Classifications

• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F04—POSITIVE - DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS FOR LIQUIDS OR ELASTIC FLUIDS
  • F04C—ROTARY-PISTON, OR OSCILLATING-PISTON, POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; ROTARY-PISTON, OR OSCILLATING-PISTON, POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PUMPS
  • F04C18/00—Rotary-piston pumps specially adapted for elastic fluids
  • F04C18/48—Rotary-piston pumps with non-parallel axes of movement of co-operating members
  • F04C18/50—Rotary-piston pumps with non-parallel axes of movement of co-operating members the axes being arranged at an angle of 90 degrees
  • F04C18/52—Rotary-piston pumps with non-parallel axes of movement of co-operating members the axes being arranged at an angle of 90 degrees of intermeshing engagement type, i.e. with engagement of co-operating members similar to that of toothed gearing
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F04—POSITIVE - DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS FOR LIQUIDS OR ELASTIC FLUIDS
  • F04C—ROTARY-PISTON, OR OSCILLATING-PISTON, POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; ROTARY-PISTON, OR OSCILLATING-PISTON, POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PUMPS
  • F04C28/00—Control of, monitoring of, or safety arrangements for, pumps or pumping installations specially adapted for elastic fluids
  • F04C28/10—Control of, monitoring of, or safety arrangements for, pumps or pumping installations specially adapted for elastic fluids characterised by changing the positions of the inlet or outlet openings with respect to the working chamber
  • F04C28/12—Control of, monitoring of, or safety arrangements for, pumps or pumping installations specially adapted for elastic fluids characterised by changing the positions of the inlet or outlet openings with respect to the working chamber using sliding valves
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F04—POSITIVE - DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS FOR LIQUIDS OR ELASTIC FLUIDS
  • F04C—ROTARY-PISTON, OR OSCILLATING-PISTON, POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; ROTARY-PISTON, OR OSCILLATING-PISTON, POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PUMPS
  • F04C28/00—Control of, monitoring of, or safety arrangements for, pumps or pumping installations specially adapted for elastic fluids
  • F04C28/24—Control of, monitoring of, or safety arrangements for, pumps or pumping installations specially adapted for elastic fluids characterised by using valves controlling pressure or flow rate, e.g. discharge valves or unloading valves
  • F04C28/26—Control of, monitoring of, or safety arrangements for, pumps or pumping installations specially adapted for elastic fluids characterised by using valves controlling pressure or flow rate, e.g. discharge valves or unloading valves using bypass channels
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F04—POSITIVE - DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS FOR LIQUIDS OR ELASTIC FLUIDS
  • F04C—ROTARY-PISTON, OR OSCILLATING-PISTON, POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; ROTARY-PISTON, OR OSCILLATING-PISTON, POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PUMPS
  • F04C2250/00—Geometry
  • F04C2250/10—Geometry of the inlet or outlet

Definitions

• the present invention relates to screw compressors. It finds particular application in a single screw compressor having a main rotor and two or more meshing gate rotors.
• Screw compressors have become increasingly popular for refrigeration and air conditioning applications in recent years. Their high reliability, small size and weight for a given capacity, make these compressors ideal for use in packaged chiller units. Environmental issues are increasingly important and thus also efficient operation of these chillers.
• the single screw compressor is a known type, comprising a single main rotor 100 with two meshing gate rotors 110, 115.
• An example of these rotors is shown in Figure 1.
• the single main rotor 100 has a number of helical screw threads 105, sometimes referred to as "flutes", which are cut with a globoid (or hour glass) shape to the roots of these threads.
• the threads 105 have a relatively large cross section at an input end 120 and a significantly smaller cross section at a discharge end 125.
• Suction gas enters the flutes 105 at the large openings at the input ends 120, in a generally axial direction with respect to the main rotor 100.
• the gas is then sealed into the flutes 105 by the gate rotors 110, 115 and casing (not shown) as the rotor assembly 100, 110, 115 rotates, the discharge ends 125 of the flutes 105 normally being closed by the casing.
