Scroll Compressor Exposed: Understanding Its Mechanical Magic

[@EngineeringMindset]

*This video took a long time to make* if you would like to buy Paul a coffee to say thanks, link below: ☕ PayPal: www.paypal.me/TheEngineerinMindset Channel membership: kzbin.info/door/k0fGHsCEzGig-rSzkfCjMwjoin Patreon: www.patreon.com/theengineeringmindset

[@jamesrossman5054]

Great job Paul!

[@SHSPVR]

Nice video but you do know that cars also have scroll compressor option as well.

[@Joe_From_IT]

Up until now I was just guessing at what was happening inside a scroll compressor, but now I see. You've created an incredibly effective illustration- thanks so much!

[@mrfarts5176]

This video sure punched us in the B hole.

[@hansmuller1625]

As an HVAC guy with 17 years experience i'd like to say this was a rather well put together video. I'd also like to add a warning about digital scrolls. They are extremely inefficient. They still draw about 60% power while unloaded as they do loaded. The only real application as i see it would be as a capacity modulating stage in a system with multiple compressors, to get a true n-100% capacity instead of 100/n steps. Emerson have pushed them out in datacenter applications which is where i've come in contact with them. Hugely wasteful, and they do wear out quicker than a fixed scroll. And the noise they make, awful.

[@WhEE443]

I didn’t know they were so inefficient! Yes the noise is very annoying. They do provide a much more comfortable environment than the traditional on/off. You can get much more steady discharge temperatures. I hope we start seeing more VFD controlled compressors in the future. That seems like the best solution.

[@alphawolf0020]

Clear. Approachable terminology and length. Beautiful, detailed schematic-like graphics and animations. This is such a well done video!

[@WhEE443]

The graphics in this video make this so much easier to understand. I already had a vague idea of how these worked but it makes much more sense now.

[@alexhealey9591]

Great video. I did a lot of scroll compressor development at my first job out of college and this video would've saved me a few weeks of learning.

[@jondoe598]

Maybe your at the wrong school no? Contact these guy's or look into things etc explore for yourself but this is basics for what you say your studying ???

[@WhEE443]

Engineering schools teach fundamentals, but they don’t get into the details of individual product designs. There is a huge variety of types of products a mechanical engineer might design, so there is no way a school could adequately cover everything. It’s very common for engineers (especially new ones) to be unfamiliar with how systems like this work and need to research to get themselves up to speed before they start. Hopefully there are senior engineers who can provide guidance.

[@mikechiodetti4482]

Thank you for this video. I worked in the Automotive field for more than 30 years and part of that was learning about and repairing mobile A/C systems including my own vehicles. While auto compressors were mostly belt driven, obviously being variable engine speed, piston pumps with "Swash Plates" could give variable output. Some vehicles had electronically controlled output, many had clutch engagement on the drive side. Since Hybrids came out, their compressors could use the High Voltage Battery Power changed to a 3 Phase A/C Motorized Compressor. I'm reading more lately how low pressure gas engine fuel pumps are 3 phase power now. That pump has it's own module that changes the 12 Volt battery power to variable 3 phase power controlled by the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) which runs the engine. The Fuel Pump Control Module changes the fuel pump's output depending on the signal from the PCM and it's demands. That's on a CAN network. Talk about complexity! Thank you for this video.

[@TestECull]

....man that's fucking stupid. I love the simplicity of the diaphraghm fuel pump on my 85 F150. It's so damn reliable. And easy to change if it needs it. And interestingly, so is the factory(!!) aircon on that truck. Still has its original charge of R12 in it and it will still freeze an eskimo's nutsack off.

[@chrismerklin8460]

Excellent animation to show the actual scroll operation! Two other issues though: 1. The toy that bubbles in your hand does NOT have ‘refrigerant’ and is NOT boiling! It’s simply air pressure from the expansion caused by your warm hand heating the lower chamber! (This was the main reason for my comment and I didn’t see anyone else mention it.) 2. When looking through comments I was reminded of another thing that hit me. As someone else noted, the spray bottle doesn’t make liquid evaporate, but just “atomizes” it for greater surface area for easier evaporation.

