US 12,404,851 B2
High-throughput diaphragm compressor
Guy Babbitt, Fort Collins, CO (US); Garrett Casassa, Fort Collins, CO (US); Bryce Whitehill, Fort Collins, CO (US); Alex Beckerman, Tuscon, AZ (US); Kristina Weyer, Yakima, WA (US); Chris Turner, Windsor, CO (US); Kareem Afzal, Gwynedd, PA (US); and Christopher Basilico, East Brunswick, NJ (US)
Assigned to PDC Machines, Inc., Souderton, PA (US)
Filed by PDC MACHINES, INC., Warminster, PA (US)
Filed on Nov. 21, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/516,210.
Application 18/516,210 is a continuation of application No. 17/840,919, filed on Jun. 15, 2022, granted, now 11,867,169.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/277,125, filed on Nov. 8, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2024/0200550 A1, Jun. 20, 2024
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. F04B 45/04 (2006.01); F04B 43/073 (2006.01); F04B 45/053 (2006.01); F04B 49/22 (2006.01); F04B 53/06 (2006.01); F04B 53/14 (2006.01)
CPC F04B 45/0533 (2013.01) [F04B 43/073 (2013.01); F04B 45/043 (2013.01); F04B 45/053 (2013.01); F04B 45/0536 (2013.01); F04B 49/22 (2013.01); F04B 53/06 (2013.01); F04B 53/14 (2013.01); F04B 2201/0201 (2013.01); F04B 2201/0202 (2013.01); F04B 2205/05 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A diaphragm compressor system, comprising:
a plurality of compressor modules mounted in a stack configuration, each compressor module comprising:
a first compressor head and a second compressor head;
a diaphragm piston between the first compressor head and the second compressor head;
a variable volume region between the diaphragm piston and each of the first compressor head and the second compressor head;
each of the first compressor head and second compressor head comprising:
a head cavity; and
a diaphragm mounted in the head cavity and dividing the head cavity into a work oil region and a process gas region;
the diaphragm configured to actuate from a first position to a second position during a discharge cycle to pressurize a process gas in the process gas region from an inlet pressure to a discharge pressure, and discharge the pressurized process gas through the respective compressor head;
wherein the diaphragms of the first and second compressor heads of each compressor module are centered on a compressor axis;
a hydraulic drive configured to pressurize work oil and provide the pressurized work oil to the first compressor head and second compressor head, wherein, during the discharge cycle of a compressor head, the hydraulic drive is configured to drive the respective diaphragm piston toward one of the corresponding first compressor head and second compressor head, intensifying the work oil in the respective variable volume region to an intensified pressure, and actuating the diaphragm to the second position; and
a clamping mechanism configured to apply a clamping force parallel to the compressor axis, the clamping mechanism comprising a base plate and an end plate on opposing sides of the plurality of compressor modules, the base plate and end plate configured to be compressed, wherein the stack configuration of the plurality of compressor modules is configured such that the first or second compressor head of each compressor module that is not adjacent to the base plate or adjacent to the end plate, contacts a first or second compressor head of an adjacent compressor module.