Rotating Fluid Distributor for Gas Compression
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional gas turbine processes require large compressors and utilize energy from rotational expanders to operate compressors, making them inefficient and costly.
Innovation Solution
A fluid distributing apparatus with a fixed and rotating part, featuring multiple inlet and outlet channels that align and realign to continuously change fluid connections, allowing for a process to compress gas using indirect heat exchange and multiple levelling stages, decoupling energy from rotational expanders.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If a traditional gas turbine process uses a large compressor operated by rotational expanders, then gas compression is achieved, but energy efficiency deteriorates and device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The compression process is divided into multiple stages with intermediate cooling. The fluid distributing apparatus segments the gas flow into multiple streams that can be processed independently through different channels, allowing for more efficient compression with smaller compressors rather than one large compressor
Solution Approach 2:
A fluid distributor apparatus acts as an intermediary device between the compressor and the system. This apparatus with its rotating part and multiple channels distributes compressed gas to different outlets, enabling efficient compression without requiring the compressor to directly interface with all system components
2Productivity
If a large compressor is used to compress gas, then compression capacity is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The fluid distributing apparatus divides the compression task across multiple smaller compression streams. The rotating part with multiple inlet and outlet channels allows several smaller compressors to work in parallel, achieving the same total compression capacity as one large compressor but with reduced complexity and cost
Solution Approach 2:
The rotating part of the fluid distributing apparatus dynamically redirects gas flows between different inlet and outlet channels. This dynamic distribution allows the system to efficiently manage multiple compression streams and adapt to varying demand without requiring oversized compression equipment
3Loss of energy
If rotational expanders are coupled to compressors, then energy utilization is achieved, but energy efficiency deteriorates due to energy being used for compression rather than power generation
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the compression function from the expander-compressor coupled system. By using separate compression equipment and a fluid distributing apparatus to manage the compressed gas, the system allows expanders to focus solely on power generation while compression is handled independently, eliminating the energy trade-off
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 approach enables efficient and continuous compression of gas using thermal energy, reducing the need for large compressors and improving energy efficiency in gas turbine processes.
Implementation Method 1
the rotating part is rotatably positioned relative to the fixed part such that the rotating part can have multiple rotational positions relative to the fixed part
Implementation Method 2
increasing the pressure and temperature of a gas having an intermediate pressure by means of indirect heat exchange in a heat exchanger against a fluid having a higher temperature
Data Source
Figure 1(a)~2(b)
Figure 3(a)~4(b)
Figure 5~6
AI summary
The invention is directed to a fluid distributing apparatus comprising a fixed part and a rotating part. The fixed part is provided with at least one inlet channel and at least one outlet channel and wherein each inlet and outlet channel has a facing opening facing the rotating part. The rotating part is rotatably positioned relative to the fixed part such that the rotating part can have multiple rotational positions relative to the fixed part, wherein the rotating part is provided with at least a connecting channel having an inlet and outlet opening in the rotating part. The inlet and outlet opening of at least one connecting channel in the rotating part aligns with the facing openings of at least one inlet and outlet channel in the fixed part in at least one rotational position and not align in another position.