Patent Application
20140308148
The present invention relates to a water-lubricated screw compressor where the water-supply to resin rotors is made possible at the screw compressor's start time.
In a water-lubricated screw compressor, water is injected into a compression chamber that is formed of a casing and a single pair of male/female screw rotors. This feature allows the water-lubricated screw compressor to acquire clean air as an oil-free compressor, and to be superior in its cooling effect and seal effect as compared with those of conventionally-used dry screw compressors. As a result, the water-lubricated screw compressor is capable of implementing its low discharged-air temperature, small revolution number, and high performance.
On account of these characteristics, the water-lubricated screw compressor is expected to prevail in market from now on. The water injection into the compression chamber, however, requires that rust of the casing and rotors be prevented. High rust-resistant bronze is often used for the casing. Similarly, the high rust-resistant bronze is sometimes used for the rotors. In the bronze-formed rotors, however, the lubrication between the rotors is difficult to implement. Accordingly, non-contact driving between the rotors is implemented by setting up timing gears. Meanwhile, a resin, whose water lubrication is satisfying enough, is used for the rotors. This resin-used scheme makes it possible to implement directly contact driving between the rotors, thereby making it unnecessary to set up the timing gears.
The directly contact driving using these resin-formed rotors makes it possible to shorten the inter-rotors clearance, thereby allowing an enhancement in the compressor's performance. Also, setting up none of the timing gears also makes unnecessary an oil-lubricated mechanism of the timing gears. This condition simplifies the structure surrounding each bearing chamber.
Nevertheless, when these resin rotors are used, the following drawback exists: First, during the compressor's operation, the air pressure inside a water separator is present. Here, the water separator serves as a water tank as well. At this time, the air pressure inside the compression chamber of a water-supply unit of the compressor is lower than the air pressure inside the water separator. Accordingly, the water inside the water tank is supplied into the compression chamber by the pressure difference therebetween. At the compressor's start time, however, the air pressure inside the water separator absent. Consequently, no water is supplied into the compression chamber, until the air pressure inside the water separator becomes higher than the air pressure inside the compression chamber after the compressor's operation is started. As a result, at the worst, the resin rotors rotate in a state of remaining dried without the lubrication therebetween. Usually, it takes 5 to 10 seconds until the discharge pressure of the water-lubricated screw compressor rises up to its rated pressure, i.e., 0.7 MPa.
Also, when a roller bearing is used as the bearing of each of the rotors, and when the oil lubrication by the splash is implemented, a lip seal for sealing each rotor axis is used on the compression-chamber side of each bearing chamber of each rotor. This lip seal is used in order to prevent the oil from leaking from the bearing-chamber side onto the compression-chamber side. Moreover, a lip seal is used at the inlet-side end portion of the compression chamber of each rotor axis. This lip seal is used in order to prevent the water, which is injected into the compression chamber, from leaking from the compression-chamber side onto the bearing-chamber side. Furthermore, at the discharge-side end portion of the compression chamber, a mechanical seal is used. This mechanical seal is used, because the pressure difference is significant between the compression chamber and each bearing chamber. On account of this situation, during the compressor's operation, the water is also supplied to a slide part of the fixed member and rotational member of the mechanical seal in order to implement its lubrication and cooling. This water-supply is performed by the pressure difference between the water separator and the water-supply unit of the mechanical seal.
At the compressor's start time, however, the air pressure inside the water separator absent as is the case with the clearance between the resin rotors. Accordingly, the water-supply is not performed until the air pressure inside the water separator is caused to rise by the discharged air. This situation requires that a water-injecting method which is different from the water-supply from the water tank inside the water separator be provided at the compressor's start time. Here, of course, this method is required in order to perform the water-supply to the water-supply unit of each resin rotor and the slide part of the mechanical seal.
As a method for supplying the water to the water-supply unit of the water-lubricated screw compressor at the compressor's start time, for example, the following method is disclosed in JP-A-2000-45947: Namely, in this method, the water-supply is performed to the inter-resin-rotors clearance and the slide part of the mechanical-seal unit by using an external pressure-added water-supply line, and opening/closing a solenoid valve set up in this water-supply line.
