US1206577A - Centrifugal compressor. - Google Patents

Description

S. A. MOSS.

CENTRIFUGAL COMPRESSOR. APPLICATION min JAN. 25. 1915.

1 $9 5K", Patented Nov. 28, 1916. Fi L Iwvenmr; SanFor d fie i iosag UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SANFORD A. MOSS, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

Application filed January 25, 1915.

To all 1071 am it may concern.

Be it known that I, SANFORD A. Moss, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lynn, county of Essex, State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new. and useful Improvements in Centrifugal Compressors, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to centrifugal compressors and particularly to means for preventing pulsation at light loads.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved arrangement for this purpose.

Broadly, my invention comprises the provision of suitable valve means in both the inlet and discharge conduits of a centrifugal compressor, in connection with means for simultaneously operating them. By this arrangement I am enabled to regulate the effective area of the inlet conduit in accordance with that of the discharge conduit, and to close the inlet conduit if the discharge conduit is closed.

My invention finds particular application in installations where a single compressor, or a plurality of compressors operating in parallel, furnish air to a main blast conduit from which leads a series of branch blast pipes. Such an arrangement is found, for example, in connection with a gas producer plant where a plurality of producer units are supplied with blast air from a common header which receives air from one ormore centrifugal compressors. In such apparatus it is often desirable to shut off completely one or more of the units and in accordance with my invention I provide an arrangement wherein whenever any unit is shut off the inlet to the compressor or compressors is throttled or the effective area thereof diminished by a corresponding amount. To this end I preferably construct the inlet conduit of the compressor of a header having a plurality of branches through which the air is drawn, and preferably there will be as many branch inlet pipes as there are branch discharge pipes. I then provide each branch inlet pipe and branch discharge pipe with a suitable valve and connect the valves in the discharge pipes each with a valve in an inlet pipe so that they will be operated simultaneously. By this means it will be seen that whenever a branch discharge pipe is shut off, to disconnecta producer unit, for example, one of the branch inlet pipes will also Specification of Letters Patent. 3

Patented Nov. 28, 1916.

Serial No. 4,154. r

be closed off. This means then that effective area of the inlet conduit of the compressor or compressors is always proportional to that of the discharge conduit and pulsation will be effectively prevented.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 shows an embodiment of my invention in connection with a plurality of centrifugal compressors connected in parallel; Fig. 2

illustrates a second embodiment thereof, and

to the header or conduit 11. In each of these branch pipes is a suitable hand valve 12 and a suitable valve means as a butterfly valve 13. In the present instance three branch discharge pipes 7 are illustrated and there are a corresponding number of branch inlet pipes. The valves 7 in the discharge pipes are each connected to a valve 13, as through the operating arms 14 and rods 15. By this arrangement whenever a rod 15is moved to close one of the valves 7 the corresponding valve 13 will also be closed.

In Fig. 2 I have shown an arrangement similar to Fig. 1 in which a single centrifugal compressor 20 is illustrated discharging into two branch discharge pipes 21 and 22 and having two branch inlet pipes 23 and 24. The arrangement of the valves is the same as in Fig. 1 and I have'accordingly applied the same reference numerals to corresponding parts.

In Fig. 3 I have shown the simplest'embodiment of my invention; '5. e. a single centrifugal compressor 29 having a single inlet conduit 30 and a single discharge conduit 31 in which are arranged the valve means 32 and 33 connected for simultaneous operation by the arms 34 and 35, and rod 36.

From the foregoing description the operation of my invention will be obvious without further explanation.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I have described the principle of operation of my invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof; but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative, and thatthe invention can be carried out by other means.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In an apparatus of the character de scribed, the combination with a centrifugal compressor having inlet and discharge conduits, of throttling valve means in each conduit for throttling the flow therethrough, and means for simultaneously operating them.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with a centrifugal compressor having inlet and discharge conduits, of valve means in each conduit, and means for simultaneously operating them in the same sense.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with a centrifugal compressor having abranched inlet conduit and a discharge conduit, of valve means in each branch of the inlet conduit, and in the discharge conduit, and means for simultaneously operating said valve means in the same sense.

4. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with a centrifugal compressor having an inlet conduit and a branched discharge conduit, of valve means in the inlet conduit and in each branch of the discharge conduit, and means for simultaneously operating them in the same sense.

In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with a centrifugal compressor having .a branched inlet conduit and a branched discharge conduit, of valve means in each of said branches, and an operative connection between a valve means in a discharge conduit and a valve means in an llfilet conduit for simultaneously operating t em.

6. The combination with a centrifugal compressor having a discharge conduit with a plurality of branches, of an inlet conduit having an equal number of branches, valve means in each of said branches, and means for simultaneously operating the valve means in a branch of each conduit.

7. The combination with a plurality of centrifugal compressors discharging into a common main from which branches lead to a plurality of points of consumption, of a common inlet conduit for said compressors having a plurality of branches, valves in each of the discharge branches and inlet branches, and means connecting the valves in the discharge branches with the valves in the inlet branches for operating them simultaneously.

8. The combination with a plurality of centrifugal compressors discharging into a common main from which branch pipes lead to a plurality of points of consumption, of a common inlet conduit for said compressors having a plurality of branch pipes, a valve in each discharge branch pipe, a valve in each inlet branch pipe, and means connecting the valves in the discharge branch pipes, each with a valve in an inlet branch pipe for operating them simultaneously.

9. The combination with a centrifugal compressor having a discharge conduit with a plurality of branches, of an inlet conduit having an equal number of branches, valves in each of said branches, and means for simultaneously operating said valves.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this twentieth day of January,

' SANFORD A. MOSS. Witnesses: 1 1

JOHN A. MCMANUS, J11, WALTER F. BELDING.

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