Connection adapter for removable connection of an impeller to a shaft, rotor unit formed thereby and method for manufacturing a turbocompressor using such a

Abstract

The invention relates to a connection adapter (1) for detachably connecting an impeller (2) with a shaft (3), in particular having ceramic or tungsten carbide, to a rotor unit (4) of a turbocompressor, which rotor unit can be rotated about an axis of rotation (A), the connection adapter (1) has an impeller section (20) for fastening the impeller (2) to the connection adapter (1) and a shaft section (30) for fastening the connection adapter (1) to the shaft (3), the impeller section (20) having a first axial alignment means (21) for axially aligning the impeller (2) on the connection adapter (1) and a first radial alignment means (22) for radially aligning the impeller (2) on the connection adapter (1), the shaft section (30) has a second axial alignment means (31) for axial alignment on the connection adapter (1) and a second radial alignment means (32) for radial alignment, by means of which the impeller (2) and the shaft (3) can be fastened to the connection adapter (1) in a predetermined axial and radial alignment manner.

Description

Field of the Invention

[0001] The present invention relates to a connection adapter for removably connecting an impeller to a shaft, which shaft is particularly made of ceramic or tungsten carbide or particularly consists of ceramic or tungsten carbide, and also relates to a rotor unit formed by connecting the impeller to the shaft by a connecting element, and a method for manufacturing a turbo compressor using such a rotor unit. Background Art

[0002] In the prior art, a large number of turbomachines or turbo compressors are known, which have a rotor unit with an impeller and a shaft, where the impeller and the shaft are usually directly fixed to each other.

[0003] However, if one of the components, namely the impeller or the shaft, is made of certain materials, such as ceramic or tungsten carbide alloy, or contains a high concentration of these materials, problems may occur when connecting the impeller and the shaft, because the necessary fastening mechanism can no longer be easily formed or provided on the corresponding component.

[0004] For example, if the impeller is fixed to the shaft with screws, it is impossible to drill holes and cut internal threads on a shaft made of ceramic or with a high ceramic content, otherwise it is very likely to damage the shaft. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to overcome the above-mentioned disadvantages and to enable or simplify the fixation of the impeller to the shaft, which shaft particularly has a ceramic or tungsten carbide alloy.

[0006] This object is solved by the combination of features described in claim 1 of the patent.

[0007] Accordingly, according to the present invention, a preferred one-piece connection adapter is proposed for detachably connecting an impeller with a shaft to a rotor unit of a turbo compressor rotatable about a rotation axis. The shaft is particularly made of ceramic or tungsten carbide or tungsten carbide alloy or is particularly composed entirely of ceramic or tungsten carbide alloy. The turbo compressor is in particular an oil-free turbo compressor, such as a high-speed turbo compressor. The concept of a turbo compressor includes radial, axial, and diagonal compressors. Thus, in this case, the turbo compressor can also be an axial compressor, a radial compressor, or a diagonal compressor. The connection adapter here has an impeller section for fixing the impeller to the connection adapter, in particular for detachably fixing it as required; and a shaft section for fixing the connection adapter to the shaft, in particular for permanently fixing it as required. The so-called detachably as required means that an appropriate manual tool, such as a wrench or a hex wrench, can be used to simply and non-destructively access the connection and it can be restored to its original state later, while the so-called permanently as required means that the connection can only be accessed in a complex but preferably non-destructive manner. The impeller section has a first axial alignment mechanism for the axial alignment of the impeller on the connection adapter and a first radial alignment mechanism for the radial alignment of the impeller on the connection adapter. The shaft section has a second axial alignment mechanism for the axial alignment of the shaft on the connection adapter and a second radial alignment mechanism for the radial alignment of the shaft on the connection adapter. Through these alignment mechanisms, the impeller and the shaft can be fixed to the connection adapter in a predetermined axial and radial, especially concentrically aligned manner.

[0008] The impeller and the shaft can be fixed to each other in a predetermined alignment manner, which means that even if the fixation or connection is temporarily released during the assembly of the rotor unit or the turbo compressor, especially the fixation or connection of the impeller, and then restored, any balance on the rotor unit generated by the impeller, the shaft, and the connection adapter can be maintained.

[0009] In this specification, the axial, radial, and circumferential directions all refer to the rotation axis, unless otherwise specified in a specific case.

[0010] A favorable variant of the connection adapter provides that the impeller section has a thread for a screw connection with the impeller. The thread can be an internal thread, especially an internal thread whose longitudinal axis extends axially, so that the impeller can be screwed onto the internal thread by a screw or an external thread formed by the impeller. Or, the thread can be an external thread, especially an external thread whose longitudinal axis extends axially, so that the impeller can be screwed onto the external thread by a nut or an internal thread formed by the impeller.

[0011] When using a screw or a nut, it should be noted that the impeller is preferably pressed onto the connection adapter by the screw or the nut, that is, the impeller is fixed to the connection adapter by force engagement.

[0012] Furthermore, it can be provided that the shaft section forms or has an engagement section which is configured as an engagement fitting of the mating part. The engagement section is formed as a bolt which projects axially, in particular with its longitudinal axis, for engaging with a corresponding receiving part provided on the shaft, so that the connecting adapter can be connected to the shaft, in particular permanently, via the mating part formed by the bolt and the receiving part. Alternatively, the engagement section is configured as a sleeve or a pot-shaped part which extends axially, in particular with its longitudinal axis, for engaging with a corresponding projection provided on the shaft, so that the connecting adapter can be connected to the shaft, in particular permanently, via the mating part formed by the sleeve and the projection. The mating part is in particular an interference fit or an interference fit.

[0013] Furthermore, a first circumferential alignment mechanism is provided on the impeller section for aligning the impeller to a predetermined position on the connecting adapter.

[0014] In addition or alternatively, a second circumferential alignment mechanism is provided on the shaft section for aligning the connecting adapter to a predetermined position on the shaft.

[0015] Therefore, the first and / or second circumferential alignment mechanism can be used to fix the impeller and / or the shaft to each other in a predetermined alignment manner in the circumferential direction on the connecting adapter.

[0016] In a simple case, the first and / or second circumferential alignment mechanism can be provided as a marking by means of which the respective parts with the corresponding markings can be introduced in a predetermined alignment manner in the circumferential direction and fixed in this alignment state.

[0017] Alternatively, the first and / or second circumferential alignment mechanism can also be, for example, a coded pin, for example, corresponding grooves must be provided on the respective parts, i.e., the impeller or the shaft. In this case, the function can also be reversed, with corresponding grooves provided on the connecting adapter and coded pins provided on the respective parts.

[0018] Furthermore, in a further embodiment of the connecting adapter, it is configured to extend axially into the impeller at least through its impeller section, or to surround the impeller radially from the outside, so that the connecting adapter overlaps the impeller axially at least with its impeller section.

[0019] Furthermore, the connecting adapter is further configured to extend axially into the shaft at least through its shaft section, or to surround the shaft radially from the outside, so that the connecting adapter overlaps the shaft axially at least with its shaft section.

[0020] Preferably, the impeller section and the shaft section are configured such that the impeller and the shaft are axially coincident, the impeller can be fixed to the connecting adapter, and the shaft can be fixed to the connecting adapter.

[0021] In addition, the connecting adapter further has a balancing section, particularly provided between the impeller section and the shaft section, for balancing the connecting adapter or a unit composed of the connecting adapter and the shaft or a unit composed of the connecting adapter and the impeller or rotor unit. For this purpose, a material section for material removal, i.e., excess material for material removal, and / or an interface for fixing balance weights is provided in the balancing section.

[0022] To ensure the thermal connection between the impeller and the shaft, the impeller section can be connected to the shaft section in a thermally conductive manner, so that the connecting adapter can be configured to connect the impeller and the shaft in a thermally conductive or heat dissipating manner.

[0023] For example, steel, titanium, or corrosion-resistant nickel-based alloys can all be used as the material of the connecting adapter, among which an alloy with a trademark name of Inconel, which is widely used at the time of application, is particularly suitable for the latter.

[0024] One aspect of the present invention also relates to a rotor unit with an impeller of a shaft and a connecting adapter for connecting the impeller and the shaft according to the present invention. In this case, the impeller and the shaft are axially and radially aligned with each other, preferably aligned with each other at a predetermined position in the circumferential direction, and fixed to each other at this position.

[0025] Another aspect of the present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a turbo compressor or an axial compressor, a radial compressor, or a diagonal compressor, the turbo compressor having a rotor unit that can be driven by an electric motor. According to this method, the impeller is fixed to the shaft by the connecting adapter in a predetermined alignment manner, and the resulting rotor unit remains balanced. Then, the impeller of the balanced rotor unit is disassembled from the connecting adapter, which can be completed during the initial manufacturing process of the turbo compressor, or can be carried out, for example, in the case of subsequent maintenance or repair. Especially in the case of maintenance or repair, the connecting adapter and the shaft of the balanced rotor unit fixed thereto are still inserted in the housing of the turbo compressor, or are inserted in such a housing, for example, during initial manufacturing. After that, the impeller is fixed to the connecting adapter in a predetermined axial and / or radial alignment manner and / or in an alignment manner in the circumferential direction, and the connecting adapter rotor unit is inserted into the housing of the turbo compressor together, so that although the rotor unit is temporarily disassembled, the balance performed before can still be maintained.

[0026] As long as technically feasible and not mutually contradictory, the features disclosed above can be combined as needed. Description of the Drawings

[0027] Other advantageous embodiments of the present invention are described in the dependent claims or are described in more detail below in conjunction with the description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention with reference to the drawings. Among them:

[0028] Figure 1 Show a rotor unit, which includes a first variant of a connecting adapter;

[0029] Figure 2 Show a rotor unit, which includes a second variant of a connecting adapter.

[0030] The drawings are schematic examples. The same reference numerals in the drawings denote the same functional and / or structural features. Detailed Description of the Invention

[0031] Figure 1 and Figure 2 respectively show a rotor unit 4 rotatable about a rotation axis A, but they provide connecting elements 1 with different structures, as well as corresponding impellers 2 and shafts 3.

[0032] Regardless of the specific structure, the connecting element 1 has an impeller section 20 and a shaft section 30.

[0033] The impeller 2 can be axially and radially aligned on the impeller section 20 by a first axial alignment mechanism 21 configured as an axial stop and a first radial alignment mechanism 22 configured as an (outer) mating surface extending in the circumferential direction U.

[0034] Similarly, the shaft 3 can be axially and radially aligned on the shaft section 30 by a second axial alignment mechanism 31 configured as an axial stop and a second radial alignment mechanism 32 configured as an (inner) mating surface of a sleeve 33 extending in the circumferential direction U.

[0035] The shaft 3 is preferably made entirely or at least substantially of ceramic or tungsten carbide and is press-fitted or interference-fitted into the sleeve 33, thereby being fixed to the connecting adapter 1.

[0036] According to Figure 1 the shown variant, an internal thread is provided on the impeller section 20, and a screw 5 can be screwed therein to fix the impeller 2.

[0037] In contrast to this, in Figure 2 , an external thread of the connecting adapter 1 is formed near the first radial alignment mechanism 22 configured as an (outer) mating surface, and a nut 6 can be screwed therein to fix the impeller 2.

[0038] In order to be able to balance the rotor unit 4 or pre-balance the rotor unit 4 before subsequent final balancing, a balancing section 10 needs to be provided, on which material for balancing can be removed.

[0039] The present invention is not limited to the above preferred embodiments. On the contrary, the present invention can also have many variants, which also utilize the above embodiments that are substantially different from the present invention.

Claims

1. A connection adapter (1) for detachably connecting an impeller (2) with a shaft (3) to a rotor unit (4) of a turbo compressor, the rotor unit being rotatable about a rotation axis (A), the shaft (3) being made of ceramic or tungsten carbide in particular, Among them, The connection adapter (1) has an impeller section (20) for fixing the impeller (2) to the connection adapter (1) and a shaft section (30) for fixing the connection adapter (1) to the shaft (3). Wherein, the impeller section (20) has a first axial alignment mechanism (21) for axially aligning the impeller (2) on the connection adapter (1) and a first radial alignment mechanism (22) for radially aligning it, and the shaft section (30) has a second axial alignment mechanism (31) for axially aligning on the connection adapter (1) and a second radial alignment mechanism (32) for radially aligning it. Through these alignment mechanisms, the impeller (2) and the shaft (3) can be fixed to the connection adapter (1) in a predetermined axial and radial alignment manner with respect to each other.

