Anti-spin outer diameter guided compressor valve
By designing a valve assembly for reciprocating gas compressors, the problem of excessive wear of the poppet valve element when closed is solved by using the combination of springs and guide pins, the valve life is extended and the efficiency of fluid flow is improved.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202380048381.8
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2022-07-01
- Filing Date
- 2023-05-31
- Publication Date
- 2025-02-11
AI Technical Summary
In the compressor valve of a reciprocating gas compressor, a typical poppet valve type element will contact the valve seat component when closed, causing excessive wear of the components and other components, shortening the valve life.
A valve assembly is designed, including a seat, a guard plate, a plurality of elements and a plurality of springs. The element has a first end of the first recessed surface and a second end of the second recessed surface, biasing the element to the closed position by a spring, preventing rotation, and preventing the element from rotating about the center line by a guide pin.
By reducing the contact points and frequency between the element and the seat, wear is reduced, the service life of the valve is extended, the efficiency of the fluid flow is improved, and the pressure loss is reduced.
Smart Images
Figure CN119422006A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Background Art
[0001] Gas compressors, particularly reciprocating gas compressors, typically include compressor valves that control the flow of gas to be compressed into the compressor. Due to flow and operating constraints, these compressor valves typically include multiple smaller poppet-type elements, each of which opens and closes simultaneously.
[0002] A typical poppet-type element of a reciprocating compressor valve has the freedom to rotate about its centerline, however, when the valve is closed, the rotating element can contact the valve seat component of the valve, causing excessive wear to the element and other components of the compressor valve, resulting in shortened valve life. Summary of the invention
[0003] A valve assembly for a reciprocating gas compressor includes a seat, a protective plate attached to the seat, a plurality of elements and a plurality of springs. The seat defines a plurality of inlet openings, each of the plurality of inlet openings extending through the seat along the central longitudinal axis of each inlet opening so that all the central longitudinal axes are parallel to each other. The protective plate defines a plurality of element holes, each of the plurality of element holes being aligned with one of the inlet openings along the central longitudinal axis of the inlet opening. Each of the plurality of elements includes a first end having a first recessed surface and a second end having a second recessed surface, the first end and the second end cooperating to define a cylindrical shape therebetween, and an extension protruding outwardly from the outer diameter of the element. Each element is positioned in one of the plurality of element holes and is capable of moving between an open position in which the element contacts the protective plate and a closed position in which the element contacts the seat. Each of the plurality of springs is positioned in one of the element holes and in the second recessed surface to bias the element toward the closed position. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0004] To easily identify the discussion of any particular element or act, the most significant digit or digits in a reference number refer to the figure number that first introduces the element.
[0005] Figure 1 A cross-sectional view showing a portion of a reciprocating gas compressor.
[0006] Figure 2 Show Figure 1 A perspective view of a portion of a reciprocating gas compressor including the location of the compressor valve assembly.
[0007] Figure 3 Show Figure 2 A perspective view of a compressor valve assembly.
[0008] Figure 4 Show Figure 3 Perspective view of a compressor valve.
[0009] Figure 5 Shows a top view of the fender with guide pins installed.
[0010] FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional view of a prior art element.
[0011] Fig. 7A A perspective view showing the surface of a cylindrical element.
[0012] Figure 7B A perspective view showing another surface of the cylindrical element.
[0013] Fig. 8A A cross-sectional view showing a cylindrical element in a closed position located in an element hole.
[0014] Figure 8B A cross-sectional view showing a cylindrical element in an open position located in an element hole.
[0015] Fig.9A Shown is a cross-section through the center of a compressor valve with the cylindrical element in the closed position.
[0016] Fig. 9B Shown is a cross-section through the center of a compressor valve with the cylindrical element in the open position.
[0017] Fig.10 Shows a top view of the fender with the cylindrical element installed. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0018] Figure 1 A portion of a reciprocating gas compressor 100 is shown, which is driven by a prime mover such as an electric motor or other engine to produce compressed gas. The reciprocating gas compressor 100 includes one or more housings 106, each of which defines a cylinder 114 that supports a piston 110 for reciprocating motion. The piston 110 and the housing 106 cooperate to define a compression space 108, which has a volume that changes with the reciprocating motion of the piston 110 to suck in the gas to be compressed and compress the gas, which is well known.