Also, when the tap water is used as the external pressure-added water-supply line 32, the tap water adhering to the water-supply unit is dried. Moreover, ions such as calcium and magnesium melted within the tap water are precipitated, thereby producing solid substances. Then, if these solid substances precipitated are engaged into the inter-rotors clearance and the slide part of the mechanical seal, there has existed the following problem: Namely, these solid substances become a cause for the damage and wear-out of each rotor and the slide part. Furthermore, if these solid substances flows through a water-supply line 16 together with circulation water, these solid substances adhere to a water filter 20 set up in the water-supply line. This adherence gives rise to the occurrence of clog of the water filter 20. As a result, there has existed a problem that the exchange frequency of the water filter increases. Furthermore, if the water-supply amount at the compressor's start time is too much, the water filled in each rotor gives rise to the occurrence of liquid compression. As a result, there has existed a problem that the start itself becomes impossible.
The present invention has been devised in order to solve the above described problems. Namely, an object of the present invention is as follows: Saving of the water-supply amount from the outside, prevention of the damage and wear-out of each rotor and the mechanical seal due to the engagement of the solid substances produced by the precipitation of the ions such as calcium and magnesium contained in the tap water, and prevention of start's impossibility caused by the liquid compression due to the too much water-supply amount.
In order to solve the above described problems, in the present invention, in a water-supply line, a water reservoir is provided at a position higher than the water-supply position of a compressor. Moreover, a water-reservoir entrance line and a water-reservoir exit line of the water-supply line are deployed at the upper portion of the water reservoir. Simultaneously, a start-time water-supply line is provided at the lower portion of the water reservoir. Here, the start-time water-supply line is connected to the inlet port of the compressor and the water-supply unit of a mechanical seal, and has a solenoid valve.
Also, in a condensed-water collection line of a dryer provided in a discharge line, a water reservoir is provided at a position higher than the water-supply position of a compressor. Moreover, a water-reservoir entrance line and a water-reservoir exit line of the condensed-water collection line are deployed at the upper portion of the water reservoir. Simultaneously, a start-time water-supply line is provided at the lower portion of the water reservoir. Here, the start-time water-supply line is connected to the inlet port of the compressor and the water-supply unit of a mechanical seal, and has a solenoid valve. Furthermore, an entrance line and an exit line into/from the water reservoir are provided on the upper-portion side surface of the water reservoir. Also, there is provided a control device for causing the solenoid valve to perform an open/close operation based on a set time, the solenoid valve being provided in the start-time water-supply line.
According to a start-time water-supply method of the present invention for performing the water-supply to the inter-rotors clearance and the slide part of the mechanical seal, the water circulating in the inside of the compressor is retained in advance, and is supplied at the compressor's start time. As a result, it is unnecessary to perform the water-supply from the outside every time the compressor is started. This feature makes it possible to reduce the consumption amount of the tap water.
Also, the water supplied in the water-supply is the circulation water inside the water separator and the condensed water of the dryer. This feature makes it possible to prevent the damage and wear-out of the engagement portion of each rotor and the slide part of the mechanical seal, and the occurrence of the clog of the water filter in a short time-period. Here, the above-described damage and wear-out are caused to occur by the engagement of the precipitated substances of the ions such as calcium and magnesium contained in the tap water supplied from the outside. Moreover, the water-supply amount at the compressor's start time can be controlled. This feature results in an advantage of being capable of avoiding the start's impossibility caused by a torque increase due to the too much water-supply at the compressor's start time, and the water-supply's lack due to a viscosity increase.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
Hereinafter, the explanation will be given below concerning a first embodiment of the present invention.
