Gas Supply Equipment

Abstract

The present invention relates to a gas supply apparatus (1) having a shaft (7) rotatably supported in a housing (15) about an axis of rotation (13), and a temperature adjustment device (11) including a medium temperature adjustment part (12) surrounding the shaft (7) in combination with a gas temperature adjustment part (20). To improve the gas supply apparatus (1) functionally and / or manufacturing-wise, the gas temperature adjustment part (20) includes at least two temperature adjustment chambers (51, 52) connected to each other via a first temperature adjustment path (61) leading in a temperature-controlled manner to at least one first component (71) to be temperature-adjusted.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a gas supply apparatus having a shaft rotatably mounted in a housing about an axis of rotation and a temperature regulation device including a medium temperature regulation part surrounding the shaft in combination with a gas temperature regulation part. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an air supply device, in particular for a fuel cell system, constructed as a turbomachine, having a compressor, a drive unit, and a shaft. The compressor has an impeller arranged on the shaft, a compressor inlet, and a compressor outlet, and is capable of delivering a working fluid from the compressor inlet to the compressor outlet. A drive cooling path for cooling the drive unit branches off at the compressor outlet. Patent Document 2 discloses a cooling unit for an air compressor, including a spiral housing, an impeller assembled to the spiral housing, and a motor driving the impeller. The motor and a bearing supporting the motor's rotating shaft are cooled using air from the discharge side of the impeller. The cooling unit has: a number of coolant passages arranged radially in a motor housing linked to the spiral housing, through which a coolant flows; and cooled air passages formed between the coolant passages in the motor housing, through which air flows. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] German Patent Application Publication No. 102018201162 [Patent Document 2] West German Patent Application Publication No. 102014224774 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The object of the present invention is to improve the functionality and / or manufacturing engineering of a gas supply device having a shaft supported in a housing so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis and a temperature control device including a medium temperature control part surrounding the shaft and combined with a gas temperature control part. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] This problem is solved in a gas supply system having a shaft rotatably mounted in a housing and a temperature control device including a medium temperature control unit surrounding the shaft, combined with a gas temperature control unit, in which the gas temperature control unit includes at least two temperature control chambers connected to each other via a first temperature control path that leads in a temperature-controlled manner to at least one first component to be temperature-controlled. Both temperature control chambers enable at least two-stage temperature control, in particular cooling, of gas, in particular air, during operation of the gas supply system in a simple manner. The claimed gas temperature control unit allows the realization of a multi-stage gas cooler, in particular an air cooler. The gas cooler, in particular the air cooler, can re-cool air that has been heated, for example, at an axial bearing of the gas supply system, and then this air can be used in a subsequent temperature control path, for example, to cool an electric motor drive of the gas supply system. This allows for particularly compact designs, since a gas channel, especially an air channel, on the housing side of the gas supply device, for example from the left machine side to the right machine side, for example, can be omitted. This is because the gas to be temperature-conditioned, especially the cooling air, can flow through the gap between the rotor and stator of the electric motor drive of the gas supply device. The gap between the rotor and stator flows axially through. The term "axial" refers to the axis of rotation of the shaft. Axial means the direction of or parallel to this axis of rotation. Correspondingly, radial means transverse to the axis of rotation. The gas supply device is, in particular, a compressor that serves to prepare compressed air in a fuel cell system. The compressor may include one impeller. Alternatively, the compressor may include multiple impellers. Alternatively or additionally, the compressor may be configured with at least one turbine wheel. In this case, the compressor is also called a turbocompressor or turbomachine. The electric motor drive of the gas supply device preferably comprises an electric motor having a stationary stator in which a rotor is rotatably arranged. The claimed temperature regulation device preferably serves for cooling and is therefore also called a cooling device.The temperature adjustment device is a heat exchanger that combines three components: a temperature adjustment sleeve that forms the inner part; a gas temperature adjustment ring that forms the middle part; and a housing body that forms the outer part. The cooling device, which has the inner, middle, and outer parts, is arranged in an annular space that is bounded radially inward by an electric motor drive, in particular by a stator of the electric motor drive, and radially outward by an open or housing or an attached structure. At least one passage is formed between the inner and middle parts, through which a temperature adjustment medium, for example a water-glycol mixture, flows. A gas passage is formed between the middle and outer parts, through which a gas to be temperature adjusted, in particular air to be cooled, flows.

