AU4976793A - Compressor - Google Patents

Compressor

Info

Publication number
AU4976793A
AU4976793A AU49767/93A AU4976793A AU4976793A AU 4976793 A AU4976793 A AU 4976793A AU 49767/93 A AU49767/93 A AU 49767/93A AU 4976793 A AU4976793 A AU 4976793A AU 4976793 A AU4976793 A AU 4976793A
Authority
AU
Australia
Prior art keywords
shaft
bearing
compressor according
impeller
stages
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
AU49767/93A
Other versions
AU682318B2 (en
Inventor
Richard Gozdawa
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Welsh Innovations Ltd
Original Assignee
Welsh Innovations Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Welsh Innovations Ltd filed Critical Welsh Innovations Ltd
Publication of AU4976793A publication Critical patent/AU4976793A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of AU682318B2 publication Critical patent/AU682318B2/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Ceased legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • FMECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F04POSITIVE - DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS FOR LIQUIDS OR ELASTIC FLUIDS
    • F04DNON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PUMPS
    • F04D29/00Details, component parts, or accessories
    • F04D29/05Shafts or bearings, or assemblies thereof, specially adapted for elastic fluid pumps
    • F04D29/056Bearings
    • F04D29/057Bearings hydrostatic; hydrodynamic
    • FMECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F04POSITIVE - DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS FOR LIQUIDS OR ELASTIC FLUIDS
    • F04DNON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PUMPS
    • F04D17/00Radial-flow pumps, e.g. centrifugal pumps; Helico-centrifugal pumps
    • F04D17/08Centrifugal pumps
    • F04D17/10Centrifugal pumps for compressing or evacuating
    • F04D17/12Multi-stage pumps
    • FMECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F04POSITIVE - DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS FOR LIQUIDS OR ELASTIC FLUIDS
    • F04DNON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PUMPS
    • F04D25/00Pumping installations or systems
    • F04D25/02Units comprising pumps and their driving means
    • F04D25/06Units comprising pumps and their driving means the pump being electrically driven
    • F04D25/0606Units comprising pumps and their driving means the pump being electrically driven the electric motor being specially adapted for integration in the pump
    • FMECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F04POSITIVE - DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS FOR LIQUIDS OR ELASTIC FLUIDS
    • F04DNON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PUMPS
    • F04D29/00Details, component parts, or accessories
    • F04D29/58Cooling; Heating; Diminishing heat transfer
    • F04D29/582Cooling; Heating; Diminishing heat transfer specially adapted for elastic fluid pumps
    • F04D29/5826Cooling at least part of the working fluid in a heat exchanger

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Thermal Sciences (AREA)
  • Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
  • Structures Of Non-Positive Displacement Pumps (AREA)
  • Compressor (AREA)

Abstract

A compressor (1) comprises a rotatable shaft (2) driven by an electric motor (7, 23) having a rotor (7) mounted on the shaft (2). The shaft (2) carries at least two impeller rotor stages (4, 5, 6) arranged with the motor positioned intermediately between the impeller rotor stages. An intercooler (15) is connected intermediate the impeller rotor stages (4, 5, 6), and the shaft (2) is supported by bearing means (8, 9, 10) comprising at least one tilting pad journal bearing arranged to be self generating and air or gas lubricated, and having bearing pads provided with a ceramics bearing surface. The compressor (1) is extremely efficient and particularly suitable for use in "dry air" applications where it is important to avoid contamination of the working gas, because the bearings are not lubricated with oil.

