Components for compressors having electroless coatings on wear surfaces

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2015118090-A1
Application number	US-201414527484-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 29, 2014
Priority date	Oct 30, 2013
Publication date	Apr 30, 2015
Grant date	—

Abstract

Carbon dioxide compressors having one or more coatings with wear surfaces having electroless surface coatings are provided. Alternatively, propane compressors are contemplated having wear surface coatings. The coating is electrolessly applied and may comprise nickel and wear resistant particles, such as boron nitride. The electroless surface coatings for use with compressor machines improve corrosion and wear resistance, as well as anti-friction properties for compressors processing CO 2 or C 3 H 8 containing refrigerants. In certain aspects, a scroll machine has an Oldham coupling and/or lower bearing comprising aluminum and has an electroless surface coating comprising nickel boron nitride particles disposed on one or more wear surfaces. In other aspects, a reciprocating compressor has a wear surface, such as on a connecting rod and/or piston coated with an electrolessly applied nickel and boron nitride particle layer. Methods for making the electroless surface coatings are also provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A compressor comprising:
a compressor component comprising aluminum and having at least one wear surface with an electroless surface coating comprising nickel having a hardness of greater than or equal to about 40 to less than or equal to about 63 on a Rockwell C Hardness Scale, wherein the compressor is configured to process a refrigerant selected from the group: carbon dioxide, propane, and combinations thereof, wherein the compressor component having the at least one wear surface with the electroless surface coating is capable of use for at least greater than or equal to about 1,000 hours of compressor operation.

2 . The compressor of claim 1 , wherein the compressor is a scroll compressor further comprising:
a first scroll member having a discharge port and a first spiral wrap; a second scroll member having a second spiral wrap, the first and second spiral wraps being mutually intermeshed; and a motor for causing the second scroll member to orbit with respect to the first scroll member, wherein the compressor component having the at least one wear surface with the electroless surface coating is an Oldham coupling keyed to the second scroll member and another component to prevent rotational movement of the second scroll member.

3 . The compressor of claim 1 , wherein the compressor is a scroll compressor further comprising:
a first scroll member having a discharge port and a first spiral wrap; a second scroll member having a second spiral wrap, the first and second spiral wraps being mutually intermeshed; a motor for rotating a shaft that causes the second scroll member to orbit with respect to the first scroll member; and a lower bearing mounted to a terminal end of the shaft opposite to the second scroll member, wherein the compressor component having the at least one wear surface with the electroless surface coating is the lower bearing.

4 . The compressor of claim 1 , wherein the compressor is a reciprocating compressor, further comprising:
a motor and a crank shaft; a piston drivingly connected to the crank shaft with a connecting rod; and a uni-body member including a body portion defining a cylinder for receiving the piston for reciprocating movement therein and a head portion defining a discharge passage in communication with the cylinder, and the compressor component having the at least one wear surface with the electroless surface coating is selected from the group consisting of: the piston, the cylinder, the connecting rod, and combinations thereof.

5 . The compressor of claim 1 , wherein the electroless surface coating further comprises a wear resistance particle selected from the group consisting of: boron nitride, silicon carbide, titanium carbonitride, titanium nitride, diamond, polytetrafluoroethylene, and combinations thereof.

6 . The compressor of claim 1 , wherein the electroless surface coating further comprises a cubic boron nitride particle or a hexagonal boron nitride particle.

7 . The compressor of claim 1 , wherein the compressor comprising the compressor component having the at least one wear surface with the electroless surface coating provides less than or equal to about 5% loss of coefficient of performance (COP) over 1,000 hours of compressor operation.

8 . The compressor of claim 1 , wherein the electroless surface coating further comprises a boron nitride particle and the at least one wear surface of the compressor component further comprises a sublayer of electroless nickel disposed beneath the electroless surface coating.

