Chiller motor with cooling flow path

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11609030-B2
Application number	US-201816495776-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 23, 2018
Priority date	Mar 24, 2017
Publication date	Mar 21, 2023
Grant date	Mar 21, 2023

Abstract

A cooling system for a motor to power a compressor in a vapor compression system is provided. The cooling system includes a housing with a cavity enclosing the motor and defining a central axis and fluid directing features extending into the cavity and oriented parallel to the central axis. The cooling system further includes a fluid circuit configured to circulate a cooling fluid between the housing and the motor. The fluid circuit includes a first cooling fluid path defined by directing features that cause a first portion of cooling fluid to travel around a first portion of the motor and a second cooling fluid path defined by fluid directing features that cause a second portion of cooling fluid to travel around a second portion of the motor. The second portion of the motor is located opposite the first portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cooling system for a motor to power a compressor in a vapor compression system, the cooling system comprising:
a housing comprising:
a cavity enclosing the motor and defining a central axis;
a plurality of fluid directing features extending radially inward into the cavity toward the central axis, wherein each fluid directing feature of the plurality of fluid directing features extends linearly along the central axis;
a first connection disposed at a bottom of the housing and configured to receive a cooling fluid from a condenser assembly of the vapor compression system; and
a second connection disposed at a top of the housing and configured to remove the cooling fluid from the housing, wherein the first connection and the second connection extend along one or more axes extending cross-wise to the central axis, and wherein the plurality of fluid directing features, the first connection, and the second connection are disposed at a common axial location along the central axis; and

a fluid circuit configured to circulate the cooling fluid between the housing and the motor, the fluid circuit comprising:
a first cooling fluid path defined at least partially by the plurality of fluid directing features that cause a first portion of the cooling fluid to travel around a first portion of the motor, and
a second cooling fluid path defined at least partially by the plurality of fluid directing features that cause a second portion of the cooling fluid to travel around a second portion of the motor, wherein the second portion of the motor is located opposite the first portion of the motor.

2. The cooling system of claim 1 , wherein the first cooling fluid path and the second cooling fluid path are serpentine-shaped.

3. The cooling system of claim 1 , wherein the cooling fluid is a low pressure refrigerant having an operating pressure of less than 400 kPa.

4. The cooling system of claim 3 , wherein the low pressure refrigerant is R1233zd.

5. The cooling system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more axes comprise a vertical axis extending perpendicular to the central axis.

6. An induction motor for a chiller assembly, the induction motor comprising:
a stator having a cylindrical shape with an interior surface and an exterior surface, the cylindrical shape defining a central axis;
a rotor coupled to a shaft, the rotor and the shaft configured to rotate within the interior surface of the stator about the central axis; and
a housing configured to at least partially encapsulate the stator, the housing comprising:
a plurality of fluid directing protrusions extending radially inward toward the central axis, the plurality of fluid directing protrusions configured to define a first cooling fluid path for a first portion of a cooling fluid and a second cooling fluid path for a second portion of the cooling fluid, wherein each fluid directing protrusion of the plurality of fluid directing protrusions extends linearly along the central axis;
a first connection disposed at a bottom of the housing and configured to receive the cooling fluid from a condenser assembly of the chiller assembly; and
a second connection disposed at a top of the housing and configured to remove the cooling fluid from the housing, wherein the first connection and the second connection extend along an axis extending perpendicular to the central axis, and wherein the first connection and the second connection overlap with the plurality of fluid directing protrusions along the central axis;

wherein the first cooling fluid path and the second cooling fluid path are serpentine-shaped.

7. The induction motor of claim 6 , further comprising a motor jacket coupled to the exterior surface of the stator.

8. The induction motor of claim 7 , wherein the first cooling fluid path is located between the housing and a first portion of the motor jacket, and wherein the second cooling fluid path is located between the housing and a second portion of the motor jacket, the first portion of the motor jacket located opposite the second portion of the motor jacket.

9. The induction motor of claim 6 , wherein the cooling fluid is a low pressure refrigerant having an operating pressure of less than 400 kPa.

10. A vapor compression system, comprising:
a centrifugal compressor directly driven by an induction motor, a condenser, and an evaporator connected in a closed loop configured to circulate a refrigerant;
wherein the induction motor comprises:
a stator;
a rotor coupled to a shaft, the rotor and the shaft configured to rotate about a central axis within the stator; and
a housing comprising:
a cavity configured to at least partially encapsulate the stator;
a plurality of refrigerant directing protrusions extending radially inward toward the central axis and into the cavity and configured to define a first refrigerant path for a first portion of the refrigerant, and a second refrigerant path for a second portion of the refrigerant, wherein each refrigerant directing protrusion of the plurality of refrigerant directing protrusions extends linearly along the central axis;
an inlet disposed at a bottom of the housing and configured to receive the refrigerant from the condenser; and
an outlet disposed a top of the housing and configured to remove the refrigerant from the housing, wherein the inlet and the outlet extend along one or more axes extending cross-wise to the central axis, and wherein the plurality of refrigerant directing protrusions, the inlet, and the outlet are disposed at a common axial location along the central axis.

11. The vapor compression system of claim 10 , wherein the first refrigerant path and the second refrigerant path are serpentine-shaped.

12. The vapor compression system of claim 10 , further comprising a motor jacket coupled to the stator, wherein the first refrigerant path is located between the cavity and a first portion of the motor jacket, and wherein the second refrigerant path is located between the cavity and a second portion of the motor jacket, the first portion of the motor jacket located opposite the second portion of the motor jacket.

13. The vapor compression system of claim 10 , wherein the refrigerant is a low pressure refrigerant having an operating pressure of less than 400 kPa.

Assignees

• Johnson Controls Tech Co
• Johnson Controls Tyco IP Holdings LLP

Inventors

• Heisey Matthew L
• Snell Paul W

Classifications

• F04D29/5806

  Cooling the drive system · CPC title

• F25B31/006 Primary

  Cooling of compressor or motor · CPC title

• H02K9/19

  for machines with closed casing and closed-circuit cooling using a liquid cooling medium, e.g. oil · CPC title

• F04C2240/603

  with internal channels for fluid distribution, e.g. hollow shaft · CPC title

• Y02B30/70

  Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating · CPC title