Multi-stage compressor having interstage lubricant injection via an injection rod
AssigneeIngersoll-Rand Industrial U.S., Inc.
InventorsRyan D. Hartman, Daniel R. Crum, Ryan Coleman, Philipp Bothe
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A compressor is disclosed which can include a first stage and a second stage. In one form the compressor includes contact cooled compressor stages. The compressor can include a rod useful to inject a lubricant for purposes of cooling/lubricating/sealing the rotating components of the compressor. In one form the rod is an elongate rod with openings which permit a lubricant such as oil to be injected. The injected oil can be atomized via the openings. The rod can be positioned in the interstage space between the first and second stages, and can include a variety of openings.
Claims20
A multi-stage contact cooled compressor having a first stage rotary compressor located upstream from a second stage rotary compressor, the multi-stage contact cooled compressor comprising:
- a transfer volume located intermediate to the first stage rotary compressor and the second stage rotary compressor, wherein the transfer volume is used to receive outflow from the first stage rotary compressor and convey the outflow to the second stage rotary compressor;
- and
- an oil feed rod having an exterior periphery that extends in a longitudinal direction, the oil feed rod oriented to protrude into the transfer volume such that the longitudinal direction is orthogonal to a line parallel to an axis of rotation of the first stage rotary compressor, the oil feed rod having an open interior for the receipt of oil as well as a plurality of openings formed in the exterior periphery of the oil feed rod through which oil from the open interior of the oil feed rod can pass into the transfer volume.
An apparatus comprising:
- a first contact cooled compressor stage that includes a first pair of compressor rotors;
- a second contact cooled compressor stage having a second pair of compressor rotors;
- a passage that connects an outlet of the first contact cooled compressor stage to an inlet of the second contact cooled compressor stage;
- and
- an oil delivery rod having an external oil delivery surface that extends in a longitudinal direction, the oil delivery rod positioned to extend into the passage such that the longitudinal direction is orthogonal to a line parallel to an axis of rotation of the first pair of compressor rotors, the external oil delivery surface including a plurality of openings positioned between a first exposed end of the oil delivery rod and a second exposed end of the oil delivery rod, the plurality of openings configured to spray oil into a passing flow of working fluid produced by the first contact cooled compressor stage.
A method comprising:
- compressing a working fluid with a multi-stage contact cooled compressor;
- routing the compressed working fluid from a first stage to a second stage of the multi-stage contact cooled compressor;
- and
- spraying oil out of an elongated oil rod in an interstage region between the first stage and the second stage, the elongated oil rod elongated in a longitudinal direction that is orthogonal to a line parallel to an axis of rotation of the first stage of the multi-stage contact cooled compressor, the elongated oil rod having a plurality of openings formed in the elongated oil rod and arranged along the longitudinal direction such that oil is provided to the compressed working fluid from the first stage prior to being entrained in a compression process of the second stage.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.