Integrally Geared Compressor Merging Gears to Reduce Space
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Integrally geared compressors face a challenge in increasing output while minimizing occupied space, as adding new intermediate gears to enhance compression unit rotation can lead to increased space requirements.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a uniaxial multi-stage compressor with multiple impellers and an intermediate gear configuration that maintains constant rotational speed relationships between gears, allowing for flexible placement of the uniaxial compressor without additional intermediate gears, thus reducing space occupation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the number of compression units is increased to improve output, then productivity is improved, but device complexity and occupied space increase due to the need for additional intermediate gears
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple compression units (first and second compression units with different rotational speeds) onto a single common intermediate gear, eliminating the need for separate intermediate gears for each compression unit. This merging approach allows multiple compression units to share common gear components, thereby improving output while suppressing the increase in device complexity and occupied space
2Productivity
If new intermediate gears are added between the drive gear and compression units to enable compression unit rotation, then productivity is improved, but the occupied space increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple compression units are configured to share a common intermediate gear, merging what would traditionally require separate gear train paths into a single shared component. This reduces the overall gear train footprint and allows for more compact arrangement of compression units around the common intermediate gear, thereby improving output while suppressing occupied space increase
Solution Approach 2:
The patent arranges compression units and gears in a three-dimensional configuration where compression units can be positioned at different radial distances from the drive gear axis. This spatial arrangement allows multiple compression units to access the common intermediate gear from different positions, enabling improved output without proportionally increasing the horizontal occupied space
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
An integrally geared compressor includes: a drive gear rotated by a motor; an intermediate gear meshing with the drive gear; a first drive side pinion meshing with the drive gear; a first intermediate side pinion meshing with the intermediate gear; a second intermediate side pinion meshing with the intermediate gear at a position away from the drive gear and the first intermediate side pinion; a first compression unit compressing a working fluid by rotation of the first drive side pinion; a second compression unit compressing a working fluid by rotation of the first intermediate side pinion; and a uniaxial multi-stage compressor further compressing the working fluid compressed by at least one of the first compression unit and the second compression unit.