Liquid Piston Gas Compression to Eliminate Clearance Volume Loss
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional reciprocating positive-displacement compressors become less efficient at ultra-high pressures due to clearance volume, leading to lost pressure energy and inefficiencies in gas compression, particularly in industrial applications requiring high-pressure gas supply and storage.
Innovation Solution
The development of liquid piston compressor systems that utilize a liquid to compress gas, incorporating features like pressure intensifiers, eductors, and cooling mechanisms to manage pressure and heat transfer, allowing for efficient compression cycles that minimize clearance volume and maximize pressure efficiency up to 100,000 psig.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional reciprocating positive-displacement compressors are used, then gas compression is achieved, but efficiency decreases at ultra-high pressures due to clearance volume losses
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies hydraulic principles by using a liquid piston instead of a gas piston to compress the gas directly. The liquid piston is incompressible, eliminating clearance volume losses and achieving zero-clearance compression. This hydraulic approach allows the liquid to transmit pressure uniformly and maintain contact with the gas throughout the compression stroke, resolving the efficiency degradation issue at ultra-high pressures.
Solution Approach 2:
The liquid piston serves as an intermediary between the mechanical drive system and the gas being compressed. It transfers mechanical energy to the gas through direct contact while maintaining a seal without clearance gaps. This intermediary liquid medium eliminates the clearance volume problem that plagues conventional gas-piston compressors, enabling efficient ultra-high pressure compression.
2Productivity
If multiple stages of compression are used to achieve ultra-high pressures, then compression efficiency is maintained through interstage cooling, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The liquid piston compressor uses the incompressible nature of liquid to achieve continuous contact with the gas throughout the compression stroke, eliminating clearance losses without requiring multiple stages. The liquid can be directly pumped to ultra-high pressures and transferred to the compression chamber, enabling single-stage or reduced multi-stage compression compared to conventional systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical state parameter of the piston from gas to liquid, fundamentally altering the compression mechanism. This parameter change allows the piston to maintain constant volume during compression, eliminating the need for complex multi-stage systems with interstage cooling and gas ballast management.
3Reliability
If solid pistons with lubrication are used, then sealing is achieved, but lubricant entrainment in compressed gas requires additional removal equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses a liquid piston that is immiscible with the gas being compressed, eliminating the need for lubrication between piston and cylinder walls. The liquid piston itself provides the sealing function without requiring additional lubricants, thereby preventing lubricant entrainment in the compressed gas and eliminating the need for oil removal equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the lubrication function from the sealing mechanism by using the liquid piston itself as both the sealing medium and the compression medium. This separation eliminates the harmful side effect of lubricant contamination while maintaining reliable sealing through the liquid-gas interface.
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 liquid piston compressor system effectively addresses inefficiencies in conventional compressors by maintaining high pressure efficiency and minimizing gas loss, enabling reliable ultra-high-pressure gas compression and storage with improved energy utilization and reduced clearance volume.
Implementation Method 1
a liquid is pumped into a cylinder to compress gas therein by direct contact between the moving liquid and the gas being compressed
Implementation Method 2
Gas compression requires cooling to remove heat of compression, which may be achieved by interstage cooling between multiple stages of compression
Data Source
AI summary
Gas compression system comprising a compression cylinder having a gas inlet, a compressed gas outlet, and one or more liquid transfer ports; a pump having a suction and a discharge; and a compressor liquid. The system also includes any of the following: a pressure intensifier having an inlet in flow communication with the pump and an outlet in flow communication with the compression cylinder; a feed eductor in flow communication with the discharge of the pump, with a reservoir containing a portion of the compressor liquid, and with the compression cylinder; a drain eductor in flow communication with the discharge of the pump, with the compression cylinder, and with a reservoir containing a portion of the compressor liquid; and a variable-volume compressor liquid accumulator in flow communication with the discharge of the pump.