2. The connection adapter according to claim 1, Among them, The impeller section (20) has a thread for establishing a screw connection with the impeller. Wherein, the thread is an internal thread, especially an internal thread extending axially along the longitudinal axis of the thread, so that the impeller (2) can be screwed onto the internal thread by a screw (5) or an external thread formed by the impeller (2), or Wherein, the thread is an external thread, especially an external thread extending axially along the longitudinal axis of the thread, so that the impeller (2) can be screwed onto the external thread by a nut (6) or an internal thread formed by the impeller (2).

3. The connection adapter according to claim 1 or 2, Among them, The shaft section (30) forms or has an engagement section, and the engagement section is configured as an engagement fitting of a mating part. Wherein, the engagement section is formed as a bolt, and the bolt projects axially in particular with its longitudinal axis for engaging with a corresponding receiving part provided on the shaft (3), so that the connection adapter (1) can be connected to the shaft (3) through a mating part formed by the bolt and the receiving part, or Wherein, the engagement section is configured as a sleeve (33), and the sleeve extends axially in particular with its longitudinal axis for engaging with a corresponding projection provided on the shaft (3), so that the connection adapter (1) can be connected to the shaft (3) through a mating part formed by the sleeve (33) and the projection, And wherein, the mating part is in particular an interference fit or a transition fit.

4. The connection adapter according to any one of the preceding claims, Among them, A first circumferential alignment mechanism is provided on the impeller section (20) for aligning the impeller (2) to a predetermined position on the connection adapter (1), and / or Wherein, a second circumferential alignment mechanism is provided on the shaft section (30) for aligning the connection adapter (1) to a predetermined position on the shaft (3). By means of these alignment mechanisms, the impeller (2) and the shaft (3) can be fixed to the connection adapter (1) relative to each other in a predetermined alignment manner in the circumferential direction (U).

5. The connection adapter according to any one of the preceding claims, which is configured to axially extend at least through its impeller section (20) into the impeller (2), or to radially surround the impeller (2) from the outside, so that the connection adapter (1) overlaps the impeller (2) axially at least with its impeller section (20).

6. The connection adapter according to any one of the preceding claims, which is configured to axially extend at least through its shaft section (30) into the shaft (3), or to radially surround the shaft (3) from the outside, so that the connection adapter (1) overlaps the shaft (3) axially at least with its shaft section (30).

7. The connection adapter according to any one of the preceding claims, Among them, wherein the impeller section (20) and the shaft section (30) are configured such that the impeller (2) and the shaft (3) are axially coincident, the impeller (2) can be fixed to the connection adapter (1), and the shaft (3) can be fixed to the connection adapter (1).

8. The connection adapter according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a balancing section (10), particularly provided between the impeller section (20) and the shaft section (30), for balancing the connection adapter (1) or a unit composed of the connection adapter (1) and the shaft (3) or a unit composed of the connection adapter (1) and the impeller (2) or the rotor unit (4), Among them, wherein a material section for material removal and / or an interface for fixing balance weights are provided in the balancing section (10).

9. The connection adapter according to any one of the preceding claims, Among them, wherein the impeller section (20) is thermally connected to the shaft section (30), and the connection adapter (1) is configured to thermally connect the impeller (2) to the shaft (3).

10. A rotor unit (4) having an impeller (2) with a shaft (3) and a connection adapter (1) according to any one of the preceding claims for connecting the impeller (2) to the shaft (3), Among them, wherein the impeller (2) and the shaft (3) are fixed to each other in an axially and radially aligned manner by the connection adapter (1).

11. A method for manufacturing a turbo compressor, the turbo compressor having a rotor unit (4) that can be driven by an electric motor according to the previous claim, Among them, fixing the impeller (2) to the shaft (3) through the connection adapter (1) in a predetermined alignment manner, and the resulting rotor unit (4) being kept balanced, wherein the impeller (2) of the balanced rotor unit (4) is detached from the connection adapter (1), wherein the connection adapter (1) remains inserted or is inserted into the housing of the turbo compressor together with the shaft (3) of the balanced rotor unit (4) fixed thereto, And wherein, the impeller (2) is fixed to the connection adapter (1) in a predetermined alignment manner, and the connection adapter (1) together with the rotor unit (4) is inserted into the housing of the turbo compressor.

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