US 12,345,262 B2
Non-lubricated compressor with abradable sealing element and related method for assembling it
Pierre-Yves Luyckx, Wilrijk (BE); Bartel Buls, Wilrijk (BE); and Karen Marien, Wilrijk (BE)
Assigned to ATLAS COPCO AIRPOWER, NAAMLOZE VENNOOTSCHAP, Wilrijk (BE)
Appl. No. 18/698,478
Filed by ATLAS COPCO AIRPOWER, NAAMLOZE VENNOOTSCHAP, Wilrijk (BE)
PCT Filed Oct. 5, 2022, PCT No. PCT/IB2022/059489
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Apr. 4, 2024,
PCT Pub. No. WO2023/062479, PCT Pub. Date Apr. 20, 2023.
Claims priority of application No. 21202975 (EP), filed on Oct. 15, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2024/0426300 A1, Dec. 26, 2024
Int. Cl. F04C 27/00 (2006.01); F04C 18/22 (2006.01)
CPC F04C 27/00 (2013.01) [F04C 18/22 (2013.01); F04C 27/002 (2013.01); F04C 2230/10 (2013.01); F04C 2230/60 (2013.01); F04C 2240/10 (2013.01); F04C 2240/30 (2013.01); F04C 2240/801 (2013.01); F04C 2240/802 (2013.01); F05C 2251/10 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A non-lubricated compressor (10) for compressing a gas, comprising:
a stationary stator (12) with a housing (18) comprising a rotor cavity (20) delimited by a bottom wall (22), a top wall (24), and a lateral wall (26) connecting said bottom wall (22) and said top wall (24),
a rotor element (14) arranged for rotation about an axis (z) within the rotor cavity (20) for compressing a gas therein,
a self-supporting sealing element (16) arranged within the rotor cavity (20), the compressor (10) being characterized in that
the sealing element (16) is made of an abradable carbon material, and in that
the sealing element (16) comprises a wall portion (34) arranged on an inner surface of the lateral wall (26) of the rotor cavity (20),
wherein the sealing element (16) has a C2 Shore hardness comprised between 60 and 70.
 
17. A method for assembling a non-lubricated compressor (10) comprising:
a stator (12) with a housing (18) comprising a rotor cavity (20) delimited by a bottom wall (22), a top wall (24), and a lateral wall (26) connecting said bottom wall (22) and said top wall (24),
a rotor element (14) arranged for rotation about an axis (z) within the rotor cavity (20) for compressing a gas therein,
a sealing element (16) arranged within the rotor cavity (20),
the compressor (10) being characterized in that
the sealing element (16) is made of an abradable carbon material, and in that
the sealing element (16) comprises a wall portion (34) arranged on an inner surface of the lateral wall (26) of the rotor cavity (20),
the method comprising the steps of:
a) manufacturing the semi-finished sealing element (16) by machining a block of abradable carbon material so that an outer shape of said block copies an inner shape of said rotor cavity (20), and so that the block has an open, inner cavity delimited by a bottom wall and by a lateral wall that has a constant thickness;
b) heating the housing (18) of the stator (12) to a temperature of at least 350° C.;
c) fitting the semi-finished sealing element (16) inside the rotor cavity (20) of the housing (18) as long as the housing (18) is at a temperature of at least 350° C.;
d) mounting the rotor element (14) inside the inner cavity of the semi-finished sealing element (16);
e) running the rotor element (14) so that the inner cavity of the semi-finished sealing element (16) is further machined by the rotor element (14).