Centrifugal compressor having a casing with an adjustable clearance and connections for a variable flow rate cooling medium, impeller clearance control apparatus for centrifugal compressor, and impeller clearance control method for centrifugal compressor

An impeller clearance control apparatus for a centrifugal compressor including

• a casing having a first end portion, a second end portion, and a motor housing portion disposed between the first end portion and the second end portion, the first end portion including a first inlet portion and a first outlet portion, and the second end portion including a second inlet portion and a second outlet portion;
• a first impeller disposed between the first inlet portion and the first outlet portion, the first impeller being attached to a shaft rotatable about a rotation axis, the shaft having a first end and a second end and the first impeller being attached to the first end, a first axial gap existing between at least a portion of the first impeller and the casing;
• a motor arranged inside the motor housing portion of the casing to rotate the shaft in order to rotate the first impeller, the motor including a rotor mounted on the shaft and a stator disposed radially outwardly of the rotor to form a radial gap between the rotor and the stator;
• a second impeller attached to the second end of the shaft on an opposite side of the motor from the first impeller, the second impeller being disposed between the second inlet portion and the second outlet portion of the casing, a second axial gap existing between at least a portion of the second impeller and the casing;
• and
• a cooling medium delivery structure including an inlet conduit located to supply a cooling medium to the casing and an outlet conduit located to discharge the cooling medium from the casing, the cooling medium delivery structure being configured to vary a flow rate of the cooling medium supplied to the casing,
• a portion of the shaft between the first end and the rotor being supported with respect to the casing by a first bearing, the first bearing being moveable with respect to the shaft in an axial direction of the shaft,
• a portion of the shaft between the second end and the rotor being supported with respect to the casing by a second bearing, and the second bearing being moveable with respect to the shaft in the axial direction of the shaft,
• the cooling medium delivery structure including
• a first side cooling medium delivery structure having a first inlet conduit located to supply a cooling medium to a first stage side of the casing, and a first outlet conduit located to discharge the cooling medium from the first stage side of the casing, and
• a second side cooling medium delivery structure having a second inlet conduit located to supply the cooling medium to a second stage side of the casing, and a second outlet conduit located to discharge the cooling medium from the second stage side of the casing, and
• a partition being formed on an inside of the motor housing portion of the casing at a middle position of the casing in the axial direction of the shaft, the partition encircling the stator of the motor and having one side in contact with the cooling medium of the first side cooling medium delivery structure and another side in contact with the cooling medium of the second side cooling medium delivery structure such that the cooling medium of the first side cooling medium delivery structure is isolated from the cooling medium of the second side cooling medium delivery structure in a space existing radially-between the motor housing portion of the casing and the stator of the motor, the partition being narrower than the stator and the rotor in the axial direction of the shaft and arranged such that the stator and the rotor extend beyond both sides of the partition in the axial direction,
• the impeller clearance control apparatus comprising:
• a sensor arranged and configured to detect a value indicating a condition of the centrifugal compressor that correlates to a size of an axial gap between an impeller of the compressor and an internal portion of a casing of the compressor;
• and
• a controller arranged to receive a signal from the sensor indicating the detected value, the controller being programmed to control a supply of a cooling medium to the casing based on the detected value such that the size of the axial gap is adjusted to a target axial gap value.

An impeller clearance control method for a centrifugal compressor including

• a casing having a first end portion, a second end portion, and a motor housing portion disposed between the first end portion and the second end portion, the first end portion including a first inlet portion and a first outlet portion, and the second end portion including a second inlet portion and a second outlet portion;
• a first impeller disposed between the first inlet portion and the first outlet portion, the first impeller being attached to a shaft rotatable about a rotation axis, the shaft having a first end and a second end and the first impeller being attached to the first end, a first axial gap existing between at least a portion of the first impeller and the casing;
• a motor arranged inside the motor housing portion of the casing to rotate the shaft in order to rotate the first impeller, the motor including a rotor mounted on the shaft and a stator disposed radially outwardly of the rotor to form a radial gap between the rotor and the stator;
• a second impeller attached to the second end of the shaft on an opposite side of the motor from the first impeller, the second impeller being disposed between the second inlet portion and the second outlet portion of the casing, a second axial gap existing between at least a portion of the second impeller and the casing;
• and
• a cooling medium delivery structure including an inlet conduit located to supply a cooling medium to the casing and an outlet conduit located to discharge the cooling medium from the casing, the cooling medium delivery structure being configured to vary a flow rate of the cooling medium supplied to the casing,
• a portion of the shaft between the first end and the rotor being supported with respect to the casing by a first bearing, the first bearing being moveable with respect to the shaft in an axial direction of the shaft,
• a portion of the shaft between the second end and the rotor being supported with respect to the casing by a second bearing, and the second bearing being moveable with respect to the shaft in the axial direction of the shaft,
• the cooling medium delivery structure including
• a first side cooling medium delivery structure having a first inlet conduit located to supply a cooling medium to a first stage side of the casing, and a first outlet conduit located to discharge the cooling medium from the first stage side of the casing, and
• a second side cooling medium delivery structure having a second inlet conduit located to supply the cooling medium to a second stage side of the casing, and a second outlet conduit located to discharge the cooling medium from the second stage side of the casing, and
• a partition being formed on an inside of the motor housing portion of the casing at a middle position of the casing in the axial direction of the shaft, the partition encircling the stator of the motor and having one side in contact with the cooling medium of the first side cooling medium delivery structure and another side in contact with the cooling medium of the second side cooling medium delivery structure such that the cooling medium of the first side cooling medium delivery structure is isolated from the cooling medium of the second side cooling medium delivery structure in a space existing radially-between the motor housing portion of the casing and the stator of the motor, the partition being narrower than the stator and the rotor in the axial direction of the shaft and arranged such that the stator and the rotor extend beyond both sides of the partition in the axial direction,
• the method comprising
• determining a size of an axial gap between an impeller and a casing of the centrifugal compressor;
• and
• controlling a flow of a cooling medium to the casing such that the size of the axial gap is adjusted to a target axial gap value using thermal expansion and contraction of the casing.