Integrated compressor unit

• US 20040179961A1
• Filed: 04/11/2003
• Published: 09/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thermodyn (General Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Thermodyn (General Electric Company)
• Inventors: Laboube, Pierre, Friez, Patrick, Pugnet, Jean-Marc
• Granted Patent: US 7,144,226 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 417/423.5
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 17/125 the casing being vertically split
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 25/022 comprising a yielding coupling, e.g. hydraulic a magnetic coupling F04D25/026
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 25/0606 the electric motor being specially adapted for integration in the pump
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/054 Arrangements for joining or assembling shafts
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/058 magnetic; electromagnetic

Abstract

This compressor unit comprises a motor (34) and at least one compressor (44) comprising a driven shaft (54) driven by the rotor of the motor and bladed wheels fitted on the driven shaft (54), the assembly composed of the motor and the compressor being installed in a common casing (55) leak tight to the gas manipulated by the compressor unit. The rotor and the driven shaft are connected through a flexible coupling (72) placed in the casing.

Claims

1. Centrifugal compressor unit comprising a (34), at least one compressor (44;

44′

, 44″

) comprising a driven shaft (54;

54′

, 54″

) driven by the rotor (38) of the motor and a set of bladed wheels fitted on the driven shaft, the assembly composed of the motor and the compressor being installed in a common casing (55) leak tight to the gas manipulated by the compressor unit, characterised in that the rotor and the driven shaft are connected through a flexible coupling (72;

72′

, 72″

) placed in the casing.

2. Compressor unit according to claim 1, characterised in that the casing comprises several casing elements (55a, 55b) fixed to each other in a leak tight manner, each element of the casing containing the motor or a compressor.

3. Compressor unit according to claim 2, characterised in that the casing is provided with an orifice (76) formed between adjacent casing elements to provide access to the flexible coupling, the said orifice being provided with sealed closing means (78).

4. Compressor unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the flexible coupling (72, 72′

, 72″

) comprises an element chosen from among a diaphragm coupling, a flexible strip coupling or a torsionally flexible shaft coupling.

5. Compressor unit according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that each end of the driven shaft and the rotor is supported on an end bearing (40, 42, 55, 56).

6. Compressor unit according to claim 5, characterised in that each end bearing (40, 42, 55, 56) is fixed to the casing.

7. Compressor unit according to either of claims 5 and 6, characterised in that the end bearings are radial magnetic bearings.

8. Compressor unit according to either of claims 5 and 6, characterised in that it comprises a thrust bearing (62) that resists the force applied by the driven shaft of the compressor, during operation of the turbocompressor.

9. Compressor unit according to claim 8, characterised in that the thrust bearing (62) is a magnetic thrust bearing.