Screw Compressor Lubrication Path Series Connection
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Solution Overview
Problem
In screw compressors, the flow rate of lubricating oil or liquid collected into the housing space is high, leading to increased power consumption and reduced compression efficiency due to scattering and heating effects, particularly when the liquid feed pressure is enhanced in liquid-flooded types.
Innovation Solution
The respective passages to lubricate each suction-side bearing are connected in series, allowing the liquid to be fed at the highest necessary flow rate, rather than the sum of individual flow rates, thereby reducing the flow rate of liquid collected into the housing chamber.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If parallel paths are used to lubricate multiple suction-side bearings, then each bearing receives sufficient lubrication, but the total liquid flow rate collected into the housing space increases
Solution Approach 1:
The lubrication system is segmented into separate series-connected paths for each suction-side bearing. Each bearing has its own dedicated passage that feeds into the next bearing's passage, creating discrete lubrication zones that prevent liquid from being collected in the housing space while ensuring each bearing receives adequate lubrication.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple lubrication passages are merged into a single series-connected path rather than remaining as separate parallel paths. This merging allows the liquid flow to be shared efficiently across multiple bearings without requiring the sum of individual flow rates, thereby reducing the total liquid volume collected in the housing space.
2Temperature
If liquid feed pressure is enhanced in liquid-flooded type screw compressors, then cooling effect is improved, but the flow rate of lubricating liquid collected into the housing space increases
Solution Approach 1:
The lubrication passages are segmented and connected in series, which decouples the liquid flow rate required for bearing lubrication from the total liquid volume collected in the housing space. This allows the system to benefit from high liquid feed pressure for cooling while the series connection prevents excessive liquid accumulation that would increase stirring power requirements.
3Reliability
If high flow rate of lubricating oil is collected into the housing space, then all suction-side bearings are lubricated, but the liquid scattering and heating effects increase
Solution Approach 1:
The series-connected lubrication paths merge the lubrication function with the liquid removal function. By designing the passages to feed sequentially into each other, the system combines the lubrication of multiple bearings with the prevention of liquid accumulation in the housing space, thereby eliminating the harmful scattering and heating effects while maintaining reliable bearing lubrication.
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 configuration reduces the power required to stir the liquid, minimizes liquid scattering, and enhances compression efficiency by lowering the flow rate of lubricant into the housing space, resulting in energy savings and improved performance.
Implementation Method 1
a lubrication path in which liquid that lubricates the plurality of suction-side bearings circulates
Data Source
AI summary
A screw compressor includes plural screw rotors, plural suction-side bearings that each rotatably support the suction side of the plural screw rotors and plural discharge-side bearings that each rotatably support the discharge side of the plural screw rotors, and a casing that houses the plural screw rotors, the plural suction-side bearings, and the plural discharge-side bearings. Each screw rotor includes a lobe section with plural lobes and a suction-side shaft section and a discharge-side shaft section each disposed at both ends of the lobe section. The casing has a housing chamber that houses the lobe sections of the plural screw rotors and a lubrication path in which liquid that lubricates the plural suction-side bearings circulates. In the lubrication path, respective passages to lubricate each of the plural suction-side bearings are connected in series and a most downstream part is connected to the housing chamber.