Screw compressor-expander cryogenic system
First Claim
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1. A closed cycle cryogenic refrigeration system comprising:
- a screw compressor having a housing having inlet and outlet ends, an inlet and an outlet adjacent the ends of said housing;
first and second rotors rotatably mounted within said housing, said first and second rotors respectively having intermeshing lobes and recesses configured and fitted so that compression without oil occurs in oil-free gas passing through said compressor;
an expander having an expander housing having inlet and outlet ends, an inlet adjacent one end of said expander housing and an outlet adjacent the other end of said expander housing;
first and second expander rotors rotatably mounted within said expander housing, said first and second rotors respectively having intermeshing lobes and recesses configured and fitted so that oil-free gas expansion with work output takes place upon rotation of said expander rotors in said expander housing; and
means interconnecting said inlet and outlet on said compressor housing and said inlet and said outlet on said expander housing for providing a closed cycle for the circulation of oil-free refrigerant gas therein, for rejecting heat, and for receiving heat for producing cryogenic refrigeration upon rotation of said rotors.
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Abstract
Cryogenic refrigeration system employs a power driven screw compressor which delivers pressurized refrigerant gas through a closed system to expand in a screw expander to produce refrigeration. The screw expander is rotatively coupled to the compressor. The screw compressor-screw expander cryogenic system includes heat exchangers and operates on the closed Brayton cycle to produce refrigeration.
51 Citations
30 Claims
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1. A closed cycle cryogenic refrigeration system comprising:
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a screw compressor having a housing having inlet and outlet ends, an inlet and an outlet adjacent the ends of said housing; first and second rotors rotatably mounted within said housing, said first and second rotors respectively having intermeshing lobes and recesses configured and fitted so that compression without oil occurs in oil-free gas passing through said compressor; an expander having an expander housing having inlet and outlet ends, an inlet adjacent one end of said expander housing and an outlet adjacent the other end of said expander housing; first and second expander rotors rotatably mounted within said expander housing, said first and second rotors respectively having intermeshing lobes and recesses configured and fitted so that oil-free gas expansion with work output takes place upon rotation of said expander rotors in said expander housing; and means interconnecting said inlet and outlet on said compressor housing and said inlet and said outlet on said expander housing for providing a closed cycle for the circulation of oil-free refrigerant gas therein, for rejecting heat, and for receiving heat for producing cryogenic refrigeration upon rotation of said rotors. - View Dependent Claims (2, 8, 9, 10)
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3. A closed cycle cryogenic refrigerator system comprising:
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a screw compressor having a housing having inlet and outlet ends, and inlet and an outlet adjacent the ends of said compressor housing; first and second rotors rotatably mounted within said housing, said first and second rotors respectively having intermeshing lobes and recesses configured and fitted so that compression occurs between said rotors and said housing in oil-free gas passing through said compressor, a motor connected to said compressor to drive said compressor rotors in said compressor housing, said first and second compressor rotors being respectively mounted on shafts, said shafts extending exteriorly of said compressor housing, first and second gears respectively mounted on said first and second shafts exteriorly of said compressor housing, said first and second gears interengaging so that said first and second compressor rotors are maintained in the predetermined angular relationship; an expander having an expander housing having inlet and outlet ends, an inlet adjacent one end of said expander housing and an outlet adjacent the other end of said expander housing; first and second expander rotors rotatably mounted within said expander housing, said first and second rotors respectively having intermeshing lobes and recesses configured and fitted so that oil-free gas expansion takes place between said expander rotors and said expander housing upon rotation of said expander rotors in said expander housing; and means interconnecting said inlet and outlet on said compressor housing and said inlet and said outlet on said expander housing for providing a closed cycle for the circulation of oil-free refrigerant gas therein, for rejecting heat and for receiving heat for producing cryogenic refrigeration upon rotation of said rotors. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5)
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6. A closed cycle cryogenic refrigeration system comprising:
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a screw compressor having a housing having inlet and outlet ends, an inlet and an outlet adjacent the ends of said compressor housing; first and second rotors rotatably mounted within said housing, said first and second rotors each having intermeshing lobes and recesses configured and fitted so that compression occurs between said rotors and said housing in oil-free gas passing through said compressor, said first and second compressor rotors being respectively mounted on first and second shafts, said first and second shafts being rotatably mounted with respect to said compressor housing, anti-friction bearings interengaged between said shafts and said housing for maintaining the axis of rotation of said rotors within said housing; means for lubricating said bearings and a seal between said bearings and said compressor housing; an expander having an expander housing having inlet and outlet ends, an inlet adjacent one end of said expander housing and an outlet on the other end of said expander housing; first and second expander rotors rotatably mounted within said expander housing, said first and second rotors each having uniform cross section and having intermeshing lobes and recesses configured and fitted so that oil-free gas expansion takes place between said expander rotors and said expander housing upon rotation of said expander rotors in said expander housing; and means interconnecting said inlet and outlet on said compressor housing and said inlet and said outlet on said expander housing for providing a closed cycle for the circulation of oil-free refrigerant gas therein, for rejecting heat, and for receiving heat for producing cryogenic refrigeration upon rotation of said rotors. - View Dependent Claims (7)
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11. A closed cycle cryogenic refrigeration system comprising:
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a screw compressor having a housing having inlet and outlet ends, an inlet and an outlet adjacent the ends of said compressor housing; first and second rotors rotatably mounted within said housing, said first and second rotors each having uniform cross section and respectively having intermeshing lobes and recesses configured and fitted so that compression occurs in oil-free gas passing through said compressor; an expander having an expander housing having inlet and outlet ends, an inlet adjacent one end of said expander housing and an outlet adjacent the other end of said expander housing; first and second expander rotors rotatably mounted within said expander housing, said first and second rotors each having uniform cross section and respectively having intermeshing lobes and recesses configured and fitted so that oil-free gas expansion takes place upon rotation of said expander rotors in said expander housing; means interconnecting said expander to said compressor for controlling expander speed and transmitting power therebetween; and means interconnecting said inlet and outlet on said compressor housing and said inlet and said outlet on said expander housing for providing a closed cycle for the circulation of oil-free refrigerant gas therein, for rejecting heat, and for receiving heat for producing cryogenic refrigeration upon rotation of said rotors. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A cryogenic refrigeration system comprising:
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a compressor, said compressor having a housing and having first and second rotors rotatably mounted in said housing, said first and second rotors each having a uniform cross section and respectively having lobes and recesses configured and fitted so that as said rotors rotate in said housing said lobes and recesses interengage with each other and cooperate with said housing to compress oil-free gas therein, a compressor inlet port adjacent one end of said housing and a compressor outlet port adjacent the other end of said housing so that oil-free refrigerant gas can be taken in said inlet port to be compressed and discharged from said outlet port; an expander, said expander comprising a housing and first and second rotors rotatably mounted in said housing, said first and second rotors each having a uniform cross section and respectively having lobes and recesses thereon, said rotors being configured and fitted and interengaging with each other and cooperating with said housing so that when said rotors rotate in said housing oil-free gas is expanded in said expander housing, an expander inlet adjacent one end of said expander housing and an expander outlet adjacent the other end of said expander housing, said compressor inlet and outlet being connected with said expander inlet and outlet, to means for receiving heat and means for rejecting heat in a closed cycle cryogenic refrigeration system so that when oil-free refrigerant gas is in said refrigeration system and said rotors are rotated cryogenic refrigeration is produced at said means for receiving heat; and interconnection means between one of said compressor rotors and one of said expander rotors so that said expander rotors rotate at an angular velocity related to the angular velocity of said compressor rotors to regulate expander speed. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification