Patent Grant
10012231
The present invention relates to a claw pump capable of reducing the temperature of discharge gas.
A claw pump includes a pair of rotors which have hook-shaped claws formed thereon and rotate in opposite directions to each other at the same speed in a non-contact manner while maintaining an extremely narrow clearance therebetween inside a housing that forms a pump chamber. The two rotors form a compression pocket, and compressed gas compressed in the compression pocket is discharged through a discharge port. The claw pump continuously performs suction, compression, and exhaust without using a lubricating oil or sealing liquid, thereby producing a vacuum state or pressurized air. As described above, since the lubricating oil or the like is not used, there are advantages that clean gas can be exhausted and discharged, and a higher compression ratio than that of a Roots pump that does not have a compression stroke can be realized.
The rotors 112a and 112b rotate in opposite directions to each other (arrow directions), and gas g is suctioned into an inlet pocket P0 that communicates with the suction port 108. Thereafter, two pockets P1 and P2 are formed as the rotors 112a and 112b rotate (see
In the claw pump, the gas is increased in temperature by compressing the gas, while a higher compression ratio than that of a Roots pump can be realized. The high-temperature gas comes into contact with the surrounding components and increases the temperatures thereof. Therefore, there is concern that contact between the claws of the rotors or contact between the claws and the inner surfaces of the housing may occur due to thermal expansion or deformation and breaking may occur due to insufficient heat resistance. To solve the problems, there is proposed a method of changing the shape of the discharge port or providing a plurality of discharge ports to increase the area of openings, reduce pressure loss, and prevent excessive compression, thereby preventing an increase in temperature. For example, in Patent Literature 1, there is disclosed an example in which discharge ports are formed in both of a pair of side plates that block both end faces of a housing to increase the area of openings.
Otherwise, there has been an attempt to prevent an increase in temperature by reducing a compression ratio through a study of the shape of rotors. For example, in Patent Literature 2, there is disclosed a configuration in which a dent is formed in a face of a convex portion of a female rotor, which faces a claw of a male rotor, and gas in a compression pocket is allowed to escape to the dent when the compression pocket becomes distant from a discharge port, thereby relaxing excessive compression.
In general, a claw pump suctions cooled outside air to obtain a cooling effect. However, in a case where the claw pump is particularly used as a vacuum pump, since the inflow of gas from the suction port is significantly reduced during an operation at a suction pressure of about the ultimate pressure, the cooling effect cannot be obtained. In addition, since the pump chamber is in a vacuum state, a pressure difference from the discharge side occurs, and there is concern that high-temperature gas discharged from the discharge port may flow back to the pump chamber. When the discharge gas that flows back to the pump chamber due to the backflow phenomenon is recompressed while maintaining a high temperature, the temperature thereof is further increased. Accordingly, there may be cases where the temperature of the discharge gas reaches 200° C. to 300° C. As a countermeasure, a method of providing a check valve in the outlet of the discharge port to prevent the backflow of the high-temperature gas is considered.
Patent Literature 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2011-038476
Patent Literature 2: Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2013-076361
However, in the method of changing the shape of the discharge port or increasing the area of openings as a countermeasure to prevent an increase in the temperature of the discharge gas, there is concern that the compression ratio may decrease, and desired performance cannot be exhibited, and the backflow of the high-temperature gas cannot be prevented. In addition, in the method of studying the shape of the rotor, there is concern that the shape of the rotor may become complex and design costs and production costs of the rotor may increase. Furthermore, in the method of providing a check valve in the outlet of the discharge port, there is concern that the flow resistance of the gas may be increased due to the installation of the check valve, which leads to excessive compression of the gas on the contrary, resulting in an increase in the gas temperature.
In order to solve the aforementioned problems, an object of the present invention is to reduce the temperature of a discharge gas of a claw pump with low-cost means.
In order to accomplish the object, the present invention is applied to a claw pump including: a housing which forms a pump chamber having a cross-sectional shape of two partially overlapping circles; two rotating shafts which are disposed parallel to each other inside the housing and synchronously rotated in opposite directions to each other; a pair of rotors which are respectively fixed to the two rotating shafts inside the housing, each of the rotors being provided with two or more hook-shaped claws, the claws meshing with each other in a non-contact state; a rotary drive device which drives the pair of rotors to rotate via the two rotating shafts; and a suction port and discharge ports which are formed in a partition wall of the housing and communicate with the pump chamber.
