Patent ID: 6969242

Claim:
A compressor comprising: a housing assembly; and a male rotor having a male screw-type body portion, the male rotor extending from a first end to a second end and held by the housing assembly for rotation about a first rotor axis; a female rotor having a female screw-type body portion enmeshed with the male body portion, the female rotor extending from a first end to a second end and held by the housing assembly for rotation about a second rotor axis; at least a first bearing on an inlet side of the male body portion and radially retaining the male rotor relative to the housing assembly while allowing the male rotor to rotate at least in a first direction about the first axis, rotation in said first direction acting to compress a fluid and drive the fluid in a downstream flow direction defining inlet and outlet ends of the male and female body portions and an associated inlet-to-outlet direction; and at least a first seal, sealing a first rotor of the male rotor and female rotor relative to the housing assembly at a location between the first bearing and the body portion of the first rotor, wherein: the first rotor has at least one passageway having first and second ports and positioned to direct a portion of the fluid to a space between the body portion of the first rotor and the first seal.