Device for cooling a fluid to be compressed in a compressor and compressor with the device

Abstract

A device for cooling a fluid to be compressed in a compressor, in particular a refrigerant, with a heat carrier fluid. The device has at least one first flow channel for guiding the fluid, at least one second flow channel for guiding the heat carrier fluid and an inlet and an outlet for the heat carrier fluid.

1 - 30 . (canceled) 
     
     
         31 . A device for cooling a fluid to be compressed in a compressor with a heat carrier fluid, having at least one first flow channel for guiding the fluid, at least one second flow channel for guiding the heat carrier fluid and an inlet and an outlet for the heat carrier fluid, wherein a core element is formed such that the device with the core element can be arranged as a separate component on a longitudinal axis between housing elements of a modular compressor or can be integrated into a housing of the compressor. 
     
     
         32 . The device according to  claim 31 , wherein the outer contours and dimensions of the core element and the housing elements are formed corresponding to one another. 
     
     
         33 . The device according to  claim 31 , wherein the core element is formed in the shape of a plate. 
     
     
         34 . The device according to  claim 33 , wherein the core element has at least one through opening for the compressed fluid running in a direction of the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         35 . The device according to  claim 33 , wherein the core element is formed with a constant wall thickness in a direction of the longitudinal axis in a region of an outer circumference and with a flat depression of uniform depth in the direction of the longitudinal axis on at least one lateral surface in a center, or in that the core element is formed as a ring circumscribing an outer circumference with a structure of stacked sheet-shaped plates formed in the center. 
     
     
         36 . The device according to  claim 33 , wherein the core element has recesses on at least one lateral surface which are formed respectively extending into the core element starting from the surface. 
     
     
         37 . The device according to  claim 36 , wherein the recesses are formed on the at least one lateral surface in a center with a flat depression of uniform depth in a direction of the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         38 . The device according to  claim 36 , wherein at least one plate-shaped intermediate element is formed which is arranged such that a first side bears against the at least one lateral surface of the core element in a plane spanned perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, covering the recesses in a fluid-tight manner, wherein the covered recesses form the at least one second flow channel of the heat carrier fluid. 
     
     
         39 . The device according to  claim 38 , wherein the at least one second flow channel are formed respectively extending from an inlet distribution connected to the inlet to an outlet opening connected to the outlet and charged with the heat carrier fluid in parallel. 
     
     
         40 . The device according to  claim 38 , wherein outer contours and dimensions of the at least one intermediate element and at least one depression are formed corresponding to one another such that the at least one intermediate element is arranged within the at least one depression or that the outer contours and dimensions of the at least one intermediate element and an inner casing surface of a ring of the core element circumscribing an outer circumference are formed corresponding to one another. 
     
     
         41 . The device according to  claim 40 , wherein the at least one intermediate element has a shape of a planar, circular sheet and the at least one depression is circularly formed, wherein an outer diameter of the intermediate element corresponds to an outer diameter of the at least one depression plus a clearance for assembly and an extension of the at least one depression in a direction of the longitudinal axis corresponds to a wall thickness of the at least one intermediate element. 
     
     
         42 . The device according to  claim 38 , wherein the at least one intermediate element has at least one through opening for the compressed fluid running in a direction of the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         43 . The device according to  claim 38 , wherein at least one plate-shaped outer element is formed with formations and is arranged such that it bears against a second side of the at least one intermediate element in a plane spanned perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, wherein the formations formed in the at least one outer element are covered by the at least one intermediate element and thus the at least one first flow channel are formed. 
     
     
         44 . The device according to  claim 43 , wherein the core element is respectively formed with a depression of uniform depth in a direction of the longitudinal axis and recesses at the at least one lateral surface in a center, wherein the recesses are respectively covered in a fluid-tight manner by each of the at least one intermediate element arranged in the depression with a respective first side of each of the at least one intermediate element, and in that a respective one of the at least one outer element with formations is arranged such that it bears against the second sides of each of the at least one intermediate element, wherein the formations are covered by the at least one intermediate element. 
     
     
         45 . The device according to  claim 44 , wherein there are at least two outer elements and a first one of the at least two outer elements has an inlet opening and a second one of the at least two outer elements has an outlet opening for the compressed fluid. 
     
     
         46 . The device according to  claim 45 , wherein the first one of the at least two outer elements has at least one branch, wherein the at least one first flow channel is formed respectively extending from the inlet opening to at least one branch and charged with the fluid in parallel to one another. 
     
     
         47 . The device according to  claim 46 , wherein the second one of the at least two outer elements has at least one branch, wherein the at least one first flow channel is formed respectively extending from the at least one branch of the second one of the at least two outer elements to the outlet opening and charged with the fluid in parallel to one another. 
     
     
         48 . The device according to  claim 31 , wherein the core element is formed in a shape of a hollow circular cylinder. 
     
     
         49 . The device according to  claim 48 , wherein a wall element shaped as a hollow circular cylinder is arranged within the core element and a cylinder-shaped central element is arranged within the wall element, which are oriented coaxially to the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         50 . The device according to  claim 49 , wherein a diameter of an inner casing surface of the core element corresponds to a diameter of an outer casing surface of the wall element and a diameter of an inner casing surface of the wall element corresponds to a diameter of a casing surface of the central element and the respective casing surfaces bear against one another in a fluid-tight manner. 
     
     
         51 . The device according to  claim 49 , wherein the wall element is formed with a recess for the at least one second flow channel of the heat carrier fluid on the outer casing surface. 
     
     
         52 . The device according to  claim 51 , wherein the wall element is formed with a recess for the at least one first flow channel on an inner casing surface. 
     
     
         53 . The device according to  claim 52 , wherein the recess of the at least one first flow channel and the at least one second flow channel is formed in a shape of a circumferentially running helical groove, whose inlet and outlet are arranged spaced apart from one another in a direction of the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         54 . The device according to  claim 31 , wherein a control element, for controlling the mass flow of the heat carrier fluid, is formed integrated within the core element. 
     
     
         55 . The compressor for compressing the fluid which is a refrigerant, having the housing, a drive device arranged within the housing and a compression mechanism driven by the drive device, wherein the device for cooling the fluid according to  claim 31  is formed in a flow direction of the fluid downstream of the compression mechanism. 
     
     
         56 . The compressor according to  claim 55 , wherein the compression mechanism is formed of an orbiting spiral and a fixed spiral, and wherein the device is formed between an outlet for the fluid out of the fixed spiral and the outlet of the compressor as a separate element between the housing elements of the housing arranged on the longitudinal axis or integrated into the housing of the compressor, or as a component of the fixed spiral. 
     
     
         57 . The compressor according to  claim 55 , wherein the device for cooling the fluid has an extension in a direction of the longitudinal axis in the range from 25 mm to 30 mm. 
     
     
         58 . The compressor according to  claim 55 , wherein the device for cooling the fluid is arranged within a volume charged under a high pressure level of the fluid such that a pressure prevalent within the at least one first flow channel for guiding the fluid and a pressure prevalent within a volume which borders a wall delimiting the at least one first flow channel are substantially equal in size. 
     
     
         59 . A method for operating the compressor according to  claim 55 , wherein a performance of the device for cooling the fluid to be compressed in the compressor is regulated via a mass flow of the heat carrier fluid through the device and a supply temperature of the heat carrier fluid such that an outlet condition of the compressed fluid is set at the outlet of the compressor independent of an operating condition of the compressor. 
     
     
         60 . Use of the compressor according to  claim 55  for the refrigerant of a refrigerant circuit of an air-conditioning system of a motor vehicle.