[0019] A gas inlet 102 is provided in the housing 106 to receive a supply of gas to be compressed, and a gas outlet 104 is formed in the housing 106 to collect compressed gas produced by the reciprocating gas compressor 100. As will be discussed in more detail, a plurality of compressor valve assemblies 300 are coupled to the housing 106 and positioned between the gas inlet 102 and the compression space 108 to control the entry of uncompressed gas into the compression space 108. Similarly, a plurality of discharge valves 112 are provided between the compression space 108 and the gas outlet 104 to control the outflow of compressed gas.
[0020] Figure 2A portion of a reciprocating gas compressor 100 is shown that includes a housing 106 and defines a plurality of inlet / outlet apertures 202. One compressor valve assembly 300 is attached to each of the four inlet / outlet apertures 202, and four discharge valves 112 (not shown) are attached to the remaining four inlet / outlet apertures 202. Of course, other arrangements may have more or fewer compressor valve assemblies 300 and discharge valves 112, as desired for a particular design.
[0021] Figure 3 Show Figure 2 The compressor valve assembly 300 is one of the compressor valve assemblies 300, all of which are substantially identical. The compressor valve assembly 300 includes a valve housing 302 that supports the remaining components in their desired operating position and a flange 304 that is arranged to facilitate attachment of the compressor valve assembly 300 to the housing 106. In the illustrated construction, the flange 304 includes a plurality of apertures that are arranged to receive fasteners that connect the compressor valve assembly 300 to the housing 106. The compressor valve assembly 300 also includes a seat 310 and a protective plate 312 located at one end of the valve housing 302.
[0022] Figure 4 The assembled compressor valve is shown, showing the guard plate 312, the seat 310, wherein the rest of the compressor valve assembly 300 is omitted. The seat 310 includes a plurality of inlet openings 404, each of which passes through the seat 310. The inlet openings 404 are arranged in a series of rows and columns, and other arrangements are also possible. In the illustrated structure, fifty-two inlet openings 404 are used, and typical applications include twelve or more inlet openings. Of course, any suitable number of inlet openings 404 can be used as desired.
[0023] Figure 5 An embodiment of a guard plate 312 is shown. In the embodiment shown, the guard plate 312 includes a central hole 502, a plurality of element holes 506, and a plurality of outlet openings 504. Pins are used to ensure alignment of the seat 310 with the guard plate 312. The guard plate 312 includes a lip 510 on its outer circumference so that the inner surface of the guard plate 312 is recessed from the surface of the lip 510. Thus, when the seat 310 and the guard plate 312 are attached, the flow space 906 (see Fig.9A and Fig. 9B ) exists between the seat 310 and the protective plate 312.
[0024] The outlet openings 504 and the element holes 506 are arranged adjacent to each other in a series of rows and columns. With this arrangement, each element hole 506 is most closely surrounded by four outlet openings 504. Similarly, each element hole 506 is aligned and coaxial with the inlet opening 404 of the seat 310, while the outlet opening 504 is arranged parallel to the inlet opening 404 but offset or misaligned. Each element hole 506 includes a seat at one end of the element hole 506 to receive and accommodate the element 702 and the spring 610.
[0025] In one embodiment, the guard plate 312 also includes a guide pin 508 that extends through an opening in the guard plate 312 and into the flow space 906 . Figure 5 A plurality of guide pins 508 are shown, mostly located between adjacent element holes 506 and between adjacent outlet openings 504. Typically, four guide pins 508 are disposed about each element hole 506 to provide guidance and prevent the element 702 from rotating.
[0026] FIG6 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional element 602 (i.e., a cylindrical poppet valve element as previously described). The cylindrical element 602 is located within the element hole 506 in the guard plate 312 and is operable between a first open position and a second closed position. When the element 602 is in the open position (as shown in FIG6 ), the cylindrical element 602 contacts the element guard 614 and fluid flow can pass through the inlet opening 404 and out through the outlet opening 504.
