Rotary screw compressor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12523227-B2
Application number	US-202217840285-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 14, 2022
Priority date	Oct 31, 2014
Publication date	Jan 13, 2026
Grant date	Jan 13, 2026

Abstract

A gas compressor is disclosed that includes a first rotor having a first rotor body, the first rotor body including a plurality of helical lobes, an internal volume within the first rotor body defined by a wall, and a turbine disposed within the internal volume, the turbine including a turbine body and a plurality of airfoils extending substantially radially from the turbine body to the wall, where the internal volume is structured to enable a cooling fluid to flow therethrough. The gas compressor further includes a second rotor body including a plurality of helical flutes, an inlet manifold and an outlet manifold, both disposed within the second rotor body, and a body channel within at least one flute extending from and in fluid communication with the inlet manifold to the outlet manifold, where the body channel is structured to enable a cooling fluid to flow therethrough.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . An apparatus comprising:
a screw compressor rotor formed by a solid helical screw having an exterior compression surface, the solid helical screw axially extending from a first end to a second end and having a helical grooved valley situated between opposing helical valley walls, the screw compressor rotor having a cooling fluid inlet channel disposed on a centerline of the first end to receive a cooling fluid and an upstream manifold forming a plurality of spokes radially extending from the cooling fluid inlet channel; wherein the plurality of spokes is configured to direct the cooling fluid to a plurality of separate cooling passages formed within the solid helical screw of the screw compressor rotor, the plurality of separate cooling passages in fluid communication with the cooling fluid inlet channel such that the cooling fluid inlet channel feeds cooling fluid to the plurality of separate cooling passages, the plurality of separate cooling passages having cross sectional areas that increase along a direction from an upstream end to a downstream end of the plurality of separate cooling passages; and wherein the diameter of the plurality of cooling passages vary radially along a length of each one of the plurality of spokes.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of separate cooling passages follow a helical shape of the solid helical screw.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , which further includes a cooling fluid outlet channel disposed in the second end of the screw compressor rotor and located on the centerline.

4 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of separate cooling passages includes a downstream manifold forming a plurality of spokes radiating from the cooling fluid outlet channel to each of the plurality of separate cooling passages.

5 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the cooling fluid inlet channel is disposed on a downstream compression side of the screw compressor rotor such that the cooling fluid is in a counter flow relationship with a working fluid compressed by action of the exterior compression surface.

6 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the cooling fluid is a refrigerant fluid, and wherein the increase in cross sectional area of the plurality of passages accommodates a phase transition of the refrigerant such that a vapor form of the refrigerant remains unchoked as it traverses the plurality of passages.

7 . A rotary screw compressor configured to compress a working fluid, the rotary screw compressor comprising:
a screw compressor rotor formed by a solid helical screw having an exterior compression surface, the solid helical screw axially extending from a first end to a second end and having a helical grooved valley situated between opposing helical valley walls, the screw compressor rotor having a cooling fluid inlet channel disposed on a centerline of the first end to receive a cooling fluid and an upstream manifold forming a plurality of spokes radially extending from the cooling fluid inlet channel, the upstream manifold having a smaller cross sectional area than a downstream manifold; wherein the plurality of spokes is configured to direct the cooling fluid to a plurality of separate cooling passages formed within the solid helical screw of the screw compressor rotor, the plurality of separate cooling passages in fluid communication with the cooling fluid inlet channel such that the cooling fluid inlet channel feeds cooling fluid to the plurality of separate cooling passages, the plurality of separate cooling passages having cross sectional areas that increase along a direction from an upstream end to a downstream end of the plurality of separate cooling passages; and wherein the diameter of the plurality of cooling passages vary radially along a length of each one of the plurality of spokes.

8 . The rotary screw compressor of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of separate cooling passages follow a helical shape of the solid helical screw.

9 . The rotary screw compressor of claim 7 , which further includes a cooling fluid outlet channel disposed in the second end of the screw compressor rotor and located on the centerline.

10 . The rotary screw compressor of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of separate cooling passages includes the downstream manifold forming a plurality of spokes radiating from the cooling fluid outlet channel to each of the plurality of separate cooling passages.

11 . The rotary screw compressor of claim 10 , wherein the cooling fluid inlet channel is disposed on a downstream compression side of the screw compressor rotor such that the cooling fluid is in a counter flow relationship with a working fluid compressed by action of the exterior compression surface.

12 . The rotary screw compressor of claim 10 , wherein the cooling fluid is a refrigerant fluid, and wherein the increase in cross sectional area of the plurality of passages accommodates a phase transition of the refrigerant such that a vapor form of the refrigerant remains unchoked as it traverses the plurality of passages.

13 . An apparatus comprising:
a screw compressor rotor formed by a solid helical screw having an exterior compression surface, the solid helical screw axially extending from a first end to a second end and having a helical grooved valley situated between opposing helical valley walls, the screw compressor rotor having a cooling fluid inlet channel disposed on a centerline of the first end to receive a cooling fluid and an upstream manifold forming a plurality of spokes radially extending from the cooling fluid inlet channel, the upstream manifold having a smaller cross sectional area than a downstream manifold; wherein the plurality of spokes is configured to direct the cooling fluid to a plurality of separate cooling passages formed within the solid helical screw of the screw compressor rotor, the plurality of separate cooling passages in fluid communication with the cooling fluid inlet channel such that the cooling fluid inlet channel feeds cooling fluid to the plurality of separate cooling passages; and wherein the diameter of the plurality of cooling passages vary radially along a length of each one of the plurality of spokes.

14 . The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of cooling passages have cross sectional areas that increase along a direction from an upstream end to a downstream end of the plurality of cooling passages.

15 . The apparatus of claim 13 , further including a cooling fluid outlet channel disposed in the second end of the screw compressor, the cooling fluid outlet channel located on a centerline of the screw compressor rotor, wherein the plurality of separate cooling passages follow a helical shape of the solid helical screw.

16 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of separate cooling passages includes the downstream manifold forming a plurality of spokes radiating from the cooling fluid outlet channel to each of the plurality of separate cooling passages.

17 . The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the cooling fluid inlet channel is disposed on a downstream compression side of the screw compressor rotor such that the cooling fluid is in a counter flow relationship with a working fluid compressed by action of the exterior compression surface.

18 . The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the cooling fluid is a refrigerant fluid, and wherein an increase in cross sectional area of the plurality of passages accommodates a phase transition of the refrigerant such that a vapor form of the refrigerant remains unchoked a

Assignees

• Ingersoll Rand Industrial Us Inc

Inventors

• Collins James Christopher
• Valentine Willie Dwayne

Classifications

• F04C23/005

  of dissimilar working principle · CPC title

• F04C29/0014

  with control systems for the injection of the fluid · CPC title

• F04C18/16 Primary

  with helical teeth, e.g. chevron-shaped, screw type {(for non-parallel axes of movement F04C18/48)} · CPC title

• F04C29/04 Primary

  Heating; Cooling (of machines or engines in general F01P); Heat insulation (heat insulation in general F16L59/00) · CPC title

• F04C18/165

  having more than two rotary pistons with parallel axes · CPC title