Description

Co pressor
The present invention relates to a compressor.
When processing food, pharmaceutical and other sensitive material it is desirable to have a supply of compressed air or other working gas which is absolutely clean or "dry", that is to say completely free of oil or other bearing lubricating material.
In the past, there have been many attempts to produce oil-free compressors, but constructions such as dry screw compressors are expensive, inefficient, use large amounts of power and are cumbersome.
The overall market for air compressors comprises a number of performance bands with each performance band encompassing in combination a range of delivery pressures and a range of mass flows.
A delivery pressure of around 8.5 bara combined with a mass flow of 0.27 kg per second is within one of the market bands for a dry air compressor. Delivery pressures can be met without difficult at the present time, but the mass flow from a conventional turbo compressor of this sort is far greater than the mass flow which is required.
In addition, turbo compressors mounted on known oil lubricated, roller or ball journal bearings would be prohibitively inefficient at the high shaft rotational speeds (typically 50,000 to 100,000 rpm) required for the desired performance. Known turbo compressors operating in this band would therefore be extremely expensive, large and inefficient.
According to the invention, there is provided a compressor comprising:
(a) a rotatable shaft;
(b) drive means arranged to rotate the shaft, the drive means comprising an electric motor having a rotor mounted on the shaft;
(c) at least two impeller rotor stages mounted on longitudinally spaced portions of the shaft such that the electric motor is positioned between said spaced portions;
(d) intercooler means provided intermediate the impeller rotor stages; and
(e) bearing means provided for the shaft, the bearing means comprising at least one tilting pad journal bearing arranged to be self generating and air or gas lubricated, and having bearing pads provided with a ceramics bearing surface. The bearing pads may comprise homogenous pads of ceramics material.
It is preferred that the shaft is provided with hardened or ceramics surface portions against which the ceramics bearing surface of the respective tilting pads of the bearing means is arranged to act.
Advantageously the bearing means comprises at least two journal bearings, each being tilting pad journal bearings arranged to be air or gas lubricated and having bearing pads provided with respective ceramics bearing surfaces. Desirably, the journal bearings are provided to support spaced portions of the shaft advantageously adjacent opposed ends of the electric motor. It is preferred that at least one journal bearing is provided intermediately between a respective end of the motor and a respective impeller rotor stage.
It is further preferred that the shaft is supported by at least one thrust bearing which is also preferably a self generating air or gas lubricated bearing. Such a thrust bearing preferably comprises tilting pads acting against hardened, or ceramics surfaced portions of the shaft (or a thrust collar provided thereon). It is preferred that the thrust bearing is arranged to counteract axial shaft thrust acting in mutually opposed axial directions.
Advantageously, the impeller rotor stages are overhung at opposed ends of the shaft. It is preferred that each impeller rotor stage comprises a respective compressor impeller, with intercooler means being communicatively connected intermediate the impeller rotor stages.
Desirably, three impeller rotors are provided such that the compressor comprises three compression stages. It is preferred that respective intercooler means is provided intermediately between successive compressor stages. This improves the efficiency of the compressor. Advantageously, the flow of working gas into each respective impeller rotor is axial, and preferably in the direction of the electric motor.
It is accordingly preferred that at least two of the impeller stages are arranged in reverse formation relative to one another such that the respective flows into the respective impeller stages are in opposed directions, preferably towards one another. This has the advantage that the axial thrust load applied to the shaft by the respective impeller stages tend to cancel each other out, thereby reducing the axial thrust taken up by the thrust bearing. lt is preferred that seal means, preferably comprising respective labyrinth seals, are provided for the shaft, arranged to inhibit access of the working gas from the impeller rotor stages to the motor and bearing means.
Advantageously, the electric motor comprises an electromagnetic or permanent magnet electric motor, preferably arranged to rotate the shaft at over 50,000 r.p.m. and more preferably at over 70,000 r.p.m. Desirably the electric motor is a direct current motor, preferably controlled by a variable frequency source.
The invention will now be further described in a specific embodiment by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a schematic representation of a compressor according to the invention; and
Figure 2 is an enlarged detail of a part of the compressor of Figure 1.
