POROUS OIL FLOW CONTROLLER
A compressor comprises a housing having a hollow interior for communicating a fluid comprising a mixture of a gas and a lubricant therethrough. The hollow interior of the housing is divided into a low pressure side and a high pressure side. The low pressure side is disposed upstream of compression mechanism and the high pressure side is disposed downstream of the compression mechanism. A porous flow controller fluidly couples the high pressure side to the low pressure side. The porous flow controller is configured to meter a flow of the lubricant from the high pressure side to the low pressure side.
1 . A compressor comprising:
a housing having a hollow interior for communicating a fluid therethrough, the hollow interior of the housing divided into a low pressure side and a high pressure side; and
a porous flow controller fluidly coupling the high pressure side to the low pressure side, wherein the porous flow controller is configured to meter a flow of the fluid from the high pressure side to the low pressure side.
2 . The compressor of claim 1 , further comprising a compression mechanism, wherein the low pressure side is disposed upstream of the compression mechanism in a direction of flow of the fluid and the high pressure side is disposed downstream of the compression mechanism.
3 . The compressor of claim 1 , wherein an oil separator is disposed in the high pressure side upstream of the porous flow controller in a direction of flow of the fluid.
4 . The compressor of claim 1 , wherein the fluid comprises a mixture of a gaseous refrigerant and an oil.
5 . The compressor of claim 4 , wherein a portion of the fluid being metered by the porous flow controller comprises a higher percentage of the oil by volume than the gaseous refrigerant.
6 . The compressor of claim 4 , wherein the oil flows directly from the high pressure side to the low pressure side through the porous flow controller.
7 . The compressor of claim 1 , wherein the porous flow controller is formed in one of a sintering process, a liquid foaming process, or a replication casting process.
8 . The compressor of claim 1 , wherein the hollow interior of the housing includes a conduit fluidly coupling the high pressure side to the low pressure side and the porous flow controller extends across an entirety of a cross-section of the conduit.
9 . The compressor of claim 1 , wherein the hollow interior of the housing does not include a filter disposed adjacent the porous flow controller.
10 . A compressor comprising:
a housing having a hollow interior for communicating a fluid comprising a mixture of a gas and a lubricant therethrough, the hollow interior of the housing divided into a low pressure side and a high pressure side;
a compression mechanism, wherein the low pressure side is disposed upstream of the compression mechanism in a direction of flow of the fluid and the high pressure side is disposed downstream of the compression mechanism;
a porous flow controller fluidly coupling the high pressure side to the low pressure side, wherein the porous flow controller is configured to meter a flow of the lubricant from the high pressure side to the low pressure side; and
an oil separator disposed in the high pressure side.
11 . The compressor of claim 10 , wherein the oil separator is disposed upstream of the porous flow controller in a direction of flow of the fluid.
12 . The compressor of claim 10 , wherein the gas is a refrigerant and the lubricant is a lubricating oil.
13 . The compressor of claim 10 , wherein the oil separator is disposed in a chamber formed in the high pressure side, the chamber defined by a wall including:
a fluid inlet formed therein and fluidly coupling the compression mechanism to the chamber;
a first fluid outlet formed therein and fluidly coupling the chamber to a discharge port of the housing; and
a second fluid outlet formed therein and fluidly coupling the chamber to the low pressure side, wherein the porous flow controller is disposed in the second fluid outlet.
14 . The compressor of claim 13 , wherein a sump is formed in the chamber adjacent the second fluid outlet.
15 . The compressor of claim 13 , wherein the porous flow controller extends across an entirety of a cross-section of the second fluid outlet.
16 . The compressor of claim 13 , wherein the second fluid outlet does not include a filter disposed therein.
17 . A method of operating a compressor comprising the steps of:
providing a compressor having a housing with a hollow interior for communicating a fluid mixture of a gas and a lubricant therethrough, the hollow interior of the housing divided into a low pressure side and a high pressure side;
separating at least a portion of the lubricant from the fluid mixture within the high pressure side; and
metering a flow of the at least a portion of the lubricant from the high pressure side to the low pressure side through a porous flow controller.
18 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising the step of compressing the fluid mixture prior to the fluid mixture entering the high pressure side.
19 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the porous flow controller is disposed in a conduit formed in the housing, the conduit fluidly coupling the high pressure side to the low pressure side.
20 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising the step of filtering debris from the at least a portion of the lubricant as the lubricant is metered through the porous flow controller.