Electric refrigeration compressor having a cooling system for an electrical circuit

• US 7,009,318 B2
• Filed: 01/27/2003
• Issued: 03/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Shindo, Yusuke, Kawata, Hiroyuki, Iritani, Kunio, Takeo, Yuji, Funahashi, Kenji, Takemoto, Tsuyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Schuberg, Darren
• Assistant Examiner(s): Comas, Yahveh
• Application Number:
  US10/351,309
• Publication Number:
  US 20030143090A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,135 Days
• Field of Search: 310/58, 310/59, 310/89, 310/52, 310/65, 310/64, 310/71, 310/87, 310/88, 310/54
• US Class Current: 310/58
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 35/04 the means being electric
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 39/06 Cooling; Heating; Prevention of freezing
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 18/0215 where only one member is moving
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 2240/808 Electronic circuits (e.g. inverters) installed inside the machine
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 23/008 Hermetic pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 29/047 Cooling of electronic devices installed inside the pump housing, e.g. inverters
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 11/33 Drive circuits, e.g. power electronics H02K11/38 takes precedence

Abstract

In an electrical compressor having a motor and an electrical circuit integrated with a compression portion, a part of electrical components of the electrical circuit is disposed in spaces between a cylindrical outer surface of a motor housing and an imaginary flat surface that imaginarily contacts the cylindrical outer surface. Therefore, the spaces can be used effectively, and the electrical compressor can be downsized. Further, the part of the electrical components can be effectively cooled by refrigerant in the motor housing. On the other hand, the outer surface of the motor housing is used as one surface defining an inner space of a casing for accommodating the electrical circuit. In this case, the electrical circuit can be effectively cooled by refrigerant in the motor housing.

Claims

1. An electrical compressor for a refrigeration circuit comprising:

a compression portion, which draws and compresses refrigerant circulating in the refrigeration circuit;

an electrical motor that drives the compression portion;

a housing for accommodating the electrical motor, the housing having a cylindrical outer surface formed into an approximate cylindrical shape; and

an electrical circuit for driving the electrical motor, the electrical circuit being integrated to the cylindrical outer surface of the housing, wherein;

the housing includes a refrigerant passage through which the refrigerant passes, such that the refrigerant passes through the electrical motor when being drawn by the compression portion;

the electrical circuit includes a plurality of electrical members; and

the electrical members are located in a space between the cylindrical outer surface and a tangential plane, which is tangential to the cylindrical outer surface, and the electrical members are located in the vicinity of a line where the tangential plane meets the cylindrical outer surface.

2. The electrical compressor according to claim 1, wherein the electrical members are fixed to the cylindrical outer surface in the space.

3. The electrical compressor according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of electrical members is a first plurality of electrical members, and the electrical compressor further comprises:

a casing for accommodating a second plurality of electrical members of the electrical circuit, wherein;

the casing has a case member approximately parallel to the tangential plans at a position near the tangential plane; and

the case member has a hole through which an inner space of the casing, opposed to the housing, communicates with the space.

4. The electrical compressor according to claim 3, wherein

the case member contacts the cylindrical outer surface approximately in parallel with the tangential plane.

5. The electrical compressor according to claim 1, wherein:

the space is a first space, and a second space, which is similar to the first space, is provided on an opposite side of the line where the tangential plane meets the cylindrical outer surface, and the second space is approximately symmetrical with the first space; and

the plurality of electrical members is a first plurality of electrical members, and a second plurality of electrical members of the electrical circuit is located in the second space.

6. The electrical compressor according to claim 1, wherein:

the housing includes a refrigerant inlet from which the refrigerant is introduced; and

the compression portion is disposed to draw the refrigerant from the housing.

7. The electrical compressor according to claim 1, wherein the electrical members includes at least one of an IGBT, a MOS-FET and a condenser.

8. The electrical compressor according to claim 1, wherein the housing accommodates the compression portion and the electrical motor.