[0006] One preferred embodiment of the gas supply device is characterized in that the first component to be temperature-controlled includes an axial bearing manufactured as a gas bearing. Advantageously, a gas that serves to realize the desired bearing function in the gas bearing can be supplied to the gas bearing via the first temperature-controlled path. The temperature-controlled gas allows the generation of a supportive gas film in the gas bearing in a simple manner. The gas used is preferably cooled by temperature control. Further components to be configured include, for example, two radial bearings, also manufactured as gas bearings. These bearings serve to support the shaft in the gas supply device.

[0007] Another preferred embodiment of the gas supply device is characterized in that at least two temperature-regulating chambers are separated by a common gas temperature-regulating ring along the radial inside of which a temperature-regulating medium is guided, preferably a liquid, and the gas temperature-regulating ring then prevents the gas to be temperature-regulated, in particular the air to be cooled, from coming into contact with the liquid embodying the temperature-regulating medium.

[0008] Another preferred embodiment of the gas supply device is characterized in that at least two temperature-regulating chambers have circumferentially extending gas passages at the gas temperature-regulating ring radially outward, the gas passages being axially separated by laminated ribs bent from the cylindrical outer shell of the gas temperature-regulating ring. The cylindrical outer shell of the gas temperature-regulating ring preferably separates at its radially inner side at least one medium passage through which a preferably liquid temperature-regulating medium flows. The laminated ribs embody a guide structure for the gas to be temperature-regulated at the gas temperature-regulating ring radially outward. The gas passage is only traversed by the gas to be temperature-regulated. The self-open guide structure embodied by the laminated ribs at the gas temperature-regulating ring is preferably closed by the housing body. A pressure-compensating gap is preferably provided between the laminated ribs and the housing body, thereby further improving the function of the gas temperature-regulating unit.

[0009] Another preferred embodiment of the gas supply device is characterized in that both temperature-controlled chambers include an inlet recess and an outlet recess connected via a first and a second gas passage, respectively. The inlet recess and the outlet recess are preferably separated radially outward by the housing body. Otherwise, the inlet recess and the outlet recess are preferably separated only by a gas temperature-controlled ring. This significantly simplifies the manufacture of the gas supply device with multi-stage temperature control. In another embodiment of the invention, the gas to be temperature-controlled is preferably supplied axially and discharged axially. This further simplifies the manufacture of the gas supply device with multi-stage temperature control.

[0010] Another preferred embodiment of the gas supply device is characterized in that the gas temperature adjustment ring has a separating web that separates the inlet notch and the outlet notch. This has the advantage that no gas guide or separating structures are required in the housing body that radially separates the gas passage. The housing body that radially separates the temperature adjustment chamber together with the gas passage can be manufactured very simply. It is particularly preferred that the housing body has the form of a right cylindrical outer shell, which can be manufactured inexpensively.

[0011] Another preferred embodiment of the gas supply device is characterized in that at least two temperature-controlled chambers include a first temperature-controlled chamber connected to the gas pressure chamber of the gas supply device via a gas supply path and to a second temperature-controlled chamber via a first temperature-controlled path, from which a second temperature-controlled path leads in a temperature-controlled manner to at least one second component to be temperature-controlled. The second component to be temperature-controlled is, for example, a radial bearing whose shaft is rotatably supported in the housing of the gas supply device. The claimed embodiment of the gas supply device with both temperature-controlled chambers and both temperature-controlled paths allows for a simple multi-stage gas temperature control, especially in conjunction with the claimed gas temperature-control ring.

[0012] Another preferred embodiment of the gas supply device is characterized in that a second temperature-regulating passage extends between the rotor and the stator of the gas supply device. The gas flowing through the second temperature-regulating passage is efficiently temperature-regulated, in particular cooled, in the second temperature-regulating chamber. In this way, the temperature regulation, in particular cooling, of the electric motor drive of the gas supply device can be effectively improved.

[0013] Another preferred embodiment of the gas supply device is characterized in that the first temperature-controlled channel has a branch from which a first subchannel leads to a second temperature-controlled chamber and a second subchannel leads in a temperature-controlled manner to at least one third component to be temperature-controlled. The third component to be temperature-controlled is, for example, a second radial bearing, whose shaft is rotatably supported in the housing of the gas supply device. The flow rate or throughflow of gas through each subchannel can be adjusted in a simple manner, for example, via fluid resistance. In this way, gas temperature control during operation of the gas supply device can be configured more efficiently than in conventional gas supply devices.

[0014] The present invention further relates to a gas temperature regulation ring, a rotor, a stator, and / or a housing for the gas supply device described above, each of the above components being separately addressable.

[0015] Optionally, the present invention also relates to a fuel cell system having the above-described gas supply device, which is preferably made as an air supply device, in the fuel cell system, serves to compress the air supplied to the fuel cell stack of the fuel cell system.

