US 12,104,596 B2
Helium compressor system with unmodified scroll compressor
Stephen Brown Dunn, Bethlehem, PA (US)
Assigned to SUMITOMO (SHI) CRYOGENICS OF AMERICA, INC., Allentown, PA (US)
Appl. No. 17/624,928
Filed by SUMITOMO (SHI) CRYOGENICS OF AMERICA, INC., Allentown, PA (US)
PCT Filed Jul. 23, 2020, PCT No. PCT/US2020/043193
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jan. 5, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/025868, PCT Pub. Date Feb. 11, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/883,873, filed on Aug. 7, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0290670 A1, Sep. 15, 2022
Int. Cl. F04C 23/00 (2006.01); F04C 18/02 (2006.01); F04C 29/02 (2006.01)
CPC F04C 23/008 (2013.01) [F04C 18/0215 (2013.01); F04C 29/026 (2013.01); F04C 2210/105 (2013.01); F04C 2220/22 (2013.01); F04C 2240/60 (2013.01); F04C 2240/809 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A helium compressor system using an unmodified scroll compressor designed for air conditioning or food storage service, comprising:
a compressor having a housing, comprising:
a scroll including an orbiting scroll and a stationary scroll, wherein the stationary scroll has one or more injection ports;
a discharge port in the housing, through which a mixture of helium at high pressure and oil is discharged;
at least one return port in the housing, which receives helium at low pressure;
an injection port in the housing, which is connected to the one or more injection ports of the stationary scroll;
a motor that has a drive shaft that drives the orbiting scroll; and
a compressor oil sump located in a bottom of the housing; and
an oil management system comprising:
an oil separator receiving the mixture of the helium at high pressure and the oil from the discharge port;
a first line bringing a first fraction of the oil from the oil separator to the one or more injection ports of the stationary scroll through the injection port of the housing;
one or more return lines bringing a second fraction of the oil to the at least one return port along with the helium at low pressure; and
an adsorber that retains a third fraction of the oil.