Liquid level indicator, turbo compressor, and turbo refrigerator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2015128627-A1
Application number	US-201514599720-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 19, 2015
Priority date	Aug 13, 2012
Publication date	May 14, 2015
Grant date	—

Abstract

A liquid level indicator including a liquid level calm portion that is provided with a liquid introduction inlet that communicates with a portion below the liquid level in an oil tank and a gas vent that communicates with a portion above the liquid level; and a sight glass for observing a liquid level in the liquid level calm portion, having a liquid introduction tube provided with an extension portion that communicates with the liquid introduction inlet and extends toward the bottom portion of the oil tank, and a distal end portion that communicates with the extension portion and opens in a direction other than the downward direction below the liquid level.

First claim

1 . A liquid level indicator comprising a liquid level calm portion that is provided with a liquid introduction inlet that communicates with a portion below the liquid level in a liquid storage portion and a gas vent that communicates with a portion above the liquid level; and a sight glass for observing a liquid level in the liquid level calm portion,
the liquid level indicator comprises a liquid introduction tube provided with an extension portion that communicates with the liquid introduction inlet and extends toward the bottom portion of the liquid storage portion, and a distal end portion that communicates with the extension portion and opens in a direction other than the downward direction below the liquid level.

2 . The liquid level indicator according to claim 1 , wherein the liquid introduction tube is provided with the distal end portion that opens in an upward direction below the liquid level.

3 . The liquid level indicator according to claim 1 , wherein the liquid introduction tube has a sloping portion for guiding air bubbles introduced to the tube interior to the liquid level calm portion by their buoyancy.

4 . The liquid level indicator according to claim 1 , wherein the distal end portion is provided bent with respect to the extension portion toward the inner wall side of the liquid storage portion.

5 . The liquid level indicator according to claim 1 , having a gas vent tube provided with a second extension portion that communicates with the gas vent and extends toward the top portion of the liquid storage portion, and a second distal end portion that communicates with the second extension portion and opens in a direction other than the upward direction above the liquid level.

6 . The liquid level indicator according to claim 5 , wherein the gas vent tube is provided with the second distal end portion that opens in a downward direction above the liquid level.

7 . The liquid level indicator according to claim 5 , wherein the second distal end portion is provided bent with respect to the second extension portion toward the inner wall side of the liquid storage portion.

8 . A turbo compressor that compresses a gas by rotating an impeller with an electric motor, comprising:
a gear unit that transmits the rotating force of the electric motor to the impeller; and an oil tank below the gear unit that stores lubricating oil to be supplied to the gear unit, wherein the turbo compressor is provided with the liquid level indicator according to claim 1 as a liquid level indicator that displays the liquid level of the oil tank.

9 . A turbo refrigerator comprising:
a condenser that liquefies a compressed refrigerant; an evaporator that by evaporating the refrigerant that has been liquefied by the condenser cools a cooling object; and a turbo compressor that compresses the refrigerant that has been evaporated by the evaporator and supplies it to the condenser, wherein the turbo refrigerator is provided with the turbo compressor according to claim 8 as the turbo compressor.

10 . The liquid level indicator according to claim 2 , wherein the liquid introduction tube has a sloping portion for guiding air bubbles introduced to the tube interior to the liquid level calm portion by their buoyancy.

11 . The liquid level indicator according to claim 2 , wherein the distal end portion is provided bent with respect to the extension portion toward the inner wall side of the liquid storage portion.

12 . The liquid level indicator according to claim 3 , wherein the distal end portion is provided bent with respect to the extension portion toward the inner wall side of the liquid storage portion.

13 . The liquid level indicator according to claim 2 , having a gas vent tube provided with a second extension portion that communicates with the gas vent and extends toward the top portion of the liquid storage portion, and a second distal end portion that communicates with the second extension portion and opens in a direction other than the upward direction above the liquid level.

14 . The liquid level indicator according to claim 3 , having a gas vent tube provided with a second extension portion that communicates with the gas vent and extends toward the top portion of the liquid storage portion, and a second distal end portion that communicates with the second extension portion and opens in a direction other than the upward direction above the liquid level.

15 . The liquid level indicator according to claim 4 , having a gas vent tube provided with a second extension portion that communicates with the gas vent and extends toward the top portion of the liquid storage portion, and a second distal end portion that communicates with the second extension portion and opens in a direction other than the upward direction above the liquid level.

16 . The liquid level indicator according to claim 6 , wherein the second distal end portion is provided bent with respect to the second extension portion toward the inner wall side of the liquid storage portion.

17 . A turbo compressor that compresses a gas by rotating an impeller with an electric motor, comprising:
a gear unit that transmits the rotating force of the electric motor to the impeller; and an oil tank below the gear unit that stores lubricating oil to be supplied to the gear unit, wherein the turbo compressor is provided with the liquid level indicator according to claim 2 as a liquid level indicator that displays the liquid level of the oil tank.

18 . A turbo compressor that compresses a gas by rotating an impeller with an electric motor, comprising:
a gear unit that transmits the rotating force of the electric motor to the impeller; and an oil tank below the gear unit that stores lubricating oil to be supplied to the gear unit, wherein the turbo compressor is provided with the liquid level indicator according to claim 3 as a liquid level indicator that displays the liquid level of the oil tank.

19 . A turbo compressor that compresses a gas by rotating an impeller with an electric motor, comprising:
a gear unit that transmits the rotating force of the electric motor to the impeller; and an oil tank below the gear unit that stores lubricating oil to be supplied to the gear unit, wherein the turbo compressor is provided with the liquid level indicator according to claim 4 as a liquid level indicator that displays the liquid level of the oil tank.

20 . A turbo compressor that compresses a gas by rotating an impeller with an electric motor, comprising:
a gear unit that transmits the rotating force of the electric motor to the impeller; and an oil tank below the gear unit that stores lubricating oil to be supplied to the gear unit, wherein the turbo compressor is provided with the liquid level indicator according to claim 5 as a liquid level indicator that displays the liquid level of the oil tank.

Assignees

• Ihi Corp

Inventors

• Oda Kentarou
• Yoshinaga Seiichiro
• Sakuma Nobuyoshi

Classifications

• F25B2400/13

  Economisers · CPC title

• F25B1/005

  of the single unit type (F25B1/10 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F25B2339/047

  Water-cooled condensers · CPC title

• F25B1/053

  of turbine type · CPC title

• F25B9/002

  characterised by the refrigerant · CPC title