EP0667934B1 - Compresseur - Google Patents

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Publication number
EP0667934B1
EP0667934B1 EP94908821A EP94908821A EP0667934B1 EP 0667934 B1 EP0667934 B1 EP 0667934B1 EP 94908821 A EP94908821 A EP 94908821A EP 94908821 A EP94908821 A EP 94908821A EP 0667934 B1 EP0667934 B1 EP 0667934B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
shaft
bearing
compressor according
rotor stages
impeller rotor
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.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP94908821A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP0667934A1 (fr
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 EP0667934A1 publication Critical patent/EP0667934A1/fr
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0667934B1 publication Critical patent/EP0667934B1/fr
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F04—POSITIVE - DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS FOR LIQUIDS OR ELASTIC FLUIDS
    • F04D—NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PUMPS
    • F04D29/00—Details, component parts, or accessories
    • F04D29/05—Shafts or bearings, or assemblies thereof, specially adapted for elastic fluid pumps
    • F04D29/056—Bearings
    • F04D29/057—Bearings hydrostatic; hydrodynamic
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F04—POSITIVE - DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS FOR LIQUIDS OR ELASTIC FLUIDS
    • F04D—NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PUMPS
    • F04D17/00—Radial-flow pumps, e.g. centrifugal pumps; Helico-centrifugal pumps
    • F04D17/08—Centrifugal pumps
    • F04D17/10—Centrifugal pumps for compressing or evacuating
    • F04D17/12—Multi-stage pumps
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F04—POSITIVE - DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS FOR LIQUIDS OR ELASTIC FLUIDS
    • F04D—NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PUMPS
    • F04D25/00—Pumping installations or systems
    • F04D25/02—Units comprising pumps and their driving means
    • F04D25/06—Units comprising pumps and their driving means the pump being electrically driven
    • F04D25/0606—Units comprising pumps and their driving means the pump being electrically driven the electric motor being specially adapted for integration in the pump
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F04—POSITIVE - DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS FOR LIQUIDS OR ELASTIC FLUIDS
    • F04D—NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PUMPS
    • F04D29/00—Details, component parts, or accessories
    • F04D29/58—Cooling; Heating; Diminishing heat transfer
    • F04D29/582—Cooling; Heating; Diminishing heat transfer specially adapted for elastic fluid pumps
    • F04D29/5826—Cooling at least part of the working fluid in a heat exchanger

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a compressor.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • EP-A-0305700 discloses a compressor which may, in general terms, be described as comprising:
  • the bearing means comprise 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • the shaft is supported by at least one thrust bearing which is also preferably a self generating air or gas lubricated bearing.
  • 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.
  • each impeller rotor stage comprises a respective compressor impeller, with intercooler means being communicatively connected intermediate the impeller rotor stages.
  • each impeller rotor is 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.
  • the flow of working gas into each respective impeller rotor is axial, and preferably in the direction of the electric motor.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • the electric motor is a direct current motor, preferably controlled by a variable frequency source.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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 are coated with hardened deposit to increase wear resistance.
  • Thrust bearing 10 is also provided with tilting pad thrust members 10a,10b provided with ceramics bearing surfaces.
  • Pads 10a are arranged to take up normal thrust loading transferred from shaft 2 by thrust collar 11 during normal running of the compressor.
  • Pads 10b act on the opposite side of collar 11 and act to take up reverse thrust loading during motor and shaft "run up" to normal operational speed.
  • an intercooler 15 is provided intermediately between first stage impeller 4 and second stage impeller 5.
  • a second intercooler 16 is provided intermediately between second stage impeller 5 and final (third) stage impeller 6. It is an important feature of the compressor that the flow of working gas into the first stage impeller 4 is in an opposed direction to the flow of working gas into the second and third stage impellers 5,6. This has the effect of "balancing" the axial thrust acting on the shaft and reducing the usual axial thrust applied to thrust bearing 10. Bearing losses in thrust bearing , 10 are thereby minimised.
  • intercooler 15 In operation, the electric motor is run up to an operating speed of around 80,000 r.p.m. Working gas is then drawn axially into the first impeller stage 4 and forced out through duct 17 into intercooler 15. The working gas leaves intercooler 15 entering duct 18 and subsequently passing axially into second impeller stage 5. The working fluid leaves impeller 5 radially passing via duct 19 into second intercooler 16. Intercoolers 15 and 6 are substantially identical, except that intercooler 16 is arranged with its longitudinal dimension 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 third (and final) impeller stage 6 axially.
  • the working gas leaves the final impeller stage 6 radially via outlet duct 21 (the outlet flow through duct 21 is out of the page in Figure 1).
  • an extremely efficient compressor is provided according to the invention.
  • the compressor enables a compact turbomachine to be used in applications previously served mainly be screw feed type compressors since, unusually for a turbo compressor high delivery pressures (8.5 bara typically) are achievable with relatively low mass flows (0.27 kg/s typically for air).