• the compressor is so designed that when the desired pressure increase has been reached the flute opens to a discharge port in the casing and continued rotation causes the refrigerant gas to be driven out through the discharge port.
• the design allows for this compression process to be mirrored on both sides of the main rotor 100 by the use of two gate rotors 110, 115.
• Figure 1 shows a compression process in three different rotational positions.
• a gas-filled flute 105 In a first position, shown to the left in Figure 1, a gas-filled flute 105 has a relatively large volume, indicated by a dotted area.
• the volume of the gas-filled flute 105 reduces, as shown in the middle of Figure 1.
• the volume of the gas-filled flute 105 reaches a minimum just as its discharge end 125 comes level with a discharge port (not shown) in the casing.
• This last rotational position is shown to the right in Figure 1. The gas expands as it is released through the discharge port. This process is repeated for each consecutive flute 105.
• axial movement of the slides opens or closes ports in the compressor casing to achieve changes in the capacity and the volume ratio.
• a bypass port in the casing effectively delays the start of compression and it is this port which is progressively opened or closed to control capacity.
• a discharge port at the other end of the casing is simultaneously modified to control the volume ratio.
• a port 205 cut in a slide 200 that's otherwise arranged for capacity control also allows it to control the opening of a discharge port in the casing.
• the slide 200 performs two distinct functions, the first to adjust the capacity, the second to maintain the appropriate volume ratio.
• Careful design of the slide 200 can produce arrangements that either maintain a fixed volume ratio over most of the operating range or provide a changing volume ratio to match anticipated changes in the operating pressures at part load.
• each set of compression processes is therefore provided with an unloading slide 200. It is known to use such slides asymmetrically, to give different loading in their respective compression processes at the same time. The ability to provide different loading in each of at least two compression processes can produce a compressor whose operation is more efficient when part-loaded.
• a first of the at least two slides is operable to move between a fully loaded position and a fully unloaded position while a second of the at least two slides is operable to move to any of a range of partially loaded positions.
• Such an arrangement allows the compressor to operate through a wide loading range, potentially extending from very low loading through to fully loaded.
• a slide for use in a single screw compressor comprising a casing having a discharge port and a bypass port spaced in an axial direction in relation to the main rotor, the slide comprising an exit port positioned between first and second sealing surfaces, and at least one inlet port for receiving gas from flutes of the main rotor for delivery to the exit port, the slide being operable to move between: i) a loaded position in which the exit port opens to the discharge port in the casing and the first sealing surface seals the bypass port, and ii) an unloaded position in which the exit port opens to a bypass port in the casing and the second sealing surface seals the discharge port.
• the compressor casing has an additional outlet port, providing an opening to the discharge ends of the flutes at a position outside the slide, between the slide and an associated gate rotor, and the slide comprises at least one additional inlet port for receiving gas from the additional outlet port in the casing for delivery to the exit port.
• a known solution is to provide an exit path for the gas, past the slide entirely and directly to the discharge port. This then requires a non-return or check valve to be provided in the discharge port to prevent leakage back to the flute during other stages of the compression process.
• an exit path is provided from that last portion of the flute, via the additional outlet port in the casing and into the slide for delivery to the exit port of the slide.
• this might deliver the gas either to the discharge port or to the bypass port.
• the additional inlet port provided in the slide preferably extends in an axial direction in relation to the main rotor such that the additional outlet port in the casing always communicates with the additional inlet port.
• the additional inlet port provided in the slide is preferably provided as a series of two or more openings rather than a single opening. In this case, the distance between the openings needs to be less than the dimension of the additional outlet port in the casing in said axial direction, at the junction between the openings and the additional outlet port.
• a form of slide which can accommodate the inlet port, exit port and the additional inlet port comprises a rod-like body, cut away to provide a face to fit against the outer surface of the main rotor. This face provides the inlet port.
• a recess in the face provides a path from the inlet port to the exit port which is generally in a "rear" surface of the slide, facing towards the discharge and bypass ports in the casing, in use.
