Components for compressors having electroless coatings on wear surfaces
View Patent ↗Carbon dioxide compressors having one or more coatings with wear surfaces having electroless surface coatings are provided. Alternatively, propane compressors are contemplated having wear surface coatings. The coating is electrolessly applied and may comprise nickel and wear resistant particles, such as boron nitride. The electroless surface coatings for use with compressor machines improve corrosion and wear resistance, as well as anti-friction properties for compressors processing CO 2 or C 3 H 8 containing refrigerants. In certain aspects, a scroll machine has an Oldham coupling and/or lower bearing comprising aluminum and has an electroless surface coating comprising nickel boron nitride particles disposed on one or more wear surfaces. In other aspects, a reciprocating compressor has a wear surface, such as on a connecting rod and/or piston coated with an electrolessly applied nickel and boron nitride particle layer. Methods for making the electroless surface coatings are also provided.
1. A compressor comprising:
a compressor component having at least one wear surface comprising aluminum with an electroless surface coating comprising nickel disposed directly thereon, the electroless surface coating having a hardness of greater than or equal to about 40 to less than or equal to about 63 on a Rockwell C Hardness Scale, wherein the compressor is configured to process a refrigerant selected from the group: carbon dioxide, propane, and combinations thereof, wherein the compressor component having the at least one wear surface with the electroless surface coating withstands greater than or equal to about 1,000 hours of compressor operation.
2. The compressor of claim 1 , wherein the compressor is a scroll compressor further comprising:
a first scroll member having a discharge port and a first spiral wrap;
a second scroll member having a second spiral wrap, the first and second spiral wraps being mutually intermeshed; and
a motor for causing the second scroll member to orbit with respect to the first scroll member, wherein the compressor component having the at least one wear surface with the electroless surface coating is an Oldham coupling keyed to the second scroll member and another component to prevent rotational movement of the second scroll member.
3. The compressor of claim 1 , wherein the compressor is a scroll compressor further comprising:
a first scroll member having a discharge port and a first spiral wrap;
a second scroll member having a second spiral wrap, the first and second spiral wraps being mutually intermeshed;
a motor for rotating a shaft that causes the second scroll member to orbit with respect to the first scroll member; and
a lower bearing mounted to a terminal end of the shaft opposite to the second scroll member, wherein the compressor component having the at least one wear surface with the electroless surface coating is the lower bearing.
4. The compressor of claim 1 , wherein the compressor is a reciprocating compressor, further comprising:
a motor and a crank shaft;
a piston drivingly connected to the crank shaft with a connecting rod; and
a uni-body member including a body portion defining a cylinder for receiving the piston for reciprocating movement therein and a head portion defining a discharge passage in communication with the cylinder, and
the compressor component having the at least one wear surface with the electroless surface coating is selected from the group consisting of: the piston, the cylinder, the connecting rod, and combinations thereof.
5. The compressor of claim 1 , wherein the electroless surface coating further comprises a wear resistance particle selected from the group consisting of: boron nitride, silicon carbide, titanium carbonitride, titanium nitride, diamond, polytetrafluoroethylene, and combinations thereof.
6. The compressor of claim 1 , wherein the electroless surface coating further comprises a cubic boron nitride particle or a hexagonal boron nitride particle.
7. The compressor of claim 1 , wherein the compressor comprising the compressor component having the at least one wear surface with the electroless surface coating provides less than or equal to about 5% loss of coefficient of performance (COP) over 1,000 hours of compressor operation.
8. The compressor of claim 1 , wherein the electroless surface coating further comprises phosphorous at greater than or equal to about 4% by weight to less than or equal to about 6% by weight of the electroless surface coating, boron nitride particles at greater than or equal to about 6% by weight to less than or equal to about 8% by weight of the electroless surface coating, and a balance of nickel, wherein the nickel and the phosphorus define a matrix having the boron nitride particles distributed therein.
9. The compressor of claim 1 , wherein the compressor component comprises an aluminum alloy selected from the group consisting of: A-380 aluminum alloy, A-383 aluminum alloy, and combinations thereof.
