Compressor Housing with Multi-Level Shaft Support
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Solution Overview
Problem
Centrifugal multistage compressors face challenges in increasing the number of compression stages without complicating shaft installation, significantly increasing housing size, or causing poor gear engagement.
Innovation Solution
A compressor design featuring a housing with separable elements and insertion support portions allows for the exposure of shaft ends, enabling the installation of additional shafts without increasing housing size or causing gear misalignment, using a bull gear and pinion gears configuration to facilitate step-up gearing and efficient compression.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the number of compression stages is increased by adding pinion shafts on the upper end surface of the lower step-up gear housing, then the number of compression stages is increased, but the size of the housing in the orthogonal direction is significantly increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from supporting all shafts on the upper end surface (2D arrangement) to supporting shafts at multiple height levels (3D arrangement). The insertion support portion provides vertical positioning at a lower height, while the upper end surface supporting section positions shafts at the upper level, creating a multi-level spatial configuration that increases compression stages without expanding housing footprint.
2Productivity
If the upper step-up gear housing is further divided to add pinion shafts while preventing housing size increase, then the number of compression stages is increased, but the number of housing divisions is increased leading to accumulated tolerance and poor gear engagement
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is divided into functional zones rather than numerous segments: the insertion support portion serves as a dedicated support zone for additional pinion shafts, while the upper end surface supporting section handles the primary shafts. This segmentation approach allows adding compression stages without creating multiple housing divisions, thereby avoiding accumulated tolerance issues.
3Productivity
If additional pinion shafts are disposed on the upper end surface of the lower step-up gear housing, then the number of compression stages is increased, but the installation process becomes more complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The insertion support portion is pre-formed in the lower step-up gear housing at a lower height level, providing ready-made support structures for additional pinion shafts. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for complex on-site assembly operations, allowing shafts to be simply inserted into the pre-configured support portions without complicated installation procedures.
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 design allows for increased compression stages while preventing housing size expansion and gear misalignment, enabling efficient gas compression with improved installation and engagement precision.
Implementation Method 1
Centrifugal multistage compressors are conventionally known
Implementation Method 2
The input gear and the pinion gears each serve as a step-up gear
Data Source
AI summary
This compressor is provided with a motor, a plurality of shafts each having a gear, a housing (30), and a plurality of impeller sections. The housing (30) includes a first housing element (31) and a second housing element (32) connectable to the first housing element from above and separable from the first housing element. A first upper end surface support section (41) is formed on an upper end surface of the first housing element (31). The housing (30) has at least one insertion support section (40A) having a shape that enables insertion of the gear and that supports the shaft, at a height position different from a height position of the first upper end surface support section (41).