• the additional inlet port is provided to give access into the recess, between the inlet port in the face and the exit port, in a generally circumferential direction of the rod-like body.
• the rod-like body might be generally cylindrical.
• bypass port and the discharge port in the casing are preferably at least partially aligned with one another in the direction of movement of the slide.
• a slide as described above will normally move in an axial direction in relation to the primary rotor and thus the bypass port and the discharge port in the casing will be at least partially aligned in the axial direction for compactness.
• control of the volume ratio to match required operating conditions of the compressor and it also allows some new features.
• it can support:
• the design of the slide can at least partially facilitate this offset discharge port by having a thicker body than slides of the prior art, the body accommodating a guiding recess, or channel, between the inlet port and the exit port of the slide. Instead of gas venting directly through a slide port to the discharge port in the casing, it is guided along the slide to a discharge port in the casing which lies opposite the bearing housing instead of opposite the main rotor.
• the slide has the rod-like, preferably generally cylindrical, body mentioned above, allowing it to be driven and guided in an axial direction with respect to the main rotor while giving a body of sufficient thickness to determine the direction of discharging gas to reach an offset discharge port, achieving the above-mentioned support of the slide.
• the slide has an oil pathway for injection of oil which is in register with an oil delivery channel when the compression process is in the fully loaded state. Movement of the slide will take the oil pathway out of register and interrupt this oil supply. Oil injection via the oil pathway in the slide into the compression process will then be stopped, maximising overall efficiency of the ' compressor at part load. This efficiency gain is due to reduced churning losses in the unloaded compression process and a reduction in the refrigerant that comes out of solution from the injected oil.
• refrigerant oil will contain 20% or more ⁇
• Embodiments of the invention might be used in a single screw compressor to provide asymmetric unloading.
• each set of compression processes can be provided with a differently positioned slide.
• one of the slides can be placed in a fully unloaded or fully loaded state while the other of the slides can be set to operate in a position that gives from 12% to 50% capacity.
• This combination offers an operating range from 12% to 50% capacity and from 62% to 100%.
• Asymmetric capacity control of this type can be seen as combining the advantages of a large screw compressor with the advantages of a multi compressor installation.
• a single screw compressor for use with a slide according to the first aspect, the compressor having one or more of the features mentioned above in relation to said slide.
• the compressor might for example provide a casing for the main rotor having a discharge port and a bypass port at least partially aligned with one another in the axial direction in relation to the rotor.
• the discharge port is arranged to face a surface offset from the main rotor, for example provided by a bearing housing of the compressor, rather than adjacent the main rotor, so that pressures acting through the discharge port in use of the compressor push the slide against the surface rather than towards the main rotor.
• the compressor might for example provide a casing for the main rotor which has a bypass port, a discharge port and an additional outlet port providing a path from the discharge ends of the flutes to said additional inlet port in the slide.
• the additional outlet port might be placed at a position outside the slide, in use of the compressor, between the slide and an associated gate rotor.
• the additional outlet port might be provided by a shaped channel in the casing that directs gas from the discharge ends of the flutes to the additional inlet port in the slide.
• the compressor might be provided with an oil delivery channel which is in register with the oil pathway only when the compression process is in the fully loaded state.
