Compression system

Provided is a compression system including: at least one impeller; a gear train configured to the at least one impeller; a main drive shaft configured to drive the gear train; and a housing comprising an impeller container configured to house the at least one impeller and a gear train container configured to house the gear train.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATION

This application claims priority from Korean Patent Application No. 10-2013-0012940 filed on Feb. 5, 2013, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

Apparatuses and methods consistent with exemplary embodiments relate to a compression system.

2. Description of the Related Art

Compressors for compressing fluids such as air, gases, and steam are used in various fields and there are many kinds thereof.

In the related art, compressors are classified into a volumetric type and a turbo type, and in more detail, reciprocating compressors, rotary screw compressors, turbo compressors, diaphragm compressors, and rotary sliding vane compressors.

Such compressors may be used independently, but according to needs of a designer, several compressors may be combined to form a multi-stage system, which is capable of providing a greater compression ratio.

On the other hand, Korean Patent Publication No. 1997-0021766 discloses a turbo compressor in which a gearbox and scrolls are separately manufactured, and the gearbox houses a train of gears and the scrolls houses impellers.

SUMMARY

One or more exemplary embodiments provide a compression system having an inner configuration whose layout is simple.

According to an aspect of an exemplary embodiment, there is provided a compression system including: at least one impeller; a gear train configured to drive the at least one impeller; a main drive shaft configured to drive the gear train; and a housing comprising an impeller container configured to house the at least one impeller and a gear train container configured to house the gear train.

The at least one impeller may include at least two in number, and the at least two impellers may be arranged in series.

The gear train may include: a bull gear connected to the main drive shaft; and at least one pinion gear engaged with the bull gear.

The at least one pinion gear may be connected to an impeller shaft configured to rotate the at least two impellers.

The housing may comprise: an upper housing; and a lower housing coupled with the upper housing.

Each of the upper housing and the lower housing may be a one-piece casting housing.

The at least one impeller includes a plurality of impellers, and the housing may also include a flow path configured to transfer a fluid between the plurality of impellers in the housing.

The housing including the impeller container, the gear train container and the flow path may be a one-piece housing.

The housing including the impeller container and the gear train container may be a one-piece housing.

The at least one impeller comprises a plurality of impellers, wherein the compression system may further include at least two compression units, and wherein each of the compression units may include at least two impellers of the plurality of impellers.

The housing may further include at least one connecting pipe configured to connect the at least two compression units.

According to an aspect of another exemplary embodiment, there is provided a method of manufacturing a compression system, the method including: preparing an upper housing and a lower housing, each of the upper and lower housings including an impeller container and a gear train container; installing an impeller in the impeller container of the lower housing and installing a gear train in the gear train container of the lower housing; and coupling the upper housing with the lower housing.

The upper housing and the lower housing may be formed by using a casting method.

The preparing the upper housing and lower housing may include casting each of the upper and lower housings having the impeller container and the gear train container as a one-piece casting.

The impeller may include a plurality of impellers, and the each of the upper and lower housings further comprises a flow path configured to transfer a fluid between the plurality of impellers.

The preparing the upper housing and lower housing may include casting each of the upper and lower housings having the impeller container, the gear train container and the flow path as a one-piece casting.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Hereinafter, one or more embodiments will be described in detail with reference to accompanying drawings. Also, in drawings, same reference numerals denote same elements to avoid repetition.

FIG. 1is an external perspective view illustrating a compression system100according to an exemplary embodiment,FIG. 2is a schematic perspective view illustrating the compression system100from which an upper housing141is removed to show an inner configuration thereof,FIG. 3is a schematic top view illustrating the inside of the compression system100ofFIG. 2,FIG. 4is a top view illustrating the inside of the upper housing141of the compression system100, andFIG. 5is a schematic enlarged view illustrating a third compression unit S3 of the compression system100.

As shown inFIGS. 1 through 5, the compression system100includes an impeller part110, a gear train120, a main drive shaft130, a housing140, and a support150.

The impeller part110includes a first impeller111, a second impeller112, a third impeller113, a fourth impeller114, a fifth impeller115, a sixth impeller116, a seventh impeller117, and an eighth impeller118arranged in the housing140, and performs multi-stage compression.

The first impeller111and the second impeller112are arranged in series and form a first compression unit S1, the third impeller113and the fourth impeller114are arranged in series and form a second compression unit S2, the fifth impeller115and the sixth impeller116are in series and form the third compression unit S3, and the seventh impeller117and the eighth impeller118are in series and form a fourth compression unit S4.

