Modular Gas Compressor Layout for Compact Serviceable Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gas compressor devices have a large footprint and lack modularity, requiring conversion for cooler type changes and complicating maintenance, with integrated drives and coolers hindering compactness and accessibility.
Innovation Solution
A modular design with separate drives and coolers for each gas compression stage, allowing independent operation and easy cooler type switching, with oil reservoirs and coolers supporting the drives and elements, ensuring compactness and easy access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a common drive is provided for both compressor elements, then device complexity is reduced, but modularity and ease of maintenance are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The drive system is segmented into separate drives for each compressor element. Each compressor element has its own dedicated drive mechanism, allowing independent operation and maintenance of each stage without affecting the other stage, thus improving modularity and ease of repair while maintaining manageable system complexity through clear functional separation
2Area of stationary object
If coolers are integrated into the compressor device, then compactness is improved, but adaptability for cooler type exchange is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The cooler is extracted from the integrated compressor assembly and positioned separately at the rear of the device. This separation allows the cooler to be independently exchanged between different types (e.g., water-cooled to air-cooled) without requiring conversion of the main compressor body, while still maintaining compact overall footprint through strategic placement
3Area of stationary object
If oil reservoirs are positioned within the device structure, then compactness is improved, but accessibility for maintenance is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The oil reservoirs are positioned in the vertical dimension between the compressor elements and the base plate, utilizing the vertical space rather than horizontal space. This allows the reservoirs to be compactly integrated into the device structure while remaining accessible from the rear side of the device for maintenance operations
4Ease of repair
If separate drives are provided for each element, then modularity and ease of maintenance are improved, but device complexity is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The device is segmented into modular stages, with each stage comprising a compressor element and its dedicated drive. This segmentation improves modularity and ease of maintenance while the overall complexity is managed through standardized modular designs that can be independently assembled and serviced
Solution Approach 2:
The separate drives are designed with universal mounting interfaces and standardized configurations that allow them to perform multiple functions across different stages. This multi-functionality approach reduces the overall complexity by using standardized components rather than custom-designed drives for each stage
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 modular design achieves a compact footprint with easy maintenance and repair, enabling flexible cooler configurations and independent operation of stages without compromising compactness.
Implementation Method 1
a cooler for cooling the gas compressed by the compressor elements
Implementation Method 2
oil reservoirs containing oil for lubricating gears and bearings of the compressor device
Data Source
AI summary
A device for compressing a gas, including a first (3a) and second element (3b), wherein the device (1) includes a cooler (8) for the compressed gas and an oil reservoir (6a, 6b) for each of the elements, wherein a separate drive (4a, 4b) is provided for each element, wherein each element and the corresponding drive (4a, 4b) are arranged one behind the other, wherein the axial directions (X-X′, Y-Y′) of both elements extend parallel to each other, wherein, when the device (1) is arranged on a base (7); each oil reservoir (6a, 6b) is located between the drives (4a, 4b) and the base (7); and the cooler (8) is located between the elements and the base (7), wherein the cooler (8) is located (7) adjacent to the oil reservoirs (6a, 6b) and extends with its axial direction (Z-Z′) transverse to the axial direction (X-X′, Y-Y′).