# US 12,000,409 B2 · Turbo compressor with explosion-proof function > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,000,409 B2 - Document ID: US12000409B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/279,861 - Filed: 2022-01-21 - Published: 2024-05-09 - Granted: 2024-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2021-03-23 - Applicants: Tne Korea Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Kyeong Su Kim - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12000409B2 ## CPC - F04D 17/10: for compressing or evacuating - F04D 29/584: {cooling or heating the machine (F04D29/5846, F04D29/5853 take precedence)} - F04D 25/06: the pump being electrically driven (F04D25/08 takes precedence) - F04D 29/053: Shafts - F04D 29/4206: {especially adapted for elastic fluid pumps} - F04D 29/5806: {Cooling the drive system} - F04D 29/5826: {Cooling at least part of the working fluid in a heat exchanger} - F04D 29/0513: {hydrostatic; hydrodynamic thrust bearings} - F04D 29/057: hydrostatic; hydrodynamic - F04D 29/441: {especially adapted for elastic fluid pumps} - F05D 2250/51: Inlet - F04D: NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PUMPS (engine fuel-injection pumps F02M; ion pumps H01J41/12; electrodynamic pumps H02K44/02) - F05D: INDEXING SCHEME FOR ASPECTS RELATING TO NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, GAS-TURBINES OR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS ## Abstract Provided is a turbo compressor capable of compressing a gas and supplying the compressed gas to outside, the turbo compressor including a compression unit including an impeller for compressing a gas introduced through a compressed gas inlet, a motor including a rotating shaft having an end coupled to the impeller, to rotate the impeller, a housing including a motor accommodation space for accommodating the motor, a cooling air channel provided to pass through the motor accommodation space and formed to continuously circulate a cooling gas accommodated therein, one or more air bearings supporting a radial load or an axial load of the rotating shaft, and a non-contact explosion-proof unit provided as a passage through which flames produced in an inner space of the housing pass so as to be cooled and then discharged to the outside, and having a width less than or equal to a predetermined value and a length greater than or equal to a predetermined value, wherein a compressed gas channel is spatially separate from the cooling air channel to prevent the gas inside the compressed gas channel from penetrating into the cooling air channel. According to the present invention, an explosion-proof turbo compressor with an improved structure to increase service life and reduce vibration noise by using air bearings and to, at the same time, rapidly cool and then discharge flames caused by an internal explosion may be provided. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A turbo compressor capable of compressing a gas and supplying the compressed gas to outside, the turbo compressor comprising: a compressed gas inlet through which the gas is sucked in; an impeller for compressing the gas introduced through the compressed gas inlet; a compressed gas outlet through which the gas compressed by the impeller is discharged to the outside; a compression unit comprising a compressed gas channel connected from the compressed gas inlet to the compressed gas outlet; a motor comprising a rotating shaft having an end coupled to the impeller, to rotate the impeller; a housing comprising a motor accommodation space for accommodating the motor; a cooling air channel provided to pass through the motor accommodation space and formed to continuously circulate a cooling gas accommodated therein; one or more air bearings supporting a radial load or an axial load of the rotating shaft; and a non-contact explosion-proof unit provided as a passage through which flames produced in an inner space of the housing pass so as to be cooled and then discharged to the outside, and having a width less than or equal to a predetermined value and a length greater than or equal to a predetermined value, wherein the compressed gas channel is spatially separate from the cooling air channel to prevent the gas inside the compressed gas channel from penetrating into the cooling air channel. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The turbo compressor of claim 1, wherein the non-contact explosion-proof unit connects the inner space of the housing and the compressed gas channel to each other. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The turbo compressor of claim 1, wherein the non-contact explosion-proof unit is a cylindrical space formed by cooperation of a first surface provided on an outer circumferential surface of an end of the rotating shaft and a second surface provided on the housing. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The turbo compressor of claim 1, wherein the non-contact explosion-proof unit is a conical space formed by cooperation of a first surface provided on an outer circumferential surface of an end of the rotating shaft and a second surface provided on the housing, and wherein the conical space is positioned within a predetermined distance from the impeller and has a radius gradually decreasing toward the impeller. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The turbo compressor of claim 1, wherein the non-contact explosion-proof unit has a shape selected from a group comprising a stair shape and a wave shape, to increase a distance by which the flames produced in the inner space of the housing pass. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The turbo compressor of claim 1, further comprising a cooling fan for forcibly circulating the cooling gas accommodated in the cooling air channel. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The turbo compressor of claim 6, wherein the cooling fan is disposed at a rear end of the rotating shaft and rotated by torque of the rotating shaft. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The turbo compressor of claim 1, wherein cooling fins capable of increasing efficiency of heat exchange are provided between the compressed gas channel and the cooling air channel. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The turbo compressor of claim 1, further comprising an electrical converter for controlling the motor, wherein the electrical converter comprises a case made of a metal material to airtightly accommodate internal heating elements, and wherein the case is maintained in contact with the housing to exchange heat. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The turbo compressor of claim 9, wherein cooling fins capable of increasing efficiency of heat exchange are provided between the compressed gas channel and the cooling air channel, and wherein the case is disposed at a position where heat is exchangeable with the cooling fins.