[0027] The cylindrical element 602 has the freedom to rotate about its centerline, in the illustrated embodiment, about a central longitudinal axis 604. The fluid flow (direction indicated by the arrows) about the element 602 is dynamic and unbalanced, which may cause unbalanced forces about the outer head of the element 602, causing the element to rotate. Seat wear occurs when the rotating cylindrical element 602 contacts the seat 310 at the seat edge 606 as the compressor valve closes. Similarly, the cylindrical element 602 may also experience element wear at the sealing surface when contacting the seat 310. In addition, guard wear may occur when the rotating cylindrical element 602 rotates as the compressor valve opens, and spring wear 612 may occur when the spring 610 contacts the rotating element 602 during the opening and closing of the cylindrical element 602.
[0028] Fig. 7A and Figure 7B A perspective view of the proposed element 702 having a cylindrical shape is shown. Fig. 7AA first end surface 704 of the element 702 is shown. The first end surface 704 includes a sealing surface 716 disposed around the periphery of the first end surface 704, the sealing surface 716 contacts the seat 310 when the reciprocating gas compressor 100 is closed, and creates a seal between the inlet opening 404 and the flow space 906. The first end surface 704 also includes a first recessed surface 714 in a central portion of the first end surface 704. The first recessed surface 714 may be a concave surface. The recessed portion improves the efficiency of the fluid flow by reducing the pressure dome height above the first end surface 704, which is created by the flow of gas against the first end surface 704 when the compressor valve is open. The lower pressure dome height above the first end surface 704 reduces pressure losses by allowing the gas to flow more freely around the element 702.
[0029] The element 702 also includes a cylindrical surface 706 on the outer diameter of the cylindrical element 702. The cylindrical surface 706 includes curved extensions 708 protruding from the cylindrical surface 706. In one embodiment, each extension 708 includes a curved surface 709 that interacts with a guide pin 508 mounted in the guard plate 312. The extensions 708 are positioned around the cylindrical surface in pairs, with a pair of extensions defining an inwardly curved surface 720 therebetween that interacts with the guide pin 508 extending between the pair of extensions 708. The element 702 may include up to four pairs of extensions 708 evenly spaced about the cylindrical surface 706.
[0030] Figure 7B A second end surface 710 of the element 702 is shown. The second end surface 710 includes an impact surface 718 that contacts the guard plate 312 when the reciprocating gas compressor 100 is opened, providing a positive stop for the element 702. The impact surface 718 is disposed around the perimeter of the second end surface 710. The second end surface 710 also includes a second recessed surface 712 in a central portion of the second end surface 710 and centered around the center of the second end surface 710. The second recessed surface 712 may include a recessed surface.
[0031] Fig. 8Ais a cross-sectional view of the proposed element 702 in the closed position. Similar to the conventional element 602 described above, the element 702 is located within the element hole 506 in the guard plate 312 and is operable between a first open position and a second closed position. When the element 702 is in the closed position, the sealing surface 716 of the element 702 seals against the seat 310 at the seat edge 606, and fluid flow does not pass through the inlet opening 404. The guide pin 508 extends through the guard plate 312 on either side of the element 702. The spring 610 fits into the second recessed surface 712 on the second end surface 710, which centers the spring 610. The spring 610 biases the element 702 toward the closed position.
[0032] Figure 8B 6. is a cross-sectional view of the proposed element 702 in the open position. When the element 702 is in the open position, the element 702 is retracted from the seat edge 606, compresses the spring 610 and contacts the guard surface 608, so that the fluid flow can pass from the inlet opening 404 and enter the compression space 108 through the outlet opening 504.
[0033] Fig.9A and Fig. 9B A cross-sectional view of a compressor valve assembly 300 is shown. Fig.9A A compressor valve with a closing element 902 is shown, wherein the element 702 is in contact with the seat edge 606 . Fig. 9B A compressor valve is shown with an opening element 904 in which the element 702 is in contact with the guard surface 608 .
