Porous oil flow controller

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017022984-A1
Application number	US-201514805596-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 22, 2015
Priority date	Jul 22, 2015
Publication date	Jan 26, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A compressor comprises a housing having a hollow interior for communicating a fluid comprising a mixture of a gas and a lubricant therethrough. The hollow interior of the housing is divided into a low pressure side and a high pressure side. The low pressure side is disposed upstream of compression mechanism and the high pressure side is disposed downstream of the compression mechanism. A porous flow controller fluidly couples the high pressure side to the low pressure side. The porous flow controller is configured to meter a flow of the lubricant from the high pressure side to the low pressure side.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A compressor comprising:
a housing having a hollow interior for communicating a fluid therethrough, the hollow interior of the housing divided into a low pressure side and a high pressure side; and a porous flow controller fluidly coupling the high pressure side to the low pressure side, wherein the porous flow controller is configured to meter a flow of the fluid from the high pressure side to the low pressure side.

2 . The compressor of claim 1 , further comprising a compression mechanism, wherein the low pressure side is disposed upstream of the compression mechanism in a direction of flow of the fluid and the high pressure side is disposed downstream of the compression mechanism.

3 . The compressor of claim 1 , wherein an oil separator is disposed in the high pressure side upstream of the porous flow controller in a direction of flow of the fluid.

4 . The compressor of claim 1 , wherein the fluid comprises a mixture of a gaseous refrigerant and an oil.

5 . The compressor of claim 4 , wherein a portion of the fluid being metered by the porous flow controller comprises a higher percentage of the oil by volume than the gaseous refrigerant.

6 . The compressor of claim 4 , wherein the oil flows directly from the high pressure side to the low pressure side through the porous flow controller.

7 . The compressor of claim 1 , wherein the porous flow controller is formed in one of a sintering process, a liquid foaming process, or a replication casting process.

8 . The compressor of claim 1 , wherein the hollow interior of the housing includes a conduit fluidly coupling the high pressure side to the low pressure side and the porous flow controller extends across an entirety of a cross-section of the conduit.

9 . The compressor of claim 1 , wherein the hollow interior of the housing does not include a filter disposed adjacent the porous flow controller.

10 . A compressor comprising:
a housing having a hollow interior for communicating a fluid comprising a mixture of a gas and a lubricant therethrough, the hollow interior of the housing divided into a low pressure side and a high pressure side; a compression mechanism, wherein the low pressure side is disposed upstream of the compression mechanism in a direction of flow of the fluid and the high pressure side is disposed downstream of the compression mechanism; a porous flow controller fluidly coupling the high pressure side to the low pressure side, wherein the porous flow controller is configured to meter a flow of the lubricant from the high pressure side to the low pressure side; and an oil separator disposed in the high pressure side.

11 . The compressor of claim 10 , wherein the oil separator is disposed upstream of the porous flow controller in a direction of flow of the fluid.

12 . The compressor of claim 10 , wherein the gas is a refrigerant and the lubricant is a lubricating oil.

13 . The compressor of claim 10 , wherein the oil separator is disposed in a chamber formed in the high pressure side, the chamber defined by a wall including:
a fluid inlet formed therein and fluidly coupling the compression mechanism to the chamber; a first fluid outlet formed therein and fluidly coupling the chamber to a discharge port of the housing; and a second fluid outlet formed therein and fluidly coupling the chamber to the low pressure side, wherein the porous flow controller is disposed in the second fluid outlet.

14 . The compressor of claim 13 , wherein a sump is formed in the chamber adjacent the second fluid outlet.

15 . The compressor of claim 13 , wherein the porous flow controller extends across an entirety of a cross-section of the second fluid outlet.

16 . The compressor of claim 13 , wherein the second fluid outlet does not include a filter disposed therein.

17 . A method of operating a compressor comprising the steps of:
providing a compressor having a housing with a hollow interior for communicating a fluid mixture of a gas and a lubricant therethrough, the hollow interior of the housing divided into a low pressure side and a high pressure side; separating at least a portion of the lubricant from the fluid mixture within the high pressure side; and metering a flow of the at least a portion of the lubricant from the high pressure side to the low pressure side through a porous flow controller.

18 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising the step of compressing the fluid mixture prior to the fluid mixture entering the high pressure side.

19 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the porous flow controller is disposed in a conduit formed in the housing, the conduit fluidly coupling the high pressure side to the low pressure side.

20 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising the step of filtering debris from the at least a portion of the lubricant as the lubricant is metered through the porous flow controller.

Assignees

• Halla Visteon Climate Control

Inventors

• White Steven C
• Bhatia Kanwal

Classifications

• F05C2253/14

  Foam · CPC title

• F04B39/04

  Measures to avoid lubricant contaminating the pumped fluid · CPC title

• F04C18/02

  of arcuate-engagement type, i.e. with circular translatory movement of co-operating members, each member having the same number of teeth or tooth-equivalents · CPC title

• F04B39/0207 Primary

  with lubrication control systems · CPC title

• F04C29/026

  Lubricant separation · CPC title