Patent GB-1457435-A (GB)
Title: Compressor arrangement including an oil-injection-type rotary compressor having a centrifugal water separator
IPC: B01D17/02
Filed: 1973-12-10
Abstract: 1457435 Separating oil and water from the gas discharge of rotary compressors HOKUETSU KOGYO CO Ltd 10 Dec 1973 [13 Jan 1973 18 April 1973] 57190/73 Heading F1N [Also in Division B2] In a compressor arrangement including an oil injection type rotary compressor 1, water particles which become mixed with the cooling and lubricating oil are automatically separated either continuously or intermittently from the oil by a centrifugal separator 14. Oil and water carried by gas compressed in the compressor 1 is collected in a combined oil separator and pressure vessel 2 having a service header 6. Gas pressure in the vessel 2 forces oil through conduit 7, a cooler 10 and a conduit 11 into the compressor 1, a temperature responsive device 8 being provided to cause some of the oil to by-pass the cooler 10 when the oil is at a low temperature. The oil separator 14 may be disposed to receive oil from the vessel 2 through a conduit 13 and deliver to the conduit 7 or vice versa, or it may both receive oil directly from and deliver oil directly to the vessel 2. A pump 16 may be disposed on the inlet or outlet side of the separator 14 to increase the pressure difference thereacross. The water separator 14 is shown in Fig. 2 and comprises a hollow body 14', 14" which supports a shaft 19 and a rotary unit 22 rotatable on bearings 26, 27 carried by the shaft 19. Oil and water mixture to be separated flows into the rotary unit 22 through passages 20, 21 in the shaft, an annular space 23, and holes 24 in the hub 22' of the unit 22. Centrifuging of the mixture in the unit 22 results in water collecting on the inside of the unit's outer wall 28, the water passing therefrom into an aperture 28" in the body part 14'. A valve 34 is opened to allow the water to escape to atmosphere from the aperture 28", the valve 34 being either manually operable on automatically operable at predetermined intervals or when a predetermined amount of water has collected in the aperture 28". The remaining oil flows inwards through a drum shaped filter 29 into a chamber 25", 30 from which it is discharged through a plurality of tangential ejection nozzles 31 into a chamber 32 provided with a delivery conduit 15. The flow of oil through the nozzles 31 causes the rotation of the unit 22. Alternatively rotation may be effected mechanically or electrically to enable the water separator to be operated intermittently under manual or automatic control, or by exhaust gas from an engine driving the compressor, or by the gas compressed in the compressor. In the latter alternative the rotary unit of the separator is driven by a turbine Fig. 8 (not shown). The turbine comprises vanes (41) secured to a shaft 43 fixed to the rotary unit, the vanes being disposed in a chamber (40) having an inlet and an outlet for the compressed gas. The inlet and outlet are connected respectively, to the service header 6 and atmosphere Fig. 5 (not shown) or to the compressor delivery duct 4 upstream and downstream respectively of a restriction (5') in the duct 4, Fig. 4 (not shown). For successful operation of the separator the temperature TC of the oil and the peripheral speed N m/sec should lie within an upper limit defined by the expression: - and a lower limit expressed by:-