[0034] Fig.10 A perspective view of the protection plate 312 is shown with the element 702 mounted. In the mounted state, the guide pins 508 prevent the element 702 from rotating. Fig.10 Each element 702 is shown having four pairs of extensions 708 protruding from its cylindrical surface, with four guide pins 508 surrounding each element 702. Each guide pin 508 extends between a corresponding pair of extensions 708 to prevent the element 702 from rotating, however, only one pair of extensions 708 works with a corresponding guide pin 508 extending between the pair of extensions 708 to prevent the element 702 from rotating.
[0035] In operation, the cylindrical element, together with one or more guide pins positioned in the guard plate, guides the cylindrical element between the seat and the guard plate and prevents the cylindrical element from rotating or turning around its center line. Compared with the rotating cylindrical element shown in FIG. 6 , the proposed cylindrical element is guided on its outer diameter by an extension on the head of the element and a corresponding guide pin, and does not require a rod portion positioned in the depth of the element hole in the guard plate for guidance. In addition, since the cylindrical element does not rotate around its center line, wear of the above-mentioned components is mainly prevented, extending the life of the components.
[0036] Although the exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail, those skilled in the art will understand that they can make various changes, substitutions, alterations and modifications herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention in its broadest form.
[0037] Nothing in this application should be read as implying that any particular element, step, act, or function is an essential element that must be included within the scope of the claims. The scope of patented subject matter is limited only by the claims that issue. Furthermore, unless a participle is followed by the exact words "means for...", none of the claims are intended to involve means-plus-function claim constructions.
Claims
1. A valve assembly for a reciprocating compressor, the valve assembly comprising: a seat defining a plurality of inlet openings, each of the plurality of inlet openings extending through the seat along a central longitudinal axis of each inlet opening such that all of the central longitudinal axes are parallel to one another; a guard plate attached to the seat and defining a plurality of component apertures, each of the plurality of component apertures being aligned with one of the inlet openings along a central longitudinal axis of the inlet opening; A plurality of components, each component comprising: a first end having a first concave surface and a second end having a second concave surface, the first end and the second end cooperating to define a cylindrical shape therebetween, and an extension, the extension protruding outwardly from the outer diameter of the element, wherein each element is positioned within one of the plurality of element apertures and is movable between an open position in which the element contacts the guard plate and a closed position in which the element contacts the seat; as well as A plurality of springs, each spring being positioned within one of the element apertures and within the second recessed surface to bias the element toward the closed position. 2 . The valve assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a guide pin fixedly coupled to the guard plate and extending toward the seat along an axis parallel to the central longitudinal axis.
3. The valve assembly according to claim 2, wherein: Each element further includes a pair of extensions projecting from an outer diameter of the element, wherein the guide pin extends between the pair of extensions, and wherein a surface of the element between the pair of extensions is recessed relative to a centerline of the element.
4. The valve assembly according to claim 3, wherein: The guide pin engages the pair of extensions and the surface to inhibit rotation of the element.
5. The valve assembly of claim 3, further comprising a plurality of pairs of extensions, and wherein: The plurality of pairs of extension portions are in the range of 2 to 4 pairs.
6. The valve assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The first recessed surface includes a recessed portion centered about a centerline of the element.
7. The valve assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The first recessed surface includes a first sealing surface disposed around a perimeter of the first recessed surface and configured to form a seal with the seat.
8. The valve assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The second recessed surface includes a recessed portion centered about a centerline of the element to center a corresponding spring of the plurality of springs.
9. The valve assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The second recessed surface includes a second sealing surface disposed around a perimeter of the second recessed surface and configured to form a positive stop with the guard plate.
10. The valve assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The guard plate also defines a plurality of outlet openings positioned within and extending through the guard plate.
11. The valve assembly according to claim 10, wherein: Each inlet opening is disposed adjacent one outlet opening, and wherein, in the open position, each inlet opening is in fluid communication with the one outlet opening.
12. The valve assembly according to claim 11, wherein: The plurality of component holes are arranged in a series of rows and columns in the protection plate.
13. The valve assembly according to claim 12, wherein: Each element hole of the plurality of element holes includes at least two adjacent outlet openings.