ELECTROMAGNETIC ACTUATOR AND INERTIA CONSERVATION DEVICE FOR A RECIPROCATING COMPRESSOR

• US 20150139819A1
• Filed: 05/10/2013
• Published: 05/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nuovo Pignone Tecnologie SRL (Baker Hughes Company)
• Original Assignee: Nuovo Pignone SRL (Baker Hughes Company)
• Inventors: Bagagli, Riccardo, Tognarelli, Leonardo, Bargiacchi, Massimo, Capanni, Alessio
• Granted Patent: US 10,184,464 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 417/53
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 35/01 the means being mechanical
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 35/04 the means being electric
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 35/045 using solenoids

Abstract

A compressor includes a piston disposed in a housing and configured to be reciprocatably driven in the housing by an electromagnetic drive. A conventional linear motor drive assembly reciprocatably drives the piston in an embodiment. A magnetically-geared drive assembly reciprocatably drives the piston in another embodiment. A solenoid drive assembly reciprocatably drives the piston in another embodiment. A control system is coupled to the drive for varying piston displacement, and an accumulator conserves force by decelerating a translating assembly at the end of one stroke and accelerating the assembly in a subsequent stroke.

Claims

1. A reciprocating compressor, comprising:

a piston reciprocatably disposed in a cylinder;

a translatable assembly connected to the piston;

an electromagnetic drive configured to reciprocatably drive the translatable assembly; and

an accumulator coupled to the translatable assembly,

wherein the accumulator is configured to store kinetic energy resident in the motion of a movement of the translatable assembly in a first direction, and

wherein the accumulator is configured to impart kinetic energy resident in the motion of a movement of the translatable assembly in a second direction.

2. The reciprocating compressor of claim 1, wherein the accumulator comprises a spring assembly having a first end coupled to the translatable assembly and a second end fixed with respect to the translatable assembly, wherein the spring assembly comprises one or more springs, wherein a spring constant of the spring assembly is adjustable.

3. The reciprocating compressor of claim 2, wherein at least one spring of the spring assembly has a spring constant variable along its length.

4. The reciprocating compressor of claim 2, wherein the spring assembly comprises a plurality of springs having different lengths and arranged in parallel so to have different effective strokes.

5. The reciprocating compressor of claim 2, wherein the spring assembly comprises a plurality of springs having different spring constant and arranged in parallel so to be selectively effective.

6. The reciprocating compressor of claim 1, wherein the accumulator comprises a spring assembly having a spring, and wherein a connecting rod portion of the translatable assembly is configured to reciprocate at a frequency substantially matched to one of a resonance frequency of the spring and a harmonic of the resonance frequency of the spring.

7. The reciprocating compressor of claim 1, wherein the accumulator includes at least one capacitor having a first conductive material coupled to the translatable assembly and a second conductive material fixed with respect to the translatable assembly, whereby the at least one capacitor has moving plates and has a variable capacitance.

8. The reciprocating compressor of claim 1, the electromagnetic drive comprising:

a first core with at least one coil disposed therein, wherein the first core is fixed with respect to the translatable assembly;

a second core having at least one coil disposed therein, wherein the second core is fixed with respect to the translatable assembly; and

a plate defined by the translatable assembly;

wherein the plate is drawn to the first core or the second core upon electrification of the at least one coil disposed therein.

9. The reciprocating compressor of claim 8, wherein an axial distance between the first core and the second core is adjustable.

10. The reciprocating compressor of claim 1, the electromagnetic drive comprising:

a stator fixed with respect to the translatable assembly; and

a core connected to the translatable assembly.

11. The reciprocating compressor of claim 10, the electromagnetic drive further comprising a plurality of magnetic pole pieces disposed between the stator and the core.

12. The reciprocating compressor of claim 1, the electromagnetic drive comprising:

a stator fixed with respect to the translatable assembly, the stator having a plurality of coils; and

a core connected to the translatable assembly,

wherein the compressor is configured to vary the translatable assembly translation distance by selecting a coil to be electrified from the plurality of coils.

13. The reciprocating compressor of claim 1,

wherein the piston defines a first piston face and a second piston face,

wherein the cylinder and the first piston face cooperatively define a first compression chamber, the first compression chamber pneumatically communicative with a gas supply and a gas transmission network;

and

wherein the cylinder and the second piston face cooperatively define a second compression chamber, the second compression chamber pneumatically communicative with the gas supply and the gas transmission network.

14. A method of operating a reciprocating compressor comprising a translatable assembly, an accumulator coupled to the translatable assembly, and an electromagnetic drive coupled to the translatable assembly, the method comprising:

accelerating the translatable assembly in a first movement direction by applying a force to the translatable assembly with the electromagnetic drive;

decelerating the translatable assembly in the first movement direction by storing kinetic energy resident in the translatable assembly in the accumulator; and

accelerating the translatable assembly in a second movement direction by generating force from the accumulator stored energy.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising decelerating the translatable assembly in the first movement direction by storing kinetic energy resident in the translatable assembly in the accumulator.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising selecting a first movement distance;

and selecting a second movement distance different than that of the first movement distance.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the accumulator is a variable accumulator, the method further comprising configuring the accumulator to store a desired amount of energy during the movement of the translatable assembly.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the accumulator is a variable accumulator, the method further comprising actuating the electromagnetic actuator to change one of the first or second movement distances and maintain an actuation time.