Integrated Fluid Separator for Displacement Machine Lubrication
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Solution Overview
Problem
In organic Rankine cycle (ORC) and vapor compression systems, conventional fluid separation methods for piston expanders and compressors often result in external routing of blow-by and leakage fluids, leading to environmental contamination and reduced lubrication efficiency due to mixing of working fluids with lubricants, which complicates the system and increases leakage points.
Innovation Solution
An integrated fluid separator within the displacement machine's inner volume, featuring channels for fluid communication and return, eliminates external connections, preventing environmental leakage and maintaining lubrication by boiling off mixed working fluid before startup, ensuring efficient separation and lubrication within the machine's full volume.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional external fluid separation methods are used, then working fluid and lubricant can be separated, but external piping and connections are required which increase leakage points and system complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The fluid separator is merged with the displacement machine housing to form an integrated unit. The separator housing forms part of the overall machine housing, eliminating the need for external piping and connections. This integration reduces the number of external leakage points while maintaining the fluid separation function, directly resolving the contradiction between reliability and device complexity.
2Reliability
If external routing of blow-by and leakage fluids is used, then fluids can be routed away from the working chamber, but environmental contamination occurs and lubrication efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of discarding blow-by and leakage fluids externally, the system redirects them through internal channels back to the separator inlet. This converts potentially harmful leaked fluids into a controlled recirculation stream that can be properly separated and returned, eliminating environmental contamination while maintaining lubrication efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The fluid separator acts as an intermediary device that receives mixed fluids from the working chamber through internal leakage paths, separates the working fluid from lubricant, and returns the purified lubricant to the inner volume. This intermediary function prevents direct environmental contamination while maintaining lubrication quality.
3Ease of operation
If working fluid mixes with lubricant in the inner volume, then lubrication can occur, but lubrication efficiency decreases due to fluid mixing
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary separation of working fluid from lubricant before the lubricant is returned to the inner volume. The separator removes working fluid contaminants in advance, ensuring that only purified lubricant mixes with the working fluid in the inner volume, thereby maintaining lubrication efficiency while preserving the necessary lubrication function.
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 minimizes fluid leakage to the environment, maintains lubrication efficiency by separating and returning working fluids internally, reducing system complexity and enhancing operational reliability by eliminating external piping and potential leakage points.
Implementation Method 1
boiling off mixed working fluid before startup
Implementation Method 2
boiling off working fluid solved into the lubricant thereby creating working fluid vapour
Data Source
AI summary
A displacement machine is for acting on a working fluid and is provided with a lubricant and working fluid separator. The fluid separator has a separator volume constrained by a shielding member, a first fluid channel providing fluid communication between a first and second inner volumes and the separator volume, a second fluid channel providing fluid communication between the separator volume and a working fluid return volume. The fluid separator, the first fluid channel and the second fluid channel are fully contained within a full volume of the displacement machine. A method is for separating lubricant and working fluid in a displacement machine.