Compression device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10626754-B2
Application number	US-201515327098-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 6, 2015
Priority date	Aug 21, 2014
Publication date	Apr 21, 2020
Grant date	Apr 21, 2020

Abstract

A compression device is equipped with a compressor (102) and a heat energy recovery unit (200) that recovers heat energy from a compressed gas. The heat energy recovery unit (200) is equipped with: a heat exchanger (202) that has an inflow port (202a), and that heats an operating medium by means of the heat from the compressed gas; an expansion device (210); a power recovery unit (212); a condenser (214); and a pump (222). The heat exchanger (202) is arranged closer to the compressor (102) than the expansion device (210), and is oriented such that the inflow port (202a) faces the compressor (102).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A compression device, comprising:
a compressor for compressing gas;
a heat energy recovery unit for recovering heat energy of the gas that has been compressed in the compressor and discharged therefrom; and
a first base plate above which the compressor is arranged,
the heat energy recovery unit comprising:
a heat exchanger including an inflow port for allowing inflow of the compressed gas, the heat exchanger for heating a working medium by heat of the compressed gas;
an expansion device for expanding the working medium that has flowed out from the heat exchanger;
a power recovery unit connected to the expansion device;
a condenser for condensing the working medium that has flowed out from the expansion device; and
a pump for pumping the working medium that has flowed out from the condenser, to the heat exchanger,

the compression device further comprising:
a second base plate above which at least the expansion device, the power recovery unit, the condenser, and the pump out of the heat energy recovery unit are arranged,

wherein the heat exchanger is positioned closer to the compressor than the expansion device and is arranged so that the inflow port is oriented to face the compressor.

2. The compression device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the second base plate has a rectangular shape, and
wherein the expansion device is arranged on a corner portion of the second base plate.

3. The compression device according to claim 1 , further comprising a mounting stand by which the expansion device is mounted above the second base plate.

4. The compression device according to claim 1 , further comprising a base plate fixing member by which the second base plate and the first base plate are positionally fixed relative to each other.

5. The compression device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the heat energy recovery unit further includes an oil supply flow passage for supplying oil to the pump,
wherein the pump includes an oil supply port that is connected to the oil supply flow passage, and the pump is positioned above and separated from the second base plate and is arranged so that the oil supply port is oriented to face downward, and
wherein the oil supply flow passage is connected to the oil supply port while being arranged below the pump.

6. The compression device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first cover for covering the compressor;
a second cover for covering the heat energy recovery unit; and
a cover fixing member by which the second cover and the first cover are positionally fixed relative to each other.

7. The compression device according to claim 1 , further comprising a pipe by which the inflow port of the heat exchanger is connected to a discharge port of the compressor, the pipe including a flexible hose having flexibility.

8. The compression device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the heat energy recovery unit further includes a receiver for storing the working medium that has flowed out from the condenser,
wherein the receiver includes an outflow port for allowing outflow of the working medium,
wherein the pump includes a suction port for suctioning the working medium, and
wherein the outflow port of the receiver is arranged on the same level as the suction port of the pump or above the suction port in the gravity direction.

9. The compression device according to claim 8 ,
wherein the receiver includes an inflow port for allowing inflow of the working medium,
wherein the condenser includes an outflow port for allowing outflow of the working medium, and
wherein the inflow port of the receiver is located below the outflow port of the condenser in the gravity direction.

10. The compression device according to claim 8 ,
wherein the receiver includes two tubular portions that are arranged in a horizontal surface and are shaped to communicate with each other, and
wherein one tubular portion of the two tubular portions includes an inflow port for allowing the working medium that has flowed out from the condenser, to flow in the tubular portion, and
the other tubular portion of the two tubular portions is provided with a liquid level sensor for detecting a liquid level of the working medium.

11. The compression device according to claim 8 ,
wherein the receiver includes two tubular portions that are arranged to be separated from each other in an up to down direction and are shaped to communicate with each other, and
wherein one tubular portion of the two tubular portions, which is located at an upper side, includes an inflow port for allowing the working medium that has flowed out from the condenser, to flow in the tubular portion, and
the other tubular portion of the two tubular portions, which is located at a lower side, includes the outflow port.

12. The compression device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the compressor includes a rotary shaft for driving a compression member, and
wherein the heat exchanger is arranged so that a direction into which the inflow port of the heat exchanger is opened is oriented in parallel with an axial direction of the rotary shaft.

13. The compression device according to claim 1 ,
wherein a flow passage through which the compressed gas flows is provided with a bypass flow passage for bypassing the heat exchanger, and
wherein when there has been a defect in the heat energy recovery unit, a flow of the compressed gas toward the heat exchanger is inhibited and the compressed gas is allowed to pass through the bypass flow passage and flow downstream of the heat exchanger.

14. The compression device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a different compressor that is different from the compressor, the different compressor for further compressing the compressed gas that has flowed out from the heat exchanger; and
a different heat exchanger including a different inflow port for allowing inflow of the compressed gas that has been discharged from the different compressor, the different heat exchanger for heating the working medium by heat of the compressed gas,
the different heat exchanger being positioned closer to the different compressor than the expansion device and being arranged so that the different inflow port is oriented to face the different compressor.

Assignees

• Kobe Steel Ltd

Inventors

• Hashimoto Koichiro
• Nishimura Kazumasa
• Adachi Shigeto
• Narukawa Yutaka
• Matsuda Haruyuki
• Kakiuchi Tetsuya
• Tsuboi Noboru
• Fukuhara Kazunori

Classifications

• F25B9/06

  using expanders (F25B9/10 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F01K23/08 Primary

  with working fluid of one cycle heating the fluid in another cycle · CPC title

• F25B25/005

  using primary and secondary systems · CPC title

• F25B2500/01

  Geometry problems, e.g. for reducing size · CPC title

• F01K27/02 Primary

  Plants modified to use their waste heat, other than that of exhaust, e.g. engine-friction heat · CPC title