developed by the expander and not required to drive the compressor is used to drive a power take-off shaft. In addition, expansion struts are proved to compensate for thermal expansion or contraction of the relatively orbiting scroll wraps. By this arrangement, a compact and efficient expander driven compressor assembly is achieved.

Scroll expander driven compressor assembly

An integrated, self-contained portable power and cooling system includes a combustion generator and a scroll-type expander driven by combustion gas discharged from the gas generator, wherein the expander is connected in driving relationship to a scroll air compressor that provides compressed combustion air to the gas generator. Inlet air to the gas generator may be preheated by spent combustion gas discharged from the expander. A drive shaft driven by the expander is connected to a fuel pump, an electrical generator, and a refrigerant compressor. The scroll refrigerant compressor supplies refrigerant to a condenser evaporator cooling circuit for cooling a zone directly or indirectly via an auxiliary cooling loop in heat exchange relationship with the evaporator. The system has application in a man-portable system capable of cooling an individual in a high temperature environment and supplying electrical power.

Portable self-contained power and cooling system

A tip seal supporting structure for use in a scroll fluid device includes intermeshing involute scroll elements mounted for relative orbital movement. Each of the scroll elements includes an involute spiral wrap which is secured to a respective wrap support plate at one axial end thereof. Each involute spiral wrap is provided with a tip seal in the other axial end thereof which engages with the wrap support plate of the other scroll element. One of the wrap support plates includes a substantially, centrally located fluid passage into which the innermost end of the involute spiral wrap of the other scroll element extends during a predetermined portion of the relative orbital movement between the scroll elements. In one embodiment of the invention, a tip seal supporting structure in the form of a bridge extends across a predetermined portion of this central fluid passage and functions to axially support the innermost portion of the tip seal that extends into this fluid passage during relative orbital movement of the scroll wraps to thereby prevent destructive vibrational effects, to permit the tip seals to extend into the center of the involute scrolls as much as possible, and to maximize the efficiency of the scroll fluid device. In other embodiments, the tip seal is attached to the involute spiral wrap by a fastener. In an additional embodiment, the end of the tip seal is supported by a shelf member formed integral with the involute spiral wrap.

Tip seal supporting structure for a scroll fluid device

A scroll fluid device is provided with a synchronizer arrangement that prevents relative rotation between the involute scroll wraps defining fluid working chambers while permitting the wraps to orbit relative to each other to perform work on fluid moved through the device or to expend work through the reaction of fluid moving through the device. The synchronizer comprises axially extending teeth affixed to one of the scroll support end plates interdigited with grooves affixed to the other end plate. The grooves of the synchronizer each have a width that accommodates the orbital excursion of each tooth extending into the groove such that, during orbital movement of one scroll wrap relative to the other, the teeth engage the side walls of the groove to prevent rotation of the scroll wraps relative to each other in either direction. The synchronizer also permits movement of one scroll wrap relative to the other along a line generally extending between the involute centers of the wraps in a direction that reduces the orbit radius.

Synchronizing and unloading system for scroll fluid device

A scroll fluid device is provided with a toothed ring synchronizer coupled to sprocket teeth provided of each scroll wrap back plate. The coupling between the teeth does not restrict relative axial motion between the scroll wraps and evenly distributes torque loads resulting from forces tending to rotate one wrap relative to the other between the back plates. The ring synchronizer may include internal or external teeth cooperating with adjoining sprocket teeth provided on the scroll back plates.

Scroll fluid device using flexible toothed ring synchronizer

A compact scroll compressor capable of maintaining a high efficiency when driven at variable speeds and operating at variable gas pressures. The compressor incorporates a unique swing-link driving means and means to control the flow of high-pressure fluid from the central high-pressure zone defined by the scroll members. The compressor is particularly suited for operation off an automotive engine to provide compressed refrigerant in an automotive air conditioner.

Compact scroll-type fluid compressor with swing-link driving means

Method for forming scroll members comprising an end plate having an involute wrap rigidly affixed thereto. The end plate and involute wrap are precision formed, e.g., by casting, either as an integral element or as two separate elements and then the scroll member is broached to the desired dimensional accuracy and finish. Push broaching is accomplished with an involute broaching tool which has a single terminating cutting edge on one or both sides of an involute blade cutter.

Method of fabricating scroll members

A scroll type fluid displacement apparatus, for example a refrigerant compressor, includes reinforcing ribs on the rear side of the base plate of the orbiting scroll element to provide rigidity to the base plate. Central and peripheral thrust bearings behind the base plate provide axial restraint for the orbiting scroll element, and one of the thrust bearings is arranged to maintain the fixed and orbital wrap in predetermined angular relationship. A swirling system for the fluid inlet into the scroll apparatus separates liquid from gas in the incoming fluid before it reaches the involute scroll wraps, and the tip edges of the scroll wraps are preformed so that the tip of each scroll wrap tends to expand under exposure to a differential thermal gradient between its inner and outer region to maintain a uniform tip clearance across its entire diameter under operating conditions.

Scroll type fluid displacement apparatus

Method for forming scroll members comprising an end plate having an involute wrap rigidly affixed thereto. The end plate and involute wrap are precision formed, e.g., by casting, either as an integral element or as two separate elements and then the scroll member is coined to the desired dimensional accuracy and finish. If a separate end plate and an involute wrap are provided for coining, then they are rigidly joined during coining, an embodiment which permits the use of two different materials and/or the attainment of two different surface characteristics for the involute wrap and the end plate.

Method of fabricating scroll members by coining and tools therefor

A two-piece scroll member, for use in scroll apparatus, is fabricated by seating a separately formed involute wrap in an involute channel cut in the end plate. The channel has at least one reentrant groove and the surface of the wrap is configured to engage the groove. Locking means are coined into the groove to rigidly affix the wrap to the end plate.

Method of fabricating two-piece scroll members for scroll apparatus and

A scroll-type fluid motor or pump is provided with a roller Oldham coupling and bearing for guiding the orbiting scroll wrap relative to the fixed wrap, the coupling including plural, equal diameter cylindrical rollers disposed in overlapping but equally offset cylindrical openings forming bearing surfaces for the rollers. The diameter of each roller is such as to maintain the offset distance so that the orbiting scroll wrap is precisely guided relative to a fixed scroll wrap, whereby radial loads are fully carried by large rolling surfaces provided by the rollers. A magnetic drive system for the orbiting scroll is also disclosed.

Involute scroll-type positive displacement rotary fluid apparatus with

Method and apparatus for forming scroll members comprising an end plate having an involute wrap rigidly affixed thereto. The end plate and involute wrap are precision formed, e.g., by casting, either as an integral element or as two separate elements and then the scroll member is coined to the desired dimensional accuracy and finish. If a separate end plate and an involute wrap are provided for coining, then they are rigidly joined during coining, an embodiment which permits the use of two different materials and/or the attainment of two different surface characteristics for the involute wrap and the end plate.

Growing community of inventors

Carlisle, MA, United States of America

John E McCullough