Reciprocating Compressor Fluid Bearing and Vibration Attenuation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Reciprocating compressors face issues with lubrication due to oil deficiency during certain driving conditions, increased size requirements for oil accommodation, and limited installation directions for proper oil supply, leading to performance degradation and increased costs. Additionally, fluid bearings struggle with stable support of the piston at extreme positions and inefficient gas supply, causing frictional losses and vibration noise.
Innovation Solution
A fluid bearing system with multiple rows of bearing holes along the cylinder's inner surface and gas through holes on the piston's outer surface, ensuring consistent gas supply and support across the piston's reciprocating motion, eliminating the need for separate oil supply devices and reducing fabrication costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If oil supply devices are added to ensure proper lubrication, then lubrication reliability is improved, but device complexity and fabrication costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the compression gas already present in the compressor to provide lubrication through the fluid bearing, eliminating the need for external oil supply devices. The compression gas automatically flows through the bearing holes in the cylinder and gas through holes in the piston to form a lubricating film between the piston and cylinder surfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces traditional liquid oil lubrication with gas-based fluid bearing lubrication. Compression gas is supplied through multiple bearing holes in the cylinder and corresponding gas through holes in the piston to create a gas film that reduces friction and wear between moving parts.
2Reliability
If oil accommodation space is increased to ensure sufficient lubrication, then lubrication reliability is improved, but compressor size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system utilizes the compression gas already generated during normal operation to provide lubrication, eliminating the need for separate oil reservoirs and supply mechanisms. The gas is taken directly from the compression space and routed through the bearing holes and gas through holes to the friction surfaces.
3Ease of operation
If installation direction is restricted to ensure proper oil supply, then ease of operation is improved, but adaptability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The fluid bearing system using compression gas can function effectively regardless of the compressor's installation orientation. The gas flow path through the bearing holes and gas through holes maintains proper lubrication in various positions, making the compressor adaptable to different installation requirements without compromising lubrication performance.
4Device complexity
If fluid bearing uses single row of bearing holes, then device complexity is reduced, but piston support stability deteriorates at extreme positions
Solution Approach 1:
The bearing holes in the cylinder are divided into multiple rows, with each row serving a specific region of the piston during its reciprocating motion. This segmentation ensures that at least one row of bearing holes remains effective at all times, providing stable lubrication and support throughout the entire stroke range, including extreme positions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from a single-row bearing hole arrangement to a multi-row arrangement, adding a spatial dimension to the bearing hole distribution. This multi-row configuration along the piston stroke direction ensures continuous and stable gas supply to the friction surfaces throughout the reciprocating motion.
5Loss of substance
If gas supply to fluid bearing is insufficient, then loss of substance is reduced, but frictional losses and vibration noise increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides gas supply at multiple locations along the piston-cylinder interface through multiple bearing holes and gas through holes. This localized gas distribution ensures adequate lubrication at each friction surface, reducing frictional losses and vibration noise while maintaining reasonable gas consumption through efficient use of compression gas.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides stable piston support and reduced frictional losses, enhances lubrication efficiency, and effectively attenuates vibrations, improving compressor performance and reliability while simplifying the lubrication structure and reducing costs.
Implementation Method 1
a fluid bearing, which lubricates a space between the cylinder and the piston using a gas force by bypassing part of compression gas to the space between an inner circumferential surface of the cylinder and an outer circumferential surface of the piston
Data Source
AI summary
A reciprocating compressor is provided. Bearing holes of a fluid bearing of the compressor may be positioned to correspond to a full reciprocating region of a piston, to reduce/eliminate frictional loss and/or abrasion between a cylinder and the piston. The bearing holes may be concentrated at certain regions of the cylinder to stably support the piston through a full reciprocating range. Compression coil springs may maintain concentric alignment of the cylinder and the piston. Gas through holes may be radially formed at the piston to lower a pressure of a bearing space and allow refrigerant to be smoothly introduced into the bearing space through a gas pocket A casing of the compressor may include an outer shell and an inner shell to attenuate vibration generated due to friction generated by operation of the reciprocating compressor.