Compression pressure of the first compression unit S1, the second compression unit S2, the third compression unit S3, and the fourth compression unit S4 sequentially increases. That is, the first compression unit S1 is a compressor unit which produces the lowest pressure ratio and the fourth compression unit S4 is a compressor unit which produces the highest pressure ratio. In other words, a compressed gas discharged from the first compression unit S1 is transferred to the second compression unit S2, a compressed gas discharged from the second compression unit S2 is transferred to the third compression unit S3, and a compressed gas discharged from the third compression unit S3 is transferred to the fourth compression unit S4, thereby performing multi-stage compression in an increasing manner. For this, a first connecting pipe (171) is installed outside the housing140to connect an outlet of the first compression unit S1 to an inlet of the second compression unit S2, a second connecting pipe (172) is installed outside the housing140to connect an outlet of the second compression unit S2 to an inlet of the third compression unit S3, and a third connecting pipe (173) is installed outside the housing140to connect an outlet of the third compression unit S3 to an inlet of the fourth compression unit S4 as shown inFIG. 4.

In the present exemplary embodiment, the impeller part110includes eight impellers, which are the first impeller111, the second impeller112, the third impeller113, the fourth impeller114, the fifth impeller115, the sixth impeller116, the seventh impeller117, and the eighth impeller118, and the eight impellers in pairs form the first compression unit S1, the second compression unit S2, the third compression unit S3, and the fourth compression unit S4. However, the exemplary embodiment is not limited thereto. In other words, there are no particular limitations to the numbers of impellers and compression units installed in the compression system100. For example, the number of impellers installed in the compression system100may be twelve and the twelve impellers may be coupled together in threes and thus form four compression units.

As a type of the impeller part110, there is a type that uses centrifugal impellers. As shown inFIG. 5, each impeller of the impeller part110includes a base plate110a, a plurality of blades110binstalled on the base plate110a, and a shaft110cconnected to the base plate110a.

The shaft110cis connected to a pinion gear122and receives power therefrom, the shaft110cbeing supported by using a first bearing161. In the present exemplary embodiment, there are two shafts110c, as shown inFIG. 3, the left shaft110cis installed in the first impeller111, the second impeller112, the third impeller113, and the fourth impeller114and the right shaft110cis installed in the fifth impeller115, the sixth impeller116, the seventh impeller117, and the eighth impeller118.

In the present exemplary embodiment, centrifugal impellers are used but the exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto. That is, the kind of the impellers used in the current exemplary embodiment is not limited to centrifugal impellers, but various kinds of impellers such as an axial flow type and mixed-flow type may also be used.

On the other hand, the gear train120includes a bull gear121and two pinion gears122engaged with the bull gear121.

The bull gear121receives power from the main drive shaft130and transmits the power to the pinion gears122.

The pinion gears122receive the power from the bull gear121and transmit the power to the respective shafts110cdriving the impeller part110.

In the present exemplary embodiment, the gear train120includes the one bull gear121and the two pinion gears122but the exemplary embodiment is not limited thereto. That is, a configuration of the gear train120may vary. For example, a gear train according to another exemplary embodiment may include two bull gears and four pinion gears.

The main drive shaft130drives the gear train120, being connected to a shaft of a motor (not shown) generating power or connected to a shaft of a reducer (not shown) to transmit external power to the bull gear121.

The main drive shaft130is inserted into an installation hole located in the center of the bull gear121and connected thereto, and the main drive shaft130is supported by using a second bearing162.

The housing140includes the upper housing141and a lower housing142.

As shown inFIG. 4, the upper housing141includes an impeller container141a, a gear train container141b, and a flow path141cformed in a single body and the lower housing142also includes an impeller container142a, a gear train container142b, and a flow path142cformed in a single body as shown inFIG. 5.

The impeller containers141aand142aface each other to form a space for containing the impeller part110, and the gear train containers141band142bface each other to form a space for containing the gear train120.

Also, the flow paths141cand142cface each other to form a space for transferring a fluid around inside the impeller part110. That is, a path formed by the flow paths141cand142cincludes a path for transferring the fluid from the first impeller111to the second impeller112, a path for transferring the fluid from the third impeller113to the fourth impeller114, a path for transferring the fluid from the fifth impeller115to the sixth impeller116, and a path for transferring the fluid from the seventh impeller117to the eighth impeller118.

Each of the upper housing141including the impeller container141a, the gear train container141b, and the flow path141cand the lower housing142including the impeller container142a, the gear train container142b, and the flow path142cis formed as a one-piece casting, respectively. That is, the upper housing141and the lower housing142are manufactured by using casting method.

