Kinematic Characteristics Analysis of Orbiting Scroll and Structural Optimization of Oldham’s Coupling in Scroll Compression

The contact form of the orbiting scroll and Oldham’s coupling plays an important role in improving the operation stability of the scroll compressor. In this study, the kinematic simulation of key moving parts such as the orbiting scroll and Oldham’s coupling was carried out under the condition of low speed, and the reason for the impact between Oldham’s coupling and the orbiting scroll was revealed. Results showed that the clearance between the moving pairs causes the orbiting scroll to have a slight rotation tendency and causes the impact between Oldham’s coupling and the orbiting scroll. The angular velocity of the orbiting scroll in the x-axis direction can effectively characterize this impact. The impact of the Oldham’s coupling convex key on the mainframe keyway is more severe than that on the keyway of the orbiting scroll. By optimizing the structure of the convex key of Oldham’s coupling, the contact form between Oldham’s coupling and the orbiting scroll is improved, and the starting acceleration of the orbiting scroll is reduced by 53%, which greatly improved the working stability of the scroll compressor.