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)

Claims (10)

  1. Compresseur (1) comprenant :
    (a) un arbre rotatif (2) ;
    (b) des moyens de commande (7, 23) disposés pour faire tourner l'arbre, les moyens de commande comprenant un moteur électrique ayant un rotor (7) monté sur l'arbre (2) ;
    (c) au moins deux étages de roue de rotor (4, 5, 6) montés sur des portions espacées longitudinalement de l'arbre (2), de sorte que le moteur électrique (7, 23) est positionné entre lesdites portions espacées ;
    (d) des moyens de refroidisseur intermédiaire (15, 16) prévus entre les étages de roues de rotor ; et
    (e) des moyens de palier (8, 9) prévus pour l'arbre ;
    caractérisé en ce que les moyens de palier comprennent au moins un palier intermédiaire à patins inclinés (8, 9) disposé pour être auto-généré et lubrifié par air ou par gaz, et ayant des patins de palier (12) munis d'une surface de roulement (13) en céramique.
  2. Compresseur selon la revendication 1, caractérisé en ce que l'arbre (2) est muni de portions de surface en céramique ou durcies contre lesquelles la surface de roulement en céramique (13) des patins inclinés respectifs (12) des moyens de palier (8, 9) est disposée pour agir.
  3. Compresseur selon la revendication 1 ou la revendication 2, caractérisé en ce que deux paliers intermédiaires (8, 9) sont prévus pour supporter des portions espacées de l'arbre, les deux paliers intermédiaires étant des paliers intermédiaires à patins inclinés disposés pour être lubrifiés à l'air ou au gaz et ayant des patins de palier (12) munis de surfaces de roulement respectives (13) en céramique.
  4. Compresseur selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes, caractérisé en ce que l'arbre est supporté par au moins un palier de butée (10).
  5. Compresseur selon la revendication 4, caractérisé en ce que le palier de butée (10) est un palier à patins inclinés automatique et lubrifié à l'air ou au gaz, ayant un patin de palier (10a, 10b) muni d'une surface de roulement en céramique.
  6. Compresseur selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes, caractérisé en ce que les étages de roues de rotor (4, 5, 6) font saillie aux extrémités opposées de l'arbre (2).
  7. Compresseur selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes, caractérisé en ce que plus de deux étages de roues de rotor (4, 5, 6) sont prévus.
  8. Compresseur selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes, caractérisé en ce qu'au moins deux étages de roues de rotor (4, 5, 6) sont disposés selon une configuration inversée l'un par rapport à l'autre, de sorte que les gaz actifs respectifs qui s'écoulent dans les étages de roues de rotor respectifs sont en directions opposées.
  9. Compresseur selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes, caractérisé en ce que des moyens d'étanchement sont prévus pour l'arbre (2), disposés pour empêcher l'entrée du gaz actif provenant des étages de roues de rotor (4, 5, 6) dans le moteur et les moyens de palier.
  10. Compresseur selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes, caractérisé en ce que le moteur électrique est conçu pour faire tourner l'arbre à une vitesse de plus de 50.000 tours par minute.
EP94908821A 1992-09-10 1993-09-08 Compresseur Expired - Lifetime EP0667934B1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

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

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0667934A1 EP0667934A1 (fr) 1995-08-23
EP0667934B1 true EP0667934B1 (fr) 1998-04-01

