Abstract: A reciprocating compressor includes a piston slidably mounted within a compression chamber and defining a suction port. A valve selectively permits a flow of gas through the suction port and includes a sealing portion positioned over the suction port, an attachment portion mechanically coupled to a compression face of the piston, a support portion that extends away from the attachment portion along the radial direction such that the attachment portion is positioned between the sealing portion and the support portion, wherein the support portion defines a flattened end opposite the sealing portion along the radial direction such that the valve has a non-circular shape, and a connecting portion that mechanically couples the support portion to the sealing portion and permits the sealing portion to move between an open position and a closed position.

Abstract: A linear compressor or sealed system may include a casing, a piston, an driving coil, an inner back iron assembly, and a planar spring assembly. The casing may include a cylinder assembly defining a chamber along an axial direction. The piston may be slidably received within the chamber of the cylinder assembly. The inner back iron assembly may be positioned in the driving coil. The planar spring assembly may be mounted to the inner back iron assembly. The planar spring assembly may include a first planar spring, a second planar spring axially spaced apart from the first planar spring, and a polymer shim layer disposed between at least a portion of the first planar spring and the second planar spring.

Abstract: A reciprocating compressor includes a piston slidably mounted within a compression chamber and defining a suction port for receiving a flow of gas. A flex mount is mechanically coupled to the piston and has an inner surface that defines a suction cavity. A suction muffler is positioned at least partially within the suction cavity and includes an inlet tube extending along the axial direction within the suction cavity and defining an inlet passageway configured to receive the flow of gas and a plurality of chamber plates that extend along the radial direction from an outer surface of the inlet tube, the plurality of chamber plates and the flex mount defining a plurality of resonance chambers to reduce compressor noise.

Abstract: A reciprocating compressor includes a piston slidably mounted within a compression chamber and defining a suction port for receiving a flow of gas. A flex mount is mechanically coupled to the piston and has an inner surface that defines a suction cavity. A suction muffler is positioned at least partially within the suction cavity and includes an inlet tube extending along the axial direction within the suction cavity and defining an inlet passageway configured to receive the flow of gas and a plurality of chamber plates that extend along the radial direction from an outer surface of the inlet tube, the plurality of chamber plates and the flex mount defining a plurality of resonance chambers to reduce compressor noise.

Abstract: A method for operating a variable capacity drive circuit of a compressor includes operating first and second four-quadrant switches in a first state in which the first four-quadrant switch is closed and the second four-quadrant switch is open such that a voltage seen by the motor is equal to an AC line voltage. The method also includes operating the first and second four-quadrant switches in a second state where the first four-quadrant switch is open and the second four-quadrant switch is closed such that the voltage seen by the motor is to zero. Further, the method includes providing a positive firing angle and a negative firing angle for defining when the first and second four-quadrant switches are operated in each of the first and second states. Moreover, the method also includes transitioning between the first and second states using the firing angles at a switching frequency determined by the AC line voltage frequency.

Abstract: A linear compressor includes a housing defining a sump for collecting a lubricant and a pump for circulating a flow of lubricant within the housing. A heat dissipation or heat exchange assembly includes a plate mounted on a lower portion of the housing to define one or more fluid passageways between the plate and the housing. Hot oil is collected from the working components of the linear compressor and is passed through the one or more fluid passageways to discharge heat through the housing before the oil is returned to the sump.

Abstract: A linear compressor or method of operation may provide for driving a motor of the linear compressor to a reference current and detecting a sampled current during driving the motor. The linear compressor or method may also provide for calculating a variance in current using the sampled current, determining the calculated variance exceeds a variance threshold, and restricting the reference current based on determining the calculated variance exceeds the variance threshold.

Abstract: A method for operating a variable capacity drive circuit of a compressor includes operating first and second four-quadrant switches in a first state in which the first four-quadrant switch is closed and the second four-quadrant switch is open such that a voltage seen by the motor is equal to an AC line voltage. The method also includes operating the first and second four-quadrant switches in a second state where the first four-quadrant switch is open and the second four-quadrant switch is closed such that the voltage seen by the motor is to zero. Further, the method includes providing a positive firing angle and a negative firing angle for defining when the first and second four-quadrant switches are operated in each of the first and second states. Moreover, the method also includes transitioning between the first and second states using the firing angles at a switching frequency determined by the AC line voltage frequency.

Abstract: A reciprocating compressor includes a piston slidably mounted within a compression chamber and defining a suction port. A valve selectively permits a flow of gas through the suction port and includes a sealing portion positioned over the suction port, an attachment portion mechanically coupled to a compression face of the piston, a support portion that extends away from the attachment portion along the radial direction such that the attachment portion is positioned between the sealing portion and the support portion, wherein the support portion defines a flattened end opposite the sealing portion along the radial direction such that the valve has a non-circular shape, and a connecting portion that mechanically couples the support portion to the sealing portion and permits the sealing portion to move between an open position and a closed position.

Abstract: A linear compressor includes a housing defining a sump for collecting a lubricant and a pump for circulating the lubricant within the housing. A heat dissipation assembly includes a distribution conduit that is fluidly coupled to a hot oil collection point and defines a plurality of discharge ports for distributing the lubricant along the housing and back into the sump. A flow restricting member may be positioned under or wrapped around the distribution conduit to restrict the flow of lubricant.