In this compression process, the compression chamber displaces, and then reaches a water-supply position provided in the casing 36. At this time, water supplied from a rotor injection line 10 is injected into the compression chamber from a water-injecting hole provided at the water-supply position. After that, the air and the water are compressed together, then being discharged together from the discharge port 45. Lip seals 9 are provided on the rotor side of the bearings 7 provided on the inlet-side axis of each rotor. The lip seals 9 prevent the oil of each bearing chamber from mixing onto the rotor side. Also, lip seals 9 are provided on the inlet end-surface side of each rotor. The lip seals are provided in order to prevent the water, which is injected onto each rotor, from leaking into each bearing chamber and mixing into the lubrication oil. The inlet port 2 is formed at the inlet-side end portion of each rotor. Since the pressure does not become higher, the sealing of each rotor axis based on each lip seal 9 is implementable.
Similarly, lip seals 9 are provided on the rotor side of the bearings 6 provided on the discharge-side axis of each rotor. The lip seals 9 prevent the oil of each bearing chamber from mixing onto the rotor side. Also, mechanical seals 8 are provided on the discharge end-surface side of each rotor. The mechanical seals are provided in order to prevent the water, which is injected onto each rotor, from leaking into each bearing chamber together with the compressed air. The gas pressure close to the discharge pressure is applied onto the discharge end-surface side of each rotor. As a result, there is a possibility that the lip used in each lip seal is damaged by the gas pressure. Meanwhile, the sealing based on each mechanical seal 8 is implemented as follows: Namely, its fixed member fixed to the housing and its rotational member mounted onto the axis and rotating therewith perform a sliding movement with each other on the seal surface of each mechanical seal 8. On account of this sliding movement, the seal surface of each mechanical seal 8 is lubricated by the water-supply from a first mechanical-seal water-supply line 11a during the compressor's operation. The inlet-port water-supply line 12 apertured into the inlet port 2 is a line for supplying the water to the inter-rotors clearance at the compressor's start time. Similarly, the second mechanical-seal water-supply line 11b is a line for supplying the water to the slide part of each mechanical seal at the compressor's start time.
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Meanwhile, the compressed air is discharged from a discharge line 24 provided at the upper portion of the water separator 14. The compressed air is discharged, when its pressure is caused to exceed a set pressure by a regulating check valve 25. The portion of the discharge line 24 across this valve 25 is connected to a dryer 27. In this dryer 27, the compressed air is cooled down, and the mist-like moisture contained within the air is condensed down to the saturated vapor pressure at its dew-point temperature. Moreover, the compressed air dried is discharged from a compressed-air supply line, The condensed water produced by the moisture condensation inside the dryer 27 is retained into a dryer's tank. Furthermore, the condensed water retained into the dryer's tank is drained periodically from a drain line provided on the dryer's tank. This periodical drain operation is performed by the open/close operation of a solenoid valve 39 provided in the drain line.
Here, the explanation will be given below concerning the prior-art method of performing the water-supply to the inter-rotors clearance and the slide part of the mechanical-seal unit at the compressor's start time. Usually, it is conceivable to use the tap-water line. The external pressure-added water-supply line 32 is provided for implementing the tap-water replenishment for the water tank 15. Via the first solenoid valve 29, the water-supply line 32 is connected to the inlet-port water-supply line 12 for supplying the water to the inter-rotors clearance, and the second mechanical-seal water-supply line 11b for supplying the water to the slide part of the mechanical seal. Here, the water-supply line 12 is connected to the inlet port 2 of the water-lubricated screw compressor 1.
At the compressor's start time, the first solenoid valve 29 is opened, thereby starting the water-supply to the inter-rotors clearance and the slide part of the mechanical seal. Then, after the lapse of a certain constant time, the first solenoid valve 29 is closed, thereby stopping the water-supply thereto. After that, the water-lubricated screw compressor 1 is started.
Consequently, according to the present prior-art method, the water-supply from the outside is performed on each start basis. As a result of this condition, the water's consumption amount increases when the tap water is used. Also, the ions such as calcium and magnesium are contained in the tap water, and are precipitated on the water-supply unit. Then, if the substances precipitated are engaged into the engagement portion of the rotors and the slide part of the mechanical seal, these precipitated substances become a cause for their damage and wear-out in some cases.
