Two-stage vapor cycle compressor

Title: Two-stage vapor cycle compressor

Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Claims

The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20080199326, Two-stage vapor cycle compressor.

1. A two-stage vapor cycle compressor, comprising: a first stage impeller; a second stage impeller situated adjacent to said first stage impeller; an electric motor running on a pair of foil bearings, wherein said electric motor drives said first stage and said second stage impeller; a thrust disk including two foil bearings, wherein said thrust disk is positioned between said second stage impeller and said electric motor; and a compressor housing enclosing said first and second stage impeller and said electric motor, wherein said compressor housing forms an internal passageway; wherein said first stage impeller and said second stage impeller compress a refrigerant vapor; and wherein said refrigerant vapor flows through said passageway and cools said electric motor and said foil bearings.

2. The two-stage vapor cycle compressor of claim 1, further including a first stage diffuser integrated into said first stage impeller and a second stage diffuser integrated into said compressor housing, wherein said first stage diffuser includes a diffuser plate, and wherein said diffuser plate is also a second stage inlet return channel plate.

3. The two-stage vapor cycle compressor of claim 1, wherein said first stage impeller is a single piece casting, is shrouded, and has a diameter of about two inches, and wherein said second stage impeller is a single piece casting, is shrouded, and has a diameter of about two inches.

4. The two-stage vapor cycle compressor of claim 1, wherein said compressor housing includes: an inlet housing including a compressor inlet; a scroll housing having a second stage diffuser incorporated within and including a compressor outlet, wherein said scroll housing is positioned adjacent to and in direct contact with said inlet housing; and a motor housing including an inlet port and an outlet port, wherein said motor housing is positioned adjacent to said scroll housing, and wherein one of said journal bearings is integrated within said motor housing; wherein a single row of bolts connects said inlet housing, said scroll housing, and said motor housing with each other; and wherein each of said inlet housing, said scroll housing, and said motor housing is a single piece casting.

5. The two-stage vapor cycle compressor of claim 1, further including: a first stage diffuser and a second stage diffuser, wherein said second stage diffuser is incorporated in a scroll housing; and a first shim and a second shim; wherein said first shim aligns an exit of said first stage impeller with an inlet of said first stage diffuser; and wherein said second shim aligns an exit of said second stage impeller with an inlet of said second stage diffuser.

6. The two-stage vapor cycle compressor of claim 1, further including four radial seals positioned proximate to an inlet and an outlet of said first stage impeller and said second stage impeller, wherein said radial seal proximate to said outlet of said second stage impeller is a segmented seal, and wherein said segmented seal supplies said foil bearings included in said thrust disk and a first of said foil bearings said electric motor is running on with a controlled flow of said refrigerant vapor.

7. The two-stage vapor cycle compressor of claim 1, further including a cooling port, wherein said cooling port is positioned proximate to an inlet of said second stage impeller, and wherein said cooling port supplies a rotor bore of said electric motor and a second of said foil bearings said electric motor is running on with a controlled flow of said refrigerant vapor.

8. The two-stage vapor cycle compressor of claim 1, further including a plurality of multiple “o”-rings, wherein said multiple “o”-rings prevent leakage of said refrigerant vapor from an inside of said compressor an outside of said compressor.

9. The two-stage vapor cycle compressor of claim 1, wherein said electric motor is an alternating current multi-pole permanent magnet electric motor running at speeds above about 50,000 rotations per minute, wherein said electric motor operates sensorless, and wherein electromagnetic field data provide information about the rotational speed and position of said electric motor.

10. The two-stage vapor cycle compressor of claim 1, wherein said compressor is a small and lightweight machine that is gravity insensitive and that withstands environmental conditions of aerospace applications.

11. A passageway of a two-stage vapor cycle compressor, comprising: a compression loop including a first stage impeller and a second stage impeller, wherein said first stage impeller and said second stage impeller compress a refrigerant vapor; a thrust bearing and forward journal bearing cooling loop, wherein a first portion of said refrigerant vapor exits said compression loop proximate to an outlet of said second impeller, and wherein said first portion of said refrigerant vapor flows over said thrust bearings and said forward journal bearing; and a rotor bore and aft journal bearing cooling loop, wherein a second portion of said refrigerant vapor exits said compression loop proximate to an inlet of said second stage impeller, and wherein said second portion of said refrigerant vapor travels axially through said rotor bore and flows over said aft journal bearing; wherein said thrust bearings, said forward journal bearing, and said aft journal bearing are foil bearings.

