Compressors
Our compressor can process any vapor or gas with the only associated design consideration being selection of a compatible material. It works by using inner and outer rotors that rotate about their respective axes. A drive mechanism (not shown) synchronizes the rotors so they do not touch. Abradable coatings form the seals between rotors and stationary porting components. As they rotate, the rotors create a void that opens, reaches a maximum volume, and then closes. Inlet gas enters through the intake port as the void opens. Once the gas is captured, the void volume decreases causing the pressure to increase. After the design pressure is achieved, the gas exits through the discharge port. Notice that a void opens eight times per rotation of the outer rotor, which allows the compressor to process large volumes of gas.
The position of the leading edge of the discharge port determines the compression ratio. If the leading edge is positioned to make the discharge port large, the compression ratio is small. If the leading edge is positioned to make the discharge port small, the compression ratio is large. By using a sliding mechanism, the leading edge position can be changed on the fly, giving the compressor a variable compression ratio.
Besides being shaft driven, we are researching the possibility of using an integrated motor to drive the compressor.
We have built and tested five designs of the compressor. Click the link for information on the fifth-generation compressor. Also please check out the FAQ for some answers about the compressor.
Benefits:
- The compressor is efficient (see our 5th generation compressor data).
- It can handle a high compression ratio (about 6 to 1 in a single stage).
- It is compact.
- It is inexpensive to manufacture.
- It has a high turn-down ratio.
- There are no valves to limit the gas flow.
- The compressor is scalable.
- It does not require liquid injection to achieve the desired output. (Liquid injection improves efficiency but is not required.)
- Pressure and flow are independent.
- Flexible - materials are selected to be compatible with a wide range of fluids and temperatures.