Compressor assembly

Abstract

The invention relates to a compressor device (1) comprising a compressor unit (2) designed for compressing flow media, the compressor unit (2) comprising a rotatably mounted rotor (4) and a housing (5) arranged around the rotor (4), with gas bearings (6) provided for supporting the rotor (4), the gas bearing (6) being operated by flow medium, wherein a fluidic connection is arranged between the gas bearing (6) and the compressor unit (2) in order to supply flow medium to the gas bearing (6).

Description

[0001] Description

[0002] Compressor arrangement

[0003] The invention relates to a compression device comprising a compressor unit which is designed to compress flow media, wherein the compressor unit comprises a rotatably mounted rotor and a housing arranged around the rotor, with gas bearings which are designed to support the rotor.

[0004] Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for operating a compression device, wherein the compression device has a compressor unit, wherein the compressor unit has a rotatably mounted rotor and a housing arranged around the rotor, wherein gas bearings are arranged which are designed to support the rotor.

[0005] A compressor typically comprises a rotatably mounted rotor and a housing arranged around the rotor. A fluid to be compressed flows into the compressor via a flow inlet and is compressed there in a compression stage, i.e., the pressure of the fluid is increased. The compressed fluid exits the compressor via a flow outlet.

[0006] The rotor must be supported, which includes oil-operated bearings. However, the problem is that the fluid could mix with the oil, which must be avoided. To counteract this problem, seals must be used. In many cases, so-called dry gas seals are used, which offer the advantage of providing a comparatively good seal. However, the operation and functionality of such dry gas seals is comparatively complex.

[0007] In addition to oil-operated bearings, there are aerostatic bearings or gas bearings, which offer the possibility of operating rotating shafts oil-free, contactless, and virtually frictionless. Such bearings can be operated with almost any gas, from nitrogen to filtered process gas or flow medium, although the load capacity depends heavily on the discharge pressure and size.

[0008] Operating a compressor system with oil is comparatively expensive and complex. It would be desirable to provide a compressor system that can be operated without oil.

[0009] Against this background, the object of the invention is to provide a compressor device and a method that can be operated without oil.

[0010] This object is achieved by a compression device comprising a compressor unit which is designed to compress flow media, wherein the compressor unit comprises a rotatably mounted rotor and a housing arranged around the rotor, with gas bearings which are designed to support the rotor, wherein the gas bearing can be operated with flow medium, wherein a fluidic connection is arranged between the gas bearing and the compressor unit which is designed to supply the gas bearing with flow medium.

[0011] Furthermore, the objects are also achieved by a method for operating a compression device, wherein the compression device has a compressor unit, wherein the compressor unit has a rotatably mounted rotor and a housing arranged around the rotor, wherein gas bearings are arranged which are designed to support the rotor, wherein the gas bearings are supplied with flow medium which comes from the compressor unit.

[0012] The invention enables oil-free operation of the compression unit. To completely eliminate the oil unit, all rotors in the train run on gas-lubricated bearings.

[0013] The most effective way to implement this is to supply all gas bearings with process gas or flow medium from the pressure side during operation and to eliminate the oil unit.

[0014] Consequently, the train can operate without a gearbox and is powered by a high-speed electric motor. This offers the possibility of eliminating not only the oil unit but also the dry gas seals.

[0015] To make this possible, the motor housing and coupling spacers must be gas-tight and pressure-resistant. Then the train is encapsulated, and all escaping gas from the bearings can flow back into the process.

[0016] The invention can be applied to multiple trains with more than one compressor or condenser, multiplying the cost savings.

[0017] The invention is based on the idea that the gas bearings can be operated with the process gas or flow medium. The flow medium is diverted from the compression process and supplies the gas bearings. After flowing through the gas bearing, the flow medium is fed back to the compressor unit.

[0018] Advantageous further developments are specified in the subclaims.

[0019] The main difference is the consistent application of the gas-lubricated bearing concept to the entire compressor train, rather than focusing only on the compressor unit itself. This allows the benefits described below to be achieved. Oil units can be eliminated. The use of dry gas seals can be reduced.

[0020] The invention increases reliability and eliminates the need for a gearbox.

[0021] The above-described properties, features and advantages of this invention, as well as the manner in which they are achieved, will become clearer and more clearly understood in connection with the following description of the embodiments, which are explained in more detail in connection with the drawings.

[0022] Identical components or components with the same function are marked with the same reference symbols.

[0023] Exemplary embodiments of the invention are described below with reference to the drawings. These are not intended to represent the exemplary embodiments to scale; rather, where useful for explanation, the drawings are presented in a schematic and / or slightly distorted form. For supplements to the teachings immediately apparent in the drawings, reference is made to the relevant prior art.

[0024] It shows :

[0025] Figure 1 is a schematic representation of an embodiment of a device according to the invention

[0026] Figure 1 shows a schematic representation of an embodiment of the invention. In particular, Figure 1 shows a compression device 1. The compression device 1 is designed to compress process gases, which can also be referred to as flow media. For this purpose, the compression device 1 has a compressor unit 2 which is designed to compress the flow medium. Figure 1 shows a compressor unit 2 designed as a turbocompressor, which has a plurality of stages 3. The compressor unit 2 has a rotatably mounted rotor 4. A housing 5 is arranged around the rotatably mounted rotor 4. Furthermore, the compressor unit 2 has a plurality of gas bearings 6 which are designed to support the rotor 4. The rotor 4 shown in Figure 1 is mounted with an axial gas bearing 7 and two radial gas bearings 8.

