Multi-Stage Electric Centrifugal Compressor With Radial Inlet
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing multi-stage electric centrifugal compressors used in fuel cell vehicles face challenges in achieving low flow rate and high pressure while maintaining a compact size, leading to increased complexity and size, necessitating a downsizing solution.
Innovation Solution
A multi-stage electric centrifugal compressor design with impellers at both ends of a rotational shaft, featuring a high-pressure-stage housing inlet opening that intersects the rotational shaft axis and a connecting pipe with specific flow path cross-sections to reduce axial length, incorporating a cooling device for gas temperature management and anti-swirl plates to minimize pressure loss.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the output of electric motors and air compression ratio are increased to meet fuel cell vehicle performance requirements, then the compression performance is improved, but the structure becomes more complicated and the size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the low-pressure-stage housing and high-pressure-stage housing into a single integrated housing structure. The high-pressure-stage housing incorporates both the high-pressure-stage impeller and the low-pressure-stage impeller within the same housing, eliminating the need for separate housings and reducing structural complexity while maintaining multi-stage compression functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a nested configuration where the low-pressure-stage impeller is positioned within the high-pressure-stage housing. The low-pressure-stage outlet is arranged at the center of the high-pressure-stage impeller inlet, creating a compact nested arrangement that reduces overall device size while achieving high compression ratios
2Productivity
If the output of electric motors and air compression ratio are increased to meet fuel cell vehicle performance requirements, then the compression performance is improved, but the size of the compressor increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the conventional axial arrangement of compression stages to a radial arrangement. The high-pressure-stage inlet opening opens in the radial direction rather than axially, and the low-pressure-stage outlet is positioned at the center of the high-pressure-stage impeller inlet. This dimensional reconfiguration reduces the axial length and overall volume of the compressor while maintaining high compression ratios
Solution Approach 2:
The low-pressure-stage impeller is nested within the high-pressure-stage housing, with its outlet positioned at the center of the high-pressure-stage impeller inlet. This nested doll configuration allows both compression stages to occupy overlapping spatial volumes, significantly reducing the overall compressor size
3Device complexity
If a conventional axial inlet opening is used in the high-pressure-stage housing, then the structure is simple, but the axial length increases and the size is larger
Solution Approach 1:
The high-pressure-stage inlet opening is reoriented from an axial direction to a radial direction. This dimensional change allows the connecting pipe to approach the inlet from the radial side rather than from the axial end, significantly reducing the axial length of the housing while maintaining structural simplicity
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 design achieves downsizing and weight reduction of the compressor, enhances gas flow efficiency, and improves compression ratio and durability by reducing pressure loss and temperature-related bearing deterioration.
Implementation Method 1
a low-pressure-stage impeller disposed at one end of the rotational shaft; a high-pressure-stage impeller disposed at the other end of the rotational shaft
Data Source
AI summary
A multi-stage electric centrifugal compressor configured to drive impellers disposed at both ends of a rotational shaft by an electric motor includes: the rotational shaft; a low-pressure-stage impeller disposed at one end of the rotational shaft; a high-pressure-stage impeller disposed at the other end of the rotational shaft; a high-pressure-stage housing accommodating the high-pressure-stage impeller; and a connecting pipe for supplying a compressed gas compressed by the low-pressure-stage impeller to the high-pressure-stage housing. The high-pressure-stage housing has a high-pressure-stage inlet opening that opens in a direction intersecting an axis of the rotational shaft. The connecting pipe includes a high-pressure-stage-side connection portion connected to the high-pressure-stage inlet opening.