[0016] Further advantages, features and details of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of various embodiments, which are set forth in conjunction with the drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1a] 1 is a schematic diagram showing in longitudinal section a gas supply apparatus according to a first embodiment, which is made as a compressor with a temperature regulation device including a medium temperature regulation part combined with a gas temperature regulation part. [Figure 1b] 1b is the same view as FIG. 1a with arrows clearly indicating the gas paths during operation of the gas supply device according to the first embodiment; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a gas temperature adjustment ring of the gas supply device of FIGS. 1a and 1b. [Figure 3]FIG. 2 is a half cross-sectional view showing a gas temperature adjusting ring. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a gas temperature adjustment ring that adjusts gas temperature in two stages in the same direction. [Figure 5] 5 is the same view as FIG. 4, but with two stages of gas temperature regulation in opposite directions. [Figure 6] 1b with gas paths according to two alternative embodiments; [Figure 7] 1b with gas paths according to two alternative embodiments; [Figure 8] 6 is a view similar to FIGS. 4 and 5, with three temperature-controlled chambers. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] 1a shows a schematic longitudinal section of an air supply device 1. The air supply device 1 is constructed as a compressor with two impellers 3, 4.

[0019] The impellers 3 and 4 are constructed as compressor wheels and are rotatably arranged in spiral housings 5 ​​and 6, respectively. The impellers 3 and 4 are rotatably driven by an electric motor drive 2. The electric motor drive 2 includes a stator 38 in which a rotor 39 is rotatably driven together with the shaft 7.

[0020] The shaft 7 is rotatably supported in a housing 15 by two radial bearings 8, 9 and one axial bearing 10. The housing 15 includes a housing body 16 that is made substantially cup-shaped. The cup-shaped housing body 16 is closed by a housing cover 17. The housing 15, including the housing body 16 and the housing cover 17, is arranged axially between the two spiral housings 5, 6, which also form part of the housing 15.

[0021] The term "axial direction" refers to the axis of rotation 13 on which the shaft 7 is rotatably supported in the housing 15 together with both impellers 3 and 4. The term "axial direction" refers to the direction of the axis of rotation 13 or a direction parallel to it. Correspondingly, the term "radial direction" refers to the direction transverse to the axis of rotation 13.

[0022] The electric motor drive 2, in particular the stator of the electric motor drive 2, is surrounded in the housing 15 by a temperature regulation device 11 which is made as a cooling device. The cooling device 11 is arranged in an annular space which is bounded radially inward by the electric motor drive 2, in particular by the stator 38 of the electric motor drive 2.

[0023] Radially outwardly, the annular space in which the cooling device 11 is arranged is bounded by the housing body 16. In the axial direction, the annular space in which the cooling device 11 is arranged is bounded by the housing body 16 and the housing cover 17.

[0024] The cooling device 11 comprises a medium temperature adjustment part 12, which is made as a coolant cooling part, and a gas temperature adjustment part 20, which is made as an air cooling part. The coolant cooling part 12 is operated by a preferably liquid coolant, for example a water-glycol mixture. During operation of the coolant cooling part 12, a temperature-adjusted, preferably cooled, coolant flows through a cooling channel geometry 18, which is open radially outward.

[0025] The radially outwardly open cooling passage geometry 18 includes a number of coolant passages 19 formed in the motor cooling sleeve 14. The radially outwardly open cooling passage geometry 18 of the coolant cooling section 12 is bounded in large part by the housing body 16 and in small part by the air cooling section 20.

[0026] The air cooling section 20 includes a radially outwardly open cooling passage geometry 21, in particular air passages, with a number of gas passages 22. The radially outwardly open cooling passage geometry 21 of the air cooling section 20 is bounded radially outward by the housing body 16.

[0027] The cooling passage geometries 18 of the coolant cooling section 12 are delimited radially inward by a base body 23 of the motor cooling sleeve 14. Correspondingly, the cooling passage geometries 21 of the air cooling section 20 are delimited radially inward by a base body 29 of the gas temperature adjustment ring 24. The base bodies 23, 29 each preferably have substantially the form of a right cylindrical outer casing.

[0028] 1b, the gas supply path 60, the first temperature regulation path 61, and the second temperature regulation path 62 are clearly indicated by arrows. The gas supply path 60 originates from a gas pressure chamber 55. Arrows 56 indicate the gas mass flow that is supplied to a fuel cell (not shown). In the gas pressure chamber 55, compressed air is preferably prepared for reaction in the fuel cell.