Family

ID=10721708

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP94908821A Expired - Lifetime EP0667934B1 (fr) 1992-09-10 1993-09-08 Compresseur

Country Status (13)

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

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
FI103296B1 (fi) 1997-12-03 1999-05-31 High Speed Tech Ltd Oy Menetelmä ylipaineisen kaasun tuottamiseksi
JPH11294879A (ja) * 1998-02-16 1999-10-29 Daikin Ind Ltd 冷凍装置
RU2150609C1 (ru) * 1999-02-18 2000-06-10 Научно-исследовательский институт низких температур при МАИ Центробежный компрессорный агрегат и электродвигатель
EP1258015A4 (fr) 2000-01-11 2003-04-23 Gsi Lumonics Inc Dispositif rotatif a roulements ceramique a expansion adaptee
EP1321680A3 (fr) 2001-12-22 2003-12-10 Miscel Oy Turbomachine
DE10163950A1 (de) * 2001-12-22 2003-07-03 Miscel Oy Ltd Gas-Kompressor
GB2384274A (en) * 2002-01-16 2003-07-23 Corac Group Plc Downhole compressor with electric motor and gas bearings
CA2373905A1 (fr) 2002-02-28 2003-08-28 Ronald David Conry Compresseur centrifuge double
EP1353041A1 (fr) * 2002-04-12 2003-10-15 ABB Turbo Systems AG Turbocompresseur avec moyens sur l'arbre pour le confinement axial dudit arbre en cas d'éclatement de la roue de compresseur
CN102151852B (zh) * 2011-04-27 2012-06-27 天津大学 一种动静压陶瓷主轴装置
RU2533948C2 (ru) * 2013-03-12 2014-11-27 Федеральное Государственное Автономное Образовательное Учреждение Высшего Профессионального Образования "Дальневосточный Федеральный Университет" (Двфу) Упорный подшипниковый узел
RU2529070C1 (ru) * 2013-03-12 2014-09-27 Федеральное Государственное Автономное Образовательное Учреждение Высшего Профессионального Образования "Дальневосточный Федеральный Университет" (Двфу) Упорный подшипниковый узел
RU2542806C1 (ru) * 2013-08-08 2015-02-27 Федеральное Государственное Автономное Образовательное Учреждение Высшего Профессионального Образования "Дальневосточный Федеральный Университет" (Двфу) Упорный подшипниковый узел
WO2015157434A1 (fr) * 2014-04-08 2015-10-15 Caire Inc. Systèmes rotatifs lubrifiés par un fluide en cours de traitement
CN104967253B (zh) * 2015-07-16 2018-03-30 莱克电气股份有限公司 高速无霍尔三相吸尘器电机

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 (de) * 1982-02-22 1987-12-31 Bbc Brown Boveri & Cie Turboverdichter.
FR2528127A1 (fr) * 1982-06-04 1983-12-09 Creusot Loire Moto-compresseur centrifuge electrique integre a grande vitesse
EP0297691A1 (fr) * 1987-06-11 1989-01-04 Acec Energie S.A. Ensemble moteur-compresseur
DE3729486C1 (de) * 1987-09-03 1988-12-15 Gutehoffnungshuette Man Kompressoreinheit
JPH03121306A (ja) * 1989-10-02 1991-05-23 Toshiba Corp ティルティングパッド形動圧気体軸受

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
CA2144181A1 (fr) 1994-03-17
ATE164662T1 (de) 1998-04-15
DE69317791T2 (de) 1998-12-10
IL106924A (en) 1996-10-16
MY109678A (en) 1997-04-30
IL106924A0 (en) 1993-12-28
AU682318B2 (en) 1997-10-02
JPH08501367A (ja) 1996-02-13
ZA936403B (en) 1994-08-08
CN1086587A (zh) 1994-05-11
RU95109152A (ru) 1997-02-20
AU4976793A (en) 1994-03-29
WO1994005913A1 (fr) 1994-03-17
GB9219167D0 (en) 1992-10-28
RU2118714C1 (ru) 1998-09-10
EP0667934A1 (fr) 1995-08-23
DE69317791D1 (de) 1998-05-07

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