[@mahade_DIY]

Even if I am not a Mechanical Engineering professional/student I enjoyed the video . This channel is a great source of information and knowledge . Love for “The Engineering Mindset “❤

[@ArthurOgawa-q9z]

Thanks, Paul! My Carrier heat pump (domestic service) has a variable-speed compressor, variable-speed blower, and (possibly) an electronic expansion valve. We selected this model for its high efficiency. I was pleased to see some of these aspects covered in your video. At the same time, your breakdown of the compressor reveals a great many wear points, particularly within the scroll mechanism. Rather concerning.~~~~Arthur Ogawa

[@charlesswartz5725]

Paul, I have the same carrier as described, but mine makes a sculling sound on shutdown. Any suggestions? Thanks Charles

[@pouryaahmadi615]

Simple, concise and full of information. No one can do better than this person. You are great Thank you very much 👏👏👏👏

[@donchaput8278]

This is a great video! The ventilators I used to work on used scroll compressors with reed valves. Had to tear them down and service them every 5000 hours. Super interesting system

[@bebeusxl9842]

Great explanation! Having worked with reefers onboard container ships, I've always wondered how these compressors work. Now I want to see a Starcool compressor from inside 😂

[@alexanderklenk2195]

Great video! I worked on the Boeing 787 supplemental cooling units for about a year which use scroll compressors. The -8 and -9 aircraft SCUs use a TXV while the -10 uses an EEV. Variable speed motors and with an economizer to improve coefficient of performance (efficiency).

[@matthewshultz8762]

VRF systems are completely changing the game for small scale cooling systems, especially with the increase in ductless systems in the US. I've got a ductless mini split heat pump in my office and it has fantastic temperature control, never feels too hot or too cold in the space and I know it only uses as much energy as it needs to maintain that temp.

[@EngineeringMindset]

Totally is. We also have a very detailed video of VRF systems

[@JackS425]

Having a sponsor that makes the subject of an engineering video offers a unique perspective

[@BlurryFace-zz2ro]

This video about compressors was a lot clearer than others I'd watched. Big thumbs up to Engineering Mindset!👍👍

[@KooTheGreat]

Winner of a 2024 award? Weird...

[@A_Stereotypical_Heretic]

Ikr? It's hard to compete against time traveling engineers

[@jondoe598]

This is the way forward

[@V0ID_beats]

It was so good it compressed time

[@nyckid]

2024 cars were already on the road by August 2023...

[@woosier1]

​@@nyckidthose are model years.

[@rafascd12]

This is the best and more detailed explanation I've ever saw! Good Job man! You've raised the bar!!!

[@1_Engineer]

Question - If scroll is not allowing refrigerant to escape unnecessarily from unexpected places but only from the centre that means that cavity that scroll makes it air tight right? So the walls of scroll always will have friction as they touch eachother, so how this much friction is overcomed?

[@hansmuller1625]

This was the thing that prevented scrolls from being viable for many years. It's actually a very old concept, but i believe it was only in the 70's that manufacturing techniques were refined enough that the tolerances of the scrolls would be fine enough for it to work. The scrolls barely touch in reality, they employ a thin film of oil to do the sealing.

[@1_Engineer]

@@hansmuller1625 hmm

[@mtrest4]

I'm no expert but the fact that the output is pulsed suggests that at some point the opening is sealed. 🦭 Just like an internal combustion engine which lets in the fuel into the cylinders and then seals prior to compression and detonation 💥

[@adrianpilbrow]

It's pretty mind blowing that those scrolls can be engineered to a gas tight precision fit across the entire surface of two complex complementary shapes like that!

[@filanfyretracker]

I guess expansion devices have really progressed, the last time I cracked open a window unit to do some condenser coil cleaning before cooling season started the expansion device was just capillary tube.

[@AlfredoNelito]

thank you for the electronic engineering book for absolute beginners.it really helped me I learned allot.

[@GlennThompson]

How a scroll compressor works is explained in the ten seconds between 10:20 & 10:30, the balance of the video is superfluous.

[@captainboon2978]

What a brilliant engineering masterpiece, as well as a brilliant demonstration of such a thing.

[@whyjnot420]

These are one of the cooler devices out there (never be sorry for your puns). It really is neat seeing people realize how they work. Not as pretty to look at as something like a planetary gear, but still pretty cool (again, never sorry).

[@_spartan11796]

Beautifully explained!

[@nishantc4395]

Very helpful video, especially the part about compressor unloading part. Thanks again for the video.

[@teagueman100]

This is as good as a WWII technical training video. Fantastic work!

[@BariumCobaltNitrog3n]

I'm very curious so I opened one up and was very surprised at the construction. It explained why they are so quiet. We use them in labs to move oxygen because no lube gets in the product. Oil-less scrolls.

[@YathishShamaraj]

Excellent.... I learnt more than i expected 😊❤

[@RonJohn63]

8:26 Since the void space has the _capacity_ to hold fluid, and smooth out "noise", I'm reminded of an electrical capacitor. Yet again, electrons act like a fluid.

[@MeeFeeTree]

You should do a video explaining how defrost mode works on a condenser

[@vantongerent]

Great Video! If I wanted to build a scroll compressor fan myself, for learning purposes, is it do-able? What kind of tolerances and clearances are needed between the two halfs of the scroll fan geometry to get it to compress refrigerant? Thanks!

