Open Drive Compressors

- driven by a mechanical power source that is separate from the compressor unit
- major concern of this system is keeping the refrigerant sealed within the system
- possibility of leak
- shaft seal, creates a leak-proof seal between the shaft and the case where it emerges
- shaft seal is the common failure point in open drive compressors

Direct Drive Compressors

- driven by a coupling connecting the shaft of an electric motor or an engine directly to the
compressor shaft.
- Coupling attaches compressor shaft directly to motor shaft
- Compressors turns at the same speed as the motor

Belt-Driven Compressors

- Belt connects a pulley on the drive motor to the pulley on the compressors shaft.
- Speed is determined by the size of the compressor pulley in relation to the size of the drive
motor pulley.
- Compressor pulley is usually larger than the motor pulley.

Engine Driven Compressor

- Combustion engines
- Pressure controls is usually connected to the engine’s throttle

Hermetic compressors

- Motor is sealed inside the housing

- Motor is directly connected to the compressor

Fully Hermetic Compressors

- Cannot be serviced
- Motor is in a vertical position
- Can have multiple cylinders
- Lubricated by the oil carried in the refrigerant

Semi-hermetic compressors

- Motor and compressor inside a shell that is bolted together

- Shell can be unbolted
- Serviceable
- Gaskets are used between the bolted sections
 - Cooling fins on the exterior help with increase surface area and heat dissipation.
- Motor is arranged horizontally

Types of compressors

- Rotary
- Screw
- Scroll
- Centrifugal
- Reciprocating

Reciprocating compressors

- Residential, commercial, and industrial

- Functions by changing the rotational movement of a crankshaft into the reciprocating motion of
the pistons within cylinder
- Classified by cylinder arrangement, number of cylinders, type of crankshaft, and construction
(open drive, semi hermetic, hermetic)
- Has crankshaft, connecting rod, pistons, cylinder, intake and exhaust valves

Crankshaft – device that is used to change rotary motion into reciprocating motion

Eccentric – shaft section that is larger and has a different centre than the rest of the shaft

Connecting rod – connects a piston to the crankshaft

Pistons – compresses the gas

Compression rings – prevent pressurized refrigerant from blowing past the piston, into the crankcase

Oil ring – help lubricate the cylinder wall and prevent excess lubricant from accessing the cylinder

Piston pins – connects the pistons to the connecting rod

Scotch Yoke

- No connecting rod
- Floating bearing in the end of the piston distributes the load and reduces friction

Rotary Compressor

- Check valve is usually place in the discharge.

- Power small refrigerated appliances
- High volumetric efficiency
Stationary blade

- Blade mounted on housing assembly

- Spring loaded blade presses against the rotor

Rotating vane

- Off center rotor

- Provide a large inlet port opening
- Provide a large size opening into the suction line
- Have a very small clearance space
- Booster compressors in cascade system

Scroll Compressor

- Vapor compression is between the walls of a fixed scroll and an orbiting scroll
- One scroll is fixed
- Orbiting scroll revolves around the stationary scroll
- Residential
- Fewer moving parts
- Less internal friction
- Low noise levels
- Low vibration levels

Screw Compressor

- Helical rotors to compress refrigerant vapor

- Male rotor rotates 50% faster than the female rotor
- Continuous steady pressure
- Capacity can be adjusted by an unloader.
- Unloader reduces the load for easier start
- Unloader allow smooth, accurate control of temperature in the conditioned space.
- Used in large capacity systems
- Operate with oil injection

Centrifugal

- Rotor operated impeller with radial blades inside a volute casing

- Large capacity systems
- No valves, pistons or cylinders
- Stator is the casing in the compressor housing which the impeller rotates
- Stator is spiral shaped
General components

Service Valves

- Allow techs to attach gauges, add refrigerant or oil

- If service valves are not present they must be tapped

Mufflers

- Reduce noise that may be caused by gas pulsation

- Located on both suction and discharge openings of the compressor
- Usually installed vertically

Compressor Cooling Systems

- Oil removes much of the heat from the compressor and the motor
- Heat may be removed by oil circulation, suction gas, cooling fins, forged air, or water cooling
-

Lubrication systems

- Mineral oil
- Viscosity – fluids resistance to flowing
- Splash lubrication systems use oil up to the bottom of the main bearings or to the middle of the
crankshaft.
- Oil covers half of the main bearings
- Splashes the oil inside the compressor, throw into small openings.
- Pressure lubrication systems use a small pump to force oil to main bearings, lower connecting
rod bearings and some piston pins
- Compressor oil pump is mounted on the end of the compressor shaft

Unloaders

- Reduces the load in the compressor during start-up or modulate the compressor’s capacity
- Use oil pressure to hold an intake valve open, preventing compression of the cylinders
-

Crankcase heater

- Protective device
- Refrigerant migrate to the coolest part of the system
- Warms the compressor crankcase to evaporate any liquid refrigerant trapped in oil
- Required on compressors that operate in ambient temperatures lower than evap. Temp
 Compressor Components

- Clean oil for lubrication

- Liquid free vapor refrigerant for cooling

Compressor protection devices should monitor

- Current draw on the compressor’s motor

- Head pressure
- Temperature of the compressor dome
- Temperature of the discharge line

Overcurrent protection

- High current can damage conductor insulation and lead to short circuit or ground short

Compressor overload devices

- Thermal overload opens the power circuit to turn off the compressor
- Compressor protection device from internal failure or inefficient operation
- Internal overloads
- Designed to open when excessive current is sensed or under extreme temperatures

Crankcase pressure regulator

- Valve with an adjustable pressure setting that prevents crankcase pressure from exceeding a
preset safe value
- Maintains a safe pressure level in the compressor crankcase

Discharge line pressure switches

- Installed in compressor discharge line between compressor and condenser

- Shuts off the system if head pressure gets too high
- Normally closed switch opens a switch in the compressor control circuit to turn off the
compressor

Discharge line thermostat

- Senses discharge line temperature

- Open on a rise in temperature to turn off the system and protect the compressor

Accumulator

- Suction line
- Reservoir tank for liquid refrigerant
- Inlet outlet on top for vapor refrigerant
- Oil and any liquid drops to the bottom
- Suction draws vapor refrigerant near the top of the tank into outlet tubing
- Aspirator hole at the bottom helps return oil to the compressor
- Accumulator can flood with liquid

Oil separator

- Oil in the condenser and evaporator will reduce the system’s heat transfer efficiency
- Oil thickens in low temperature and become difficult to move out of the evaporator
-