Refrigerant Compressor

Abstract

In order to operate as energy-efficiently as possible a refrigerant compressor, comprising a reciprocating piston compressor and an electric motor, an overall housing having a motor housing portion for the electric motor and a compressor housing portion for the reciprocating piston compressor, a suction connector connected to a low-pressure side of the reciprocating piston compressor, a pressure connector connected to a high-pressure side of the reciprocating piston compressor, wherein provided in the compressor housing portion is at least one cylinder of the reciprocating piston compressor, which has a piston that is movable in a cylinder bore formed in the compressor housing portion, a valve plate closing the cylinder bore, and a cylinder head that spans the valve plate and forms part of the compressor housing portion, it is proposed that a mechanical performance control unit should be provided by which the low-pressure side and the high-pressure side are connectable to one another for the purpose of reducing performance, and that there should be provided in the region of the cylinder head a nonreturn valve that is held against the cylinder head and that allows a refrigerant stream exiting therefrom on the high-pressure side and blocks a refrigerant stream counter to this refrigerant stream.

1 . A refrigerant compressor, comprising a reciprocating piston compressor and an electric motor, an overall housing having a motor housing portion for the electric motor and a compressor housing portion for the reciprocating piston compressor, a suction connector connected to a low-pressure side of the reciprocating piston compressor, and a pressure connector connected to a high-pressure side of the reciprocating piston compressor, wherein provided in the compressor housing portion is at least one cylinder of the reciprocating piston compressor, which has a piston that is movable in a cylinder bore formed in the compressor housing portion, and a valve plate closing the cylinder bore, and a cylinder head that spans the valve plate and forms part of the compressor housing portion,
 wherein a mechanical performance control unit is provided by which the low-pressure side and the high-pressure side are connectable to one another for the purpose of reducing performance, and wherein provided in the region of the cylinder head is a nonreturn valve that is held against the cylinder head and that allows a refrigerant stream exiting therefrom and blocks a refrigerant stream counter to this exiting refrigerant stream.   
     
     
         2 . The refrigerant compressor as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the nonreturn valve is arranged downstream of the outlet chamber and prevents backflow of refrigerant downstream of the nonreturn valve into the outlet chamber. 
     
     
         3 . The refrigerant compressor as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the nonreturn valve is arranged on the cylinder head at a spacing from the valve plate. 
     
     
         4 . The refrigerant compressor as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the nonreturn valve is arranged at a region of the cylinder head remote from the valve plate. 
     
     
         5 . The refrigerant compressor as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the nonreturn valve is arranged in the region of a transition from the outlet chamber into an outlet refrigerant path. 
     
     
         6 . The refrigerant compressor as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the nonreturn valve is arranged and fixed in a receptacle that is arranged on the cylinder head. 
     
     
         7 . The refrigerant compressor as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the receptacle is integrally formed on the cylinder head. 
     
     
         8 . The refrigerant compressor as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the nonreturn valve is arranged sealed tight to the receptacle. 
     
     
         9 . The refrigerant compressor as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the nonreturn valve has a valve body with at least one through opening in it, and wherein the through opening is closable by a reed valve that is movable in relation to the valve body. 
     
     
         10 . The refrigerant compressor as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the reed valve is resiliently urged in the direction of a flow-blocking position in which the reed valve abuts against a sealing face of the valve body. 
     
     
         11 . The refrigerant compressor as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the reed valve is guided such that it is movable in relation to the valve body. 
     
     
         12 . The refrigerant compressor as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the reed valve as a whole is at a spacing from the valve body in a cleared-for-flow position. 
     
     
         13 . The refrigerant compressor as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the nonreturn valve has a capturing body for the reed valve, which positions the reed valve in its cleared-for-flow position. 
     
     
         14 . The refrigerant compressor as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the valve body takes the form of an annular body. 
     
     
         15 . The refrigerant compressor as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the valve body has at least one through opening which is arranged in an annular region around a center axis. 
     
     
         16 . The refrigerant compressor as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the reed valve takes the form of an annular body. 
     
     
         17 . The refrigerant compressor as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein, in the cleared-for-flow position of the reed valve, refrigerant flowing through the through openings flows around the reed valve both in the region of its internal edge and also in the region of its external edge. 
     
     
         18 . The refrigerant compressor as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the mechanical performance control unit is arranged on the at least one cylinder head, in particular wherein the mechanical performance control unit is at least partly integrated into the at least one cylinder head. 
     
     
         19 . The refrigerant compressor as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein, for the purpose of reducing performance, the mechanical performance control unit connects an outlet chamber in the cylinder head to an inlet chamber in the cylinder head by way of a controllable connection channel, in particular wherein the connection channel is arranged integrated into the cylinder head. 
     
     
         20 . The refrigerant compressor as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein an outlet chamber in the cylinder head is arranged directly adjoining at least one outlet opening for the respective cylinder in the valve plate. 
     
     
         21 . The refrigerant compressor as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein an inlet chamber in the cylinder head is arranged directly adjoining an inlet opening for the respective cylinder of the valve plate. 
     
     
         22 . The refrigerant compressor as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the mechanical performance control unit has a closing piston for the purpose of closing the connection channel, in particular wherein, for the purpose of closing the connection channel, the closing piston is settable on a sealing seat that runs in a manner surrounding the connection channel, in particular wherein a sealing region of the closing piston is made from a metal with lower hardness than a metal from which the sealing seat is made, or vice versa, in particular wherein the sealing seat is arranged in a wall portion of the cylinder head that separates the inlet chamber from the outlet chamber, in particular wherein the sealing seat is arranged in a wall portion running above the valve plate and above the inlet chamber, in particular wherein the sealing seat is arranged on an opposite side of the inlet chamber to the valve plate. 
     
     
         23 . The refrigerant compressor as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein a cylinder head has an inlet chamber and an outlet chamber for a cylinder bank that comprises at least two cylinders. 
     
     
         24 . The refrigerant compressor as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the respective mechanical performance control unit is associated with a cylinder bank. 
     
     
         25 . The refrigerant compressor as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein, in the case of the refrigerant compressor having N cylinder banks, a mechanical performance control unit is associated with at least N−1 cylinder banks. 
     
     
         26 . The refrigerant compressor as claimed in  claim 23 , wherein a mechanical performance control unit is associated with each cylinder bank. 
     
     
         27 . The refrigerant compressor as claimed in  claim 22 , wherein the closing piston is urged by a pressure spring in the direction of the position in which it cooperates with the sealing seat. 
     
     
         28 . The refrigerant compressor as claimed in  claim 22 , wherein the closing piston is actuable by a pressure chamber which, depending on the external control of the performance control unit, is configured to be acted upon either by negative pressure or by high pressure. 
     
     
         29 . The refrigerant compressor as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein a control unit comprised within the performance control unit is provided, by which the action of pressure upon the closing piston is controllable. 
     
     
         30 . The refrigerant compressor as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein there is provided a performance controller that controls the at least one performance control unit in accordance with a demanded compressor conveying performance.