Abstract: A linear compressor includes a housing defining a sump for collecting a lubricant and a pump for circulating a flow of lubricant within the housing. A heat dissipation or heat exchange assembly includes a plate mounted on a lower portion of the housing to define one or more fluid passageways between the plate and the housing. Hot oil is collected from the working components of the linear compressor and is passed through the one or more fluid passageways to discharge heat through the housing before the oil is returned to the sump.

Abstract: A linear compressor and methods of operation, for example, to control extension of the linear compressor, are provided herein. A method may include supplying a time varying voltage to a motor of the linear compressor, determining an uneven fatigue condition at the linear compressor, and applying a limiting force at the motor in a negative axial direction in response to the determining step.

Abstract: A sealed system, as provided herein, may include a linear compressor, a shell, and a condenser. The linear compressor may include a casing and a piston. The casing may extend along an axial direction from a first end portion to a second end portion. The casing may include a cylinder assembly defining a chamber proximal to the second end portion. The piston may be slidably received within the chamber of the cylinder assembly. The shell may define an internal volume enclosing the linear compressor and lubrication oil therein. The condenser may be in downstream fluid communication with the linear compressor to receive a compressed refrigerant therefrom.

Abstract: A linear compressor and methods of operation, for example, to control a setpoint and vary cooling capacity of the linear compressor, are provided herein. An appliance may include a linear compressor having a reciprocating piston movable in a negative axial direction toward a chamber and positive axial direction away from the chamber. The appliance may further include a motor operatively coupled to the reciprocating piston, the motor having a resting setpoint, an inverter configured to supply a variable frequency waveform to the motor, and a controller configured to control the variable frequency waveform. The controller may be configured to direct a positive DC voltage to the motor to shift the resting setpoint to increase a cooling capacity of the linear compressor.

Abstract: A linear compressor includes a housing defining a sump for collecting a lubricant and a suction inlet for receiving a flow of refrigerant into the housing. A pump circulates the lubricant within the housing, e.g., for lubricating a piston that is movable along the axial direction to compress the flow of refrigerant. A flex mount is coupled to the piston and defines a channel inlet for receiving the flow of refrigerant. A splash shield is positioned within the housing between the channel inlet and a pump inlet along the vertical direction, e.g., to prevent oil entrainment into the flow of refrigerant.

Abstract: A method for operating a linear compressor includes establishing a set of predictors, and establishing a model for an estimated head clearance of the linear compressor with the set of predictors. Coefficients of the model for the estimated head clearance of the linear compressor may also be established. The model for the estimated head clearance of the linear compressor may be used to calculate an estimated head clearance during operation of the linear compressor.

Abstract: Systems and compression assemblies thereof are provided. In one example aspect, a system includes a cooling fluid circuit and a piston slidably received within a chamber of a casing. The casing defines an inlet passage and an outlet passage. The inlet passage receives a cooling fluid, e.g. oil or a refrigerant, from the cooling fluid circuit. The cooling fluid flows into the inlet passage and downstream into an inlet groove defined by the piston along its outer surface. The cooling fluid flows downstream to a cooling channel defined by a piston head of the piston and thereafter into an outlet groove defined by piston along its outer surface. The cooling fluid then flows into outlet passage of casing and is returned to cooling fluid circuit. The passage of cooling fluid through the passages, grooves, and channels removes heat from the casing and the piston.

Abstract: A linear compressor includes a piston with a piston head and a cylindrical side wall. An inner surface of the cylindrical side wall defines a ball seat. A coupling extends between a mover and a piston. The coupling includes a flex mount that extends between a first end portion and a second end portion. The flex mount is connected to the mover away from the first end portion of the flex mount. A ball nose is positioned at the first end portion of the flex mount. The ball nose contacts the piston at the ball seat of the piston. A spring urges the ball nose against the ball seat of the piston.

Abstract: Systems and compression assemblies thereof are provided. In one example aspect, a system includes a cooling fluid circuit and a piston slidably received within a chamber of a casing. The casing defines an inlet passage and an outlet passage. The inlet passage receives a cooling fluid, e.g. oil or a refrigerant, from the cooling fluid circuit. The cooling fluid flows into the inlet passage and downstream into an inlet groove defined by the piston along its outer surface. The cooling fluid flows downstream to a cooling channel defined by a piston head of the piston and thereafter into an outlet groove defined by piston along its outer surface. The cooling fluid then flows into outlet passage of casing and is returned to cooling fluid circuit. The passage of cooling fluid through the passages, grooves, and channels removes heat from the casing and the piston.

Abstract: A method for detecting head crashing in a linear compressor includes sampling a rolling average of a peak applied voltage and a desired peak current each time that a current controller adjusts the desired peak current. The method also includes calculating a linear regression for a predicted peak applied voltage as a function of the desired peak current, calculating the predicted peak voltage for the motor of the linear compressor with the linear regression and a current value for the desired peak current from the current controller, and establishing that a piston of the linear compressor is soft crashing when the predicted peak voltage is different than the current value for the rolling average of the peak applied voltage by more than a threshold value.