US20180274527A1 - Labyrinth seals for compressor - Google Patents
Labyrinth seals for compressor Download PDFInfo
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- US20180274527A1 US20180274527A1 US15/934,704 US201815934704A US2018274527A1 US 20180274527 A1 US20180274527 A1 US 20180274527A1 US 201815934704 A US201815934704 A US 201815934704A US 2018274527 A1 US2018274527 A1 US 2018274527A1
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- Prior art keywords
- compressor
- stepped portion
- vapor
- labyrinth seals
- refrigerant
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- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
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Classifications
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F04—POSITIVE - DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS FOR LIQUIDS OR ELASTIC FLUIDS
- F04B—POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS
- F04B39/00—Component parts, details, or accessories, of pumps or pumping systems specially adapted for elastic fluids, not otherwise provided for in, or of interest apart from, groups F04B25/00 - F04B37/00
- F04B39/04—Measures to avoid lubricant contaminating the pumped fluid
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F04—POSITIVE - DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS FOR LIQUIDS OR ELASTIC FLUIDS
- F04B—POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS
- F04B39/00—Component parts, details, or accessories, of pumps or pumping systems specially adapted for elastic fluids, not otherwise provided for in, or of interest apart from, groups F04B25/00 - F04B37/00
- F04B39/04—Measures to avoid lubricant contaminating the pumped fluid
- F04B39/041—Measures to avoid lubricant contaminating the pumped fluid sealing for a reciprocating rod
- F04B39/045—Labyrinth-sealing between piston and cylinder
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25B—REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS
- F25B31/00—Compressor arrangements
- F25B31/002—Lubrication
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25B—REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS
- F25B39/00—Evaporators; Condensers
- F25B39/02—Evaporators
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25B—REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS
- F25B39/00—Evaporators; Condensers
- F25B39/04—Condensers
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25B—REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS
- F25B2500/00—Problems to be solved
- F25B2500/16—Lubrication
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25B—REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS
- F25B2500/00—Problems to be solved
- F25B2500/22—Preventing, detecting or repairing leaks of refrigeration fluids
Definitions
- HVAC heating, ventilation and air conditioning
- One implementation of the present disclosure is a compressor configured to increase the pressure of a vapor.
- the compressor includes one or more labyrinth seals configured to prevent leakage of the vapor.
- Each of the one or more labyrinth seals includes a first stepped portion and a second stepped portion.
- Each of the first stepped portion and the second stepped portion includes a plurality of canted teeth.
- the chiller assembly includes an evaporator configured to convert a liquid refrigerant into a refrigerant vapor.
- the chiller assembly further includes a condenser configured to convert the refrigerant vapor into the liquid refrigerant.
- the chiller assembly further includes a compressor.
- the compressor includes one or more labyrinth seals configured to prevent leakage of the refrigerant vapor.
- Each of the one or more labyrinth seals includes a first stepped portion and a second stepped portion.
- Each of the first stepped portion and the second stepped portion includes a plurality of canted teeth.
- the chiller assembly further includes a suction line configured to transfer the refrigerant vapor from the evaporator to the compressor.
- the chiller assembly further includes a discharge line configured to transfer the refrigerant vapor from the compressor to the condenser.
- the chiller assembly further includes a motor assembly including a motor configured to drive the compressor.
- the motor assembly includes a shaft supported by one or more bearings.
- the method includes providing a compressor configured to increase the pressure of a vapor.
- the compressor includes one or more labyrinth seals configured to prevent leakage of the vapor.
- Each of the one or more labyrinth seals includes a first stepped portion and a second stepped portion.
- Each of the first stepped portion and the second stepped portion includes a plurality of canted teeth.
- FIG. 1 is a drawing of a chiller assembly.
- FIG. 2 is a drawing of an induction motor within the chiller assembly of FIG. 1 .
- FIG. 3 is a drawing of a conventional labyrinth seal.
- FIG. 4 is a drawing of a stepped labyrinth seal with angled teeth included in the chiller assembly of FIG. 1 .
- a chiller assembly including a compressor is shown. Also shown is a motor assembly which can be referred to herein as a motor.
- the chiller assembly can be configured to perform a refrigerant vapor compression cycle in an HVAC system.
- the compressor can include an impeller that is driven by the motor and rotates at a high speed in order to increase the pressure of a refrigerant vapor.
- the compressor includes one or more labyrinth seals configured to prevent leakage of the refrigerant vapor.
- the labyrinth seals include a first stepped portion and a second stepped portion configured to introduce a change of direction in the flow path of vapor through the labyrinth seals.
- the labyrinth seals also include a plurality of canted (i.e., angled) teeth configured to disrupt the flow of vapor through the labyrinth seals.
- the labyrinth seals are made of a high performance plastic material such as polyether ether ketone (PEEK) and/or polyamide-imide (PAI).
- PEEK polyether ether ketone
- PAI polyamide-imide
- This improved labyrinth seal design minimizes pressure loss at the impeller stage in order to drive increased capacity and performance of the compressor.
- the improved design delivers cost savings, increased efficiency, and improved performance of the chiller assembly as a whole.
- the labyrinth seal design described in the present disclosure is not limited to chiller assemblies or compressors, however, as the design can deliver improved performance in a wide variety of applications.
- Chiller assembly 100 is shown to include a compressor 102 driven by a motor 104 , a condenser 106 , and an evaporator 108 .
- a refrigerant is circulated through chiller assembly 100 in a vapor compression cycle.
- the refrigerant can be a low pressure refrigerant (e.g., R1233zd) with an operating pressure less than 400 kPa, for example.
- Chiller assembly 100 can also include a control panel 114 to control operation of the vapor compression cycle within chiller assembly 100 . Control panel 114 may be connected to an electronic network in order to share a variety of data related to maintenance, analytics, etc.
- Motor 104 can be powered by a variable speed drive (VSD) 110 .
- VSD 110 receives alternating current (AC) power having a particular fixed line voltage and fixed line frequency from an AC power source (not shown) and provides power having a variable voltage and frequency to motor 104 .
- Motor 104 can be any type of electric motor than can be powered by a VSD 110 .
- motor 104 can be a high speed induction motor.
- Compressor 102 is driven by motor 104 to compress a refrigerant vapor received from evaporator 108 through a suction line 112 . Compressor 102 then delivers compressed refrigerant vapor to condenser 106 through a discharge line.
- Compressor 102 can be a centrifugal compressor, a screw compressor, a scroll compressor, a turbine compressor, or any other type of suitable compressor.
- Evaporator 108 includes an internal tube bundle (not shown), a supply line 120 , and a return line 122 for supplying and removing a process fluid to the internal tube bundle.
- the supply line 120 and the return line 122 can be in fluid communication with a component within a HVAC system (e.g., an air handler) via conduits that circulate the process fluid.
- the process fluid is a chilled liquid for cooling a building and can be, but is not limited to, water, ethylene glycol, calcium chloride brine, sodium chloride brine, or any other suitable liquid.
- Evaporator 108 is configured to lower the temperature of the process fluid as the process fluid passes through the tube bundle of evaporator 108 and exchanges heat with the refrigerant.
- Refrigerant vapor is formed in evaporator 108 by the refrigerant liquid delivered to the evaporator 108 exchanging heat with the process fluid and undergoing a phase change to refrigerant vapor.
- Condenser 106 includes a supply line 116 and a return line 118 for circulating fluid between the condenser 106 and an external component of the HVAC system (e.g., a cooling tower).
- the fluid circulating through the condenser 106 can be water or any other suitable liquid.
- Motor 104 can be a high speed induction motor configured to directly drive a centrifugal compressor (i.e., compressor 102 ), for example.
- Motor 104 is shown to include a shaft 212 , a rotor 214 , and a stator 216 .
- Stator 216 is supplied with AC power (e.g., from VSD 110 ) and includes windings that can generate a magnetic field. The magnetic field can induce an electromagnetic force that produces a torque around the axis of rotor 214 . As a result, rotor 214 and shaft 212 begin to rotate in a circular motion.
- the shaft can be supported by one or more bearings.
- Shaft 212 can be connected to an impeller 220 of compressor 102 via a direct drive mechanism 218 .
- Impeller 220 can therefore be configured to rotate at a high speed in order to raise the pressure of refrigerant vapor within compressor 102 .
- Efficiency and performance of compressor 102 can suffer if the refrigerant vapor is allowed to escape or leak out before being transferred to condenser 106 via the discharge line.
- Motor 104 is shown to include three labyrinth seals and compressor 102 is shown to include two labyrinth seals.
- Labyrinth seal 250 can be located at the non-drive end of motor 104 while labyrinth seals 260 and 270 can be located at the drive end of motor 104 .
- These labyrinth seals can keep lubricant sealed within appropriate locations of motor 104 in order to prevent leakage.
- labyrinth seals 250 , 260 , and 270 can be located near lubricated bearings configured to support shaft 212 .
- Labyrinth seals 280 and 290 can be installed near impeller 220 of compressor 102 .
- Seals 280 and 290 can act as a high efficiency restriction to the flow of vapor or gas from one chamber of compressor 102 to another (e.g., inlet, impeller stage, discharge line, etc.). Seals 280 and 290 can be configured to prevent leakage of refrigerant vapor from compressor 102 in order to minimize pressure loss and maximize operating capacity.
- Labyrinth seals 250 , 260 , 270 , 280 , and 290 can sometimes be referred to as bearing isolators or non-contact seals. Unlike other types of seals such as lip seals, labyrinth seals 250 , 260 , and 270 do not make contact with or rub the surface of shaft 212 during operation of motor 104 .
- labyrinth seals 280 and 290 can drive an increase in capacity and efficiency of compressor 102 .
- High performance labyrinth seals 250 , 260 , 270 , 280 , and 290 can also improve overall efficiency and performance of chiller assembly 100 as a whole.
- Labyrinth seals 250 , 260 , 270 , 280 , and 290 can consist of multiple parts. For example, one part can remain stationary during operation of motor 104 while another part can be connected to shaft 212 . In this case, the two parts (e.g., stator and rotor) can interlock as shaft 212 begins to rotate in order to form an effective seal that takes the shape of a ring.
- labyrinth seals 250 , 260 , 270 , 280 , and 290 can be ring-shaped members consisting of one main part. With the seal in place, lubricant and refrigerant vapor have a very narrow path (e.g., 50-100 microns) to pass through.
- labyrinth seals 250 , 260 , 270 , 280 , and 290 can include stepped portions and/or angled teeth in order to create a “maze” of turns, drops, and angles through which vapor or lubricant must pass. This turbulent flow path can form a very effective seal.
- Labyrinth seal 300 is shown to include a straight flow path 306 through which vapor and lubricant must pass to break the seal.
- Labyrinth seal 300 also includes a plurality of straight teeth 312 . Given that seal 300 includes these straight teeth 312 , it can sometimes be referred to as a “look-through” seal, since one could look directly through all of teeth 212 from either end (i.e., through flow path 306 ).
- the design of labyrinth seal 300 can be more effective than other seal designs (e.g., lip seal) but performance can suffer in various applications (e.g., centrifugal compression).
- Labyrinth seal 300 can allow a significant amount of leakage, thus leading to performance loss of various machine components (e.g., motor assembly, centrifugal compressor, bearings, etc.).
- Labyrinth seal 300 can be made of an aluminum material.
- Labyrinth seal 400 can be identical or nearly identical to labyrinth seals 250 , 260 , 270 , 280 , and 290 described above. Labyrinth seal 400 can achieve greater performance when compared to designs such as described above with respect to labyrinth seal 300 .
- Labyrinth seal 400 is shown to include a first stepped portion 410 that includes a plurality of canted teeth 412 .
- Labyrinth seal 400 is also shown to include second stepped portion 420 that includes a plurality of canted teeth 422 .
- a flow path 406 that provides significant resistance to the flow of liquid (e.g., oil, lubricant, process fluid) and gas (e.g., refrigerant vapor) is also shown.
- liquid e.g., oil, lubricant, process fluid
- gas e.g., refrigerant vapor
- the transition from stepped portion 410 to stepped portion 420 (or vice versa) introduces a change of direction to flow path 406 .
- labyrinth seal 400 is not a “look-through” seal since one could not look all the way through teeth 412 and 422 due to stepped portions 410 and 420 .
- Canted teeth 412 and 422 are fabricated with an angular deviation from a vertical or horizontal plane. These tilted teeth increase the resistance to the flow of lubricant or vapor through flow path 406 when compared to other seal designs such as the straight teeth 312 shown as part of labyrinth seal 300 in FIG. 3 . Canted teeth 412 and 422 can introduce significant flow disruption that helps prevent leakage of lubricant and vapor. Stepped portion 420 is shown to be elevated above stepped portion 410 . As a result, vapor or lubricant flowing through path 406 are forced to undergo a perpendicular change in direction. This change in direction caused by stepped portions 410 and 420 also increases resistance to flow.
- canted teeth 412 and 422 allows the teeth to remain more flexible when compared to straight teeth 312 .
- This flexibility can allow seal 400 to preclude wear when the rotating component (e.g., shaft 212 , impeller 220 ) comes in contact with the seal.
- seal 300 can be damaged and worn when in contact with a rotating component.
- Labyrinth seal 400 can be made of a material with a high PV rating and elastic properties.
- the PV rating can be found by multiplying the maximum pressure experienced by the seal (e.g., seal 400 ) by surface velocity of the shaft or impeller (e.g., shaft 212 , impeller 220 ).
- the high PV rating of labyrinth seal 400 signifies a high resistance to wear. This resistance to wear can improve the performance of labyrinth seal 400 as well as allow the seal to realize a longer lifetime and require less maintenance.
- Labyrinth seal 400 can be made of a high performance plastic material such as polyether ether ketone (PEEK), polyamide-imide (PAI), or a combination thereof. Labyrinth seal 400 can also be made of a variety of other plastics or other materials (e.g., polymers). As a result, labyrinth seal 400 can withstand intermittent contact with rotating element during operation of motor 104 . This durability allows seal 400 to be placed closer (i.e., less clearance) to shaft 212 or impeller 220 in order to form a more effective seal when compared to aluminum seals.
- PEEK polyether ether ketone
- PAI polyamide-imide
- labyrinth seal 400 often coincides with a need to anodize (e.g., coat) components such as impeller 220 in order to increase resistance to wear.
- anodize e.g., coat
- plastic labyrinth seal such as seal 400 can drive significant cost savings (e.g., for chiller assembly 100 ) since anodized surfaces may not be necessary.
- the design principles described above with respect to labyrinth seal 400 can be implemented in a variety of different applications and is not limited to compressors, motor assemblies, or chiller assemblies, for example.
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Abstract
Description
- This application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/476,477 filed Mar. 24, 2017, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein.
- Buildings can include heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems.
- One implementation of the present disclosure is a compressor configured to increase the pressure of a vapor. The compressor includes one or more labyrinth seals configured to prevent leakage of the vapor. Each of the one or more labyrinth seals includes a first stepped portion and a second stepped portion. Each of the first stepped portion and the second stepped portion includes a plurality of canted teeth.
- Another implementation of the present disclosure is a chiller assembly. The chiller assembly includes an evaporator configured to convert a liquid refrigerant into a refrigerant vapor. The chiller assembly further includes a condenser configured to convert the refrigerant vapor into the liquid refrigerant. The chiller assembly further includes a compressor. The compressor includes one or more labyrinth seals configured to prevent leakage of the refrigerant vapor. Each of the one or more labyrinth seals includes a first stepped portion and a second stepped portion. Each of the first stepped portion and the second stepped portion includes a plurality of canted teeth. The chiller assembly further includes a suction line configured to transfer the refrigerant vapor from the evaporator to the compressor. The chiller assembly further includes a discharge line configured to transfer the refrigerant vapor from the compressor to the condenser. The chiller assembly further includes a motor assembly including a motor configured to drive the compressor. The motor assembly includes a shaft supported by one or more bearings.
- Another implementation of the present disclosure is a method. The method includes providing a compressor configured to increase the pressure of a vapor. The compressor includes one or more labyrinth seals configured to prevent leakage of the vapor. Each of the one or more labyrinth seals includes a first stepped portion and a second stepped portion. Each of the first stepped portion and the second stepped portion includes a plurality of canted teeth.