Furthermore, if the water-supply amount is too much, the liquid compression is caused to occur at the compressor's start time. As a result, the start itself becomes impossible in some cases.
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Also, the rotor injection line 10 branches halfway, thereby being connected to the first mechanical-seal water-supply line 11a. This first mechanical-seal water-supply line 11a performs the water-supply to the slide part of the mechanical-seal unit. The water supplied into the inter-rotors clearance is discharged from the discharge port together with the compressed air. Moreover, the water is separated from the compressed air inside the water separator 14 by the turning-around discharge stream line 43. Then, the water separated is reserved into the water tank 15 that is provided at the lower portion of the inside of the water separator 14. Meanwhile, the compressed air separated from the water is discharged from the discharge line 24 that is connected to the upper portion of the water separator 14. The compressed air is discharged, when its pressure is caused to exceed the set pressure by the regulating check valve 25. Usually, the set pressure is set at 0.5 MPa. The compressed air discharged passes through the dryer 27 across this valve 25. In this dryer 27, the mist-like moisture contained within the discharged air is condensed down to its dew-point temperature. Moreover, the compressed air whose humidity is removed is discharged into the discharge line. A condensed-water collection line 19 is provided onto the condensed-water tank of the dryer 27. The condensed-water collection line 19 is connected to the inlet port 2 of the water-lubricated screw compressor 1 via a fourth solenoid valve 40. The fourth solenoid valve 40 is periodically opened/closed in accordance with a signal from a control device 37. This operation causes the condensed water of the dryer 27 to be pulled and absorbed into the inlet port 2 whose pressure is lower than the atmospheric pressure. Furthermore, the condensed water pulled and absorbed into the inlet port 2 is charged into the compression chamber of the compressor. After that, the condensed water is discharged from the discharge port into the water separator 14, then circulating around the compressor.
A start-time water-supply line 30 is connected to the lower portion of the water reservoir 18. A second solenoid valve 33, which is deployed behind the start-time water-supply line 30, is opened at the compressor's start time. As a result, the water that has been charged into the water reservoir 18 during the compressor's operation is supplied by the potential energy. Here, this water is supplied from the inlet-port water-supply line 12 and the second mechanical-seal water-supply line 11b, which are deployed across the water reservoir 18, to the inter-rotors clearance and the slide part of the mechanical-seal unit, respectively.
Usually, the water-supply amount needed at the compressor's start time is equal to about 5 liters/minute from the test result. The time that has elapsed until the pressure inside the water separator is raised and the water-supply is started by the raised pressure is equal to 5 to 10 seconds. Accordingly, about 1 or more litter is sufficient enough as the inner volume of the water reservoir 18 for obtaining the water-supply time needed at the compressor's start time. Also, assuming that the elevation difference between the water reservoir 18 and the water-supply unit of the water-lubricated screw compressor 1 is equal to 1 m, about 5 mm is sufficient enough as the inner diameter of the water-supply line at the compressor's start time. Also, the external pressure-added water-supply line 32 for implementing the water replenishment when the water inside the water tank 15 is lacking is provided in the compressor unit 35. This water-supply line 32 is connected to the inlet port 2 via the first solenoid valve 29.
if the water level of the water tank 15 of the water separator 14 becomes lower than a reference range during the compressor's operation, the first solenoid valve 29 is opened by the control device 37. This operation causes the water of the external pressure-added water-supply line 32 (i.e., tap-water line) to be made inlet from the inlet port 2 of the compressor, and to be charged into the water tank 15 of the water separator 14 eventually.
According to the present invention, the water is charged into the water reservoir 18 during the compressor's operation. Moreover, the water is maintained at the compressor's stop time as well. These features allow the water inside the water reservoir 18 to be supplied at the compressor's start time to the inter-rotors clearance and the slide part of the mechanical-seal unit of the compressor.