In a process of manufacturing the upper housing141, while forming the upper housing141in the one-piece casting, the impeller container141a, the gear train container141b, and the flow path141care formed in as a single body. The lower housing142is formed using the same method as the upper housing141, in which shapes of the impeller container142a, the gear train container142b, and the flow path142cof the lower housing142are formed to be symmetrical to those of the impeller container141a, the gear train container141b, and the flow path141cof the upper housing141, respectively.

In detail, in the process of manufacturing the upper housing141, the impeller container141a, the gear train container141b, and the flow path141care formed as a single body all together using a single mold for casting the upper housing141. In a process of manufacturing the lower housing142, the impeller container142a, the gear train container142b, and the flow path142care formed in a single body all together using another single mold for casting the lower housing142.

According to the present exemplary embodiment, the impeller container141a, the gear train container141b, and the flow path141care formed all together using the single mold for the upper housing141in the process of manufacturing the upper housing141and the impeller container142a, the gear train container142b, and the flow path142care formed all together using the single mold for the lower housing142in the process of manufacturing the lower housing142, but the exemplary embodiment is not limited thereto. That is, at least one of the impeller containers141aand142a, the gear train containers141band142b, and the flow paths141cand142cmay be formed by an additional cutting process after a casting process is performed.

Since the impeller containers141aand142a, the gear train containers141band142b, and the flow paths141cand142cof the housing140are formed in a single body by the casting process, there is no need to include a separate casing member, a shroud member, and a gearbox, which are used in compressor systems of the related art. Also, since the housing140includes the flow paths141cand142c, it is possible to greatly reduce the number of flow path pipes installed outside the housing140.

The support150is installed on a bottom of the lower housing142and supports the lower housing142. The support150is manufactured separately from the lower housing142and fastened to the lower housing142by using a method such as welding.

According to the present exemplary embodiment, the support150is manufactured separately from the lower housing142and fastened to the lower housing142by using a method such as welding, but the exemplary embodiment is not limited thereto. That is, the support150may be manufactured together with the lower housing142in a single casting while manufacturing the lower housing142. In this case, a mold for the lower housing142includes a mold for the support150.

Hereinafter, there will be described a method of manufacturing the compression system100.

A manufacturer manufactures the upper housing141and the lower housing142in which the impeller containers141aand142a, the gear train containers141band142b, and the flow paths141cand142care also formed, respectively, by using a casting process. In addition, the manufacturer prepares elements of the impeller part110and the gear train120to be installed in the compression system100.

The manufacturer arranges the prepared impeller part110in the impeller container142aof the lower housing142and arranges the gear train120in the gear train container142b, which have the shape as shown inFIG. 2.

The manufacturer couples the upper housing141with the lower housing142and fastens the upper and lower housings. In this case, a sealing means such as a sealing ring (not shown) is disposed between the upper housing141and the lower housing142to perform sealing. In this case, as a fastening means of the upper housing141and the lower housing142, a screw-coupling method using bolts or a welding method may be used.

Hereinafter, operation of the compression system100will be described.

When a user starts driving the compression system100, the main drive shaft130rotates. When the main drive shaft130rotates, the bull gear121rotates and the pinion gears122engaged with the bull gear121rotates.

When the pinion gears122rotate, the left and right shafts110crotate and the impeller part110rotates, thereby performing compression.

A fluid flowing into an inlet (not shown) of the compression system100is compressed sequentially as it passes through the first compression unit S1, the second compression unit S2, the third compression unit S3, and the fourth compression unit S4 of the multi-stage system and is discharged via an outlet (not shown) of the compression system100.

As described above, according to the present exemplary embodiment, in the upper housing141and the lower housing142of the compression system100, since the impeller containers141aand142a, the gear train containers141band142b, and the flow paths141cand142care formed as a single body, there is no need to include a separate casing member, a shroud member, or a gearbox member. Accordingly, a layout of an inner space of the compression system100is simplified in such a way that the number of manufacturing processes and the number of components may be reduced, thereby reducing manufacturing costs. Also, when designing the compression system100, it is possible to efficiently arrange the inner space thereof to reduce a volume of the compression system100and to improve efficiency of an assembly process or servicing for maintenance. Additionally, since the compression system100may optimize flow paths therein and reduce a transfer distance, compression efficiency may be improved.

Particularly, in the case of the compression system100, a plurality of impellers are arranged in tandem with one another. When there are a large number of impellers and an arrangement thereof is in tandem, it is important to simplify the layout of the inner space of the compression system to reduce manufacturing processes and manufacturing costs.

The compression system according to the present exemplary embodiment may have an inner configuration space whose layout is simple.

While exemplary embodiments have been particularly shown and described above, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present inventive concept as defined by the following claims.