• Figure 1 shows a series of three diagrammatic views from above of a primary screw and two gate rotors of a single screw compressor, in different stages of compression;
• Figure 2 shows in side elevation a slide according to the prior art;
• Figure 3 shows in three quarter view from above a partly cut away, three-dimensional view of the compressor according to an embodiment of the invention, showing the position of upper and lower slides;
• Figure 4 shows in three quarter view from above a three dimensional view of an upper slide for use in the compressor of Figure 3, showing a concave inner surface of the slide that faces the primary screw in use;
• Figures 5 shows the upper slide of Figure 4 in three quarter view from below
• Figure 6 shows the upper slide of Figure 4 from the rear
• Figure 7 shows, in three quarter view from above, a portion of a casing of the compressor that houses the upper slide, and in particular a set of three ports for communicating with the slide in use of the compressor;
• Figures 8 and 9 show diagrammatically, in cross section, the upper slide of Figures 4 to 6 in loaded and unloaded positions with regard to an offset discharge port in the casing shown in Figure 7;
• Figure 10 shows diagrammatically, in cross section, a discharge path for gases otherwise trapped in use of a compressor as shown in Figure 3
• Figure 11 shows diagrammatically, in cross section, a discharge path for gases otherwise trapped in use of a compressor according to the present invention
• Figures 12 to 15 show in three quarter view from above a partly cut away, three- dimensional view of the upper slide of Figures 4 to 6 mounted in different loading positions in the casing shown in Figure 7;
• Figure 16 shows in horizontal cross section a bearing arrangement for use in the compressor of Figure 4;
• Figure 17 shows a graphical comparison of COP for compressors subject to asymmetricahand symmetrical loading and with and without economisers.
• the slide operation is driven by hydraulic cylinders but any suitable means of drive could be used, such as stepping motors.
• the compressor 300 is of the general type described above in relation to Figure I, having a main rotor 100 inside a semi hermetic casing (not shown).
• the position of the second gate rotor can be seen in the figure from the position of an associated housing 301.
• Each gate rotor 110, 115 has an associated slide 305, 310.
• the main rotor 100 is driven by a suction gas cooled motor 320.
• the arrangement of the main and gate rotors is of known type with the gate rotors 110, 115 sitting diametrically opposite one another with regard to the main rotor.
• Embodiments of the invention take advantage of the unique single screw compressor geometry which, as described above, gives two identical compression processes taking place on opposite sides of the main rotor, by exploiting the possibility of completely unloading one side of the compressor whilst keeping the other side of the compressor at full or part load.
• FIG. 3 shows the slide arrangement in the new compressor design.
• Each slide 305, 310 is mounted for axial movement relative to the main rotor 100, adjacent to one of the gate rotors 110, 115.
• a first (lower) slide 305 extends below and past a first gate rotor 115, while a second (upper) slide 310 extends past the second gate rotor.
• the general positioning of the slides and the axial direction of their movement relative to the main rotor, in use of the compressor 300, is conventional. '
• the lower slide 305 is designed to provide fully modulating control while the other slide 310 is intended to work in either the fully loaded or unloaded position.
• the lower slide 305 is infinitely adjustable, allowing the compressor 300 to precisely match the required system capacity.
• This slide 305 can cover a range of 12% to 50% of the total capacity of the compressor 300 when operating by itself.
• load requirements varying from 12 to 50%
• the top slide 310 is held in the fully unloaded position whilst the bottom slide 305 is moved to match the precise load requirement.
• the top slide 310 is fully loaded and the bottom slide 305 adjusted to precisely match the load requirement.
• Both slides 305, 310 are controlled by hydraulic cylinders operating on the end of the slides. In the case of the lower slide 305 this is via a piston 325 attached to the end of the slide and in the case of the top slide 310 a piston 330 is incorporated into the end of the slide thus simplifying the design and reducing the number of components.
• other forms of control such as a stepper motor, could be utilised if desired.
• the upper, or top, slide 310 is designed to operate in either the full load or zero load condition. It has a generally cylindrical body with a piston 405 at one end by means of which it can be driven between its loaded and unloaded positions in a bore in the casing of the main rotor 100 of the compressor 300.
• the slide 310 has a central exit port 410 for gas leaving flutes 105 of the main rotor, opening from a recess 425 in the face of the slide 310 facing the main rotor 100.
• an additional inlet port comprising a series of slots 415 in the side of the slide 310.
• These slots together with a new outlet port in the casing of the main rotor 100, provide a path from the discharge ends of the flutes 105 of the main rotor 100 into the slide 310, ensuring that the compression process is fully vented and also eliminating the potential compression that remains at the end of the conventional unloading arrangement.
