Development of High Efficiency Scroll Compressors, for Air Conditioners

Recently, a scroll compressor for air conditioners has been developed, because of its high efficiency, quiet operation, light weight and small size. To accomplish high efficiency, self sealing mechanisms such as a tip seal and a swing link mechanism are very effective. Tip seals which are placed on the top of scroll wraps achieve thrust sealing and a swing link mechanism achieves radial sealing for compressed gas leakage. M.H.I. has been studying and developed high efficiency hermetic scroll compressors with tip seals and swing link mechanism. This paper presents as follows. (1) Experimental and computer simulation loss analysis (P-V diagram) were taken on wide speed range. Measured and calculated results were good agreement. (2) Orbiting scroll motion, tip seal motion and pressure distribution in seal groove were measured. Swing link motion was measured, too. As a result, it was comfirmed that self sealing for thrust and radial clearance were accomplished well. INTRODUCTION As for the recent heat pump air conditioners, compressors are required to operate in a wide speed range by means of inverter drive and in a wide operating pressure range. From the points of high efficiency, high reliability and the others, scroll compressors have been used. It is necessary to make a loss analysis in order to accomplish high efficiency of com-