Methods and apparatus for reducing the noise level outputted by oil separator

• US 8,276,398 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2005
• Issued: 10/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Carrier Corporation (Carrier Global Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Carrier Corporation (Carrier Global Corporation)
• Inventors: Girod, Xavier, Grabon, Michal Karol, Voluet, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Jules, Frantz
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bauer, Cassey D
• Application Number:
  US11/915,757
• Publication Number:
  US 20080202151A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,681 Days
• Field of Search: 622/96, 624/70, 181/206, 181/253, 181/252, 181/256
• US Class Current: 62/296
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2500/12 Sound
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 43/02 for separating lubricants from the refrigerant

Abstract

A muffling apparatus (100) is provided for placement within an oil separator of refrigeration or cooling system, wherein the apparatus has a non-straight shape and a lumen (160) defined therein to allow for noise-creating pressure pulsations/waves to come into contact with absorbing material (110) of the muffling apparatus in order to attenuate the energy of the pressure waves/pulsations into heat and thus reduce oil separator vibrations caused thereby.

Claims

1. A method for reducing the noise level outputted by an oil separator within a refrigeration or cooling system, comprising:

providing a muffling apparatus that includes a tubular body being at least partially comprised of an absorbing material and having a non-straight shape wherein the muffling apparatus has a first aperture and a second aperture with a lumen defined between the first and second aperture, and a securing element directly attached to the first or second aperture of the tubular body; and

placing the muffling apparatus within an internal area of an oil separator such that the securing element attaches directly to a rounded internal area of the oil separator.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-straight shape is selected from the group consisting of a bent shape and a curved shape.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the absorbing material is in direct fluid communication with the lumen.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein at least a portion of the absorbing material is in direct fluid communication with the lumen via a plurality of openings.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the second aperture of the muffling apparatus is attached to a first end of the securing element, and wherein a second end of the securing element is attached to the internal area of the oil separator.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first end of the securing element is comprised of a flat end plate and the second end of the securing element is comprised of a curved portion to mate against the rounded internal area of an oil separator.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the muffling apparatus is attached to a first end of a support element, and wherein a second end of the support element is attached to the internal area of the oil separator.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the absorbing material is a fiberglass material.

9. A muffling apparatus for placement within an internal area of an oil separator, the muffling apparatus comprising:

a muffler body having a first aperture, a second aperture and a lumen therebetween, wherein the muffler body is at least partially constructed of an absorbing material, the muffler body having a non-straight shape; and

a securing element having a first end and a second end, the second end of the muffler body attached directly to the first end of the securing element, the second end of the securing element attached directly to a rounded internal area of the oil separator, the first end of the securing element being an end plate.

10. The muffling apparatus of claim 9, wherein at least a portion of the absorbing material is in direct fluid communication with the lumen.

11. The muffling apparatus of claim 9, wherein the muffler body is comprised of:

an external shell;

an internal layer formed at least partially of the absorbing material, wherein the internal layer is surrounded by the external shell; and

an internal shell, wherein the internal shell surrounds the lumen.

12. The muffling apparatus of claim 11, wherein the internal layer has a plurality of openings defined therein to enable direct fluid communication between the absorbing material and the lumen.

13. The muffling apparatus of claim 9, wherein the absorbing material is a fiberglass material.

14. The muffling apparatus of claim 11, wherein each of the external shell and the internal shell is made of a sheet metal material.

15. The muffling apparatus of claim 11, wherein the non-straight shape is selected from the group consisting of a bent shape and a curved shape.

16. The muffling apparatus of claim 9, wherein the second end of the securing element is curved.

17. The muffling apparatus of claim 9, wherein the muffling apparatus is attached to a first end of a support element, and wherein a second end of the support element is attached to the internal area of the oil separator.

18. The muffling apparatus of claim 9, wherein the securing element includes a flat plat, the first end of the securing element being located at the flat plate, the securing element including a curved portion extending perpendicular to the flat plate, the second end of the securing element being located at the curved portion.