Hydrostatic Vane Bearings for Rotary Sliding Machines
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing rotary sliding vane machines face challenges with high friction and wear due to varying tangential forces and dynamic forces, which increase friction and reduce efficiency, and require high-pressure lubricant supply, complicating the design and maintenance, especially when contaminating the process fluid is undesirable.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of hydrostatic slide bearings with variable volume bearing fluid chambers and flow restrictions, which self-pressurize to maintain a high-pressure bearing fluid film between the vane and the bearing pad, eliminating the need for external high-pressure lubricant supply and reducing friction and wear.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional lubrication systems are used to reduce friction and wear, then friction and wear are reduced, but the system complexity increases due to requiring high-pressure lubricant supply
Solution Approach 1:
The bearing fluid chamber self-pressurizes using the process fluid pressure differential across the vane. The system uses its own operating parameters (process fluid pressure) to generate the necessary bearing pressure without external high-pressure lubricant supply. The chamber volume decreases under pressure, automatically generating the required bearing fluid pressure to maintain the lubricating film.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses hydraulic principles by utilizing the process fluid (liquid or gas) pressure differential to drive the bearing fluid chamber. The pressure differential across the vane directly acts on the bearing fluid chamber to generate bearing pressure, converting process fluid pressure into bearing lubrication pressure without mechanical high-pressure pumps.
2Reliability
If high-pressure lubricant supply is implemented, then friction and wear are reduced, but the design and maintenance become more complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The bearing fluid chamber automatically generates its own operating pressure using the process fluid pressure differential. No external high-pressure lubricant supply system is required, simplifying both manufacture and maintenance. The system uses its own operational parameters to maintain the lubricating film.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts and eliminates the complex high-pressure lubricant supply system from conventional rotary vane machines. By using the process fluid pressure differential directly to drive the bearing fluid chamber, the design removes the need for separate high-pressure lubrication systems, pumps, and associated complexity.
3Reliability
If external high-pressure lubricant supply is used, then bearing lubrication is achieved, but process fluid contamination risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bearing fluid chamber uses the process fluid itself as the lubricant source. The process fluid pressure differential directly drives the chamber to generate bearing pressure, eliminating the need for separate lubricant supply systems that could contaminate the process fluid.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the same fluid (process fluid) for both the lubrication function and the process function. The bearing fluid chamber is filled with process fluid, and the pressure differential across the vane drives the lubrication mechanism, ensuring homogeneity and eliminating contamination risks from different lubricant types.
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 reduces friction and wear, simplifies the design and maintenance, and prevents contamination of the process fluid by generating the necessary high-pressure bearing fluid internally, enhancing the efficiency and operational complexity of the rotary sliding vane machine.
Implementation Method 1
the bearing pad is movable towards and away from the bearing fluid chamber, a movement of the bearing pad towards the bearing fluid chamber corresponds to a decrease of the bearing fluid chamber volume... High pressure bearing fluid flows from the bearing fluid chamber, through the bearing fluid channel to the bearing pad face, and to the slide bearing fluid film
Implementation Method 2
a bearing fluid supply line with a flow restriction between a bearing fluid supply and the bearing fluid chamber
Implementation Method 3
High pressure bearing fluid flows from the bearing fluid chamber, through the bearing fluid channel to the bearing pad face, and to the slide bearing fluid film... The tangential force and the bending moment are absorbed by forces acting on the vane in the slot
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3a
AI summary
The invention relates to a rotary sliding vane machine (1) for fluid processing, comprising a housing (2) with a cavity (4) with a rotor (9). Vanes (12) are arranged in outwardly directed slots (13) in the rotor (9), and relative sliding between the vanes and the rotor provides spaces with variable volumes in the rotational direction. Each vane is supported by hydrostatic slide bearings (20, 20') on each side of the vane (12). Due to pressure changes of the process fluid, the vane (12) is tilted towards and away from bearing pads (27, 27', 87). The invention causes the bearing pads to adjust their position to the vane (12), and also causes a change of volume of a bearing fluid chamber (21, 21', 81), which in turn effects a supply of bearing fluid to the slide bearing fluid film.