[0029] A portion of the compressed air is supplied to the first temperature-conditioning chamber 51 via a gas supply line 60. From the first temperature-conditioning chamber 51, the first temperature-conditioning line 61 leads to a branch 64. The branch 64 is assigned to a first component 71 to be temperature-conditioned. The first component 71 to be temperature-conditioned is the axial bearing 10.

[0030] The first temperature-regulating channel 61 splits at a branch 64 into a first partial channel 65 and a second partial channel 66. Both partial channels 65 and 66 extend along the axial bearing 10 which embodies a first component 71.

[0031] The first partial path 65 runs from the first component 71, i.e., from the axial bearing 10, to the second temperature-controlled chamber 52. The second partial path 66 runs through the second component 72 to be temperature-controlled. The second component 72 to be temperature-controlled is the radial bearing 8.

[0032] A second temperature conditioning channel 62 extends through the gap, in particular the annular gap, that extends axially between the rotor 39 and the stator 38. The second partial channel 66 merges with the second temperature conditioning channel 62 after the second component 72 to be temperature conditioned in this example.

[0033] A portion of the gas mass flow compressed by the impeller 3 is used as cooling air via the gas supply line 60. A higher proportion of the mass flow goes to the fuel cell system. The gas mass flow supplied via the gas supply line 60 is cooled in the gas temperature adjustment ring 24 in the first temperature adjustment chamber 51 from the compressor outlet temperature until the gas mass flow approximately reaches the temperature of the liquid temperature adjustment medium in the temperature adjustment channels, in particular in the cooling medium channels.

[0034] The gas mass flow cooled in the first thermostating chamber 51 is guided further via a first thermostating channel 61 to the axial bearing 10. This gas mass flow is then split into two partial mass flows at a branch 64. One of the partial mass flows is guided back to the gas thermostating ring 24 via a first partial channel 65.

[0035] In the second temperature-conditioning chamber 52, this partial mass flow is cooled again to approximately the temperature of the liquid medium in the temperature-conditioning channel 33. This cooled partial mass flow is then used via the second temperature-conditioning channel 62 to cool the electric motor drive, which includes the stator 38 and rotor 39 and a third component 73 to be temperature-conditioned.

[0036] The third component 73 to be temperature-controlled is the radial bearing 9. The entire cooling mass flow is directed to the side of the gas supply device 1 with the impeller 4. If the impeller 4 is designed as a turbine wheel, the mass flow is discharged in the circumferential direction. Alternatively, the impeller 4 can be designed as a compressor wheel. In that case, the gas mass flow can preferably be compressed again and directed to the fuel cell system.

[0037] 2 shows the gas attemperating ring 24 in isolation and in perspective view. The gas attemperating ring 24 includes a flange 40 on a base body 29. In addition, the base body 29 has radially outward laminated ribs 36 that define the circumferentially extending gas passages 22 of the gas attemperating ring 24.

[0038] Additionally, the gas attemperating ring 24 is provided with two inlet notches 41, 43 and two outlet notches 42, 44. Between the inlet notches 41 and 43, a separating web 45 is formed on the gas attemperating ring 24. Further separating webs 46, 47 are provided between the inlet notches 41, 43 and the outlet notches 42, 44.

[0039] 3 shows the gas attemperating ring 24 of FIG. 2 in a housing 15 having a housing body 16. Laminated ribs 36 delimit first gas passages 48 in a first attemperating chamber 51. In a second attemperating chamber 52, laminated ribs 36 delimit second gas passages 49.

[0040] A first pressure compensation gap 31 is provided between each free end of the laminated ribs 36 in the first temperature-adjusting chamber 51 and the housing body 16. The first pressure compensation gap 31 is smaller than the second pressure compensation gap 32 between the laminated ribs 36 in the second temperature-adjusting chamber 52 and the housing body 16.

[0041] The number of stacked ribs 36 that serve to realize an appropriate cooling structure in the gas attemperating ring 24 is determined in accordance with the required cooling performance and the maximum allowable pressure drop. The height of the individual stacked ribs 36, each with different pressure compensation gaps 31 and 32, is also preferably determined in accordance with the required cooling power and the maximum allowable pressure drop.

[0042] The pressure compensation gaps 31, 32 between the free ends of the laminated ribs 36 and the housing body 16 of the housing 15 are also called head gaps. In the illustrated embodiment, the pressure compensation gaps 31, 32 are made to have different sizes. The width of the laminated ribs 36 can also be different from that shown and can be configured to have different sizes in both temperature-controlled chambers 51 and 52.

