Motor cooling and sub-cooling circuits for compressor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10184701-B2
Application number	US-201214345034-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 8, 2012
Priority date	Sep 16, 2011
Publication date	Jan 22, 2019
Grant date	Jan 22, 2019

Abstract

The disclosed refrigerant system includes a compressor having a motor that is cooled by motor cooling fluid provided to the motor from the main refrigerant loop by a motor cooling circuit. The system also includes a sub-cooling circuit to cool the motor cooling fluid.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigerant system, comprising:
a main refrigerant loop in communication with a condenser, an expansion device, an evaporator, and a compressor driven by a motor;
a motor cooling line to convey a motor cooling fluid between the main refrigerant loop and the motor; and
a sub-cooling line to convey a sub-cooling fluid between the main refrigerant loop and a sub-cooling heat exchanger, the sub-cooling heat exchanger in communication with the motor cooling line at a point upstream of the motor, and wherein the motor cooling line includes a pump upstream of the sub-cooling heat exchanger.

2. The refrigerant system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the motor cooling fluid is cooled at the sub-cooling heat exchanger.

3. The refrigerant system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the sub-cooling fluid is sourced from the condenser, and wherein the sub-cooling fluid is returned to the main refrigerant loop at one of the evaporator, a suction port of the compressor, and an economizer port of the compressor.

4. The refrigerant system as recited in claim 3 , wherein the sub-cooling line includes a sub-cooling expansion device upstream of the sub-cooling heat exchanger.

5. The refrigerant system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the sub-cooling fluid is sourced from the evaporator, and wherein the sub-cooling fluid is returned to the main refrigerant loop at one of the evaporator, a suction port of the compressor, and an economizer port of the compressor.

6. The refrigerant system as recited in claim 5 , wherein the sub-cooling line includes a pump upstream of the sub-cooling heat exchanger.

7. The refrigerant system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the sub-cooling fluid is sourced directly from the compressor, and wherein the sub-cooling fluid is returned to the main refrigerant line at a suction port of the compressor.

8. The refrigerant system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the sub-cooling fluid is sourced from an economizer, and wherein the sub-cooling fluid is returned to the main refrigerant loop at one of the evaporator, a suction port of the compressor, and an economizer port of the compressor.

9. The refrigerant system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the motor cooling fluid is sourced from one of the condenser and the evaporator.

10. The refrigerant system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the motor cooling line is in communication with a reservoir, the reservoir configured to store an amount of motor cooling fluid.

11. The refrigerant system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the motor cooling line includes a bypass line arranged in parallel with the pump.

12. The refrigerant system as recited in claim 11 , wherein the bypass line includes a flow regulator configured to selectively allow fluid to bypass the pump.

13. A system, comprising:
a motor cooling line conveying a motor cooling fluid between a main refrigerant loop and a motor, wherein the motor cooling line includes a pump to pressurize the motor cooling fluid; and
a sub-cooling line to convey a sub-cooling fluid between the main refrigerant loop and a sub-cooling heat exchanger, the sub-cooling heat exchanger in communication with the motor cooling line at a point upstream of the motor, wherein the pump of the motor cooling line is upstream of the sub-cooling heat exchanger.

14. The system as recited in claim 13 , wherein the motor cooling fluid is sourced from one of a condenser and an evaporator.

15. The system as recited in claim 13 , wherein the motor cooling fluid is sourced at a point downstream of a condenser and upstream of an expansion valve.

16. The system as recited in claim 13 , wherein the motor cooling line includes a bypass line having a solenoid valve, the bypass line arranged in parallel with the pump, the solenoid valve configured to selectively allow fluid to bypass the pump.

Assignees

• Sun Lin
• Bishop Paul D
• Lin Huai Yu
• Alvares Jose
• Veerasurla Ramesh
• Danfoss As

Inventors

• Sun Lin
• Bishop Paul D
• Lin Huai Yu
• Alvares Jose
• Veerasurla Ramesh

Classifications

• F25B2400/13

  Economisers · CPC title

• F25B31/008

  by injecting a liquid · CPC title

• F25B31/006 Primary

  Cooling of compressor or motor · CPC title

• F25B40/02

  Subcoolers · CPC title

• F25B1/005

  of the single unit type (F25B1/10 takes precedence) · CPC title