Accordingly, it is unnecessary to perform the water-supply from the external pressure-added water-supply line 32 (i.e., tap-water line) every time the compressor is started. This feature makes it possible to save the water's consumption. Also, the water inside the water tank 15 is supplied. This feature brings about none of the increase in the ions such as calcium and magnesium like the case where the tap water is used. This condition, further, gives rise to none of the occurrence of the damage and wear-out of the inter-rotors clearance and the slide part of the mechanical-seal unit, which are caused to occur in such a manner that the precipitated substances of the ions are produced on the water-supply unit, and are engaged into the inter-rotors clearance and the slide part.
Moreover, the water supply from the water reservoir 18 is performed based on the potential energy. This feature gives rise to none of the occurrence of the in-rotors liquid compression due to the too much water supply, as long as the diameter of the water-supply line is properly set in advance. As a result, there occurs none of the start impossibility. Also, the water reservoir 18 is provided at the position higher than the water-supply unit of the water-lubricated screw compressor 1. This feature allows the water inside the water reservoir 18 to be supplied at the compressor's start time to the inter-rotors clearance and the slide part of the mechanical-seal unit. As a result, the water cooler as illustrated in
Also, the start-time water-supply line 30 connected to the water reservoir 18 is provided separately from the water-reservoir exit line 23, i.e., the water-supply line that functions during the compressor's operation. As a result, by closing the second solenoid valve 33 after the compressor's start, the water heated during the compressor's operation is prevented from being made inlet into the water-lubricated screw compressor from the inlet port. Accordingly, there occurs none of a lowering in the performance of the compressor. Incidentally, if the water whose temperature is higher than that of the inlet air is supplied into the compressor during the compressor's operation, the compressor is heated at this inlet time, and its air density decreases, Consequently, a tendency is observed that its performance becomes lowered.
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The second solenoid valve 33 of the start-time water-supply line 30 and the fourth solenoid valve 40 of the water-reservoir exit line 23 are closed during the compressor's operation. As a result, the condensed water produced by the condensation inside the dryer 27 is reserved into the water reservoir 18. Then, the fourth solenoid valve 40 of the water-reservoir exit line 23 is opened with a timing with which the liquid surface of the condensed water reaches the upper surface of the water reservoir 18. This operation causes the condensed water to be collected into the inlet port 2 of the compressor.
Also, the fourth solenoid valve 40 of the water-reservoir exit line 23 is closed with the timing with which the condensed water that has overflowed the water reservoir 18 is collected. This operation makes it possible to prevent the leakage of the discharged air. Moreover, when the compressor is stopped, the inside of the water reservoir 18 is filled with the condensed water. Then, the second solenoid valve 33 of the start-time water-supply line 30 is opened at the compressor's start time. Since the water reservoir 18 is filled with the condensed water, this operation causes the condensed water inside the water reservoir 18 to be supplied into the inlet port 2 of the compressor via the inlet-port water-supply line 12, and to be supplied into the slide part of the mechanical seal via the second mechanical-seal water-supply line 11b.
After the compressor's start, the second solenoid valve 33 of the start-time water-supply line 30 is closed. This operation allows implementation of the normal condensed-water collection operation performed by the dryer 27.
According to the present invention, no water is supplied from the external pressure-added water-supply line 32 every time the compressor is started. This feature makes it possible to implement the water's saving. Also, the utilization of the condensed water allows prevention of the precipitation of the ions such as calcium and magnesium. This feature makes it possible to prevent the occurrence of the damage and wear-out of the inter-rotors clearance and the slide part of the mechanical-seal unit. Also, there occurs none of the occurrence of the in-rotors liquid compression due to the too much water supply. This feature makes it possible to prevent the occurrence of the start impossibility, as is the case with the first embodiment.
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It should be further understood by those skilled in the art that although the foregoing description has been made on embodiments of the invention, the invention is not limited thereto and various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-083457 | Apr 2013 | JP | national |
