Abstract: A method for energy conversion from pressure energy into electrical energy uses an expansion turbine. In the method, a pressurized, gaseous, first medium is heated before being fed into the expansion turbine. The expansion turbine drives a generator and a compressor. At least one gaseous second medium is compressed by the compressor in a heating arrangement. Heat generated by the compression and preferably also via utilization of ambient heat according to a heat exchanger principle is used for heating the gaseous first medium.

Abstract: A turbomachine arrangement includes a housing, a turbo-expander formed with an expander rotor, a turbo-compressor formed with a first compressor rotor, and a shaft that is rotatably mounted on the housing. The shaft connects the expander rotor to the compressor rotor. The first turbo-compressor can be driven exclusively by the turbo-expander. A second turbo-compressor having a second compressor rotor is disposed on the housing such that the second compressor rotor is connected to the first turbo-compressor in parallel or in series. The second compressor rotor is driven via a transmission accommodated in the housing and via a drive shaft connecting the transmission to the second compressor rotor.

Abstract: A turbomachine has a housing, a rotor shaft centered on an axis, and a plurality of bearings supporting the shaft in the housing for rotation about the axis. At least one of the bearings is an active magnetic bearing. An impeller is fixed on the rotor shaft. A copper layer is fixed to a surface of the rotor shaft and rotatable therewith. A sensor fixed in the housing adjacent the shaft surface can detect the copper layer and generate an output corresponding to a position of the layer from the sensor fixed in the housing. A controller connected between the sensor means and the active magnetic bearing shifts the rotor in the housing in accordance with the output.

Abstract: A turbomachine is made by first providing a stepped shaft having a large-diameter cylindrical portion, an intermediate-diameter cylindrical portion, and a small-diameter cylindrical portion all centered on a common axis. A separately manufactured a one-piece and annular first impeller wheel is then permanently mounted on the large-diameter portion with a back face of the first wheel facing axially toward the intermediate-diameter portion and carrying a rotor bearing half of an axial magnetic bearing. A rotor ring of a radial bearing is then detachably mounted on the intermediate-diameter portion of the shaft, and finally a one-piece and annular second impeller wheel is detachably mounted on the small-diameter portion of the shaft with a back face of the second wheel facing axially toward the first wheel and carrying a rotor bearing half of another axial magnetic bearing.

Abstract: A turbomachine has a housing having a passage extending along an axis and an annular axially directed housing face extending radially from the passage. A shaft extending axially in the passage has an outer shaft surface radially spaced from an inner surface of the passage and forming therewith an annular axially extending gap. A radial impeller fixed to the shaft outside the housing has an axially directed and radially extending impeller face axially spaced from and confronting the radial housing face and forming therewith a radially extending gap opening into the axially extending gap. An impeller housing forms a flow space with the impeller outside the housing. The radial gap opens into the flow space. A plurality of spaced seals engaged in the radial gap between the radial faces of the housing and impeller fluidically separates the axial gap from the flow space.

Abstract: A system for compressing a cryogenic gas, particularly a hydrocarbon gas, has a compressor for compressing the gas and a line arrangement, which passes the gas to the intake side of the compressor and passes the compressed gas to a subsequent device for use. The line arrangement has a bypass and the compressed gas can be passed back to the intake side of the compressor via the bypass. An expander is disposed in the bypass, for re-cooling the gas that flows through the bypass. A method regulates a system for compressing a cryogenic gas, particularly a hydrocarbon gas that occurs during storage of a cryogenic liquid.

Abstract: A multistage radial turbocompressor has at least first, second, and third intake parts each forming a respective intake spaced along an axis and first, second, and third output parts each forming a respective output axially juxtaposed with the respective intakes. Respective first, second, and third fans having axially directed vanes are rotatable in the housing formed by the parts between the intakes and outputs. A shaft centered on the axis carries the first, second, and third fans. One of the fans is back-to-back with another of the fans with the vanes of the one fan facing axially oppositely away from the vanes of the other of the fans. Radial bearings support the shaft in the housing, and an axial bearing between the one fan and the other fan supports the shaft in the housing.

Abstract: A pressurized-gas cooler has a housing having a cylindrical side wall centered on an axis, an axially open outer end, and an axially closed inner end. A cover fitted to and closing the open outer end carries a bundle of tubes inside the housing between the housing ends. The tubes all extending parallel to one another at an angle of between 2° and 10° to a diametral plane including the housing axis such that the bundle is closer in a direction perpendicular to the plane to the side wall of the housing at one end of the housing than at the opposite end of the housing. Pressurized-gas inlet and outlet fittings open into the housing, with at least the gas inlet fitting opening into the housing to a side of the plane where the tube bundle at the respective end of the housing is more widely spaced.