10. A scroll machine comprising:
a first scroll member having a discharge port and a first spiral wrap;
a second scroll member having a second spiral wrap, the first and second spiral wraps being mutually intermeshed;
a motor for causing the second scroll member to orbit with respect to the first scroll member, wherein the scroll machine is configured to process a refrigerant selected from the group: carbon dioxide, propane, and combinations thereof; and
an Oldham coupling keyed to the second scroll member and another component to prevent rotational movement of the second scroll member, wherein the Oldham coupling has at least one wear surface comprising aluminum with an electroless surface coating comprising nickel and a wear resistant particle disposed directly thereon.
11. The scroll machine of claim 10 , wherein the wear resistant particle is selected from the group consisting of: boron nitride, silicon carbide, titanium carbonitride, titanium nitride, diamond, polytetrafluoroethylene, and combinations thereof.
12. The scroll machine of claim 10 , wherein the wear resistant particle comprises a cubic boron nitride particle or a hexagonal boron nitride particle.
13. The scroll machine of claim 12 , wherein the electroless surface coating comprises greater than or equal to about 6% by weight to less than or equal to about 8% by weight of the wear resistant particle comprising the cubic boron nitride particle or the hexagonal boron nitride particle in the surface coating.
14. The scroll machine of claim 10 , wherein the Oldham coupling comprises an aluminum alloy selected from the group consisting of: A-380 aluminum alloy, A-383 aluminum alloy, and combinations thereof.
15. The scroll machine of claim 10 , wherein the wear resistant particle comprises boron nitride and the electroless surface coating further comprises phosphorous at greater than or equal to about 4% by weight to less than or equal to about 6% by weight of the surface coating, wherein the nickel and the phosphorus define a matrix having the boron nitride particles distributed therein.
16. The scroll machine of claim 10 , wherein the electroless surface coating has a hardness of greater than or equal to about 40 to less than or equal to about 63 on a Rockwell C Hardness Scale.
17. A compressor comprising:
a compressor component having at least one wear surface comprising aluminum with an electroless surface coating comprising nickel disposed directly thereon, the electroless surface coating comprising multiple layers including a first layer comprising nickel and a boron nitride particle and a second layer that is a sublayer of electroless nickel disposed beneath the first layer, wherein the electroless surface coating has a hardness of greater than or equal to about 40 to less than or equal to about 63 on a Rockwell C Hardness Scale, wherein the compressor is configured to process a refrigerant selected from the group: carbon dioxide, propane, and combinations thereof, wherein the compressor component having the at least one wear surface with the electroless surface coating withstands greater than or equal to about 1,000 hours of compressor operation.
18. The compressor of claim 17 , wherein the second layer comprises phosphorous at greater than or equal to about 5% by weight to less than or equal to about 15% by weight of the second layer and has a thickness of greater than or equal to about 0.002 inches to less than or equal to about 0.0025 inches.
19. A scroll machine comprising:
a first scroll member having a discharge port and a first spiral wrap;
a second scroll member having a second spiral wrap, the first and second spiral wraps being mutually intermeshed;
a motor for causing the second scroll member to orbit with respect to the first scroll member, wherein the scroll machine is configured to process a refrigerant selected from the group: carbon dioxide, propane, and combinations thereof; and
an Oldham coupling keyed to the second scroll member and another component to prevent rotational movement of the second scroll member, wherein the Oldham coupling has at least one wear surface comprising aluminum with an electroless surface coating comprising multiple layers including a first layer comprising nickel and a wear resistant particle and a second layer comprising electroless nickel disposed beneath the first layer.
20. The scroll machine of claim 19 , wherein the first layer has a thickness of greater than or equal to about 0.002 inches to less than or equal to about 0.0025 inches.
21. The scroll machine of claim 19 , wherein the second layer of electroless nickel further comprises phosphorous at greater than or equal to about 5% by weight to less than or equal to about 15% by weight of the second layer.