Coaxial Screw Compressor Drive to Reduce Radial Bearing Loads
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Solution Overview
Problem
Screw compressor systems for commercial vehicles face challenges in simplifying mounting, reducing size, and lowering costs due to the need for larger bearings to manage radial forces and moments, which increases system inertia and requires additional installation space and fasteners.
Innovation Solution
A screw compressor system with co-axial torque transmission between the screw compressor drive and the driven screw, utilizing a compensating clutch and needle bearings to reduce radial forces, allowing for smaller and more compact design, and simplifying the bearing arrangement to reduce manufacturing costs and improve accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If gear stages or belt drives are used to drive the screw, then torque transmission is achieved, but radial forces and moments increase requiring larger bearings
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the intermediate transmission elements (gear stages or belt drives) that cause radial forces. By using direct co-axial coupling between the drive and the driven screw, the patent removes the source of harmful radial forces while maintaining torque transmission functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces a co-axial coupling as an intermediary element that directly connects the drive output shaft to the driven screw shaft. This mediator transmits torque efficiently while maintaining alignment and minimizing radial forces, replacing the traditional gear or belt intermediary that generated harmful radial loads.
2Reliability
If larger bearings are used to manage radial forces, then reliability improves, but system inertia increases and installation space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention converts the harmful radial forces generated by traditional drive mechanisms into a benefit by eliminating them through co-axial coupling. This eliminates the need for oversized bearings, thereby reducing system inertia while maintaining reliability through simpler, smaller bearing designs.
3Reliability
If larger bearings are used to manage radial forces, then reliability improves, but device complexity and manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and removes the complexity associated with large, heavy-duty bearing arrangements. By eliminating radial forces through co-axial coupling, the patent allows for simpler, smaller bearing designs that reduce device complexity and manufacturing costs while maintaining adequate reliability.
4Power
If traditional drive mechanisms are used, then torque transmission is achieved, but assembly complexity increases due to multiple components
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the drive output shaft and the driven screw shaft into a co-axial arrangement, effectively combining what were previously separate components connected through gears or belts. This merging simplifies the assembly by reducing the number of intermediate components and alignment requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts and removes intermediate transmission components (gears, belts, multiple shafts) from the torque transmission path. By using direct co-axial coupling, the patent simplifies the assembly process while maintaining effective torque transmission from the drive to the screw.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a screw compressor system (100) for a utility vehicle, comprising at least one screw compressor (10), at least one screw compressor drive with an output shaft, at least one driven screw (16) with a screw drive shaft section (102), said output shaft and the screw drive shaft section (102) being essentially coaxial.