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An apparatus for providing lubricant to thrust bearings and rotors of a rotary screw compressor. The apparatus includes a temperature sensor for sensing the temperature of the lubricant supplied to the rotors; a pressure sensor for measuring the pressure of the compressed gas discharged from the com

An apparatus for providing lubricant to thrust bearings and rotors of a rotary screw compressor. The apparatus includes a temperature sensor for sensing the temperature of the lubricant supplied to the rotors; a pressure sensor for measuring the pressure of the compressed gas discharged from the compressor; and a speed sensor for detecting the operating speed of the rotors. An electronic controller responsive to signals received from the temperature sensing means, the pressure sensing means and the speed sensing selectively opens and closes the second valve means to optimize the volume of lubricant supplied to the compressor rotors, and also controls the first valve to control the flow of lubricant to the thrust bearings. A pressure regulator controls the supply of lubricant to the thrust bearings in response to input signals received from the electronic controller. The regulator is flow connected to each thrust bearing by an independent lubricant supply line to thereby permit the pressure of one thrust bearing to be adjusted independent of the other thrust bearing.

대표청구항 ▼

In a rotary screw compressor having a compressor housing with an inlet for flowing a gas to the compressor, a discharge port for flowing compressed gas and a lubricant from the compressor; a first rotor mounted on a first shaft; a second rotor mounted on a second shaft, said rotors and shafts being

In a rotary screw compressor having a compressor housing with an inlet for flowing a gas to the compressor, a discharge port for flowing compressed gas and a lubricant from the compressor; a first rotor mounted on a first shaft; a second rotor mounted on a second shaft, said rotors and shafts being enclosed by the compressor housing; a first thrust bearing located along the first shaft; and a second thrust bearing located along the second shaft; a separator means for separating the lubricant and compressed gas said separator means having a sump portion and a sump discharge port, an apparatus for supplying the lubricant to the thrust bearings and compressor rotors, the apparatus comprising: a) first valve for controlling flow of lubricant to the apparatus; b) second valve connected to the discharge port of the sump of the separator means the second valve means for supplying lubricant from the sump to the rotors; c) temperature sensing means for sensing the temperature of the lubricant supplied to the rotors; d) pressure sensing means for measuring the pressure of the compressed gas discharged from the compressor; e) speed sensing means for detecting the operating speed of the rotors; f) electronic control means responsive to signals received from the temperature sensing means, the pressure sensing means and the speed sensing means for selectively opening and closing the second valve to optimize the volume of lubricant supplied to the compressor rotors, said control means also for controlling the first valve for controlling the flow of lubricant to the thrust bearings; g) pressure regulator means for controlling the supply of lubricant to the thrust bearings in response to input signals received from the electronic control means, said pressure regulator being flow connected to each thrust bearing by an independent lubricant supply line to thereby alter the pressure of each thrust bearing independent of the other thrust bearing. In a compressor having a first rotary element mounted on a first shaft, a second rotary element mounted on a second shaft, thrust bearing mounted on each shaft to counteract thrust loads in the compressor, where the thrust bearing includes a unitary thrust bearing plate which has a lubricant supply side, a bearing side, at least one bearing bearing pad along the bearing side with a lubricant distribution recess formed on each of the at least one bearing pads, at least one lubricant distribution recess on the supply side of the thrust bearing plate and lubricant flow passages flow connecting associated lubricant supply and distribution recesses, the method comprising the steps of: sensing the ambient temperature; sensing the rotational velocity of the first rotary element; transmitting signals representing the sensed ambient temperature value and sensed rotational velocity to a microprocessor based controller; controlling a pressure regulator that is flow connected to the thrust bearings by separate flowlines for each bearing in response to the sensed temperature and rotational velocity, to thereby effect the volume of lubricant that is supplied to the thrust bearings; and flowing a lubricant to the supply side of the thrust bearing plate, through the passages and onto the bearing surface to form a lubricant film on each of the at least one bearing pads.