Horizontal Compressor Free Lifting Piston Magnetic Pillow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing horizontal piston compressors face issues with gas pillow design, including increased wear of rider rings due to heat transfer, clogging of orifices by contaminants, and inefficiencies in gas flow and pressure variation, which complicate manufacturing and operation, especially in large-scale applications.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates double-action cylinders with straight-end pistons and inclined compression chambers, along with a magnetic pillow for reduced friction and weight, allowing free lifting of the piston without additional flow loss or heating of suction gas, and maintaining existing piston and ring configurations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If gas pillow is used for free lifting piston, then friction and wear are reduced, but rider rings experience increased heat and accelerated wear
Solution Approach 1:
A thermal barrier layer is introduced between the rider rings and the hot gas pillow to prevent direct heat transfer. This intermediary layer allows the gas pillow to maintain its lubricating function while blocking the harmful thermal effects that cause rider ring wear and deformation.
Solution Approach 2:
The piston structure is segmented into functional zones: the rider rings are separated from the hot gas pillow by a thermal barrier, allowing the gas pillow to provide friction reduction without directly heating the rider rings. This segmentation enables independent optimization of each component's thermal and mechanical performance.
2Ease of operation
If orifices are provided in piston for gas pillow, then free lifting is achieved, but orifices are easily clogged by gas contaminants
Solution Approach 1:
The thermal barrier layer is extracted as a separate functional component between the rider rings and gas pillow. This allows the gas pillow to maintain contact with the piston surface for free lifting while the thermal barrier prevents heat transfer to the rider rings, solving both friction reduction and thermal protection simultaneously.
3Ease of operation
If hot gas from compression chamber is used for gas pillow, then free lifting is maintained, but suction gas temperature increases due to mixing
Solution Approach 1:
The compression chamber is divided into thermally isolated zones using the thermal barrier layer. This segmentation allows the gas pillow to be supplied with hot gas for maintaining free lifting pressure while preventing thermal contamination of the suction gas path, keeping suction temperatures low for efficient compression.
Solution Approach 2:
The thermal barrier acts as an intermediary that permits pressure transmission for free lifting while blocking heat transfer to the suction gas. This enables independent thermal management of the gas pillow system and the compression process.
4Ease of manufacture
If conventional piston design is used, then manufacturing is simple, but friction and wear are high
Solution Approach 1:
A gas pillow system is implemented between the piston and cylinder wall to provide pneumatic lubrication. This creates a pressurized gas film that separates the surfaces, dramatically reducing friction and wear while maintaining the basic piston structural design for manufacturing simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The thermal barrier layer serves as a thermal intermediary that protects the piston structure from direct exposure to hot gas pillow temperatures, enabling the use of conventional materials and manufacturing methods while still achieving the benefits of gas pillow lubrication.
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
This solution reduces wear, friction, and flow losses while maintaining efficient gas compression and extending piston sliding capability over the stroke length, with simplified operation and adaptability to various compressor sizes and conditions.
Implementation Method 1
equipping of the piston and the cylinder with sectors of permanent magnets support for additional guidance of the piston on the length stroke, inside the cylinder on a magnetic pillow to reduce the weight and friction forces
Implementation Method 2
the free lifting of the piston and piston rod in the compressor is made by direct action of the pressure on the inclined surface of the piston head
Data Source
AI summary
A reciprocating gas horizontal compressor with free lifting piston, which includes a piston with straight ends and inclined compression chambers, a crankcase in which are mounted a crankshaft, a connecting rod fixed to a cross head thru a bolt which alternately drives in a cross-head body a piston rod, and a cylinder body which contains a cylinder liner in which is moving rectilinear and alternatively an improved piston provided with straight ends and compression chambers inclined in areas (m) and (k), with the same angle and in the same plane as a zone (p) from a first cylinder head element and respectively in a zone (n) from a second cylinder head element, and some magnets fixed to the piston and some magnets fixed outside and to a lower part of the cylinder liner, through which the piston is free lifting on the stroke length with reduced friction.