[@paulf9459]

Nice job, but the flow thru the condenser and evaporator is shown wrong. Hot gas enters the top of the condenser coil and leaves at the bottom as a liquid, due to gravity the liquid is heavier than gas. The evaporator works just the opposite, liquid enters low in each individual tube and leaves as a gas high. This also helps to prevents liquid entering from entering the suction side.

[@MirAqueelAli]

Excellent presentation and information

[@joe-by1cd]

What electronics book do you recommend? Something that isn’t overly complicated

[@joaquinbasurto4365]

Such a great explanation, simple terms but quite complete information

[@petercoutu4726]

Please make a video on ammonia based refrigerators that are commonly found in campers/ motorhomes and can either run off of normal ac power or a combination of 12v dc and propane.

[@AnilSingh-h6w]

Incredible video, Superb animation we have Liebert DS250, a Direct expansion air-cooled CRAC Unit in our data center, The scroll compressor is from Copeland and it makes extreme sound while loading and Unloading, Your video helped me a ton, thank you very much, It would great if its in note format with the colour picture so that we can carry and read for our info, Once again much appreciated.

[@castell44555]

1000 thanks engineering mindset for the videos .

[@kapilg89]

Always wondered how the compressor works. Nice video

[@RadenVijaya]

Thank you for the video! Now I understood the reason why they dont sell me this type of compressor!

[@shashikumarkalledevar8433]

Can u make a detailed video on immersion cooling technology..?

[@Soho9111]

Thanks! The best of all times

[@EngineeringMindset]

Thank you!

[@ttduong06]

I really love your videos. Can you make video about air compressor such as screw compressor with and without oil? thank you

[@jeremiahbullfrog9288]

This design seems simpler and more efficient than traditional compressors... why are they so expensive?

[@A_Stereotypical_Heretic]

Complexity I imagine.

[@A_Stereotypical_Heretic]

I mean the simplest designs are the motors that drive a piston, the piston compressing the air or gas in a cylinder, forcing open a check valve, much like in a vehicles engine. Very few parts, intuitive and cheap.

[@jeremiahbullfrog9288]

@@A_Stereotypical_Heretic Seems like the rotating spiral is significantly simpler than a piston mechanism but maybe I'm missing something?

[@A_Stereotypical_Heretic]

@@jeremiahbullfrog9288 I think it's just you have so many parts in action on a spiral compressor. More intricate, less intuitive maybe.

[@urzaserra256]

The scrolls themselves are a lot more complex with the various holes/slots etc, there is a lot more machining that needs to be done to make them work and that machining needs to be a lot more precise. An example is the heights of the scrolls of othe two halves needs to be very close or the whole thing just deosnt work.

[@gregdittrich1206]

Very good and easy to understand video

[@SuperVstech]

I find it cute the color of the refrigerant jug in the animation is R22 green.

[@AlfredoNelito]

Mr. Pole do you have any mechanical or computer science book

[@latitude67]

The media goes in to the condenser in the top, not the bottom, and in the evaporator its vice versa.

[@csehszlovakze]

very informative, thank you!

[@pantherplatform]

What's the difference between a thermal expansion valve and an orifice tube?

[@fishyerik]

Overall a good video, I do have some issues, like with the spray water bottle, it doesn't evaporate the water, it creates a mist, that mist is not evaporated water, but liquid water particles. Those particles can evaporate rather quickly, but that takes a lot of energy, which causes a temperature drop. But the water doesn't boil, unless the temperature is above the boiling point. The drop in temperature will typically initially be fast, and then slow down the closer to the dew point of that droplet-air mixture gets, and the dew point of that mixture will be higher than that of the ambient air because of the added water vapor. Boiling point is a function of temperature and pressure, a typical heat pump compressor simply change the pressure to change the temperature of the boiling point of the refrigerant. A water spray bottle does not decrease the pressure of ambient air, it's technically not the exact thing that happens, even if both the refrigerant and water evaporates, the spray bottle just increase the surface area of the water and mix it with air.

[@logictv6667]

Shout out and merry christmas

[@zekenzy6486]

Great Video. Thank you for sharing. Please. Could you make video about Ice Machine ? everything about Ice Machine. Thank you.

[@amandhingra4947]

What value does it provide over other compressor? It looks more complicated and restricted.

[@hansmuller1625]

High capacity in a small footprint, and higher efficiency compared to piston compressors.

[@janeblogs324]

Noise, number of parts, miniature size.

[@nicanorelprieto4010]

Gracias muy buena información feliz navidad!!

[@seshachary5580]

very educative. Thank you

[@KK.Lines369]

Can you please make a video on how computer hardware works

[@piconano]

Open my eyes you did. Grateful I am.

