Lubricating and sealing liquid for a high pressure compressor

Claim 2

In a high-pressure compressor including a housing defining a pressure space including chambers and passages connected thereto for conveying sealing and lubricating liquid to and from an impeller shaft rotatably mounted in the housing, the improvement comprising, in combination, a stepped impeller shaft mounted in said pressure space for limited radial movement; said shaft comprising, from its power input end, an elastically bendable torsion shaft portion having the minimum diameter effective to support only the torsional stresses impressed thereon, a relieving piston carried by said torsion shaft portion, a main compressor shaft portion, and at least one impeller carried by said main compressor shaft portion; a torsion shaft sealing surrounding said torsion shaft portion and serving as the main sealing forming a shield between the pressure within said pressure space and atmospheric pressure; a sleeve surrounding said relieving piston and formed with axially spaced grooves in its inner surface facing said relieving piston; annular discs mounted on said relieving piston and facing said grooves, said discs compensating the axial thrust; a chamber defined, on the one hand, by said torsion shaft portion and said torsion shaft sealing and, on the other hand, by said relieving piston, said sleeve and said housing; a supply conduit connected to said last-named chamber and supplying sealing and lubricating liquid thereto serving to absorb the internal pressure within said housing; a bearing body surrounding the major portion of said main compressor shaft portion; a sealing and lubricating liquid-receiving tank; a draining conduit connecting the inner space of said bearing body to said tank; and a pressure-control valve and a liquid separator connected in series in said draining conduit.

Claim 3

In a high-pressure compressor, the improvement claimed in claim 1, in which said torsion shaft portion is integral with said main compression shaft portion.

Claim 4

In a high-pressure compressor, the improvement claimed in claim 1, including a coupling connecting said torsion shaft portion to said main compressor shaft portion.

Claim 5

In a high-pressure compressor, the improvement claimed in claim 1, including a standstill stop fixture, for said relieving piston, provided on said torsion shaft sealing.

Claim 6

In a high-pressure compressor, the improvement claimed in claim 1, including a tank for receiving sealing and lubricating liquid; said sealing and lubricating liquid being supplied to said last-named chamber through said supply conduit by a pressure-controlled pump connected between said tank and said supply conduit; and a check valve in said supply conduit between said pump and said last-named chamber.

Claim 7

In a high-pressure compressor, the improvement claimed in claim 5, in which said pressure-control pump has a piston characteristic.

Claim 8

In a high-pressure compressor including a housing defining a pressure space including chambers and passages connected thereto for conveying sealing and lubricating liquid to and from an impeller shaft rotatably mounted in the housing, the improvement comprising, in combination, a stepped impeller shaft mounted in said pressure space for limited radial movement; said shaft comprising, from its power input end, an elastically bendable torsion shaft portion having the minimum diameter effective to support only the torsional stresses impressed thereon, a elieving piston carried by said torsion shaft portion, a main compressor shaft portion, and at least one impeller carried by said main compressor shaft portion; a torsion shaft sealing surrounding said torsion shaft portion and serving as the main sealing forming a shield between the pressure within said pressure space and atmospheric pressure; a sleeve surrounding said relieving piston and formed with axially spaced grooves in its inner surface facing said relieving piston; annular discs mounted on said relieving piston and facing said grooves, said discs compensating the axial thrust; a chamber defined, on the one hand, by said torsion shaft portion and said torsion shaft sealing and, on the other hand, by said relieving piston, said sleeve and said housing; a supply conduit connected to said last-named chamber and supplying sealing and lubricating liquid thereto serving to absorb the internal pressure within said housing; a main compressor shaft sealing mounted at the end of said main compressor shaft portion nearest said impeller; a second chamber defined between said housing and said main compressor shaft sealing; an accumulator; an outlet conduit connecting said second chamber to said accumulator; a tank for receiving sealing and lubricating liquid; first means operable to connect said accumulator to said tank; and second means operable to connect said accumulator to an open outlet.

Claim 9

In a high-pressure compressor including a housing defining a pressure space including chambers and passages connected thereto for conveying sealing and lubricating liquid to and from an impeller shaft rotatably mounted in the housing, the improvement comprising, in combination, a stepped impeller shaft mounted in said pressure space for limited radial movement; said shaft comprising, from its power input end, an elastically bendable torsion shaft portion having the minimum diameter effective to support only the torsional stresses impressed thereon, a elieving piston carried by said torsion shaft portion, a main compressor shaft portion, and at least one impeller carried by said main compressor shaft portion; a torsion shaft sealing surrounding said torsion shaft portion and serving as the main sealing forming a shield between the pressure within said pressure space and atmospheric pressure; a sleeve surrounding said relieving piston and formed with axially spaced grooves in its inner surface facing said relieving piston; annular discs mounted on said relieving piston and facing said grooves, said discs compensating the axial thrust; a chamber defined, on the one hand, by said torsion shaft portion and said torsion shaft sealing and, on the other hand, by said relieving piston, said sleeve and said housing; a supply conduit connected to said last-named chamber and supplying sealing and lubricating liquid thereto serving to absorb the internal pressure within said housing; a main compressor shaft sealing mounted at the end of said main compressor shaft portion nearest said impeller; a second chamber defined between said housing and said main compressor shaft sealing; an accumulator; an outlet conduit connecting said second chamber to said accumulator; a tank for receiving sealing and lubricating liquid; first means operable to connect said accumulator to said tank; and second means operable to connect said accumulator to an open outlet.

Claim 10

In a high-pressure compressor, the improvement claimed in claim 7, in which said first means comprises a valve; said second means comprising a throttling system controlling the flow through said open outlet.

Claim 11

In a high-pressure compressor, the improvement claimed in claim 8, in which said throttling system controls said valve.