According to an aspect of the present invention, the discharge ports are respectively formed in side plates which form both axial end faces of the rotating shafts of the housing and are constituted by a first discharge port and a second discharge port which are formed at positions that communicate with a compression pocket formed by a set of the claws. The claw pump includes an opening/closing mechanism of the first discharge port and the second discharge port for, while the pair of rotors rotate one revolution, discharging gas in the compression pocket formed by at least one set of the claws only via the first discharge port and discharging the gas in the compression pocket formed by at least another set of the claws only via the second discharge port, is included.
In a case where two or more claws are provided in a single rotor, discharge gas is discharged two or more times while the rotor makes one revolution. Therefore, when the discharge gas is discharged from a single discharge port, the discharge interval is shortened, with a backflow phenomenon of the discharge gas that is increased in temperature, the temperature of the discharge gas is increased. In the aspect of the present invention, in the above-described configuration, the gas compressed in the compression pocket can be dispersed toward the first discharge port and the second discharge port so as to be discharged while the pair of rotors rotate one revolution. Accordingly, the discharge interval of the first discharge port or the second discharge port can be increased, and the time until the discharge gas that is compressed and is increased in temperature flows back to the discharge port can be increased. Therefore, the time for which the discharged gas is mixed with cooled outside gas so as to be cooled can be increased. Accordingly, gas at a lower temperature than that according to the related art flows back to the discharge port and thus the initial temperature of the gas that is recompressed after flowing backward can be reduced. Therefore, an excessive increase in the temperature of the discharge gas after recompression can be prevented.
As a result, the temperature of the discharge gas that is recompressed can be lowered, and an increase in the temperatures of components that come into contact with the discharge gas can be suppressed. Accordingly, contact between the claws of the rotors or contact between the claws and the inner surfaces of the housing due to thermal expansion or deformation and breaking due to insufficient heat resistance can be suppressed. In addition, the amount of thermal expansion of each of the components decreases. Therefore, as the amount of thermal expansion decreases, the gaps between the components can be further reduced, which leads to an increase in pump efficiency. Furthermore, the degree of request of each of the components for heat resistance can be reduced, and thus a reduction in costs can be achieved.
According to an aspect of the present invention, the opening/closing mechanism can be constituted by a first partition plate and a second partition plate, which are fixed to one of the two rotating shafts on both sides of the pair of rotors in a rotational axis direction. In addition, the first partition plate is provided with an opening formed at a position that opens only the first discharge port and does not open the second discharge port when at least one set of the claws forms the compression pocket in the housing, and the second partition plate is provided with an opening formed at a position that opens only the second discharge port and does not open the first discharge port when at least another set of the claws forms the compression pocket in the housing.
As described above, since the first partition plate and the second partition plate are used as the opening/closing mechanism, a wide installation space is not necessary. In addition, since the first partition plate and the second partition plate are fixed to the rotating shaft and are interlocked with the rotating shaft, a special drive device is not necessary, and the opening/closing mechanism can be simply formed with low costs.
According to an aspect of the present invention, in a case where two claws are formed on each of the rotors, the first partition plate is provided with the opening formed at a position that opens only the first discharge port and does not open the second discharge port when one set of the claws forms the compression pocket in the housing. In addition, the second partition plate is provided with the opening formed at a position that opens only the second discharge port and does not open the first discharge port when the other set of the claws forms the compression pocket in the housing.
In this configuration, the gas in the compression pocket is alternately discharged to the first discharge port and the second discharge port. In a claw pump having two claws for a single rotor, compressed gas is discharged from a single discharge port every half revolution. On the contrary, in the above-descried configuration, the compressed gas is discharged from a single discharge port every one revolution. Therefore, the time until the discharge gas that is compressed and is increased in temperature flows backward is increased twice that of the claw pump according to the related art. Therefore, an excessive increase in the temperature of the discharge gas after recompression can be effectively prevented.
