Universal Centrifugal Compressor Housing Design

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing design of centrifugal gas compressors requires custom housing configurations based on specific staging lengths, which increases manufacturing costs and delivery time, as the housing is typically designed after the staging is determined, limiting flexibility and efficiency.

Innovation Solution

A universal housing design with adaptable compartments and stator spacers that accommodate various rotor lengths, allowing for pre-fabrication independent of staging selection, enabling multiple staging lengths within a single housing configuration.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If custom housing configurations are designed for specific staging lengths, then the compressor meets precise customer requirements, but manufacturing costs and delivery time increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehousing adaptability to different staging lengthsVSAvoidmanufacturing cost and delivery time

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The housing is designed as a universal configuration that can accommodate multiple staging lengths (e.g., 18-inch, 24-inch, 30-inch, 36-inch, 42-inch, and 48-inch rotors) through standardized compartment designs with adjustable stator spacers, eliminating the need for custom housing designs for each staging length while maintaining precise customer requirements

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Adaptability or versatility

If housing is designed after staging selection, then the design process follows customer needs, but the delivery time increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveresponse to customer compression needsVSAvoiddelivery time

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The universal housing is pre-designed and pre-fabricated with standardized compartments and stator spacer positions before any staging selection is made, allowing the housing to be ready in advance while still accommodating various staging configurations through simple stator spacer adjustments, thereby reducing delivery time without sacrificing customer-specific adaptability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Length of stationary object

If rotor length is expanded to fit within housing using rotor spacers, then the housing length remains fixed, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehousing lengthVSAvoidrotor spacer configuration

Core Design Contradiction:

Length of stationary objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of using rotor spacers to adjust rotor length within a fixed housing, the invention inverts the approach by using adjustable stator spacers within fixed housing compartments to accommodate different staging lengths, thereby maintaining fixed housing length while reducing device complexity by eliminating rotor spacers

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Data Source

PatentUS9726194B2Universal housing for a centrifugal gas compressor

Publication Date: 2017.08.08 SOLAR TURBINES INC

AI summary

A universal housing for a centrifugal gas compressor is disclosed. The universal housing includes a body, a suction port extending from the body, a discharge port extending from the body, and a first compartment within the body. The first compartment includes a suction inlet in flow communication with the suction port and a discharge outlet in flow communication with the discharge port. The first compartment is configured to receive more than one staging length for the staging. The staging inlet is in flow communication with the suction inlet and the staging outlet is in flow communication with the discharge outlet.