12. The passageway of claim 11, further including: an electric motor cooling loop, wherein a liquid refrigerant heats up from heat developed by said electric motor, changes the phase, and becomes a third portion of said refrigerant vapor, wherein said third portion of said refrigerant vapor flows through said electric motor, and wherein said first portion and said second portion of said refrigerant vapor mix with said third portion of said refrigerant vapor.

13. The passageway of claim 11, further including: a segmented seal positioned proximate to said outlet of said second stage impeller, wherein said first portion of said refrigerant vapor bypasses said segmented seal; a cooling port positioned proximate to said inlet of said second stage impeller, wherein said second portion of said refrigerant vapor may flow through said cooling port; and internal motor cavities within said electric motor; wherein said refrigerant in vapor form and said first and second portion of said refrigerant vapor flow through said internal motor cavities.

14. The passageway of claim 11, further including: a compressor housing including an inlet housing, a scroll housing, and a motor housing, wherein said motor housing accommodates said electric motor and said aft journal bearing, wherein said inlet housing and said scroll housing accommodate said first stage and said second stage impeller; and a bearing housing, wherein said bearing housing is sandwiched between said scroll housing and said motor hosing and extends vertically to be in direct contact with said motor housing and said scroll housing, wherein said bearing housing is axially positioned between said second stage impeller and said electric motor, and wherein said bearing housing accommodates said forward journal bearing and said trust bearings; wherein open cavities within said compressor housing and said bearing housing form said passageway.

15. The passageway of claim 14, wherein said inlet housing, said scroll housing, said motor housing, and said bearing housing are aluminum or aluminum alloy castings.

16. The passageway of claim 11, wherein an evaporator supplies said refrigerant vapor to said compression loop, wherein said refrigerant vapor discharges from said compression loop to a condenser, wherein said condenser supplies said refrigerant in liquid form to said electric motor cooling loop, wherein said electric motor heats up said refrigerant in liquid form, and wherein said refrigerant in vapor form and said first and second portion of said refrigerant vapor discharge from said electric motor cooling loop to said evaporator.

17. A method for operating an electrically driven two-stage vapor cycle compressor, comprises the steps of: compressing a refrigerant vapor in a first stage and in a second stage; extracting a first portion of said refrigerant vapor from the inlet to said second stage; cooling a rotor bore of an electric motor and an aft journal bearing with said first portion of said refrigerant vapor; extracting a second portion of said refrigerant vapor from the discharge of said second stage; and cooling thrust bearings and an forward journal bearing with said second portion of said refrigerant vapor.

18. The method of claim 17, further including the steps of: heating up a liquid refrigerant with heat from said electric motor; changing the phase of said liquid refrigerant to provide a third portion of said refrigerant vapor; cooling said electric motor with said third portion of refrigerant vapor; mixing said third portion of said refrigerant vapor with said first and second portion of said refrigerant vapor; and cooling said electric motor with said first, second and third portion of said refrigerant vapor.

19. The method of claim 17, further including the steps of: supplying said refrigerant vapor from an evaporator; discharging said refrigerant vapor after compression to a condenser; supplying said liquid refrigerant from said condenser; supplying said liquid refrigerant to a cooling jacket, wherein said cooling jacket is positioned between and in direct contact with an iron stack and a housing of said electric motor; cooling said iron stack and partially cooling a winding of said electric motor with said liquid refrigerant and with said third portion of said refrigerant vapor; cooling winding end turns and a rotor of said electric motor with said first, second, and third portion of said refrigerant vapor; and discharging said first, second, and third portion of said refrigerant vapor to said evaporator.

20. The method of claim 17, further including the steps of: casting a motor housing accommodating said electric motor and said aft journal bearing, a scroll housing, an inlet housing, a bearing housing accommodation said thrust bearings and said forward journal bearing, and a first stage and second stage impeller as single piece castings from an aluminum or aluminum alloy cast material; using a pressure die-casting, investment casting, or injection molding process to manufacture said motor housing, said scroll housing, said inlet housing, said bearing housing, and said first stage and said second stage impeller; and forming a passageway for said refrigerant vapor to travel in with said motor housing, said scroll housing, said inlet housing, and said bearing housing.

Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Claims

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Previous Patent Application:
Compression system, multicylinder rotary compressor, and refrigeration apparatus using the same
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Apparatus and method for compressing a gas
Industry Class:
Pumps

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