Compressor with liquid injection cooling

Abstract

A compressor includes: a casing with an inner wall defining a compression chamber, an inlet leading into the compression chamber, and an outlet leading out of the compression chamber; a rotor rotatably coupled to the casing for rotation relative to the casing; and a gate coupled to the casing for movement relative to the casing. The gate may be pivotally, or translationally coupled to the casing. A hydrostatic bearing may be disposed between the gate and casing. A plurality of compressors may be mechanically linked together such that their compression cycles are out of phase.

1 - 11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . A compressor comprising:
 a casing with an inner wall defining a compression chamber, an inlet leading into the compression chamber, and an outlet leading out of the compression chamber;   a rotor coupled to the casing for rotation relative to the casing;   a gate movably coupled to one of the casing and rotor for movement relative to the one of the casing and rotor, the gate comprising a sealing edge, the gate being operable to locate the sealing edge proximate to the other of the casing and rotor as the rotor rotates; and   a hydrostatic bearing arrangement disposed between (1) the gate and (2) the one of the casing and rotor to reduce friction when the gate moves during operation of the compressor.   
     
     
         13 . The compressor of  claim 12 , wherein:
 the one of the casing and rotor comprises the casing;   the gate is coupled to the casing for movement relative to the casing;   the gate is operable to move relative to the casing to locate the sealing edge proximate to the rotor as the rotor rotates such that the gate separates an inlet volume and a compression volume in the compression chamber; and   the inlet and outlet are disposed on opposite sides of the sealing edge from each other.   
     
     
         14 . The compressor of  claim 13 , wherein the hydrostatic bearing arrangement comprises:
 first and second inlet-side hydrostatic bearings disposed on an inlet side of the gate, the first and second inlet-side hydrostatic bearings being aligned and separated from each other along a direction of movement of the gate, and   first and second outlet-side hydrostatic bearings disposed on an outlet side of the gate, the first and second outlet-side hydrostatic bearings being aligned and separated from each other along a direction of movement of the gate.   
     
     
         15 . The compressor of  claim 12 , further comprising a drive shaft coupled to the casing for common rotation with the rotor relative to the casing, wherein the rotor has a non-circular profile. 
     
     
         16 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A compressor system comprising:
 a plurality of compressors, each compressor comprising:
 a casing with an inner wall defining a compression chamber, an inlet leading into the compression chamber, and an outlet leading out of the compression chamber, 
 a rotor rotatably coupled to the casing for rotation relative to the casing, and 
 a gate coupled to the casing for movement relative to the casing, the gate comprising a sealing edge, the gate being operable to move relative to the casing to locate the sealing edge proximate to the rotor as the rotor rotates such that the gate separates an inlet volume and a compression volume in the compression chamber, the inlet and outlet being disposed on opposite sides of the sealing edge from each other; and 
   a mechanical linkage between the rotors of the plurality of compressors, the mechanical linkage connecting between the rotors such that compression cycles of the plurality of compressors are out of phase with each other.   
     
     
         22 . The compressor of  claim 21 , wherein the plurality of compressors comprises n compressors, and wherein the mechanical linkage connects the rotors such that the compression cycle of each of the n compressors is out of phase with phase-wise adjacent ones of the n compressors by 360/n degrees, and wherein 2≤n≤100. 
     
     
         23 . The compressor of  claim 21 , wherein the mechanical linkage comprises a common drive shaft that extends through each of the plurality of compressors and is coupled to the rotors of each of the plurality of compressors for common rotation relative to the casings of each of the plurality of compressors. 
     
     
         24 . A compressor comprising:
 a casing with an inner wall defining a compression chamber, an inlet leading into the compression chamber, and an outlet leading out of the compression chamber;   a drive shaft and rotor rotatably coupled to the casing for common rotation relative to the casing such that when the rotor is rotated, the compressor compresses working fluid that enters the compression chamber from the inlet, and forces compressed working fluid out of the compression chamber through the outlet; and   a mechanical seal located at an interface between the drive shaft and casing where the drive shaft passes through the casing, the mechanical seal comprising:
 first, second, and third seals disposed sequentially along a leakage path between the drive shaft and casing rotor, 
 a source of pressurized hydraulic fluid, and 
 a hydraulic fluid passageway that connects the source to a space along the leakage path between the second and third seals so as to keep the space pressurized with hydraulic fluid. 
   
     
     
         25 . The compressor of  claim 24 , wherein the mechanical seal further comprises a vent disposed between the first and second seals, the vent being fluidly connected to the inlet so as to direct working fluid that leaks from the compression chamber past the first seal back to the inlet. 
     
     
         26 . The compressor of  claim 25 , wherein the mechanical seal is configured to maintain a hydraulic pressure between the second and third seals that is higher than a pressure at the inlet. 
     
     
         27 . The compressor of  claim 24 , wherein the first, second, and third seals each comprise radial shaft seals extending radially between the drive shaft and the casing, wherein each of the shaft seals abuts an outer circumferential surface of the drive shaft. 
     
     
         28 . The compressor of  claim 24 , wherein the first, second, and third seals each comprise face seals extending axially between the casing and an axial face that rotates with the drive shaft. 
     
     
         29 - 32 . (canceled) 
     
     
         33 . A compressor comprising:
 a casing with an inner wall defining a compression chamber, an inlet leading into the compression chamber, and an outlet leading out of the compression chamber;   a rotor rotatably coupled to the casing for rotation relative to the casing such that when the rotor is rotated, the compressor compresses working fluid that enters the compression chamber from the inlet, and forces compressed working fluid out of the compression chamber through the outlet;   a gate coupled to the casing for reciprocating movement relative to the casing, the gate comprising a sealing edge, the gate being operable to move relative to the casing to locate the sealing edge proximate to the rotor as the rotor rotates such that the gate separates an inlet volume and a compression volume in the compression chamber; and   a mechanical seal located at an interface between the gate and casing, the mechanical seal comprising:
 first, second, and third seals disposed sequentially along a leakage path between the gate and casing, 
 a source of pressurized hydraulic fluid, and 
 a hydraulic fluid passageway that connects the source to a space along the leakage path between the second and third seals so as to keep the space pressurized with hydraulic fluid. 
   
     
     
         34 . The compressor of  claim 33 , wherein the mechanical seal further comprises a vent disposed between the first and second seals, the vent being fluidly connected to the inlet so as to direct working fluid that leaks from the compression chamber past the first seal back to the inlet. 
     
     
         35 . The compressor of  claim 33 , wherein the first, second, and third seals are all supported by a removable housing, such that the first, second, and third seals and housing can be installed into the casing as a single unit. 
     
     
         36 . The compressor of  claim 33 , wherein the mechanical seal comprises n sequential seals along the leakage path between the gate and casing, wherein 3≤n≤50, wherein n includes the first, second, and third seals, wherein one or more spaces between adjacent ones of the seals are filled with pressurized hydraulic fluid, and wherein one or more spaces between adjacent ones of the seals comprise a vent that is fluidly connected on the inlet.