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FIG. 1 is a drawing of a chiller assembly. -
FIG. 2 is a drawing of an induction motor within the chiller assembly ofFIG. 1 . -
FIG. 3 is a drawing of a conventional labyrinth seal. -
FIG. 4 is a drawing of a stepped labyrinth seal with angled teeth included in the chiller assembly ofFIG. 1 . - Referring generally to the FIGURES, a chiller assembly including a compressor is shown. Also shown is a motor assembly which can be referred to herein as a motor. The chiller assembly can be configured to perform a refrigerant vapor compression cycle in an HVAC system. The compressor can include an impeller that is driven by the motor and rotates at a high speed in order to increase the pressure of a refrigerant vapor. The compressor includes one or more labyrinth seals configured to prevent leakage of the refrigerant vapor. The labyrinth seals include a first stepped portion and a second stepped portion configured to introduce a change of direction in the flow path of vapor through the labyrinth seals. The labyrinth seals also include a plurality of canted (i.e., angled) teeth configured to disrupt the flow of vapor through the labyrinth seals. The labyrinth seals are made of a high performance plastic material such as polyether ether ketone (PEEK) and/or polyamide-imide (PAI). This improved labyrinth seal design minimizes pressure loss at the impeller stage in order to drive increased capacity and performance of the compressor. In addition, the improved design delivers cost savings, increased efficiency, and improved performance of the chiller assembly as a whole. The labyrinth seal design described in the present disclosure is not limited to chiller assemblies or compressors, however, as the design can deliver improved performance in a wide variety of applications.
- Referring specifically to
FIG. 1 , an example implementation of achiller assembly 100 is shown.Chiller assembly 100 is shown to include acompressor 102 driven by amotor 104, acondenser 106, and anevaporator 108. A refrigerant is circulated throughchiller assembly 100 in a vapor compression cycle. The refrigerant can be a low pressure refrigerant (e.g., R1233zd) with an operating pressure less than 400 kPa, for example.Chiller assembly 100 can also include acontrol panel 114 to control operation of the vapor compression cycle withinchiller assembly 100.Control panel 114 may be connected to an electronic network in order to share a variety of data related to maintenance, analytics, etc. -
Motor 104 can be powered by a variable speed drive (VSD) 110. VSD 110 receives alternating current (AC) power having a particular fixed line voltage and fixed line frequency from an AC power source (not shown) and provides power having a variable voltage and frequency tomotor 104. Motor 104 can be any type of electric motor than can be powered by a VSD 110. For example,motor 104 can be a high speed induction motor.Compressor 102 is driven bymotor 104 to compress a refrigerant vapor received fromevaporator 108 through asuction line 112.Compressor 102 then delivers compressed refrigerant vapor to condenser 106 through a discharge line.Compressor 102 can be a centrifugal compressor, a screw compressor, a scroll compressor, a turbine compressor, or any other type of suitable compressor. -
Evaporator 108 includes an internal tube bundle (not shown), asupply line 120, and areturn line 122 for supplying and removing a process fluid to the internal tube bundle. Thesupply line 120 and thereturn line 122 can be in fluid communication with a component within a HVAC system (e.g., an air handler) via conduits that circulate the process fluid. The process fluid is a chilled liquid for cooling a building and can be, but is not limited to, water, ethylene glycol, calcium chloride brine, sodium chloride brine, or any other suitable liquid.Evaporator 108 is configured to lower the temperature of the process fluid as the process fluid passes through the tube bundle ofevaporator 108 and exchanges heat with the refrigerant. Refrigerant vapor is formed inevaporator 108 by the refrigerant liquid delivered to theevaporator 108 exchanging heat with the process fluid and undergoing a phase change to refrigerant vapor. - Refrigerant vapor delivered by
