Oil-Injection Compressor Storage After Cooling for Compact Separators
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing oil-injected compressor devices require large, expensive oil separators due to the need for storing warm oil, which reduces compactness and shortens the service life of the oil, leading to increased maintenance costs.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating an oil storage within the oil injection pipe downstream of the oil cooler, allowing for a smaller oil separator and enabling immediate oil injection during start-up, with the oil being cooled before storage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If oil is stored in a large oil separator, then sufficient oil is available for system supply, but the device size increases and cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the oil storage function into two separate components: a small oil separator for immediate oil supply and a separate expansion tank for additional oil storage. This segmentation allows the oil separator to be compact while the expansion tank provides the necessary oil quantity, resolving the contradiction between oil availability and device size.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces an expansion tank as an intermediary component that works in conjunction with the oil separator. The expansion tank serves as a buffer that supplements the oil separator's storage capacity, enabling sufficient oil supply without requiring the oil separator itself to be large.
2Device complexity
If oil is stored at elevated temperature in the oil separator, then the system is simple, but the oil service life decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent separates the oil storage locations into two distinct environments: the oil separator where oil is temporarily held at elevated temperature during operation, and the expansion tank where oil is stored at lower temperature. This segmentation allows the system to maintain simplicity while protecting oil service life by providing a cooler storage environment in the expansion tank.
Solution Approach 2:
The expansion tank is pre-filled with cooled oil before operation begins. This preliminary action ensures that when oil needs to be replenished from the expansion tank, it is already in a state that preserves service life, rather than allowing all oil to be stored and degraded at elevated temperatures.
3Quantity of substance
If a large oil separator is used, then oil supply is sufficient, but device compactness is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the oil storage system into a compact oil separator and a separate expansion tank. The oil separator is sized only for immediate operational needs, maintaining device compactness, while the expansion tank provides additional storage capacity separately, thus resolving the contradiction between oil storage capacity and device compactness.
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
This design results in a more compact device with reduced oil separator size and cost, extended oil service life, and faster component lubrication and sealing, enhancing device performance.
Implementation Method 1
an oil cooler is incorporated into the oil injection pipe... the oil has passed through the oil cooler before it enters the storage
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
Oil-injected compressor device (1 ) provided with at least one oil- injected compressor element (2) with an inlet (5) for gas to be compressed and an outlet (7) for compressed gas, whereby the outlet (7) is connected to an oil separator (9), whereby the oil-injected compressor device (1 ) is further provided with an oil injection pipe (14) leading from the oil separator (9) to the oil-injected compressor element (2), whereby an oil cooler (15) is incorporated into the oil injection pipe (15), characterized in that a storage ( 17) for oil is provided in the oil injection pipe (14) downstream of an inlet (16) of the oil cooler (15).