Referring to the drawings, there is shown a compressor generally designated 1. The compressor 1 comprises an axial rotatable shaft 2 mounted in a housing 3, and having machined aluminium impeller rotors 4,5,6 mounted thereon.
Intake, first stage, rotor 4 is overhung at one end of the shaft, whereas second and third stage rotors 5 and 6 respectively are overhung at the opposed end. Intermediately between impeller rotors 4 and 5 there is positioned a brushless D.C. motor having a rotor 7 comprising permanent magnets mounted on the shaft 2 and a stator 23 mounted in the housing. A solid state thyristor based inverter/controller (not shown) is used to generate a variable but high frequency current from a standard 415V/50Hz electrical supply. The high frequency current drives the motor (and therefore directly drives the shaft 2 without the need for intermediate gearing) at the required high operational speed which is typically of the order of 50,000 to 100,000 r.p.m. Because no gearing is required to couple shaft 2 to the drive, power losses are minimised.
The shaft 2 is supported in housing 3 on journal bearings 8,9 provided at either end of the electric motor, adjacent impeller rotors 4 and 5 respectively. A thrust bearing 10 is also mounted in the housing to act on thrust collar 11 provided on the shaft. Journal bearing 8,9 comprise tilting pad journal bearings which are self generating and air lubricated. The tilting pads 12 of each journal bearing 8,9 are supported on flexible pivots 24, and provided with ceramics bearing surfaces 13 which are arranged to act on immediately adjacent bearing surface portions of the shaft. The bearing surface portions of the shaft coated with hardened deposit to increase wear resistance.
It is an important feature of the design that frictional losses in the bearings minimised to maximise the efficiency of the compressor. Typically, where fluid lubricat journal bearings (such as oil lubricated bearings) or ball or roller journal bearings are u in high speed rotating machinery frictional losses in the bearings amount to between 5 % 10% of the driving power. The provision of tilting pad self generating air (or gas) beari cuts frictional losses to approximately 0.5 % of driving power. However due to the fact t the shaft rotation speed is extremely high (e.g. 80.000 r.p.m. for a compression from 1 b to 8.5 bara at a mass flow of 0.27 kg/s for air) the temperature generated at the bearing extremely high, which can cause problems with bearing/shaft material expansion due to necessarily small bearing shaft clearances required for the operation of air or gas lubric tilting pad self generating journal bearings (typically 0.003" diametral clearance for jour bearings). This problem is overcome by utilising ceramics materials for the bearing surfa of tilting pads 12; the provision of a hardened deposit surface covering for the bea portions of the shaft 2 also assists in overcoming this problem.
Thrust bearing 10 is also provided with tilting pad thrust members 10a, 1 provided with ceramics bearing surfaces. Pads 10a are arranged to take up normal thr loading transferred from shaft 2 by thrust collar 11 during normal running of the compress Pads 10b act on the opposite side of collar 11 and act to take up reverse thrust loading du motor and shaft "run up" to normal operational speed.
To increase efficiency, an intercooler 15 is provided intermediately betw first stage impeller 4 and second stage impeller 5. A second intercooler 16 is provi intermediately between second stage impeller 5 and final (third) stage impeller 6. It is important feature of the compressor that the flow of working gas into the first stage impel 4 is in an opposed direction to the flow of working gas into the second and third st impellers 5,6. This has the effect of "balancing" the axial thrust acting on the shaft reducing the usual axial thrust applied to thrust bearing 10. Bearing losses in thrust beari 10 are thereby minimised.
In operation, the electric motor is run up to an operating speed of arou 80,000 r.p.m. Working gas is then drawn axially into the first impeller stage 4 and forc out through duct 17 into intercooler 15. The working gas leaves intercooler 15 entering d 18 and subsequently passing axially into second impeller stage 5. The working fluid leav impeller 5 radially passing via duct 19 into second intercooler 16. Intercoolers 15 and 6 substantially identical, except that intercooler 16 is arranged with its longitudinal dimens at 90° to the longitudinal dimension of intercooler 15 (i.e. the longitudinal dimension of intercooler 16 is out of the page in Figure 1).
Working gas leaves intercooler 16 via duct 20 and is directed to enter the th (and final) impeller stage 6 axially. The working gas leaves the final impeller stag radially via outlet duct 21 (the outlet flow through duct 21 is out of the page in Figure
Due to the combination of the high speed directly driven rotatable sh together with the minimisation of bearing losses and he split stage intercooled arrangem of the impeller rotors, an extremely efficient compressor is provided according to invention. The compressor enables a compact turbomachine to be used in applicati previously served mainly be screw feed type compressors since, unusually for a tur compressor high delivery pressures (8.5 bara typically) are achievable with relatively l mass flows (0.27 kg/s typically for air).