compressor 102 to condenser 106 transfers heat to a fluid. Refrigerant vapor condenses to refrigerant liquid incondenser 106 as a result of heat transfer with the fluid. The refrigerant liquid fromcondenser 106 flows through an expansion device and is returned toevaporator 108 to complete the refrigerant cycle of thechiller assembly 100.Condenser 106 includes asupply line 116 and areturn line 118 for circulating fluid between thecondenser 106 and an external component of the HVAC system (e.g., a cooling tower). Fluid supplied to thecondenser 106 viareturn line 118 exchanges heat with the refrigerant in thecondenser 106 and is removed from thecondenser 106 viasupply line 116 to complete the cycle. The fluid circulating through thecondenser 106 can be water or any other suitable liquid. - Referring now to
FIG. 2 , a more detailed drawing ofmotor 104 andcompressor 102 is shown.Motor 104 can be a high speed induction motor configured to directly drive a centrifugal compressor (i.e., compressor 102), for example.Motor 104 is shown to include ashaft 212, arotor 214, and astator 216.Stator 216 is supplied with AC power (e.g., from VSD 110) and includes windings that can generate a magnetic field. The magnetic field can induce an electromagnetic force that produces a torque around the axis ofrotor 214. As a result,rotor 214 andshaft 212 begin to rotate in a circular motion. The shaft can be supported by one or more bearings. These components can be lubricated with oil or another type of lubricant in order to reduce friction and provide various other benefits to the system as a whole.Shaft 212 can be connected to animpeller 220 ofcompressor 102 via adirect drive mechanism 218.Impeller 220 can therefore be configured to rotate at a high speed in order to raise the pressure of refrigerant vapor withincompressor 102. Efficiency and performance ofcompressor 102 can suffer if the refrigerant vapor is allowed to escape or leak out before being transferred tocondenser 106 via the discharge line. -
Motor 104 is shown to include three labyrinth seals andcompressor 102 is shown to include two labyrinth seals.Labyrinth seal 250 can be located at the non-drive end ofmotor 104 while labyrinth seals 260 and 270 can be located at the drive end ofmotor 104. These labyrinth seals can keep lubricant sealed within appropriate locations ofmotor 104 in order to prevent leakage. For example, labyrinth seals 250, 260, and 270 can be located near lubricated bearings configured to supportshaft 212. Labyrinth seals 280 and 290 can be installed nearimpeller 220 ofcompressor 102.Seals compressor 102 to another (e.g., inlet, impeller stage, discharge line, etc.).Seals compressor 102 in order to minimize pressure loss and maximize operating capacity. Labyrinth seals 250, 260, 270, 280, and 290 can sometimes be referred to as bearing isolators or non-contact seals. Unlike other types of seals such as lip seals, labyrinth seals 250, 260, and 270 do not make contact with or rub the surface ofshaft 212 during operation ofmotor 104. The ability to prevent and leakage of lubricant allows various components of motor 104 (e.g., bearings, seals) to realize a longer lifetime and require less maintenance. In addition, the effectiveness of labyrinth seals 280 and 290 can drive an increase in capacity and efficiency ofcompressor 102. High performance labyrinth seals 250, 260, 270, 280, and 290 can also improve overall efficiency and performance ofchiller assembly 100 as a whole. - Labyrinth seals 250, 260, 270, 280, and 290 can consist of multiple parts. For example, one part can remain stationary during operation of
motor 104 while another part can be connected toshaft 212. In this case, the two parts (e.g., stator and rotor) can interlock asshaft 212 begins to rotate in order to form an effective seal that takes the shape of a ring. In other implementations, labyrinth seals 250, 260, 270, 280, and 290 can be ring-shaped members consisting of one main part. With the seal in place, lubricant and refrigerant vapor have a very narrow path (e.g., 50-100 microns) to pass through. In addition, labyrinth seals 250, 260, 270, 280, and 290 can include stepped portions and/or angled teeth in order to create a “maze” of turns, drops, and angles through which vapor or lubricant must pass. This turbulent flow path can form a very effective seal. - Referring now to
FIG. 3 , a drawing of aconventional labyrinth seal 300 is shown.Labyrinth seal 300 is shown to include astraight flow path 306 through which vapor and lubricant must pass to break the seal.Labyrinth seal 300 also includes a plurality ofstraight teeth 312. Given thatseal 300 includes thesestraight teeth 312, it can sometimes be referred to as a “look-through” seal, since one could look directly through all ofteeth 212 from either end (i.e., through flow path 306). The design oflabyrinth seal 300 can be more effective than other seal designs (e.g., lip seal) but performance can suffer in various applications (e.g., centrifugal compression).Labyrinth seal 300 can allow a significant amount of leakage, thus leading to performance loss of various machine components (e.g., motor assembly, centrifugal compressor, bearings, etc.).Labyrinth seal 300 can be made of an aluminum material. - Referring now to
