Diaphragm compressor system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10012229-B2
Application number	US-201414577817-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 19, 2014
Priority date	Dec 19, 2013
Publication date	Jul 3, 2018
Grant date	Jul 3, 2018

Abstract

A roll-diaphragm compressor and a roll-diaphragm compressors system, including methods for manufacturing and using same. The roll-diaphragm compressor includes a compressor body having a concave portion that defines a rounded interface wall and an apex portion adjacent to the concave portion that comprises an inlet and outlet port. The roll-diaphragm compressor also includes a flexible roll-diaphragm coupled to the compressor body about a compressor body edge and a compression chamber defined by the concave portion, apex portion and roll-diaphragm. The roll-diaphragm compressor further includes a piston head rigidly coupled to a central portion of the roll-diaphragm and configured to drive the roll-diaphragm to a first configuration where the roll-diaphragm engages the interface wall as part of a compression cycle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A roll-diaphragm compressor comprising:
a compressor body including:
a concave portion that defines a rounded convex interface wall; and
an apex portion adjacent to the concave portion that comprises an inlet and outlet port;

a flexible roll-diaphragm coupled to the compressor body about a compressor body edge;
a compression chamber defined by the concave portion, apex portion and roll-diaphragm; and
a piston head rigidly coupled to a central portion of the roll-diaphragm and configured to drive the roll-diaphragm to a first configuration where the roll-diaphragm engages the rounded convex interface wall as part of a compression cycle, wherein the roll-diaphragm compressor is configured to generate a variable displacement compression cycle, and wherein a maximum cycle volume of the compression chamber can be selectively configured by moving the rounded convex interface wall.

2. The roll-diaphragm compressor of claim 1 , wherein the piston head corresponds to and is configured to reside within the apex portion when the roll-diaphragm is in the first configuration.

3. The roll-diaphragm compressor of claim 1 , wherein the roll-diaphragm rollingly engages the rounded convex interface wall as part of the compression cycle.

4. The roll-diaphragm compressor of claim 1 , wherein the piston head is configured to drive the roll-diaphragm in a rolling cycle motion.

5. The roll-diaphragm compressor of claim 1 , wherein an operating pressure external to the compression chamber is maintained at a greater pressure than a maximum pressure generated inside the compression chamber during the compression cycle.

6. A roll-diaphragm compressor system consisting essentially of:
a first roll-diaphragm compressor as described claim 1 , and
a second roll-diaphragm compressor as described in claim 1 .

7. The roll-diaphragm compressor system of claim 6 , further comprising:
an architecture that holds the first and second compressor in an opposing configuration along a common axis; and
a piston assembly disposed between the first and second roll-diaphragm compressor configured to drive a respective first and second piston head of the first and second roll-diaphragm compressor.

8. The roll-diaphragm compressor of claim 7 , wherein said piston assembly comprises a first and second crank that are offset from each other about a central crank-shaft axis, the first and second crank configured to drive the first and second roll-diaphragm compressor in staggered respective compression cycles.

9. A roll-diaphragm compressor system comprising:
a first roll-diaphragm compressor as described claim 1 ,
a second roll-diaphragm compressor as described in claim 1 ;
a third roll-diaphragm compressor as described in claim 1 ;
an architecture that holds the first, second and third roll-diaphragm compressors in an offset opposing configuration without any of the diaphragm compressors being aligned along a common axis; and
a piston assembly disposed between the first, second and third roll-diaphragm compressors configured to drive a respective first, second and third piston head of the first, second and third roll-diaphragm compressors.

10. The roll-diaphragm compressor of claim 1 , wherein the diaphragm defines a dome profile.

11. The roll-diaphragm compressor of claim 1 , wherein the diaphragm comprises tensile elements that extend radially from the diaphragm central portion.

12. The roll-diaphragm compressor of claim 1 , wherein the diaphragm comprises a plurality of coupling holes proximate to the diaphragm edge.

13. The roll-diaphragm compressor of claim 1 , wherein the roll-diaphragm comprises a plurality of leaves that extend from the diaphragm central portion to a diaphragm edge, each leaf having side edges that are coupled with side edges of adjoining leaves to generate a dome profile of the roll-diaphragm.

14. The roll-diaphragm compressor of claim 13 , wherein said leaves comprise tensile elements that extend radially from the diaphragm central portion.

15. The roll-diaphragm compressor of claim 13 , wherein a plurality of said leaves comprise a coupling hole proximate to the diaphragm edge.

16. A method of driving a roll-diaphragm compressor comprising:
providing a roll-diaphragm compressor having a flexible roll-diaphragm coupled with an edge of a compressor body that defines a concave portion having a convex interface wall, the roll-diaphragm and convex interface wall defining a compression chamber, wherein the roll-diaphragm compressor is configured to generate a variable displacement compression cycle, and wherein a maximum cycle volume of the compression chamber can be selectively configured by moving the convex interface wall;
driving the roll-diaphragm to a first concave configuration wherein the roll-diaphragm is spaced apart from the convex interface wall such that the compression chamber is at a maximum volume;
driving the roll-diaphragm to a second convex configuration wherein the roll-diaphragm rollingly engages the convex interface wall such that the compression chamber is at a minimum volume.

17. The method claim 16 , wherein said driving the roll-diaphragm to a first concave configuration draws a volume fluid into the compression chamber via an inlet port of the compressor body.

18. The method claim 17 , wherein said driving the roll-diaphragm to a second convex configuration expels the volume of fluid from the compression chamber.

19. A roll-diaphragm compressor comprising:
a compressor body including:
a concave portion that defines a rounded interface wall; and
an apex portion adjacent to the concave portion that comprises an inlet and outlet port;

a flexible roll-diaphragm coupled to the compressor body about a compressor body edge, the flexible roll-diaphragm exhibiting anisotropic material properties that provide radial inextensibility but allow circumferential compliance to allow for rolling behavior;
a compression chamber defined by the concave portion, apex portion and roll-diaphragm; and
a piston head rigidly coupled to a central portion of the roll-diaphragm and configured to drive the roll-diaphragm to a first configuration where the roll-diaphragm engages the interface wall as part of a compression cycle, wherein the roll-diaphragm compressor is configured to generate a variable displacement compression cycle, and wherein a maximum cycle volume of the compression chamber can be selectively configured by moving the interface wall.

Assignees

• Other Lab Llc

Inventors

• Lynn Pete
• Griffith Saul
• Albert Kevin
• Swift Tim
• Read Jake

Classifications

• F04B53/16 Primary

  Casings; Cylinders; Cylinder liners or heads; Fluid connections · CPC title

• F04B43/0045

  with a number of independent working chambers which are actuated successively by one mechanism · CPC title

• B25J9/0006

  Exoskeletons, i.e. resembling a human figure · CPC title

• A61H1/0281

  Shoulder · CPC title

• A61H1/024

  Knee (A61H1/0255 takes precedence) · CPC title