Internally Cooled Inline Compressor With Recirculating Drive Fluid
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing compressors, particularly those used for hydrogen, suffer from inefficiency due to heat generation during compression, leading to increased temperature gradients and reduced gas volume, necessitating oversized equipment and high maintenance costs, which limits the widespread adoption of hydrogen as a fuel source.
Innovation Solution
An internally cooled inline compressor design with a fixed piston and intermediate cylinder, utilizing a drive fluid that alternately reciprocates the intermediate cylinder and passes through a heat exchanger to cool the compressor, minimizing temperature gradients and reducing contamination of the compressed fluid.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If compression is performed without internal cooling, then the compressor structure is simpler, but the temperature gradient increases and compression efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the compression function and cooling function into a single integrated system. The drive fluid serves dual purposes: it acts as the working medium for reciprocating the intermediate cylinder to compress gas, and simultaneously serves as the cooling medium that circulates through the heat exchanger. This merging eliminates the need for separate cooling systems while effectively managing temperature gradients during compression.
Solution Approach 2:
The drive fluid performs multiple functions within the system: it provides the reciprocating force to move the intermediate cylinder for compression, transfers heat from the compressed gas through the cylinder walls, and is then cooled in the heat exchanger for reuse. This multi-functionality reduces system complexity while addressing the temperature gradient problem.
2Productivity
If conventional compression is used, then the equipment size is smaller, but the compression efficiency is lower and energy consumption is higher
Solution Approach 1:
The drive fluid circulates continuously through the system, constantly absorbing heat from the compression chamber and being cooled in the heat exchanger. This continuous heat removal maintains lower temperatures throughout the compression process, improving compression efficiency and allowing the use of appropriately sized equipment rather than oversized compressors.
3Productivity
If drive fluid is used to reciprocate the intermediate cylinder, then the compression efficiency is improved, but the drive fluid may contaminate the compressed fluid
Solution Approach 1:
The intermediate cylinder acts as an intermediary barrier that separates the drive fluid from the compressed fluid. The drive fluid reciprocates the intermediate cylinder, which in turn compresses the gas in the compression chamber. This indirect action allows efficient heat transfer and reciprocation while preventing direct contact and contamination between the drive fluid and the compressed gas.
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 compressor operates at lower temperatures, enhancing efficiency, reducing manufacturing costs, and minimizing contamination, thus enabling more economical and efficient compression of gases like hydrogen.
Implementation Method 1
The withdrawn drive fluid is passed through a heat exchanger to cool the drive fluid for reuse in extending the intermediate cylinder
Implementation Method 2
As the piston decreases the volume of the cylinder, the working medium, typically a gas, is compressed. Compression generates heat.
Implementation Method 3
The heat of compression is expressed in the inside of the cylinder until adequate energy accumulates to conduct the energy through the outer walls of the cylinder dissipating in the surrounding medium.
Implementation Method 4
A fixed outer cylinder has a gas inlet and a gas outlet, with each of the gas inlet and the gas outlet having at least one one-way valve
Data Source
AI summary
A process for internally cooling an inline compressor involves the steps of providing a compression chamber between an outer cylinder and an intermediate cylinder and a drive chamber between the intermediate cylinder and a piston; admitting gas into the compression chamber; pumping drive fluid through the piston into the drive chamber to extend the intermediate cylinder and compress the compression chamber and the gas in the compression chamber; allowing heat from the compressed gas to transfer to the drive fluid; allowing the compressed gas to exit the compression chamber; allowing the withdrawal of the drive fluid from the drive chamber; passing the withdrawn drive fluid through a heat exchanger to cool the drive fluid for reuse in extending the intermediate cylinder.