[0043] 4 and 5, the vertical arrows clearly show how the gas is axially fed into and discharged from the temperature-controlled chambers 51 and 52. In FIG. 4, the gas flows through the gas channels in the same direction. In FIG. 5, the gas flows back through both temperature-controlled chambers 51 and 52 in opposite directions.

[0044] 6 shows an embodiment of the gas supply device 1 in which both partial paths 65, 66 of the first temperature-regulating path 61 are fed together into the second temperature-regulating chamber 52. The second temperature-regulating path 62 otherwise extends in the same way as in the embodiment shown in FIG.

[0045] 7 shows an embodiment of the gas supply device 1 in which the third partial path 67 is guided from the first temperature-conditioning chamber 51 from the left to the right of the gas supply device 1 as viewed in FIG. 7. In this way, the gas mass flow guided through the third partial path 67 can be used to cool or temperature-condition a third component 73, which is the radial bearing 9. The third partial path 67 then merges with the second temperature-conditioning path 62.

[0046] Figure 8 shows that three or more stages of temperature regulation can also be implemented by the gas temperature regulation ring 24. The gas supply device 1 shown in Figure 8 includes a third inlet notch 75 and a third outlet notch 76 in addition to both inlet notches 41, 43 and both outlet notches 42, 44. [Explanation of symbols]

[0047] 1 Gas supply equipment 7 shaft 10 Axial bearing 13 Rotation axis 15 Housing 20 Gas temperature control unit 22 Gas passage 29 Substrate 36 Laminated Ribs 38 Stator 39 Rotor 24 Gas temperature control ring 41,43 Entrance notch 42,44 Notch 45, 46, 47 Separation web 48 First gas passage 49 Second gas passage 51,52 Temperature control room 55 Gas pressure chamber 61 First thermoregulatory pathway 62 Second thermoregulatory pathway 64 Branch 65 First partial path 66 Second partial path 71 The first component to be temperature controlled 72 Secondary component to be temperature controlled 73 Third component to be temperature controlled

Claims

1. 1. A gas supply system (1) comprising a shaft (7) rotatably supported in a housing (15) about a rotation axis (13) and a temperature adjustment device (11) including a medium temperature adjustment part (12) surrounding the shaft (7) in combination with a gas temperature adjustment part (20), characterized in that the gas temperature adjustment part (20) comprises at least two temperature adjustment chambers (51, 52) connected to each other via a first temperature adjustment path (61) leading in a temperature-controlled manner to at least one first component (71) to be temperature-adjusted.

2. 2. Gas supply device according to claim 1, characterized in that the first component (71) to be temperature regulated comprises an axial bearing (10) made as a gas bearing.

3. 3. The gas supply device according to claim 1, wherein the at least two temperature-regulating chambers (51, 52) are separated by a common gas temperature-regulating ring (24) along the radial inside of which a temperature-regulating medium is guided.

4. 4. The gas supply device according to claim 3, wherein the at least two temperature-adjusting chambers (51, 52) have radially outer gas passages (22) extending circumferentially in the gas temperature-adjusting ring (24), the gas passages being separated in the axial direction by laminated ribs (36) folded from a cylindrical outer shell-shaped base body (29) of the gas temperature-adjusting ring (24).

5. 5. A gas supply device according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that both temperature-controlled chambers (51, 52) comprise an inlet notch (41, 43) and an outlet notch (42, 44) respectively, connected via a first (48) and a second (49) gas passage.

6. 6. Gas supply device according to claim 5, characterized in that the gas temperature regulation ring (24) has separating webs (45, 46, 47) which separate the inlet notches (41, 43) and the outlet notches (42, 44) from each other.

7. 7. The gas supply device according to claim 1, wherein the at least two temperature-controlled chambers (51, 52) comprise a first temperature-controlled chamber (51) connected via a gas supply path (60) to a gas pressure chamber (55) of the gas supply device (1) and connected via the first temperature-controlled path (61) to a second temperature-controlled chamber (52), from which emanates a second temperature-controlled path (62) leading in a temperature-controlled manner to at least one second component (72) to be temperature-controlled.

8. 8. A gas supply device according to claim 7, characterized in that the second temperature-regulating path (62) extends between the rotor (39) and the stator (38) of the gas supply device (1).

9. 9. The gas supply device according to claim 1, wherein the first temperature-conditioning path (61) has a branch (64) from which a first partial path (65) leads to the second temperature-conditioning chamber (52) and a second partial path (66) leads in a temperature-controlled manner to at least one third component (73) to be temperature-conditioned.

10. A gas temperature regulation ring (24), a rotor (39), a stator (38) and / or a housing (15) for a gas supply device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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