[@syndromealphalord]

Beautiful design

[@bungholesrus]

I've actually cut open a few burnt up compressors from old ac units and refrigerators and freezers

[@coolmonkey619]

How did you get your start

[@dhruvamjoshi3026]

Please make video on Encoder 👍

[@KurtRichterCISSP]

What a beautiful machine! 😅 And great video!

[@TheMadTube]

I remember decades ago back in the 90’s when I was learning to be a mechanic. The scroll compressor was a new thing being used in Honda vehicles. At that time, scrolls were only produced by the Copeland Corporation in Ohio because they must have held the patent on it. We were told that no one else had the technology to manufacture the scrolls with the precision that Copeland used. Seemed like a load of bollocks to me at the time.

[@f.k.b.16]

The video is great! Who ever invented the scroll compressor... Internet high 5 to you! (Maybe a heavenly high 5...)

[@shrededpudding5921]

cant wait to one day get to install 1234z* medium and low pressure stuff in residential settings

[@lylestavast7652]

wasn't the scroll compressor a Copeland thing in the 80's originally. Friend worked there and then for Chrysler in Dayton...

[@christopherweston6028]

Really good, Thank you

[@raizel3137]

Make video on integrated circuit.

[@EngineeringMindset]

See our video on motor speed controller

[@renj6531]

TEM has done it again great Vid!

[@mazdamaniac4643]

That's the very first time I've ever heard of a *Pressure* Relief Valve that discharges because of excessive *temperature.* I'd be very interested to know how that works for this particular valve, or even how that's physically possible for such a small PRV with no sensing input other than pressure.

[@Aetemaad4]

very informative awesome vdo 👍🏻

[@skylerbowerbank5847]

Legit question, what is the common compression ratio, and the higher theoretical compression ratio of such a compressor in this application

[@abhyankaratharv]

Thank you

[@Ucceah]

you could have given at least a small demo of how nice a small one sounds!

[@BitterTast3]

Ever thought about doing a video on how leaf blowers work?

[@A_Stereotypical_Heretic]

Turbines. You're welcome

[@TheRoadhammer379]

Turbines in a leaf blower can spin anywhere from 22,000, RPM for electric blowers, and up to 45,000 rpm for gas blowers.

[@BitterTast3]

@@A_Stereotypical_Heretic Got a link? All I’m finding is wind turbines and jet turbines.

[@luukborst9993]

Is R1234ze going to be used in heat pumps in the EU? I see all heat pump manufactures design heatpumps with propane but no one uses R1234ze. why?

[@br88dy]

This video is AWESOME

[@samhaazratechnicalsupport]

Very niece sir ❤❤❤🇮🇳🇮🇳🇮🇳

[@GrannyKiller6245]

Can you please add a video about makeup of mobile

[@RockingThePlanet]

Great vid thank you

[@ThomasHaberkorn]

is a BLDC motor used in this design?

[@nayko.4876]

I subscribe 👍

[@Anandkeerthana1625]

Thank you sir.....✨🥰

[@samhaazratechnicalsupport]

Very niece sir ❤❤🇮🇳💖

[@PintuKumar-dc5tl]

Thank you sir

[@jondoe598]

Archimedes screw yet again brilliant 😊

[@safetyinstructor]

No, that's something different

[@jondoe598]

​@@safetyinstructor The driving compressing force is an Archimedes screw my friend or are we watching a different video ?

[@Sanjay-to2he]

We use refrigerator in our country by the way😅

[@nktrendings816]

Nice 👌

[@AlfredoNelito-f4w]

when will you release another video

[@AlfredoNelito-f4w]

good

[@MrSquigglies]

Crank case heaters are also great for blowing fuses and breakers to keep techs busy! Lol

[@paulgaras2606]

I’ve actually never had a burned out cch pop a breaker. I can see how it could happen but in 10 years commercial hvac and refrigeration it’s never happened to me.

[@SinuheSieda]

I was familiar with Jack and Beanstock story. Only time I heard from Malcolm X was on The Simpsons😅 Doctor: "I used to strip under artist name Malcolm Sex. He he.".

[@TestECull]

I just wish the fucking things would last longer than a season and a half these days. The R12 system in my 85 F150's factory(!!) aircon still works fine after nearly 40 years of service, but the modern, energy-efficient, low-carbon-footprint bullshit I hang in my window to cool my bedroom literally dies every season.

[@Alasdair-Morrison]

They look like Daleks from Dr.Who

[@javac08642]

Ok... Bypassing compressed refrigerant is just dumb, it is like creating a false load by leaving a window open.

[@BartJBols]

Ive seen compressors once.

[@valeriorocket3620]

if nobody got me, I know the scroll compressor got me, can I get an amen?🗣

[@renandavidsoriaahumadatele4823]

9.8C whats that thing made of!