9 . The compressor of claim 8 , wherein the sublayer of electroless nickel comprises phosphorous at greater than or equal to about 5% by weight to less than or equal to about 15% by weight of the sublayer and has a thickness of greater than or equal to about 0.002 inches to less than or equal to about 0.0025 inches.

10 . The compressor of claim 1 , wherein the electroless surface coating further comprises phosphorous at greater than or equal to about 4% by weight to less than or equal to about 6% by weight of the electroless surface coating, boron nitride particles at greater than or equal to about 6% by weight to less than or equal to about 8% by weight of the electroless surface coating, and a balance of nickel, wherein the nickel and the phosphorus define a matrix having the boron nitride particles distributed therein.

11 . The compressor of claim 1 , wherein the compressor component comprises an aluminum alloy selected from the group consisting of: A-380 aluminum alloy, A-383 aluminum alloy, and combinations thereof.

12 . A scroll machine comprising:
a first scroll member having a discharge port and a first spiral wrap; a second scroll member having a second spiral wrap, the first and second spiral wraps being mutually intermeshed; a motor for causing the second scroll member to orbit with respect to the first scroll member, wherein the scroll machine is configured to process a refrigerant selected from the group: carbon dioxide, propane, and combinations thereof; and an Oldham coupling keyed to the second scroll member and another component to prevent rotational movement of the second scroll member, wherein the Oldham coupling comprises aluminum and has at least one wear surface comprising an electroless surface coating comprising nickel and a wear resistant particle.

13 . The scroll machine of claim 12 , wherein the wear resistant particle is selected from the group consisting of: boron nitride, silicon carbide, titanium carbonitride, titanium nitride, diamond, polytetrafluoroethylene, and combinations thereof.

14 . The scroll machine of claim 12 , wherein the wear resistant particle comprises a cubic boron nitride particle or a hexagonal boron nitride particle.

15 . The scroll machine of claim 14 , wherein the electroless surface coating comprises greater than or equal to about 6% by weight to less than or equal to about 8% by weight of the wear resistant particle comprising the cubic boron nitride particle or the hexagonal boron nitride particle in the surface coating.

16 . The scroll machine of claim 12 , wherein the Oldham coupling comprises an aluminum alloy selected from the group consisting of: A-380 aluminum alloy, A-383 aluminum alloy, and combinations thereof.

17 . The scroll machine of claim 12 , wherein the wear resistant particle comprises boron nitride and the electroless surface coating further comprises phosphorous at greater than or equal to about 4% by weight to less than or equal to about 6% by weight of the surface coating, wherein the nickel and the phosphorus define a matrix having the boron nitride particles distributed therein.

18 . The scroll machine of claim 12 , wherein the electroless surface coating has a hardness of greater than or equal to about 40 to less than or equal to about 63 on a Rockwell C Hardness Scale.

19 . The scroll machine of claim 12 , wherein the at least one wear surface further comprises a sublayer of electroless nickel disposed beneath the electroless surface coating having a thickness of greater than or equal to about 0.002 inches to less than or equal to about 0.0025 inches.

20 . The scroll machine of claim 19 , wherein the sublayer of electroless nickel further comprises phosphorous at greater than or equal to about 5% by weight to less than or equal to about 15% by weight of the sublayer.

Assignees

• Emerson Climate Technologies

Inventors

• Lachey Carl Joseph
• Maurer Eric Anthony

Classifications

• F04C15/0057 Primary

  Driving elements, brakes, couplings, transmission specially adapted for machines or pumps (brakes, couplings, transmissions per se F16, B60) · CPC title

• F04B1/00 Primary

  Multi-cylinder machines or pumps characterised by number or arrangement of cylinders (machines or pumps with pistons coacting within one cylinder F04B3/00) · CPC title

• F04C2/025

  the moving and the stationary member having co-operating elements in spiral form · CPC title

• F04B39/122

  Cylinder block · CPC title

• F04B39/005

  with direct action on the fluid flow using absorptive materials · CPC title