Compressor Heat Recovery Circuit for Drive Medium Preheating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional compressors with gas drives have high energy consumption due to inefficiencies in powering the high-pressure piston, which limits their operational efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A device and method that incorporate a heat exchanger to transfer heat from the compressed working medium to the compressed drive medium before it enters the compressor, creating a closed circuit that increases the temperature and available working power for the high-pressure piston, thereby enhancing efficiency. This involves a compressor, a pressure translator with a drive piston and high-pressure piston, and a heat exchanger, which can be designed as a recuperator or regenerator, and is adaptable for various compressor types, including single- or double-acting and single- or two-stage designs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If a conventional compressor with gas drive is used, then the compressor can operate with a simple structure, but the energy consumption is high due to inefficiency in powering the high-pressure piston
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the compressor and heat exchanger into an integrated system where the heat exchanger recovers heat from the compressed working medium and transfers it to the drive medium. This merging allows the system to utilize waste heat to preheat the drive medium before it enters the first cylinder, reducing the energy required to power the high-pressure piston while maintaining a cohesive structural design.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the waste heat from the compressed working medium, which would otherwise be discarded, into a useful resource by transferring it to the drive medium through the heat exchanger. This transforms a harmful energy loss into a beneficial preheating effect, reducing the overall energy consumption of the compressor system.
2Power
If the temperature of the drive medium is increased before entering the first cylinder, then the working power available for the high-pressure piston increases, but the energy efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The heat exchanger performs preliminary heating of the drive medium before it enters the first cylinder by transferring heat from the compressed working medium. This preliminary action increases the temperature and working power of the drive medium, enabling the high-pressure piston to perform its compression work more effectively while utilizing otherwise wasted heat energy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system converts the waste heat from the compressed working medium into a beneficial resource that preheats the drive medium. This transformation increases the working power available to the high-pressure piston while improving overall energy efficiency by eliminating the waste heat loss.
3Use of energy by moving object
If a heat exchanger is added to transfer heat from the compressed working medium to the drive medium, then the efficiency of the compressor increases, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the heat exchanger with the existing compressor system in an integrated configuration. The heat exchanger is positioned to receive heat from the compressed working medium and transfer it to the drive medium in a closed circuit, creating a unified system that improves efficiency without requiring separate standalone components.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat exchanger enables the system to serve itself by using the waste heat from the compressed working medium to preheat the drive medium. This self-service mechanism reduces the need for external energy input and minimizes waste heat loss, improving overall compressor efficiency while adding only one integrated component to the system.
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 closed circuit and heat transfer mechanism reduce the required drive power, increasing the efficiency of the compressor by optimizing the temperature and pressure stages for the high-pressure piston, leading to substantial energy savings and improved operational efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a heat exchanger between the compressor and the first cylinder of the pressure translator for transferring heat from the compressed working medium to the compressed drive medium
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a device and a method for compressing a working medium, comprising:compressing a drive medium in a compressor;moving a drive piston within a first cylinder by means of the compressed drive medium;moving a high-pressure piston, which compresses the working medium, within a second cylinder by means of the drive piston; andtransferring heat from the compressed working medium to the compressed drive medium before the compressed drive medium enters the first cylinder of the drive piston.