• These slots 415 and their operation are more fully described below.
• the slide 310 is also provided with an oil delivery channel 420, the operation of which is further described in relation to Figures 8 and 9.
• Figure 5 shows the slide 310 in three quarter view from below, showing in particular the exit port 410 and the slots 415 in the external surface of the slide 310.
• Figure 6 shows the slide 310 in quarter view from the rear, showing in particular the exit port 410 in the external surface of the slide 310 and the slots 415 opening into the recess 425 inside the slide 310.
• a casing 700 is provided for both the main rotor 100 (not shown in Figure 7) and the slides 305, 310 (not shown in Figure 7) . of the compressor 300.
• This casing 700 is provided with a discharge port 705, a bypass port 710 and an additional outlet port 715, all opening into a bore 720 in the casing for receiving the upper slide 310.
• the discharge port 705 and the bypass port 710 are at least partially aligned in the axial direction of the main rotor 100. This allows the exit port 410 of the axially mobile slide 310 to move between the loaded and unloaded positions, aligned in turn with the discharge port 705 and the bypass port 710.
• the additional outlet port 715 is between the discharge port 705 and the bypass port 710 in the axial direction and offset in the circumferential direction of the generally cylindrical slide 310. This allows it to communicate with the discharge ends 125 of the flutes 105 outside the slide 310.
• the additional outlet port 715 is in the form of a shaped channel in the casing that directs gas from the discharge ends ' ' 125 of the flutes 105 to ⁇
• the discharge port 705 accepts gas from a particular point on the compression process, allowing it to pass through the slide 305, 310 and to be "directed" forward into a main chamber before it enters an oil separator and away into a cooling system, only to return at the opposite end of the compressor 300, to be compressed again.
• the bypass port 710 allows gas at other points in the compression process to return to suction for compression.
• the slide 310 in use the slide 310 is mounted in the bore 720 in the casing 700 of the compressor, partially adjacent to the main rotor 100 and partially adjacent to a housing 800 of a bearing (not shown). It can be moved by means of its piston 330 from a loaded position, shown in Figure 8 in which the exit port 410 of the slide 310 is aligned with the discharge port 705, to a fully unloaded condition, shown in Figure 9, in which the discharge port 705 is blocked and the exit port 410 of the slide 310 is aligned with the bypass port 710.
• the discharge port 705 is offset in the axial direction of the main rotor 100, being opposite the bearing housing 800 rather than the main rotor 100. This has the effect, particularly in the unloaded position when there is pressure (indicated by the arrow 900 in Figure 9) back through the discharge port 705, of directing any such pressure towards the bearing housing 800 rather than the main rotor 100. This offers better support of the slide 310
• the exit port 410 of the slide 310 is provided from a recess 425 in the face of the slide 310 facing the main rotor 100.
• This recess 425 is extended beyond the exit port 410 in the axial direction of the main rotor 100 and provides pathways 805, 905 for gas exiting the flutes 105 to the discharge port 705 and the bypass port 710 respectively.
• This extended recess 425 allows communication from the flutes 105 to the discharge port 705 and/or the bypass port 710 at all times, even when the discharge port 705 is blocked. In part this is due to the presence of the slots 415.
• Oil injection into the compression process is used to seal the leakage paths in the compressor. In known arrangements, oil is normally injected into both top and bottom compression processes. However when the top compression process is fully unloaded this oil forms no useful function and the viscous drag and dissolved refrigerant entrained in the oil are detrimental to the compressor efficiency.
• the oil injection is so arranged as to pass through the slide 310 such that at full load the oil is injected into the compression process but once this slide 310 is unloaded then the oil injection is blocked by the slide 310 and thus this potential loss in efficiency is removed.
• This is achieved by the presence of an oil delivery channel 420 in the slide 310. This is placed so that it is only in register with an oil delivery channel 810 in the casing 700 when the slide 310 is in its loaded position, shown in Figure 8.
• Figure 11 shows an area equivalent to the dot/dash box shown in Figure 10.
