Compressor Mechanical Seal Lubrication Under High-Speed Rotation
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-speed rotation of compressors leads to lubricant scattering due to centrifugal force, resulting in insufficient lubrication and wear of mechanical seal components.
Innovation Solution
A compressor design incorporating a lubricant reservoir positioned below the mechanical seal in the gravity direction, with the rotation-side seal member passing through it, ensures consistent lubricant supply and includes a drain to manage excessive lubricant, thereby reducing wear and sliding torque.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the compressor rotates at high speed, then compression efficiency is improved, but lubricant scatters due to centrifugal force causing insufficient lubrication
Solution Approach 1:
The lubricant reservoir is positioned below the mechanical seal in advance, storing lubricant before it is needed. This preliminary positioning ensures that lubricant is readily available to counteract centrifugal scattering during high-speed rotation, maintaining reliable lubrication without compromising compression efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The rotation-side seal member acts as an intermediary element that passes through the lubricant reservoir. As it rotates with the high-speed compressor, it continuously draws lubricant from the reservoir and delivers it to the mechanical seal contact surface, bridging the gap between lubricant storage and application points
2Reliability
If lubricant is supplied to the mechanical seal, then wear of seal members is reduced, but excessive lubricant increases bearing sliding torque
Solution Approach 1:
The lubricant reservoir is strategically positioned to supply lubricant only to the mechanical seal area where it is needed. The rotation-side seal member acts as a localized delivery mechanism, ensuring lubricant is applied precisely at the seal contact surface rather than being distributed to the bearing, thus protecting seal members without increasing bearing torque
Solution Approach 2:
The drain is positioned to extract excessive lubricant from the bearing area. By providing this extraction path, the system prevents lubricant accumulation in the bearing that would increase sliding torque, while maintaining adequate lubrication at the mechanical seal through the controlled delivery via the rotation-side seal member
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 effectively supplies sufficient lubricant to the mechanical seal, restraining wear of the seal members and preventing excessive lubricant from increasing bearing torque.
Implementation Method 1
a member that defines a lubricant reservoir that is provided blow the mechanical seal in a gravity direction and disposed so as to store lubricant
Implementation Method 2
when the compressor is rotated at a high speed, lubricant scatters due to centrifugal force
Implementation Method 3
The rotation-side seal member rotates due to rotation of the rotary shaft
Implementation Method 4
a drain may be provided between the wall portion and the bearing. Excessive lubricant is discharged from the drain
Data Source
AI summary
A compressor includes an impeller configured so as to compress gas, an electric motor, a rotary shaft configured so as to join the impeller and the electric motor to each other, a housing configured so as to house the rotary shaft and the electric motor, a mechanical seal that includes a rotation-side seal member provided in the rotary shaft, and a stationary-side seal member fixed to the housing so as to be in contact with the rotation-side seal member on a side of the impeller, and a member that defines a lubricant reservoir provided under the mechanical seal in a gravity direction and disposed so as to store lubricant, the member being disposed so that the lubricant reservoir is arranged such that at least a part of the rotation-side seal member on an outer circumference side passes through when rotation-side seal member rotating due to rotation of the rotary shaft.