Compressor with cooled air passage and liquid coolant passage in axial heat exchanger arrangement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11359645-B2
Application number	US-202016820861-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 17, 2020
Priority date	Mar 17, 2020
Publication date	Jun 14, 2022
Grant date	Jun 14, 2022

Abstract

A compressor device includes a motor cooling system that provides a first flow of a first fluid through a housing for cooling a motor. The motor cooling system includes a first fluid flow section at a first axial position. The first fluid flow section extends in a downstream direction radially with respect to the axis of rotation. Also, the device includes a bearing cooling system that provides a second flow of a second fluid through the housing for cooling the bearing. The bearing cooling system includes a second flow section at a second axial position that is spaced apart axially from the first axial position. The second flow section extends in a downstream direction radially with respect to the axis of rotation. The first flow section and the second flow section are disposed in a heat exchanger arrangement configured to transfer heat between the second fluid and the first fluid.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A compressor device comprising:
a housing;
a rotating group with a compressor wheel;
a bearing that supports rotation of the rotating group within the housing about an axis of rotation;
a motor that drives rotation of the rotating group about the axis of rotation;
a motor cooling system that provides a first flow of a first fluid through the housing for cooling the motor, the motor cooling system including a first fluid flow section at a first axial position, the first fluid flow section extending in a radial downstream direction of the first flow of the first fluid with respect to the axis of rotation;
a bearing cooling system that provides a second flow of a second fluid through the housing for cooling the bearing, the bearing cooling system including a second flow section at a second axial position that is spaced apart axially from the first axial position, the second flow section extending in a radial downstream direction of the second flow of the second fluid with respect to the axis of rotation, the second flow section extending in a circumferential downstream direction of the second flow of the second fluid about the axis of rotation; and
the first flow section and the second flow section disposed in a heat exchanger arrangement configured to transfer heat between the second fluid and the first fluid.

2. The compressor device of claim 1 , wherein the second flow section includes at least one arcuate segment that extends arcuately about the axis of rotation.

3. The compressor device of claim 2 , wherein the at least one arcuate segment extends both radially and circumferentially with respect to the axis of rotation.

4. The compressor device of claim 2 , wherein the at least one arcuate segment extends at a constant radius with respect to the axis of rotation.

5. The compressor device of claim 1 , wherein the second flow section includes a plurality of longitudinally straight segments, the plurality of straight segments connected end-to-end so as to extend from one side of the axis of rotation to an opposite side of the axis of rotation.

6. The compressor device of claim 1 , wherein the second flow section extends from one side of the axis of rotation to an opposite side of the axis of rotation.

7. The compressor device of claim 1 , wherein the housing includes a compressor housing with a volute passage, the compressor wheel configured to compress the second fluid as the second fluid flows into the volute passage; and
wherein the bearing cooling system includes an inlet in communication with the volute passage, the second flow section being downstream of the inlet.

8. The compressor device of claim 7 , wherein the compressor housing includes a compressor inlet, wherein the compressor wheel receives the second fluid via the compressor inlet; and
wherein the bearing cooling system includes an outlet that returns the second fluid to the compressor inlet upstream of the compressor wheel.

9. The compressor device of claim 1 , further comprising a unitary housing member with a diffuser portion for compression of the second fluid and a thrust bearing portion;
wherein the first flow section is defined in the unitary housing member.

10. The compressor device of claim 9 , wherein the housing includes a motor housing that houses the motor, the motor housing having a first axial face;
wherein the unitary housing member includes a second axial face that opposes the first axial face; and
wherein the first axial face and the second axial face cooperatively define at least part of the second flow section.

11. The compressor device of claim 10 , wherein the first axial face includes at least one first recess and the second axial face includes at least one second recess; and
wherein the at least one first recess and the at least one second recess cooperatively define at least part of the second flow section.

12. The compressor device of claim 11 , wherein the motor cooling system has a third fluid flow section at a third axial position that is spaced apart axially from the first and second axial positions; and
wherein the second flow section is disposed axially between the first flow section and the third flow section.

13. The compressor device of claim 1 , wherein the second flow section extends inward toward the axis of rotation in the radial downstream direction.

14. The compressor device of claim 1 , wherein the bearing is an air bearing.

15. A method of manufacturing a compressor device comprising:
housing a rotating group of the compressor device within a housing of the compressor device, the rotating group including a compressor wheel;
housing a motor of the compressor device in the housing, the motor configured to drive rotation of the rotating group about an axis of rotation;
supporting rotation of the rotating group within the housing about the axis of rotation with a bearing of the compressor device;
providing a motor cooling system that provides a first flow of a first fluid through the housing for cooling the motor, the motor cooling system including a first fluid flow section at a first axial position, the first fluid flow section extending in a radial downstream direction of the first flow of the first fluid with respect to the axis of rotation;
providing a bearing cooling system that provides a second flow of a second fluid through the housing for cooling the bearing, the bearing cooling system including a second flow section at a second axial position that is spaced apart axially from the first axial position, the second flow section extending in a radial downstream direction of the second flow of the second fluid with respect to the axis of rotation, the second flow section extending in a circumferential downstream direction of the second flow of the second fluid about the axis of rotation; and
disposing the first flow section and the second flow section in a heat exchanger arrangement configured to transfer heat between the second fluid and the first fluid.

16. A compressor device comprising:
a housing that includes a compressor housing, a motor housing, and an internal member, wherein the compressor housing has an inlet, a diffuser area, and a volute passage, and wherein the internal member has a diffuser portion proximate the diffuser area and a thrust bearing portion;
a rotating group with a compressor wheel;
a bearing that supports rotation of the rotating group within the housing about an axis of rotation;
a motor that drives rotation of the rotating group about the axis of rotation such that the compressor wheel compresses air flowing from the inlet, through the diffuser area, and into the volute passage;
a motor cooling system that provides a first flow of a liquid coolant through the motor housing for cooling the motor and partly through the internal member of the housing, the motor cooling system including a first fluid flow section at a first axial position, the first fluid flow section extending in a radial downstream direction of the first flow of the first fluid with respect to the axis of rotation;
a bearing cooling system that receives an amount of the air from the volute passage and provides a second flow of the air through the housing for cooling the bearing, the bearing cooling system including a second flow section at a second axial position that is spaced apart axially from the first axial position, the second flow section extending in a radial downstream direction of the second flow of the second fluid with respect to the axis of rotation, the second flow section extending inward toward the axis of rotation in the radial

Assignees

• Garrett Transportation I Inc

Inventors

• Chavez Castellanos Carlos
• Spathias Adonis
• Dullack Kristian
• Gonzalez Manuel

Classifications

• F04D29/0513

  hydrostatic; hydrodynamic thrust bearings · CPC title

• F04D29/5826 Primary

  Cooling at least part of the working fluid in a heat exchanger · CPC title

• F04D29/601

  specially adapted for elastic fluid pumps · CPC title

• F04D29/057

  hydrostatic; hydrodynamic · CPC title

• F04D13/0653

  the motor being flooded · CPC title