• the additional outlet port in embodiments of the present invention as shown in Figure 11, the additional outlet port
• the gas can escape via the bypass port 710,. which obviates the need for any check valve.
• exit port 410 of the slide 310 should be large enough, and the bypass port 710 in the ⁇
• casing 700 should be large enough, to prevent the build up of pressure within the rotor 100 sufficient to affect the compressor efficiency when in the unloaded state.
• Figures 12 to 15 show the upper slide 310 in a series of positions, from unloaded through to loaded.
• the slide 310 is in the loaded position.
• the exit port 410 is only in communication with the discharge port 705 of the casing 700.
• Only “Slot 3" is in communication with the additional outlet port 715 of the casing 700.
• the distance between consecutive pairs of slots 415 should be less than the dimension of the additional outlet port 715 in the casing 700 in said axial direction, at the junction between the openings and the ⁇
• the additional outlet port 715 needs to be able to bridge the gap between adjacent slots 415 so that it opens to a neighbouring slot 415 before being closed to the previous one.
• Figure 16 shows a suitable bearing arrangement.
• the number of main bearings is increased with the overhung motor 1600 receiving a third outboard bearing 1605, thereby ensuring a robust and vibration free compressor.
• the bearing 1605 is primarily to accommodate the large size of the compressor. It is no longer viable to allow the motor 320 to overhang the bearing supports and thus a third bearing position is introduced.
• the two angular contact bearings on the other end are larger than would be necessary in a symmetric compressor due to the asymmetric loads.
• the asymmetric unloading in embodiments of the invention will only see this same loading at the 50% load point. At higher loads there will be a varying asymmetric radial load and at lower loads the asymmetric load will fall due to the lower pressures expected at the low load conditions.
• FIG. 17 shows a theoretical comparison of the coefficient of performance ("COP") in single screw compressors operating with standard and asymmetric unloading. It can be seen that asymmetric unloading 1700, 1705, as envisaged by embodiments of the invention, can be expected to offer significantly greater COP than standard loading 1710, 1715, particularly in the 40% to 60% loading range. Indeed, it is believed the part load operation efficiency approaches that of a variable speed driven compressor.
• COP coefficient of performance
• Economiser use can reduce or eliminate the step between the 50 to 62% load positions introduced by the asymmetric arrangement. If the modulating slide is operating at part load with a rising load requirement, the economiser port of this slide can be opened to the economiser system when this slide is at a high load condition thus continued loading of the slide will bring the capacity to 62% of the non economised capacity
• the next loading step is to change to step slide at full load, modulating slide at minimum load, with both economiser ports closed. This also corresponds to 62% of the non economised capacity matching the previous load state. Economising of this slide can be reintroduced to maintain maximum efficiency as the load continues to increase. Results regarding use of an economiser are also shown in Figure 17 by the curves 1700, 1705. Two stage economising could be easily incorporated into the design and this should result in a further increase in efficiency.
• step slide could be further enhanced to provide a variable volume ratio to this side of the compression process thereby improving compressor efficiency at 50% load and above
• variable slide and the associated ports could be developed to match the changing operating condition of a chiller using the compressor such that the VR varies as required for the specific chiller application.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
• Applications Or Details Of Rotary Compressors (AREA)

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• 2008
  • 2008-11-20 GB GBGB0821275.5A patent/GB0821275D0/en not_active Ceased
• 2009
  • 2009-11-20 US US13/130,327 patent/US8702408B2/en active Active
  • 2009-11-20 EP EP09796026.4A patent/EP2359006B1/en active Active
  • 2009-11-20 CA CA2742729A patent/CA2742729C/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2009-11-20 CN CN200980146310.1A patent/CN102216619B/zh not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2009-11-20 JP JP2011536945A patent/JP5706827B2/ja active Active
  • 2009-11-20 AU AU2009316974A patent/AU2009316974B2/en not_active Ceased
  • 2009-11-20 WO PCT/GB2009/002726 patent/WO2010058182A2/en active Application Filing

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