US4020642A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Compression systems and compressors
Assignee: HALL THERMOTANK PRODUCTS Ltd
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Filing: 1974-11-25
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Granted: 1977-05-03
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Expires: 1994-11-25
Abstract
Abstract In a gas compression system employing a positive-displacement rotary compressor, liquid is injected into the compressor which is the liquid phase of the gas or vapour being compressed and the compressor temperatures are maintained at about the saturation temperatures of the gas or vapour. The quantity of liquid injected is sufficient to fill, at least partially, the internal compressor clearance gaps. An electric driving motor is contained with the compressor in another chamber of the same of casing and the motor windings are cooled by being bathed in the wet gas mixture leaving the compressor discharge.
Inventors
- 👤 Geoffrey Gordon Haselden
- 👤 Guy Francis Hundy
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 18:06
CPC Classifications
F; F25; F25B; F25B31/00; F25B31/02; F25B31/026; F04; F04C; F04C29/00; F04C29/0007; F04C29/0042
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
145 words
A method for the oil-free compression of a gas or vapour using a compression machine of the type having at least one rotary positive-displacement stage and having a casing with a low-pressure inlet and a high pressure outlet and having a compressor rotor in said casing, comprising the steps of introducing the gas or vapour into the inlet, compressing the gas or vapour in the machine, and lubricating the compression machine by injecting thereinto at at least one point intermediate said inlet and said outlet a lubricating fluid consisting entirely of the liquid phase of the gas or vapour being compressed, the quantity of said liquid phase injected being sufficient to substantially fill the clearance gaps between the rotor and the casing and being sufficient to maintain the temperature of the compression machine close to the saturation temperature of the gas or vapour being compressed.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
145 words
A method for the oil-free compression of a gas or vapour using a compression machine of the type having at least one rotary positive-displacement stage and having a casing with a low-pressure inlet and a high pressure outlet and having a compressor rotor in said casing, comprising the steps of introducing the gas or vapour into the inlet, compressing the gas or vapour in the machine, and lubricating the compression machine by injecting thereinto at at least one point intermediate said inlet and said outlet a lubricating fluid consisting entirely of the liquid phase of the gas or vapour being compressed, the quantity of said liquid phase injected being sufficient to substantially fill the clearance gaps between the rotor and the casing and being sufficient to maintain the temperature of the compression machine close to the saturation temperature of the gas or vapour being compressed.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
29 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein the compression machine is a screw compressor and the lubricating fluid is injected into the machine between the ends of the screw.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
50 words
A method according to claim 1, including the steps of taking the compressed gas or vapour from the outlet of the machine, at least partly condensing the compressed gas or vapour to obtain the liquid phase, and injecting some of said liquid phase into the machine as said lubricating fluid.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method according to claim 3, including the step of pumping said liquid phase to raise its pressure before injecting it into said machine.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
17 words
A method according to claim 3, wherein the liquid phase is sub-cooled before injection into said machine.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
48 words
A method according to claim 3, wherein the compression machine has a casing communicating with said inlet and said outlet and has a compressor rotor in said casing, and said liquid phase being injected through said casing at at least one point intermediate the ends of the rotor.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
32 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein the injection of the liquid phase into said at least one point is intermittent and synchronized with the rate of rotation of the compression machine.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
35 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein the compression machine includes a rotor supported on oil-free bearings, and wherein said bearings are lubricated entirely by said liquid phase of the gas or vapour being compressed.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
57 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein the compression machine has a housing containing said rotary positive-displacement stage and wherein said compression machine is driven by an electric motor having windings contained within said same housing, the step of channeling said gas or vapour or its liquid phase over the windings of the motor to cool them.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method according to claim 9, wherein the windings of the motor are immersed in the liquid phase of the gas or vapour being compressed at the discharge pressure thereof.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
37 words
A method according to claim 9, wherein the windings of the motor are located in a chamber communicating with said outlet of the machine and through which the compressed gas or vapour or liquid phase thereof flows.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
66 words
A method according to claim 9, wherein the compressor and the motor are disposed end-to-end in said casing and carried on shafting passing through a partition in said casing separating the low-pressure inlet and the compression stage from the high-pressure outlet and the motor chamber, the step of passing the compressed gas or vapour from the compression stage through the motor chamber to the high-pressure outlet.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1980-05-02 | 1980-11-01 | 1981-05-03 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1984-05-02 | 1984-11-01 | 1985-05-03 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1988-05-02 | 1988-11-01 | 1989-05-03 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |