Oil and refrigerant pump for centrifugal chiller

• US 5,848,538 A
• Filed: 11/06/1997
• Issued: 12/15/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Trane International Inc. (Trane Technologies plc)
• Original Assignee: American Standard Companies Incorporated (Ideal Standard International Topco SCA)
• Inventors: Tischer, James C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sollecito, John M.
• Application Number:
  US08/965,495
• Time in Patent Office: 404 Days
• Field of Search: 62/468, 62/470, 62/84, 417/199.1, 417/201, 418/88
• US Class Current: 62/468
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/063 specially adapted for elastic fluid pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/582 specially adapted for elastic fluid pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 1/053 of turbine type
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 31/002 Lubrication
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 31/006 Cooling of compressor or motor

Abstract

A single motor drives both oil and refrigerant pumps in a refrigeration chiller, the motor and oil pump being disposed in the chiller'"'"'s oil supply tank and the refrigerant pump being disposed exterior thereof. The refrigerant pump pumps liquid refrigerant to the chiller'"'"'s compressor section so as to cool the motor by which the compressor is driven while the oil pump pumps oil to chiller locations that require lubrication when the chiller is in operation.

Claims

1. A refrigeration chiller comprising:

a compressor;

a motor for driving said compressor, said motor being disposed in a housing;

a condenser for receiving refrigerant from said compressor;

a metering device, said metering device receiving refrigerant from said condenser;

an evaporator, said evaporator receiving refrigerant from said metering device and being connected for refrigerant flow to said compressor;

a lubricant supply tank; and

commonly driven means for pumping both lubricant from said lubricant supply tank to a location in said chiller that requires lubrication when said chiller is in operation and liquid refrigerant from said condenser to said motor so as to cool said motor when said chiller is in operation.

2. The refrigeration chiller according to claim 1 wherein said commonly driven pumping means includes both a refrigerant pumping element and a lubricant pumping element, said lubricant pumping element being disposed in said lubricant supply tank and said refrigerant pumping element being disposed exterior thereof.

3. The refrigeration chiller according to claim 2 wherein said commonly driven pumping means includes a drive shaft, said drive shaft driving both said lubricant pumping element and said refrigerant pumping element.

4. The refrigeration chiller according to claim 3 wherein said drive shaft is driven by a pump motor, said pump motor being an electric motor disposed internal of said lubricant supply tank, said pump motor including a stator and a rotor, said rotor being mounted to said drive shaft for rotation therewith.

5. The refrigeration chiller according to claim 4 wherein said drive shaft penetrates a wall of said lubricant supply tank.

6. The refrigeration chiller according to claim 5 wherein said refrigerant pumping element is an impeller and further comprising a housing for said impeller, said impeller and said housing combining to form a centrifugal pumping mechanism, said centrifugal refrigerant pumping mechanism being connected for flow on an inlet side to said condenser and being connected on an outlet side to the interior of said housing in which said motor for driving said compressor is disposed.

7. The refrigeration chiller according to claim 6 further comprising a pump motor housing, said pump motor being disposed in said pump motor housing, said pump motor housing being mounted to said wall of said lubricant supply tank.

8. The refrigeration chiller according to claim 7 wherein said wall of said lubricant supply tank defines a bearing housing and further comprising a first bearing, said first bearing being disposed in said bearing housing defined by said wall of said lubricant supply tank, said drive shaft being rotatably carried in said first bearing.

9. The refrigeration chiller according to claim 8 further comprising a housing for said lubricant pumping element, said housing for said lubricant pumping element being mounted to said pump motor housing and defining a bearing housing, a second bearing being disposed in said bearing housing defined by said housing for said lubricant pumping element, said drive shaft being rotatably carried in said second bearing.

10. The refrigeration chiller according to claim 9 wherein said housing for said impeller is mounted to an exterior wall of said lubricant supply tank.

11. The refrigeration chiller according to claim 10 wherein said pump motor housing is disposed below the level of lubricant in said lubricant supply tank, said pump motor housing being flooded by said lubricant.

12. The refrigeration chiller according to claim 11 further comprising piping connecting said lubricant pumping element to a location in said chiller that requires lubrication when said chiller is in operation, a portion of said piping being disposed internal of said lubricant supply tank and a portion of said piping being disposed exterior thereof.

13. The refrigeration chiller according to claim 12 further comprising a lubricant pump plate, said lubricant pump plate being attached to said housing for said lubricant pumping element, said lubricant pump plate defining an inlet in flow communication with lubricant in said lubricant supply tank and an outlet in flow communication with said piping.