Geared Compressor Design Reducing Height via Multi-Gear Meshing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Geared compressors that drive multiple compression units using a large-diameter gear face challenges in preventing interference between units, leading to increased height, overturning moment, and cost due to the need for additional intermediate gears and components.

Innovation Solution

A geared compressor design featuring multiple compression units driven by a mechanism with large-diameter gears that mesh with two or more driven gears, allowing for smaller outer diameters and reduced height, while using fewer and less expensive components by arranging large-diameter gears side by side, thereby suppressing size and cost increases.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the diameter of the large-diameter gear is increased to prevent interference between compression units, then the capacity of compression units can be increased, but the height of the geared compressor increases and the overturning moment increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecapacity of compression unitVSAvoidheight of geared compressor

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLength of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the single large-diameter gear into multiple large-diameter gears arranged side by side in the radial direction. Each large-diameter gear meshes with two or more driven gears, allowing the compression units to be driven without requiring a single oversized gear, thus preventing the height increase while maintaining compression unit capacity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of increasing the diameter of a single gear in the radial direction, the patent distributes multiple large-diameter gears along the radial arrangement, effectively utilizing the radial dimension to accommodate multiple gears. This dimensional redistribution prevents height increase while achieving the same functional goal of driving multiple compression units.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Productivity

If intermediate gears are added to prevent interference between compression units, then the capacity can be increased, but the number of components increases and cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecapacity of compression unitVSAvoidnumber of components

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Each large-diameter gear is designed to mesh with two or more driven gears simultaneously, making each large-diameter gear serve multiple functions. This multi-functionality reduces the total number of gears needed compared to a system where each compression unit would require its own dedicated intermediate gear, thereby reducing component count and cost.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Productivity

If the diameter of the large-diameter gear is increased, then the capacity of compression units can be increased, but the overturning moment increases and maintainability decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecapacity of compression unitVSAvoidmaintainability

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSEase of repair

Solution Approach 1:

By segmenting the single large-diameter gear into multiple smaller large-diameter gears arranged radially, the patent reduces the size of each individual gear. This segmentation makes each gear easier to maintain and repair while still achieving the required compression unit capacity through the combined arrangement of multiple gears.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

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 design effectively reduces the height and cost of the geared compressor, maintains maintainability, and allows for efficient transmission of driving force with fewer components, enabling the use of smaller and cheaper motors, and minimizing mechanical losses.

Implementation Method 1

Each of the plurality of large-diameter gears meshes with two or more of the plurality of driven gears

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectGear meshing: Gear

Data Source

PatentUS11512706B2Geared compressor and method of designing geared compressor

Publication Date: 2022.11.29 MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTIES COMPRESSOR CORP

AI summary

A geared compressor includes a plurality of compression units and a compression-unit-driving mechanism which drives the plurality of compression units. The compression-unit-driving mechanism includes a plurality of driven gears which are provided in respective rotation shafts of the plurality of compression units and a plurality of large-diameter gears which are directly or indirectly driven by a drive source and have outer diameters larger than those of the plurality of driven gears. The plurality of large-diameter gears is arranged side by side in a horizontal direction and each of the plurality of large-diameter gears meshes with two or more of the plurality of driven gears.