General Description and Function

COMPRESSOR:

GENERAL
The compressor is a rotary type that has a rotor fitted with five radially movable vanes. The rotor rotates together with the vanes in an elliptical cylinder. As the rotor rotates, the volume of each closed space formed between two adjacent vanes (referred to as "cylinder chamber" in the following description) decreases, so that the pressure of the refrigerant gas confined in the cylinder chamber increases. In this way, the rotary compressor performs its function as a pump. The pumping cycle consisting of suction, compression and discharge takes place 10 times during every rotation of the rotor.

On the discharge side of the cylinder, a roll valve is provided that opens at a predetermined high pressure. Air tightness between the rotor shaft and front head is ensured by the shaft seal. The trigger valve incorporated in the front side block provides the function of applying back pressure to the vanes. The compressor contains necessary quantity of compressor oil. The oil is distributed to all the parts requiring lubrication and sealing by utilizing the discharge pressure of the refrigerant.


FUNCTION
As the rotor rotates, the volume of each cylinder chamber changes. This creates the compressor's suction, compression and discharge functions as explained in the following:

Compressor / Suction:

1. SUCTION
Low-pressure gaseous refrigerant is forced out from the evaporator by rotation of the compressor. It enters the low-pressure chamber in the rear head through the check valve. The refrigerant is then drawn into the cylinder by rotation of the vane-fitted rotor through the two suction ports provided in the rear side block. Air tightness of the cylinder chambers is maintained by the compressor oil.

Compressor / Compression:

2. COMPRESSION
Further rotation of the rotor after suction makes the volume of each cylinder chamber smaller, thus compression occurs.

Compressor / Discharge:

3. DISCHARGE
When the pressure of refrigerant in the cylinder chamber exceeds a predetermined pressure, the roll valve opens to discharge the refrigerant through a pipe-shaped passage built in the front side block into the high-pressure chamber in the front head. The gaseous refrigerant in the high-pressure chamber is led to a baffle, which separates the compressor oil contained in the refrigerant before it flows into the high-pressure piping.