FIG. 4 , a drawing of a steppedlabyrinth seal 400 with angled teeth is shown.Labyrinth seal 400 can be identical or nearly identical tolabyrinth seals Labyrinth seal 400 can achieve greater performance when compared to designs such as described above with respect tolabyrinth seal 300.Labyrinth seal 400 is shown to include a first steppedportion 410 that includes a plurality of cantedteeth 412.Labyrinth seal 400 is also shown to include second steppedportion 420 that includes a plurality of cantedteeth 422. Aflow path 406 that provides significant resistance to the flow of liquid (e.g., oil, lubricant, process fluid) and gas (e.g., refrigerant vapor) is also shown. In addition, the transition from steppedportion 410 to stepped portion 420 (or vice versa) introduces a change of direction to flowpath 406. Unlikeseal 300,labyrinth seal 400 is not a “look-through” seal since one could not look all the way throughteeth portions -
Canted teeth flow path 406 when compared to other seal designs such as thestraight teeth 312 shown as part oflabyrinth seal 300 inFIG. 3 .Canted teeth portion 420 is shown to be elevated above steppedportion 410. As a result, vapor or lubricant flowing throughpath 406 are forced to undergo a perpendicular change in direction. This change in direction caused by steppedportions teeth straight teeth 312. This flexibility can allowseal 400 to preclude wear when the rotating component (e.g.,shaft 212, impeller 220) comes in contact with the seal. Alternatively, seal 300 can be damaged and worn when in contact with a rotating component. -
Labyrinth seal 400 can be made of a material with a high PV rating and elastic properties. The PV rating can be found by multiplying the maximum pressure experienced by the seal (e.g., seal 400) by surface velocity of the shaft or impeller (e.g.,shaft 212, impeller 220). For example, the PV rating can be expressed by the equation PV=Pressure×Velocity=(psi)×(fpm). The high PV rating oflabyrinth seal 400 signifies a high resistance to wear. This resistance to wear can improve the performance oflabyrinth seal 400 as well as allow the seal to realize a longer lifetime and require less maintenance.Labyrinth seal 400 can be made of a high performance plastic material such as polyether ether ketone (PEEK), polyamide-imide (PAI), or a combination thereof.Labyrinth seal 400 can also be made of a variety of other plastics or other materials (e.g., polymers). As a result,labyrinth seal 400 can withstand intermittent contact with rotating element during operation ofmotor 104. This durability allowsseal 400 to be placed closer (i.e., less clearance) toshaft 212 orimpeller 220 in order to form a more effective seal when compared to aluminum seals. The use of aluminum labyrinth seals often coincides with a need to anodize (e.g., coat) components such asimpeller 220 in order to increase resistance to wear. The use of a plastic labyrinth seal such asseal 400 can drive significant cost savings (e.g., for chiller assembly 100) since anodized surfaces may not be necessary. The design principles described above with respect tolabyrinth seal 400 can be implemented in a variety of different applications and is not limited to compressors, motor assemblies, or chiller assemblies, for example. - The construction and arrangement of the systems and methods as shown in the various exemplary embodiments are illustrative only. Although only example embodiments have been described in detail in this disclosure, many modifications are possible (e.g., variations in sizes, dimensions, structures, shapes and proportions of the various elements, values of parameters, mounting arrangements, use of materials, colors, orientations, etc.). For example, the position of elements can be reversed or otherwise varied and the nature or number of discrete elements or positions can be altered or varied. Accordingly, such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present disclosure. The order or sequence of any process or method steps can be varied or re-sequenced according to alternative embodiments. Other substitutions, modifications, changes, and omissions can be made in the design, operating conditions and arrangement of the exemplary embodiments without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.