9. An electrical compressor for a refrigeration circuit comprising:

a compression portion, which draws and compresses refrigerant circulating in the refrigeration circuit;

an electrical motor that drives the compression portion;

a housing for accommodating the electrical motor, wherein the housing includes;

a cylindrical outer surface;

a planar seat surface for receiving a casing, which is attached to the housing; and

a refrigerant passage through which the refrigerant passes, such that the refrigerant passes through and cools the electrical motor when being drawn by the compression portion; and

an electrical circuit for driving the electrical motor, wherein the electrical circuit includes a plurality of electrical members, wherein a space is formed between the cylindrical outer surface and a plane defined by the planar seat surface, and the electrical members occupy the space and are located in close proximity to the cylindrical outer surface such that heat generated by the electrical members is transferred to the refrigerant passing through the motor, wherein;

the plane is a first plane, and a second plane includes the axis of the motor and is perpendicular to the first plane;

the space is a first space, and a second space, which is located between the outer cylindrical surface and the first plane, is provided on an opposite side of the second plane; and

the plurality of electrical members is a first plurality of electrical members, and a second plurality of electrical members of the electrical circuit occupies the second space, such that heat generated by to second plurality of electrical members is transferred to the refrigerant passing through the motor.

10. The electrical compressor according to claim 9, wherein:

the housing has an outer wall surface that is one of several surfaces that define an inner space of the casing; and

the casing is positioned above the housing, and the outer wall surface is a bottom surface of the casing.

11. The electrical compressor according to claim 9, wherein:

the housing has an outer surface that is one of several surfaces that define an inner space of the casing;

the housing includes a first housing portion for accommodating the compression portion, and a second housing portion for accommodating the motor; and

the outer wall surface is on the second housing portion.

12. The electrical compressor according to claim 9, wherein:

the housing has an outer wall surface that is one of several surfaces that define an inner space of the casing;

the electrical circuit includes a heat-generating component that generates heat when being operated; and

the heat-generating component contacts the outer wall surface.

13. The electrical compressor according to claim 12, wherein the outer wall surface has a shape corresponding to a shape of the heat-generating component.

14. The electrical compressor according to claim 12, further comprising a thermal-conductive member disposed between the heat-generating component and the outer wall surface.

15. The electrical compressor according to claim 12, further comprising an electrical insulator disposed between the heat-generating component and the outer wall surface, for electrically insulating the heat-generating component from the outer wall surface.

16. The electrical compressor according to claim 9, wherein the electrical circuit includes a plurality of circuit boards attached to the outer wall surface of the housing.

17. The electrical compressor according to claim 9, wherein:

the housing has an outer wall surface that is one of several surfaces that define an inner space of the casing; and

a part of the casing that includes at least the outer wall surface is integrally molded with the housing.

18. The electrical compressor according to claim 9, wherein the outside of the housing is U-shaped, and the space is located between a wall forming a leg of the U-shape and the outer cylindrical surface.

19. An electrical compressor for a refrigeration circuit comprising:

a compression portion, which draws and compresses refrigerant circulating in the refrigeration circuit;

an electrical motor that drives the compression portion;

a housing for accommodating the compression portion and the electrical motor, wherein the housing includes a refrigerant inlet into which the refrigerant is introduced, and a refrigerant passage, through which the refrigerant from the refrigerant inlet flows toward the compression portion, wherein the refrigerant passage conducts the refrigerant through the electrical motor towards the compression portion;

an electrical circuit for driving the electrical motor;

a casing for accommodating the electrical circuit, wherein;

the housing has an outer cylindrical wall that defines an inner space of the casing, wherein the housing and the casing form a U-shape, and the inner space is formed between opposed legs of the U-shape; and

the electrical circuit is located in the inner space of the casing in close proximity to the outer cylindrical wall such that heat generated by the electrical circuit is transferred to the outer cylindrical wall and to the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant passage in the housing.

20. The electrical compressor according to claim 19, wherein:

the electrical circuit includes at least a heat-generating component that generates heat when being operated; and

the heat-generating component contacts the outer wall surface to improve heat transfer from the heat-generating component to the cylindrical outer wall surface.