According to an aspect of the present invention, in a case where three claws are formed on each of the rotors at equal intervals in a circumferential direction, the first partition plate is provided with the opening formed at a position that opens only the first discharge port and does not open the second discharge port when two sets of the claws form the compression pocket in the housing, and the second partition plate is provided with the opening formed at a position that opens only the second discharge port and does not open the first discharge port when another set of the claws forms the compression pocket in the housing. Accordingly, even in the case where three claws are formed on a single rotor, the time at which the compressed gas is discharged from a single discharge port can be increased, and thus gas at a lower temperature flows backward. Therefore, an excessive increase in the temperature of the discharge gas after recompression can be prevented.
According to an aspect of the present invention, the first partition plate and the second partition plate can be disposed between the pair of rotors and the side plates. Accordingly, a space in which the first partition plate and the second partition plate are disposed outside the housing is not necessary, and a compact pump configuration can be achieved.
If there is no restrictions on space, the first partition plate and the second partition plate may also be disposed on the outside of the side plates. In this case, the management of gaps in the axial direction of the rotating shaft can be performed with lower accuracy than that of the housing, and workability and ease of assembly can be improved. Otherwise, the first partition plate and the second partition plate disposed on the outside of the side plates may be provided with blades, for example, in a structure such as a sirocco fan, to actively discharge the discharge gas to the outside. Accordingly, the backflow of high-temperature gas can be further suppressed.
According to some aspects of the present invention, the temperature of the discharge gas of the claw pump can be reduced by simple and low-cost means. Therefore, various problems caused by an increase in the temperature of the discharge gas can be solved.
Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail using embodiments illustrated in the drawings. Here, the dimensions, materials, shapes, and relative arrangements of components described in the embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the invention thereto if not particularly defined.
(First Embodiment)
Next, a claw pump according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to
Inside the housing 12, two rotating shafts 20a and 20b are arranged parallel to each other. Inside the housing 12, rotors 22a and 22b are respectively fixed to the rotating shafts 20a and 20b. The rotating shafts 20a and 20b extend toward the outside of the housing 12, and end portions of the rotating shafts 20a and 20b are connected to a rotary drive device (not illustrated). The rotating shafts 20a and 20b are synchronously rotated in opposite directions to each other by the rotary drive device. The rotors 22a and 22b are rotated in the opposite directions to each other at the same speed by the rotary drive device. The rotors 22a and 22b are provided with two claws 24a and two claws 24b which have a hook shape and mesh with each other in a non-contact state (with a fine gap therebetween). The two claws are disposed at positions at 180 degrees to each other in the circumferential direction. The rotor 22a is provided with a first concave portion 25a formed on the downstream side of the first claw 24a. The rotor 22a is provided with a second concave portion 25a formed on the downstream side of the second claw 24a. Here, the downstream side mentioned here is the downstream side with respect to the rotational direction of the rotor 22a.
The gas g is suctioned into the inlet pocket P0 from the suction port 18 by the rotation of the rotors 22a and 22b. Next, the inlet pocket P0 into which the gas g flows is divided into a first pocket P1 enclosed by the housing 12 and the rotor 22a, and a second pocket P2 enclosed by the housing 12 and the rotor 22b. As the rotors 22a and 22b further rotate, the first pocket P1 and the second pocket P2 join such that a compression pocket P is formed. Immediately after the joining, an initial stage compression space Pe is formed. Thereafter, the compression pocket P is reduced in size and an end stage compression space Pc is formed. In this compression process, the gas g in the compression pocket P is compressed.
The side plates 16a and 16b are respectively provided with discharge ports 26a and 26b which are formed in regions closer to the rotating shaft 20a than the rotating shaft 20b. The discharge ports 26a and 26b are disposed at positions which communicate with the end stage compression space Pc when the end stage compression space Pc is formed by the claws 24a and 24b. The discharge ports 26a and 26b are disposed at the same position in the circumferential direction of the rotating shaft 20a and have the same shape.
A partition plate 28a having a circular outer shape is fixed to the rotating shaft 20a between the side plate 16a and the rotor 22a inside the housing 12. In addition, a partition plate 28b having a circular outer shape is fixed to the rotating shaft 20a between the side plate 16b and the rotor 22a. The partition plates 28a and 28b are respectively provided with openings 30a and 30b. The openings 30a and 30b are disposed substantially in the same region in the radial direction from the rotating shaft 20a. The openings 30a and 30b are disposed at positions at 180 degrees to each other about the rotating shaft 20a in the circumferential direction. In other words, the openings 30a and 30b are formed to substantially have point symmetry (that is, twofold symmetry) about the rotating shaft 20a. Fine gaps are provided between the outer circumferences of the partition plates 28a and 28b and the inner circumference of the housing 12 to an extent that the gas g does not leak.
