Slide Valve Cavity Structure for Twin-Screw Compressor Pulsation Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Twin-screw compressors experience air flow pulsations on the suction side, leading to vibrations and noise due to discontinuous inter-tooth volumes, which existing slide valve structures have not effectively addressed for pulsation attenuation.
Innovation Solution
A slide valve with cavities and passages in the free end, connected to an external fluid, reduces air flow pulsations by absorbing energy from pulsating air flows, alleviating vibrations and noise without additional attenuation devices or extra pressure loss.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the slide valve structure is used for load regulation, then the amount of air delivered can be regulated, but air flow pulsations cause vibrations and noise
Solution Approach 1:
A pulsation attenuation device is introduced as an intermediary component between the suction cavity and the working cavity. This device includes a pulsation attenuation cavity and multiple attenuation channels that mediate the air flow, converting harmful pulsations into useful pressure equalization while maintaining load regulation functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The pulsation attenuation device segments the air flow path into multiple parallel attenuation channels. Each channel processes a portion of the pulsating flow independently, distributing the pulsation energy across multiple pathways and reducing the overall pulsation amplitude through divided flow paths.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If additional pulsation attenuation devices are added, then air flow pulsations can be reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pulsation attenuation device is merged with the existing slide valve assembly by integrating the pulsation attenuation cavity and channels into the valve body structure. This combination eliminates the need for separate standalone attenuation devices, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining pulsation reduction functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The slide valve structure is designed to serve multiple functions: load regulation through slide position adjustment and pulsation attenuation through the integrated cavity and channels. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components, simplifying the overall device structure while addressing both control and vibration reduction needs.
3Productivity
If the slide valve position is adjusted for load regulation, then delivery capacity changes, but suction side pulsations increase
Solution Approach 1:
The pulsation attenuation cavity acts as an intermediary chamber that receives pulsating air from the suction side through the attenuation channels. This mediator absorbs and redistributes the pulsation energy, preventing it from propagating back into the suction system while allowing the slide valve to freely adjust delivery capacity.
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 proposed slide valve design effectively reduces overall air flow pulsation levels, alleviates vibrations and noise, and enhances the running reliability of twin-screw compressors by attenuating air flow energy on the suction side, improving operational stability.
Implementation Method 1
A cavity is formed inside the free end of the slide valve body, and the slide valve has at least one passage configured to fluidly connect the cavity with an external fluid to reduce air flow pulsations on the suction side of the twin-screw compressor
Data Source
AI summary
The present application provides a slide valve, wherein the slide valve is configured to regulate a load of a twin-screw compressor. The slide valve comprises a slide valve body, wherein the slide valve body has a connecting end and a free end, the connecting end is configured to connect to a slide valve connecting rod of the twin-screw compressor, and the slide valve is driven to slide by the slide valve connecting rod. A cavity is formed in the free end of the slide valve body, and the slide valve has a passage configured to fluidly couple the cavity with an external fluid to reduce air flow pulsations on a suction side of the twin-screw compressor and thereby reduce overall air flow pulsations in the twin-screw compressor.