High-throughput diaphragm compressor

A diaphragm compressor system, comprising:

• a first compressor head comprising:
• a head cavity, and
• a diaphragm mounted in the head cavity and dividing the head cavity into a work oil region and a process gas region,
• the diaphragm configured to actuate from a first position to a second position during a discharge cycle to pressurize process gas in the process gas region from an inlet pressure to a discharge pressure, and discharge the pressurized process gas through the first compressor head;
• a hydraulic drive comprising a high-pressure circuit of work oil, a medium-pressure circuit of work oil, and a low-pressure circuit of work oil, the hydraulic drive configured to pressurize work oil and distribute work oil throughout the diaphragm compressor system, the hydraulic drive comprising:
• a drive housing comprising:
• a drive cavity,
• first and second ports, the hydraulic drive being configured to provide a variable-pressure supply of work oil to the drive cavity through the first and second ports, and
• an actuator piston located in the drive cavity, the actuator piston dividing the drive cavity into a first actuation volume oriented toward the first compressor head and in communication with the first port and a second actuation volume oriented away from the first compressor head and in communication with the second port, the actuator piston comprising a first side oriented toward the first actuation volume and a second side oriented toward the second actuation volume, the actuator piston being configured to intensify work oil in the work oil region of the first compressor head by compressing work oil in the first actuation volume,
• wherein, after a discharge cycle of the first compressor head:
• the hydraulic drive is configured to close off work oil from the high-pressure circuit to the second actuation volume, and provide work oil from the medium-pressure circuit through both the first and second ports to the first and second actuation volumes to substantially balance the pressure on the first and second sides of the actuator piston at an intermediate pressure between the pressures of the medium-pressure circuit and the high-pressure circuit, and
• the system is configured to supply the first compressor head with process gas to begin a supply cycle, the supply of process gas driving the diaphragm toward its first position, intensifying the work oil in the work oil region, increasing pressure in the first actuation volume, and thereby actuating the actuator piston to move away from the first compressor head.

A diaphragm compressor system, comprising:

• first and second compressor heads each comprising:
• a diaphragm mounted in a head cavity and dividing the head cavity into a work oil region and a process gas region,
• the diaphragm configured to:
• during a discharge cycle, actuate from a first position to a second position in response to intensified work oil in the respective work oil region and thereby pressurizing process gas in the process gas region from an inlet pressure to a discharge pressure, and
• during a supply cycle, move from the second position to the first position in response to a supply of process gas at the inlet pressure into the process gas region;
• and
• a hydraulic drive comprising:
• a plurality of pressure circuits of work oil,
• a hydraulically-driven actuator piston configured to drive alternatingly in first and second stroke directions, the first stroke direction intensifying work oil in the work oil region of the first compressor head and the second stroke direction intensifying work oil in the work oil of the second compressor head,
• a drive cavity for the actuator piston, the drive cavity comprising a first actuation volume on a first side of the actuator piston and a second actuation volume on a second side of the actuator piston, and
• one or more valves configured to selectively open or close one or more of the plurality of pressure circuits to one or more of the first and second actuation volumes,
• wherein the hydraulic drive is configured to be force coupled with each of the first and second compressor heads such that, during a supply cycle of the first compressor head, the movement of the respective diaphragm toward its first position is configured to drive the actuator piston in the second stroke direction, and
• wherein, upon completion of a discharge cycle in the first compressor head and corresponding completion of driving the actuator piston in the first stroke direction, the one or more valves are configured to balance pressures in the first and second actuation volumes by opening both volumes to a predetermined one of the plurality of pressure circuits.