Reciprocating compressor system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9938967-B2
Application number	US-201514880867-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 12, 2015
Priority date	Oct 29, 2014
Publication date	Apr 10, 2018
Grant date	Apr 10, 2018

Abstract

A compressor may include a crankcase, a crankshaft, a piston, a discharge valve and a suction plenum. The crankcase defines a discharge plenum receiving working fluid at a first pressure. The crankshaft is disposed within the discharge plenum. The piston is drivingly connected to the crankshaft and reciprocatingly received in a cylinder. The piston and cylinder cooperate to define a compression chamber therebetween. The discharge valve may control fluid flow through a discharge passage between the compression chamber and the discharge plenum. The suction plenum may receive working fluid at a second pressure that is less than the first pressure. The suction plenum may provide working fluid at the second pressure to the compression chamber.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A compressor comprising:
a crankcase defining an interior volume;
a crankshaft disposed within said crankcase;
first and second pistons drivingly connected to said crankshaft;
first and second cylinders reciprocatingly receiving said first and second pistons, respectively, said first piston and said first cylinder defining a first compression chamber therebetween, said second piston and said second cylinder defining a second compression chamber therebetween;
a first suction plenum attached to said first cylinder and from which said first compression chamber draws working fluid, said first suction plenum including a first inlet through which working fluid flows into said first suction plenum;
a first discharge passage extending through said first piston and through which compressed working fluid flows from said first compression chamber to said interior volume of said crankcase; and
a second suction plenum attached to said second cylinder and from which said second compression chamber draws working fluid, said second suction plenum including a second inlet through which working fluid flows into said second suction plenum from said interior volume of said crankcase,
wherein said second suction plenum includes a third inlet through which working fluid flows into said second suction plenum, wherein said third inlet is fluid isolated from said interior volume of said crankcase.

2. The compressor of claim 1 , wherein said crankcase includes a fluid-injection inlet through which working fluid bypasses said first compression chamber.

3. The compressor of claim 1 , wherein a motor driving said crankshaft is disposed in said interior volume of said crankcase.

4. The compressor of claim 1 , further comprising a second discharge passage in fluid communication with said second compression chamber and through which compressed working fluid from said second compression chamber exits the compressor.

5. The compressor of claim 4 , further comprising a third discharge passage fluidly coupled to said interior volume of said crankcase and through which working fluid exits the compressor.

6. The compressor of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first valve controlling fluid flow into said first suction plenum through said first inlet;
a second valve controlling fluid flow into said second suction plenum through said second inlet; and
a third valve controlling fluid flow into said second suction plenum through said third inlet.

7. The compressor of claim 6 , wherein said crankcase includes a liquid-injection inlet through which liquid working fluid bypasses said first compression chamber, and wherein said crankcase includes a vapor-injection inlet through which vapor working fluid bypasses said first compression chamber.

8. The compressor of claim 7 , further comprising:
a fourth valve controlling a flow of said vapor working fluid into said interior volume of said crankcase through said vapor-injection inlet; and
a fifth valve controlling a flow of said liquid working fluid into said interior volume of said crankcase through said liquid-injection inlet.

9. The compressor of claim 8 , further comprising a control module operable to switch the compressor between first, second, third, fourth and fifth operating modes,
wherein the control module opens the first, second and fourth valves and closes the third and fifth valves in the first operating mode,
wherein the control module opens the first, third and fifth valves and closes the second and fourth valves in the second operating mode,
wherein the control module opens the first and fifth valves and closes the second, third and fourth valves in the third operating mode,
wherein the control module opens the third and fifth valves and closes the first, second and fourth valves in the fourth operating mode, and
wherein the control module opens the fifth valve and closes the first, second, third and fourth valves in the fifth operating mode.

10. A method comprising:
operating a compressor in a first operating mode, the compressor including a crankcase, first and second cylinders, a crankshaft disposed within an interior volume of said crankcase, first and second pistons driven by said crankshaft and reciprocatingly received in said first and second cylinders, respectively, said first piston and said first cylinder defining a first compression chamber therebetween, said second piston and said second cylinder defining a second compression chamber therebetween, said compressor including a first discharge passage through which compressed fluid flows from said first compression chamber to said interior volume of said crankcase, operating said compressor in said first operating mode includes receiving working fluid in said first and second compression chambers and compressing working fluid in said first and second compression chambers; and
operating said compressor in a second operating mode in which working fluid is received in and compressed in one of said first and second compression chambers and in which working fluid is restricted from flowing into another of said first and second compression chambers,
wherein in said first operating mode, said second compression chamber receives working fluid from said interior volume of said crankcase.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein operating said compressor in said first operating mode includes injecting intermediate-pressure working fluid into said interior volume of said crankcase, said intermediate-pressure working fluid being at a pressure higher than a pressure of working fluid entering said first compression chamber and lower than a pressure of working fluid discharged from said second compression chamber.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising selectively operating said compressor in a third operating mode in which working fluid is received in and compressed in said first and second compression chambers and in which said second compression chamber is restricted from receiving working fluid from said interior volume of said crankcase.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein in said second operating mode, working fluid is received in and compressed in said second compression chamber and working fluid is restricted from flowing into said first compression chamber.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein in said second operating mode, working fluid is received in and compressed in said first compression chamber and working fluid is restricted from flowing into said second compression chamber.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising operating said compressor in a fourth operating mode in which working fluid is received in and compressed in said second compression chamber and working fluid is restricted from flowing into said first compression chamber.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising operating said compressor in a fifth operating mode in which a motor driving said crankshaft is operating and working fluid is restricted from flowing into both of said first and second compression chambers.

17. A compressor comprising:
a crankcase defining an interior volume;
a crankshaft disposed within said crankcase;
first and second pistons drivingly connected to said crankshaft;
first and second cylinders reciprocatingly receiving said first and second pistons, respectively, said first piston and said first cylinder defining a first compression chamber therebetween, said second piston and said second cylinder defining a second compression chamber therebetween;
a first suction plenum attached to said first cylinder and from which said first compression chambe

Assignees

• Emerson Climate Technologies

Inventors

• Ignatiev Kirill M
• Perevozchikov Michael M

Classifications

• F04B39/0016

  with valve arranged in the piston · CPC title

• F04B39/0094

  crankshaft · CPC title

• F04B39/02

  Lubrication (of machines or engines in general F01M) · CPC title

• F04B39/10

  Adaptations or arrangements of distribution members · CPC title

• F04B49/22

  by means of valves (F04B49/03 takes precedence) · CPC title