[0027] The gas bearings 6 each have a supply 9 for a gas medium, wherein the gas bearings 6 are designed such that the rotor 6 is mounted on a gas film consisting of the gas medium.

[0028] The compressor unit 2 has a flow inlet for the flow medium (not shown). After the flow medium is further compressed after each stage 3, the flow medium flows out via a flow outlet 10, in which a flap 11 is arranged. A portion of the process medium flowing out of the flow outlet 10 is fluidically connected to the supply lines 9, so that, according to the invention, the gas bearings 6 are supplied with flow medium from the compressor unit 2.

[0029] After the flow medium has flowed through the gas bearings 6, the flow medium is returned to the flow inlet via suitable means. This creates a closed system for supplying the gas bearings 6 with the flow medium.

[0030] The compression device 1 further comprises a drive 12. The drive 12 is designed to rotate the rotor 4 of the compressor unit 2. For this purpose, the drive 12 comprises a drive rotor 13 designed to drive the rotor 4. For this purpose, the drive rotor 13 must be connected to the rotor 4 in a torque-transmitting manner. This is achieved by couplings 14.

[0031] The drive rotor 13 is also rotatably mounted, with gas bearings 6 being used here as well. Figure 1 shows two gas bearings 6 designed as radial bearings 8. These gas bearings 6 are also supplied with fluid via supply lines 9. Thus, the gas bearings 6 of the radial bearings 8 for the drive rotor 12 are also fluidically connected to the fluid.

[0032] The drive 12 can be designed as an electric motor. The electric motor can be powered by electrical power from renewable energy sources 15, such as wind energy and solar energy. A converter 16 is generally required to use the electrical power from renewable energy sources 15.

[0033] In order to achieve a closed circuit with flow medium for supplying the gas bearings 6, the compression device 1 must be hermetically or gas-tight. This means that the drive must be gas-tight. Likewise, a coupling housing 17 must be arranged around the couplings 14. The gas bearings 6 are thus supplied in a closed circuit, with the gas bearings 6 being supplied with flow medium from the compressor unit 2. The entire compression device 1 is designed such that no flow medium can flow out of the compression device 1 on the way to or away from the gas bearing 6.

[0034] Although the invention has been illustrated and described in detail by the preferred embodiment, the invention is not limited to the disclosed examples and other variants can be derived by the person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

Patent claims 1. Compression device (1) comprising a compressor unit (2) which is designed to compress flow media, wherein the compressor unit (2) comprises a rotatably mounted rotor (4) and a housing (5) arranged around the rotor (4), with gas bearings (6) which are designed to support the rotor (4), characterized in that the gas bearing (6) can be operated with flow medium, wherein a fluidic connection is arranged between the gas bearing (6) and the compressor unit (2), which is designed to supply the gas bearing (6) with flow medium.

2. Compression device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the gas bearing (6) is designed as an axial gas bearing (7) for axially supporting the rotor (4).

3. Compression device (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the gas bearing (6) is designed as a radial gas bearing (8) for radially supporting the rotor (4).

4. Compression device (1) according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the compressor unit (2) has a flow inlet for the flow medium, wherein the compressor unit (2) has at least one compression stage (3) in which the flow medium is compressed, wherein the compressor unit (2) has a flow outlet (10) which is designed for the outflow of the compressed flow medium, wherein the gas bearings (6) are fluidically connected to the flow outlet (10).

5. Compression device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the flow medium is fluidically connected to the flow inlet after flowing through the gas bearing (6).

6. Compression device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, with a drive (12) which has a drive rotor (13) and is designed to drive the rotor (4), wherein the drive (12) has gas bearings (6) which are designed to support the drive rotor (13), wherein the gas bearings (6) are fluidically connected to the flow medium.

7. Compaction device (1) according to claim 6, wherein the drive (12) is designed as an electric motor.

8. Compression device (1) according to claim 6 or 7, wherein a gas-tight coupling (14) is arranged between the rotor (4) and the drive rotor (13).

9. Compression device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the compression device (1) is designed to be gas-tight.

10. Method for operating a compression device (1), wherein the compression device (1) has a compressor unit (2), wherein the compressor unit (2) has a rotatably mounted rotor (4) and a housing (5) arranged around the rotor (4), wherein gas bearings (6) are arranged, which are designed to support the rotor (4), wherein the gas bearings (6) supplied with flow medium coming from the compressor unit (2).

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the compression device (1) is designed such that the supply of the gas bearings (6) takes place within the compression device (1).

12. The method according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the rotor (4) is driven by a drive (12), in particular an electric motor, wherein the drive (12) has a drive rotor (13), wherein the drive rotor (13) is mounted with gas bearings (6) which are supplied with the flow medium from the compressor unit (82).

13. Method according to one of claims 10 to 12, wherein the flow medium flows back into the compressor unit (2) after flowing through the gas bearings (6).

14. Method according to one of claims 10 to 13, wherein a coupling (14) is arranged between the drive (12) and the compressor unit (2).

15. Method according to one of claims 10 to 14, wherein the compression device (1) is designed to be hermetically sealed in such a way that the gas bearings (6) are supplied with flow medium within the compression device (1).

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