More specifically, the opening 30a overlaps the first concave portion 25a formed on the downstream side of the first claw 24a of the rotor 22a. The opening 30a is disposed at a position that overlaps discharge port 26a when a first set of the claws 24a and 24b (one set of claws) of the rotors 22a and 22b forms the end stage compression space Pc to enable the end stage compression space Pc and the discharge port 26a to communicate with each other. The opening 30b overlaps the second concave portion 25a formed on the downstream side of the second claw 24a of the rotor 22a. The opening 30b is disposed at a position that overlaps discharge port 26b when a second set of the claws 24a and 24b (the other set of claws) of the rotors 22a and 22b forms the end stage compression space Pc to enable the end stage compression space Pc and the discharge port 26b to communicate with each other.
In this configuration, when the first set of claws 24a and 24b forms the end stage compression space Pc, the compressed gas in the end stage compression space Pc is discharged from the discharge port 26a via the opening 30a. Next, when the second set of claws 24a and 24b forms the end stage compression space Pc, the compressed gas in the end stage compression space Pc is discharged from the discharge port 26b via the opening 30b. Therefore, the compressed gas is alternately discharged from the discharge ports 26a and 26b.
According to this embodiment, since the compressed gas is alternately discharged from the discharge ports 26a and 26b, compared to a claw pump according to the related art, the interval at which the discharge gas is discharged from the discharge ports 26a and 26b can be increased twice. Therefore, the time for which the discharged gas is mixed with cooled outside gas so as to be cooled can be increased. Accordingly, in a case where the pump chamber is at a low pressure, gas at a lower temperature than that according to the related art flows back to the discharge port and thus the initial temperature of the gas that is recompressed after flowing backward can be reduced. Therefore, an excessive increase in the temperature of the discharge gas after recompression can be prevented.
As a result, the temperature of the discharge gas that is recompressed can be lowered, and an increase in the temperatures of components that come into contact with the discharge gas can be suppressed. Therefore, contact between the claws 24a and 24b of the rotors 22a and 22b or contact between the claws 24a and 24b and the inner surfaces of the housing 12 due to thermal expansion or deformation and breaking due to insufficient heat resistance can be suppressed. In addition, the amount of thermal expansion of each of the components decreases. Therefore, as the amount of thermal expansion decreases, the gaps between the components can be further reduced, which leads to an increase in pump efficiency. Furthermore, the degree of request of each of the components for heat resistance can be reduced, and thus a reduction in costs can be achieved.
In addition, since only the partition plates 28a and 28b need to be used, a wide installation space is not necessary. In addition, since the partition plates 28a and 28b are fixed to the rotating shaft 20a and are interlocked with the rotating shaft 20a, a special drive device is not necessary, and an opening/closing mechanism can be simply formed with low costs. Furthermore, since the partition plates 28a and 28b are disposed between the rotors 22a and 22b and the right and left side plates 16a and 16b, a space in which the partition plates 28a and 28b are disposed outside the housing 12 is not necessary, and a compact pump configuration can be achieved.
(Second Embodiment)
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to
Two openings 46a and 46b are bored in the partition plate 44a, and a single opening 46c is bored in the partition plate 44b. The openings 46a, 46b, and 46c are disposed at substantially the same position in the radial direction from the rotating shaft 20a. The openings 46a, 46b, and 46c are disposed at equal intervals of 120 degrees in the circumferential direction about the rotating shaft 20a. In other words, the openings 46a, 46b, and 46c are formed to have threefold symmetry about the rotating shaft 20a. In addition, fine gaps are provided between the outer circumferences of the partition plates 44a and 44b and the inner circumference of the housing 12 to an extent that the gas g does not leak.
