Multi-stage compressor having interstage lubricant injection via an injection rod

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11215182-B2
Application number	US-201815909569-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 1, 2018
Priority date	Mar 1, 2018
Publication date	Jan 4, 2022
Grant date	Jan 4, 2022

Abstract

A compressor is disclosed which can include a first stage and a second stage. In one form the compressor includes contact cooled compressor stages. The compressor can include a rod useful to inject a lubricant for purposes of cooling/lubricating/sealing the rotating components of the compressor. In one form the rod is an elongate rod with openings which permit a lubricant such as oil to be injected. The injected oil can be atomized via the openings. The rod can be positioned in the interstage space between the first and second stages, and can include a variety of openings.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a multi-stage contact cooled compressor having a first stage rotary compressor located upstream from a second stage rotary compressor, the multistage contact cooled compressor also including:
a transfer volume located intermediate the first stage rotary compressor and second stage rotary compressor which is used to receive outflow from the first stage rotary compressor and convey the outflow to the second stage rotary compressor; and
an oil feed rod oriented to protrude into the transfer volume between the first stage rotary compressor and second stage rotary compressor such that an exterior periphery of the oil feed rod is exposed to the outflow from the first stage rotary compressor, the oil feed rod having an open interior for the receipt of oil as well as a plurality of openings formed in the exterior periphery of the oil feed rod through which oil from the open interior of the oil feed rod can pass into the transfer volume, the oil feed rod configured to spray oil onto the second stage rotary compressor from a direction substantially orthogonal to an axis of rotation of the second stage rotary compressor.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the oil feed rod extends from a wall that defines the transfer volume and terminates at an end, the exterior periphery of the oil feed rod defined between the wall and the end.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the oil feed rod includes a circular cross sectional shape, and wherein each of the plurality of openings are symmetric.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the oil feed rod is in the form of a hollow tube, and wherein the plurality of openings are sized to produce a spray of oil droplets.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the oil feed rod protrudes along a centerline axis into the transfer volume, and wherein the plurality of openings each extend along an axis oriented at an angle to the centerline axis.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the oil feed rod includes at least one opening at the end of the tube.

7. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the oil feed rod includes an asymmetric distribution of the plurality of openings such that the plurality of openings are isolated on a portion of the exterior periphery.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the openings of the oil feed rod include a plurality of elongated slots that extend along an elongate axis.

9. An apparatus comprising:
a first contact cooled compressor stage that includes a first pair of compressor rotors;
a second contact cooled compressor stage having a second pair of compressor rotors;
a passage that connects an outlet of the first contact cooled compressor stage to an inlet of the second contact cooled compressor stage; and
an oil delivery rod having an external oil delivery surface positioned to extend into the passage and structured to spray oil substantially orthogonal to a passing flow of working fluid produced by the first contact cooled compressor stage, the external oil delivery surface including a plurality of openings positioned between a first exposed end of the oil delivery rod and a second exposed end of the oil delivery rod.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of openings extend between an inner surface of the oil delivery rod and the external oil delivery surface.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of openings have sidewalls between the inner surface and the external oil delivery surface, the openings extending at an angle relative to an axis of extension of the oil delivery rod such that the angle is non-orthogonal.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of openings are elongated slotted openings.

13. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of openings are sized to atomize oil that is conveyed through the openings.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein a spray pattern formed by the plurality of openings extends around the entirety of the periphery of the oil delivery rod.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of openings includes an opening formed at an end of the oil delivery rod, and wherein at least one of the plurality of openings are variable.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the oil delivery rod includes a threaded surface structured to be threadingly engaged with a complementary threaded surface structured to secure the oil delivery rod relative to the internal passage.

17. A method comprising:
compressing a working fluid with a multi-stage contact cooled compressor;
routing the compressed working fluid from a first stage to a second stage of the multi-stage contact cooled compressor; and
spraying oil out of an elongated oil rod in an interstage region between the first stage and the second stage, the elongated oil rod having a plurality of openings arranged along a length of the elongated oil rod such that oil is provided to the compressed working fluid from the first stage prior to being entrained in a compression process of the second stage, the elongated oil rod configured to spray oil onto the second stage from a direction substantially orthogonal to an axis of rotation of the second stage.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the spraying includes atomizing the oil.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein spraying includes conveying the oil through the plurality of openings having a slot shape.

20. The method of claim 17 , wherein the spraying includes isolating the spraying to one side of the oil rod such that an oil spray pattern is not omnidirectional.

21. The method of claim 17 , which further includes spraying oil through an opening formed in an end of the elongated oil rod such that a spray pattern provided by the opening formed in the end of the elongated oil rod extends in a direction along a length of the elongated oil rod.

Assignees

• Ingersoll Rand Industrial Us Inc

Inventors

• Hartman Ryan D
• Crum Daniel R
• Coleman Ryan
• Bothe Philipp

Classifications

• F04C29/02

  Lubrication (of machines or engines in general F01M); Lubricant separation (separation in general B01D) · CPC title

• F04C23/003 Primary

  having complementary function · CPC title

• F25B1/047

  of screw type · CPC title

• F04C29/042

  by injecting a fluid (injection of fluid for sealing, cooling or lubrication F04C29/0007) · CPC title

• F16N7/34

  Atomising devices for oil (atomising devices in general B05B) · CPC title