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US 2013/0091869 A1Published application
Integral compressor-expander
AssigneesSamsung Techwin Co., Ltd., Dresser-Rand Company
InventorsPatrice Bardon, Jason Kerth, Sukchul Kang
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An integral compressor-expander assembly, including a cryogenic expander positioned in an overhung configuration on a central shaft; a multi-stage centrifugal compressor supported on the central shaft between at least two bearings; and a device coupled to the central shaft and configured to either supply rotational power to the central shaft or generate power from rotation of the central shaft, depending upon a current operational mode of the multi-stage compressor.
Claims23
A compressor-expander assembly, comprising:
- a cryogenic expander positioned in an overhung configuration on a central shaft;
- a multi-stage centrifugal compressor supported on the central shaft between at least twobearings;
- a balance piston positioned along the central shaft between an outlet of the multistage centrifugal compressor and one of the at least two bearings;
- and
- a thrust bearing positioned along the central shaft.
2 more elements
(canceled)
A compressor-expander assembly, comprising:
- a cryogenic expander positioned in an overhung configuration on a central shaft;
- a multi-stage centrifugal compressor supported on the central shaft between at least two bearings;
- and
- an electric motor generator combination coupled to the central shaft and configured to supply rotational power to the central shaft or generate power from rotation of the central shaft, depending upon a current operational mode of the multi-stage compressor,
- wherein the electric motor generator combination is configured to operate in three modes comprising:
- a first mode in which the cryogenic expander supplies rotational power to the central shaft and the electric motor generator combination operates to generate electrical power from the rotation of the central shaft;
- a second mode in which the cryogenic expander supplies rotational power to the central shaft and the electric motor generator combination supplies additional rotational power to the central shaft;
- and
- a third mode in which the cryogenic expander supplies rotational power to the central shaft and the electric motor generator combination rotates with the central shaft without adding rotational power thereto or generating electric power therefrom.
6 more elements
A method comprising:
- expanding a fluid in a cryogenic expander to rotate the cryogenic expander and create a rotational output on a central shaft to which a multi-stage centrifugal compressor and a driver/generator device are directly coupled for concomitant rotation;
- driving the compressor with driver/generator device and the cryogenic expander if the output from the cryogenic expander is less than that required to drive the compressor;
- driving the driver/generator device and the compressor with the cryogenic expander if the output from the cryogenic expander is more than that required to drive the compressor;
- and driving only the compressor with the cryogenic expander if the output from the cryogenic expander is not more or less than that required to drive the compressor.
1 more element
An apparatus, comprising:
- an overhung cryogenic expander which receives and cools a fluid while generating rotational work;
- a multi-wheel centrifugal compressor;
- a shaft operably coupling the cryogenic expander to receive the rotational work and also coupled to the multi-wheel centrifugal compressor, the shaft having a first end portion, a second end portion, and a longitudinal portion disposed between the expander and the compressor;
- a bearing rotationally supporting the longitudinal portion of the shaft;
- a casing enclosing the expander, the multi-wheel centrifugal compressor, the first end portion of the shaft and the longitudinal portion of the shaft, with the second end portion of the shaft extending outwardly through the casing and adapted to be operatively coupled to an external piece of rotating machinery;
- a balance piston positioned along the shaft between an outlet of the multi-wheel centrifugal compressor the bearing;
- and
- a thrust bearing positioned along the shaft.
5 more elements
A compressor-expander assembly, comprising:
- a cryogenic expander positioned in an overhung configuration on a central shaft;
- and
- a multi-stage centrifugal compressor supported on the central shaft between at least two bearings,
- wherein the compressor-expander may further include:
- an electric motor generator combination coupled to the central shaft and configured to supply rotational power to the central shaft or generate power from rotation of the central shaft, depending upon a current operational mode of the multi-stage compressor;
- and/or
- a rotating machinery device coupled to the central shaft, wherein the rotating machinery device is configured to either provide rotational power to or receive rotational power from the central shaft;
- and/or
- wherein the cryogenic expander is a radial input axial output expander;
- and/or
- wherein the bearings comprise at least one of radial magnetic bearings and lubricated oil bearings;
- and/or
- wherein the cryogenic expander and the multi-stage centrifugal compressor are contained in a single casing, and the central shaft extends from the single casing and is coupled to the electric motor generator combination;
- and/or
- wherein the cryogenic expander is contained in a first casing and the multi-stage centrifugal compressor is contained in a second casing, the first and second casings being coupled together;
- and/or
- wherein the compressor-expander assembly further comprises a balance piston positioned along the central shaft between an outlet of the multistage centrifugal compressor and one of the at least two bearings, and a thrust bearing positioned along the central shaft;
- and/or
- wherein the cryogenic expander is configured to receive an input fluid stream that is at a temperature of between about 50° C. and about −150° C.;
- and/or
- wherein an output pressure from the multi-stage centrifugal compressor is between about 2 bara and about 165 bara;
- and/or
- wherein the electric motor generator combination is configured to operate in three modes comprising a first mode in which the cryogenic expander supplies rotational power to the central shaft and the electric motor generator combination operates to generate electrical power from the rotation of the central shaft, a second mode in which the cryogenic expander supplies rotational power to the central shaft and the electric motor generator combination supplies additional rotational power to the central shaft, and a third mode in which the cryogenic expander supplies rotational power to the central shaft and the electric motor generator combination rotates with the central shaft without adding rotational power thereto or generating electric power therefrom;
- and/or
- wherein fluid may initially enter the centrifugal compressor assembly radially and compressed fluid may exit radially from the centrifugal compressor assembly;
- and/or
- wherein the multi-stage centrifugal compressor is in a back to back configuration, a double flow configuration, or a compound compressor configuration.
24 more elements
An apparatus, comprising:
- an overhung cryogenic expander which receives and cools a fluid while generating rotational work;
- a multi-wheel centrifugal compressor;
- a shaft operably coupling the cryogenic expander to receive the rotational work and also coupled to the multi-wheel centrifugal compressor, the shaft having a first end portion, a second end portion, and a longitudinal portion disposed between the expander and the compressor;
- a bearing rotationally supporting the longitudinal portion of the shaft;
- a casing enclosing the expander, the multi-wheel centrifugal compressor, the first end portion of the shaft and the longitudinal portion of the shaft, with the second end portion of the shaft extending outwardly through the casing and adapted to be operatively coupled to an external piece of rotating machinery;
- a balance piston positioned along the shaft between an outlet of the multi-wheel centrifugal compressor the bearing;
- and
- a thrust bearing positioned along the shaft;
- and/or
- wherein the interior of the casing is pressurized;
- and/or
- wherein each of the expander and the multi-wheel centrifugal compressor has an inlet and an outlet, neither of which is directly exposed to the exterior of the casing;
- and/or
- wherein the expander is configured to an input fluid stream that is at a temperature of between about 50° C. and about −150° C.;
- and/or
- wherein an output pressure from the multi-wheel centrifugal compressor is between about 2 bara about 165 bara.
13 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.