Claims (14)

Claims:
1. A compressor comprising:
(a) a rotatable shaft;
(b) drive means arranged to rotate the shaft, the drive means comprising a electric motor having a rotor mounted on the shaft;
(c) at least two impeller rotor stages mounted on longitudinally spaced portion of the shaft such that the electric motor is positioned between said spaced portions;
(d) intercooler means provided intermediate the impeller rotor stages; and
(e) bearing means provided for the shaft, the bearing means comprising at leas one tilting pad journal bearing arranged to be self generating and air or ga lubricated, and having bearing pads provided with a ceramics bearing surface.
2. A compressor according to claim 1, wherein the shaft is provided with hardened o ceramics surface portions against which the ceramics bearing surface of the respectiv tilting pads of the bearing means is arranged to act.
3. A compressor according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein two journal bearings ar provided to support spaced portions of the shaft, both journal bearings being tiltin pad journal bearings arranged to be air or gas lubricated and having bearing pad provided with respective ceramics bearing surfaces.
4. A compressor according to any preceding claim, wherein at least one journal bearing is provided intermediately between a respective end of the motor and a respectiv impeller rotor stage.
5. A compressor according to any preceding claim, wherein the shaft is supported b at least one thrust bearing.
6. A compressor according to claim 5, wherein the thrust bearing is arranged t counteract axial shaft thrust acting in mutually opposed axial directions.
7. A compressor according to claim 5 or claim 6, wherein the thrust bearing is a self acting and air or gas lubricated, tilting pad bearing, having bearing pads provided with a ceramics bearing surface.
8. A compressor according to any preceding claim, wherein the impeller rotor stages are overhung at opposed ends of the shaft.
9. A compressor according to any preceding claim comprising more than two impeller rotor stages.
10. A compressor according to claim 9, wherein a respective intercooler is connected intermediately between successive impeller rotor stages.
11. A compressor according to any preceding claim, wherein at least two of the impeller stages are arranged in reverse formation relative to one another such that the respective working gas flows into the respective impeller stages are in opposed directions.
12. A compressor according to any preceding claim, wherein seal means is provided for the shaft, arranged to inhibit access of the working gas from the impeller rotor stages to the motor and bearing means.
13. A compressor according to any preceding claim, wherein the electric motor is arranged to rotate the shaft at a speed of over 50,000 r.p.m.
14. A compressor according to any preceding claim, wherein the electric motor is arranged to drive the shaft directly without being coupled to intervening gearing.
AU49767/93A 1992-09-10 1993-09-08 Compressor Ceased AU682318B2 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB929219167A GB9219167D0 (en) 1992-09-10 1992-09-10 Compressor
GB9219167 1992-09-10
PCT/GB1993/001900 WO1994005913A1 (en) 1992-09-10 1993-09-08 Compressor

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
AU4976793A true AU4976793A (en) 1994-03-29
AU682318B2 AU682318B2 (en) 1997-10-02

Family

ID=10721708

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
AU49767/93A Ceased AU682318B2 (en) 1992-09-10 1993-09-08 Compressor

Country Status (13)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0667934B1 (en)
JP (1) JPH08501367A (en)
CN (1) CN1086587A (en)
AT (1) ATE164662T1 (en)
AU (1) AU682318B2 (en)
CA (1) CA2144181A1 (en)
DE (1) DE69317791T2 (en)
GB (1) GB9219167D0 (en)
IL (1) IL106924A (en)
MY (1) MY109678A (en)
RU (1) RU2118714C1 (en)
WO (1) WO1994005913A1 (en)
ZA (1) ZA936403B (en)

