High pressure seal vent

摘要

A compressor for compressing refrigerant in a refrigerant circuit includes a housing defining a compression chamber. A screw rotor is mounted within the housing and configured to form a pocket of high pressure refrigerant and a pocket of low pressure refrigerant within the compression chamber. The screw rotor has a rotor shaft rotating about an axis. A bearing cavity includes at least one bearing rotatably supporting the rotor shaft. A partition through which the rotor shaft extends separates the bearing cavity from the compression chamber. A contacting seal is sealingly engaged with the rotor shaft and disposed in the bearing cavity proximate the partition. A passage has an opening adjacent the rotor shaft between the contacting seal and the compression chamber and in fluid communication with the pocket of low pressure refrigerant.

主权项

1. A compressor for compressing refrigerant in a refrigerant circuit, the compressor comprising:
a housing defining a compression chamber; a screw rotor mounted within the housing and configured to form a pocket of high pressure refrigerant and a pocket of low pressure refrigerant within the compression chamber, the screw rotor having a rotor shaft rotating about an axis; a bearing cavity including at least one bearing rotatably supporting the rotor shaft; a partition separating the bearing cavity from the compression chamber and through which the rotor shaft extends; a refrigerant leakage path disposed between the pocket of high pressure refrigerant and the at least one bearing; a contacting seal sealingly engaged with the rotor shaft and disposed in the bearing cavity proximate the partition, the contacting seal is disposed between the at least one bearing and the refrigerant leakage path, the contacting seal defining a high seal side pressure region and a low seal side pressure region, wherein the at least one bearing is disposed on one side of the contacting seal having the low seal side pressure region, and the refrigerant leakage path is disposed on another side of the contacting seal having the high seal side pressure region; and a passage having an opening directly adjacent the compression chamber at the rotor shaft between the contacting seal and the compression chamber and in fluid communication with the refrigerant leakage path and the pocket of low pressure refrigerant.