More specifically, the opening 46a overlaps the first concave portion 45a formed on the downstream side of the first claw 42a of the rotor 40a. The opening 46a is disposed at a position that overlaps discharge port 26a when a first set of the claws 42a and 42b (one set of claws) of the rotors 40a and 40b forms the end stage compression space Pc to enable the end stage compression space Pc and the discharge port 26a to communicate with each other. The opening 46b overlaps the second concave portion 45a formed on the downstream side of the second claw 42a of the rotor 40a. The opening 46b is disposed at a position that overlaps discharge port 26a when a second set of the claws 42a and 42b (another set of claws) of the rotors 40a and 40b forms the end stage compression space Pc to enable the end stage compression space Pc and the discharge port 26a to communicate with each other. The opening 46c overlaps the third concave portion 45a formed on the downstream side of the third claw 42a of the rotor 40a. The opening 46c is disposed at a position that overlaps discharge port 26b when a third set of the claws 42a and 42b (yet another set of claws) of the rotors 40a and 40b forms the end stage compression space Pc to enable the end stage compression space Pc and the discharge port 26b to communicate with each other. The other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment.
In this configuration, when the first set of claws 42a and 42b forms the end stage compression space Pc, the compressed gas in the end stage compression space Pc is discharged from the discharge port 26a via the opening 46a. Next, when the rotors 40a and 40b rotate 120 degrees and the second set of claws 42a and 42b forms the end stage compression space Pc, the compressed gas in the end stage compression space Pc is discharged from the discharge port 26a via the opening 46b. When the rotors 40a and 40b further rotate 120 degrees and the third set of claws 42a and 42b (the remaining set of claws) forms the end stage compression space Pc, the compressed gas in the end stage compression space Pc is discharged from the discharge port 26b via the opening 46c.
According to this embodiment, the time interval at which the compressed gas is discharged from the discharge ports 26a and 26b can be increased, and thus the gas at a lower temperature flows backward. Therefore, an excessive increase in the temperature of the discharge gas after recompression can be prevented.
According to the embodiment, a claw pump in which an increase in the temperature of a discharge gas can be avoided and problems caused by the temperature increase can be solved can be realized by simple and low-cost means.
10A, 10B, 100 CLAW PUMP
12, 102 HOUSING
14 CYLINDER
16
a, 16b SIDE PLATE
18, 108 SUCTION PORT
20
a, 20b, 110a, 110b ROTATING SHAFT
22
a, 22b, 40a, 40b, 112a, 112b ROTOR
24
a, 24b, 42a, 42b, 114a, 114b CLAW
26
a, 26b DISCHARGE PORT
28
a, 28b, 44a, 44b PARTITION PLATE
30
a, 30b, 46a, 46b, 46c OPENING
116 DISCHARGE PORT
P COMPRESSION POCKET
Pe INITIAL STAGE COMPRESSION SPACE
Pc END STAGE COMPRESSION SPACE
P0 INLET POCKET
P1 FIRST POCKET
P2 SECOND POCKET
g GAS
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-229741 | Nov 2013 | JP | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/JP2014/079237 | 11/4/2014 | WO | 00 |
| Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| WO2015/068693 | 5/4/2015 | WO | A |
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3723031 | Brown | Mar 1973 | A |
| 4324538 | Brown | Apr 1982 | A |
| 8517701 | Tanigawa | Aug 2013 | B2 |
| 8801402 | Chu et al. | Aug 2014 | B2 |
| 20110236232 | Chu et al. | Sep 2011 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 2204007 | Jul 1995 | CN |
| 2276084 | Mar 1998 | CN |
| 1715654 | Jan 2006 | CN |
| 0 502 684 | Sep 1992 | EP |
| 983 881 | Jun 1951 | FR |
| 6-101673 | Apr 1994 | JP |
| 2011-38476 | Feb 2011 | JP |
| 3168851 | Jun 2011 | JP |
| 2013-76361 | Apr 2013 | JP |
| Entry |
|---|
| English translation of International Preliminary Report on Patentability and Written Opinion of the International Searching Authority dated May 19, 2016 in International (PCT) Application No. PCT/JP2014/079237. |
| Extended European Search Report dated May 26, 2017 in corresponding European Application No. 14859606.7. |
| International Search Report dated Jan. 27, 2015 in International (PCT) Application No. PCT/JP2014/079237. |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20160258435 A1 | Sep 2016 | US |