Families Citing this family (17)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5795138A (en) * 1992-09-10 1998-08-18 Gozdawa; Richard Compressor
GB9404436D0 (en) * 1994-03-08 1994-04-20 Welsh Innovations Ltd Compressor
FI103296B (en) * 1997-12-03 1999-05-31 Sundyne Corp A method for producing a pressurized gas
JPH11294879A (en) * 1998-02-16 1999-10-29 Daikin Ind Ltd Refrigerating system
RU2150609C1 (en) * 1999-02-18 2000-06-10 Научно-исследовательский институт низких температур при МАИ Centrifugal compressor unit and electric motor
CA2397062A1 (en) 2000-01-11 2001-07-19 David Brown Rotary device with matched expansion ceramic bearings
EP1321680A3 (en) 2001-12-22 2003-12-10 Miscel Oy Turbo machine
DE10163950A1 (en) * 2001-12-22 2003-07-03 Miscel Oy Ltd Flow machine unit has cooling lubricant supplied to bearing set for common shaft positioned between rotor of electric motor and blade wheel housing
GB2384274A (en) * 2002-01-16 2003-07-23 Corac Group Plc Downhole compressor with electric motor and gas bearings
CA2373905A1 (en) 2002-02-28 2003-08-28 Ronald David Conry Twin centrifugal compressor
EP1353041A1 (en) * 2002-04-12 2003-10-15 ABB Turbo Systems AG Turbocharger with means on the shaft to axially restrain said shaft in the event of the compressor bursting
CN102151852B (en) * 2011-04-27 2012-06-27 天津大学 Hydro-hybrid ceramic main shaft device
RU2533948C2 (en) * 2013-03-12 2014-11-27 Федеральное Государственное Автономное Образовательное Учреждение Высшего Профессионального Образования "Дальневосточный Федеральный Университет" (Двфу) Thrust bearing assembly
RU2529070C1 (en) * 2013-03-12 2014-09-27 Федеральное Государственное Автономное Образовательное Учреждение Высшего Профессионального Образования "Дальневосточный Федеральный Университет" (Двфу) Thrust bearing unit
RU2542806C1 (en) * 2013-08-08 2015-02-27 Федеральное Государственное Автономное Образовательное Учреждение Высшего Профессионального Образования "Дальневосточный Федеральный Университет" (Двфу) Thrust bearing assembly
WO2015157434A1 (en) * 2014-04-08 2015-10-15 Caire Inc. Rotary systemes lubricated by fluid being processed
CN104967253B (en) * 2015-07-16 2018-03-30 莱克电气股份有限公司 At a high speed without Hall three-phase motor of dust collector

Family Cites Families (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3933416A (en) * 1945-05-01 1976-01-20 Donelian Khatchik O Hermatically sealed motor blower unit with stator inside hollow armature
US4125345A (en) * 1974-09-20 1978-11-14 Hitachi, Ltd. Turbo-fluid device
GB1512381A (en) * 1975-05-06 1978-06-01 Nat Res Dev Gas compression apparatus including an axial thrust bearing
CH663644A5 (en) * 1982-02-22 1987-12-31 Bbc Brown Boveri & Cie TURBO COMPRESSORS.
FR2528127A1 (en) * 1982-06-04 1983-12-09 Creusot Loire HIGH-SPEED INTEGRATED ELECTRIC CENTRIFUGAL MOTORCYMO COMPRESSOR
EP0297691A1 (en) * 1987-06-11 1989-01-04 Acec Energie S.A. Motor and compressor combination
DE3729486C1 (en) * 1987-09-03 1988-12-15 Gutehoffnungshuette Man Compressor unit
JPH03121306A (en) * 1989-10-02 1991-05-23 Toshiba Corp Tilting pad shaped dynamic pressure gas bearing

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
CN1086587A (en) 1994-05-11
RU95109152A (en) 1997-02-20
DE69317791T2 (en) 1998-12-10
JPH08501367A (en) 1996-02-13
WO1994005913A1 (en) 1994-03-17
IL106924A0 (en) 1993-12-28
AU682318B2 (en) 1997-10-02
CA2144181A1 (en) 1994-03-17
MY109678A (en) 1997-04-30
GB9219167D0 (en) 1992-10-28
DE69317791D1 (en) 1998-05-07
IL106924A (en) 1996-10-16
EP0667934A1 (en) 1995-08-23
RU2118714C1 (en) 1998-09-10
ZA936403B (en) 1994-08-08
EP0667934B1 (en) 1998-04-01
ATE164662T1 (en) 1998-04-15

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Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
MK14 Patent ceased section 143(a) (annual fees not paid) or expired