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Priority Applications (1)
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US15/934,704 US20180274527A1 (en) | 2017-03-24 | 2018-03-23 | Labyrinth seals for compressor |
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US201762476477P | 2017-03-24 | 2017-03-24 | |
US15/934,704 US20180274527A1 (en) | 2017-03-24 | 2018-03-23 | Labyrinth seals for compressor |
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US20180274527A1 true US20180274527A1 (en) | 2018-09-27 |
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US15/934,704 Abandoned US20180274527A1 (en) | 2017-03-24 | 2018-03-23 | Labyrinth seals for compressor |
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Cited By (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US11021970B2 (en) | 2019-02-20 | 2021-06-01 | General Electric Company | Turbomachine with alternatingly spaced rotor blades |
US11073088B2 (en) | 2019-02-20 | 2021-07-27 | General Electric Company | Gearbox mounting in a turbomachine |
US11085515B2 (en) | 2019-02-20 | 2021-08-10 | General Electric Company | Gearbox coupling in a turbomachine |
US11156097B2 (en) | 2019-02-20 | 2021-10-26 | General Electric Company | Turbomachine having an airflow management assembly |
US11753939B2 (en) | 2019-02-20 | 2023-09-12 | General Electric Company | Turbomachine with alternatingly spaced rotor blades |
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US5085443A (en) * | 1990-05-29 | 1992-02-04 | Amoco Corporation | Labyrinth seal |
US20060139813A1 (en) * | 2004-12-27 | 2006-06-29 | Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.V. | Bearing mechanism for head used in magnetic disk drive and magnetic disk drive having the same |
US20070201995A1 (en) * | 2006-02-24 | 2007-08-30 | American Standard International Inc. | Bearing protection for inverter-driven motor |
US7338255B2 (en) * | 2004-07-07 | 2008-03-04 | Hitachi Industries Co., Ltd. | Turbo-type fluid machine and a stepped seal apparatus to be used therein |
US20080166246A1 (en) * | 2007-01-05 | 2008-07-10 | American Standard International Inc. | System for protecting bearings and seals of a refrigerant compressor |
US20090160135A1 (en) * | 2007-12-20 | 2009-06-25 | Gabriele Turini | Labyrinth seal with reduced leakage flow by grooves and teeth synergistic action |
CN202371174U (en) * | 2011-12-16 | 2012-08-08 | 沈阳透平机械股份有限公司 | Labyrinth seal |
US20150015285A1 (en) * | 2013-07-11 | 2015-01-15 | Tokyo Electron Limited | Probe apparatus |
US20150056059A1 (en) * | 2012-04-30 | 2015-02-26 | Johnson Controls Technology Company | Control system |
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US5085443A (en) * | 1990-05-29 | 1992-02-04 | Amoco Corporation | Labyrinth seal |
US7338255B2 (en) * | 2004-07-07 | 2008-03-04 | Hitachi Industries Co., Ltd. | Turbo-type fluid machine and a stepped seal apparatus to be used therein |
US20060139813A1 (en) * | 2004-12-27 | 2006-06-29 | Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.V. | Bearing mechanism for head used in magnetic disk drive and magnetic disk drive having the same |
US20070201995A1 (en) * | 2006-02-24 | 2007-08-30 | American Standard International Inc. | Bearing protection for inverter-driven motor |
US20080166246A1 (en) * | 2007-01-05 | 2008-07-10 | American Standard International Inc. | System for protecting bearings and seals of a refrigerant compressor |
US20090160135A1 (en) * | 2007-12-20 | 2009-06-25 | Gabriele Turini | Labyrinth seal with reduced leakage flow by grooves and teeth synergistic action |
CN202371174U (en) * | 2011-12-16 | 2012-08-08 | 沈阳透平机械股份有限公司 | Labyrinth seal |
US20150056059A1 (en) * | 2012-04-30 | 2015-02-26 | Johnson Controls Technology Company | Control system |
US20150015285A1 (en) * | 2013-07-11 | 2015-01-15 | Tokyo Electron Limited | Probe apparatus |
Cited By (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US11021970B2 (en) | 2019-02-20 | 2021-06-01 | General Electric Company | Turbomachine with alternatingly spaced rotor blades |
US11073088B2 (en) | 2019-02-20 | 2021-07-27 | General Electric Company | Gearbox mounting in a turbomachine |
US11085515B2 (en) | 2019-02-20 | 2021-08-10 | General Electric Company | Gearbox coupling in a turbomachine |
US11156097B2 (en) | 2019-02-20 | 2021-10-26 | General Electric Company | Turbomachine having an airflow management assembly |
US11753939B2 (en) | 2019-02-20 | 2023-09-12 | General Electric Company | Turbomachine with alternatingly spaced rotor blades |
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