Liquid Ring Compressor Rotating Casing Friction Reduction
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing Liquid Ring Compressors (LRCs) face instability due to lagging rotating casing velocity, resulting in frictional instability between the liquid ring and rotor, and inefficiencies from stationary lateral walls, leading to reduced compressor efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A Liquid Ring Rotating Casing Compressor (LRRCC) design where the casing is driven at a velocity greater than 70% of the impeller's velocity, with eccentrically rotatable casing and non-stationary lateral walls, and an external drive mechanism to minimize friction, along with features like compression and expansion zones and cold fluid introduction to enhance efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the casing is allowed to rotate freely by the liquid ring, then the casing can move with the liquid flow, but the casing velocity lags behind the rotor velocity causing frictional instability
Solution Approach 1:
The casing is transformed from a stationary structure to a dynamically rotating component that can adjust its velocity. The drive mechanism allows the casing to rotate at a controlled velocity that is 70-90% of the rotor velocity, creating an optimal balance between following the liquid flow and maintaining flow stability, thereby eliminating frictional instability.
2Device complexity
If the lateral walls are kept stationary, then the structure is simple, but friction between the liquid ring and stationary walls reduces compressor efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The lateral walls are converted from stationary to rotating components that move with the casing. This dynamic configuration reduces the relative velocity between the liquid ring and the walls, minimizing frictional losses and improving compressor efficiency while maintaining reasonable structural complexity through the integrated rotation mechanism.
3Loss of energy
If the casing velocity is increased to match rotor velocity, then friction is minimized, but the angular momentum becomes insufficient at large radiuses causing inertial instability
Solution Approach 1:
The casing velocity is optimized to be 70-90% of the rotor velocity rather than matching it completely. This parameter adjustment ensures sufficient angular momentum at large radiuses to maintain inertial stability while keeping friction losses minimal, achieving an optimal balance between the two competing requirements.
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 LRRCC achieves reduced friction and increased efficiency by maintaining synchronized casing and impeller velocities, minimizing lateral wall friction, and utilizing cold fluid to extract heat, thereby improving compressor performance and reducing energy requirements.
Implementation Method 1
the friction, which is formed between the liquid and the jacket and the liquids between the liquid ring and the rotor vanes, will cause instability in the compressor
Implementation Method 2
utilizing cold fluid to extract heat, thereby improving compressor performance
Data Source
AI summary
A liquid ring rotating casing compressor (LRRCC), including a shaft, an impeller having a core and a plurality of radially extending vanes rotatably coupled to the shaft, a tubular casing having an inner surface and an outer surface eccentrically rotatably disposed with the impeller and disc-shaped portions laterally coupled to the vanes and/or to the core. The casing defines with the impeller a compression zone, wherein edges of the vanes rotate in increasing proximity to an inner surface of the casing and an expansion zone and edges of the vanes rotate in increasing spaced-apart relationship along an inner surface of the casing. An inlet port communicates with the expansion zone, an outlet port communicates with the compression zone, and there is also provided a drive for rotating motion to the casing.