Abstract: A turbomachine has a housing, a rotor shaft extending along and rotatable about an axis in the housing, and a pair of axially spaced axial-thrust bearings in the housing carrying the shaft and normally only permitting a predetermined small axial displacement of the shaft in the housing. An impeller is rotationally fixed on the shaft. An axially fixed transmission gear is rotationally coupled to the shaft and has an axially directed gear face. A collar fixed axially on the shaft has an axially directed collar face confronting the gear face and normally spaced from the gear face by a clearance equal to more than the predetermined axial displacement. Thus on failure of one of the bearings and axial overtravel of the shaft the gear face and collar face engage each other and limit axial movement of the shaft.

Abstract: A turbomachine has a shaft mounted in a shaft housing, and a rotor in a rotor housing at one end of the shaft, for compression, expansion, or transport of a working gas. The shaft is mounted by hydrostatic, gas-lubricated bearings that have a connector to a compressed gas line that is connected with a pressure region of the turbomachine. A portion of the gas that is passed from the pressure region is applied to the bearing. The shaft is mounted so that the bearing effect is at least extensively independent of the rotational speed of the shaft, thereby guaranteeing support of the shaft during startup of the turbomachine, and good rigidity and low sensitivity to pressure surge stresses. The pressure in the connector to the compressed gas line is at least 5 bar greater than the pressure in the region of the ventilation connector.

Abstract: A turbomachine has a housing and a rotor mounted radially and axially in the housing. The rotor has a shaft and at least one impeller attached to the shaft. Two tilt-segment bearings having tilt segments, which bearings act in opposite directions, are provided for axial mounting of the rotor. The bearings interact with an assigned contact surface of the shaft. At least one of the tilt segments has a force measurement device for direct detection of the axial force acting on the assigned tilt segment. The force measurement devices are connected with an electronic control device.

Abstract: An arrangement has a turbomachine, a cooler, and a carrying frame that accommodates the turbomachine and the cooler, with frame segments. The cooler has at least one essentially pipe-shaped cooling element disposed horizontally, and the frame segments are disposed at a distance from one another in the longitudinal direction of the cooling element, and have contact points on the underside to support the arrangement on a floor surface or a base frame. The at least one cooling element is attached to the frame segments by way of flexible sections for accommodating thermal deformations of the cooling element.

Abstract: A turbomachine has a housing defining an axis and having an axially outwardly directed first end wall. A shaft rotatable about the axis inside the housing has a first end projecting axially from the housing. An electric rotor is provided on the shaft, and an electric stator is provided on the housing juxtaposed with the electric rotor. A radial impeller fixed on the first shaft end outside the housing has an inner face directed axially toward the housing end wall. A magnetic bearing half is fixed on the housing end wall immediately adjacent and directed at the impeller inner face.

Abstract: A method for turning a three-phase alternating current motor on again, after it has been separated from a supply voltage, if a residual field voltage induced by a rotor residual field is present, and to an electrical circuit for implementing the method. The time progressions of the residual field voltage and the supply voltage are recorded, and the phase difference between the voltages is calculated in advance from the time progressions. A time point ts is determined, at which the phase difference goes below a predetermined maximum value ??max. A switching command for applying voltage is triggered at a time interval that corresponds to a predetermined switching time delay ?s, before the time point ts is reached, so that the motor is connected to the supply voltage approximately at the time point ts. The electrical circuit has a measurement value detection device, a microcontroller and a direct current setting device.

Abstract: A turbomachine for low-temperature applications has a housing, a rotor shaft disposed in the housing, an impeller disposed on one shaft end of the rotor shaft, to which a cold gas is applied, and an electrical machine integrated into the housing. During operation of the turbomachine, a cold zone (K) forms within the housing, in the impeller-side end, and a warm zone (W) forms at the end facing away from the impeller. The housing has at least two compressed gas connectors for a compressed gas, of which one connector is disposed in the cold zone (K), and the other is disposed in the warm zone (W). A control device establishes the flow-through direction for the compressed gas based on temperatures in the cold and warm zones, and controls valve devices on the compressed gas connectors accordingly.

Abstract: A turbomachine for low-temperature applications, has a rotor shaft; at least one rotor disk that is arranged in overhung manner at one shaft end of the rotor shaft; an electric machine having a stator having windings, and an electric rotor arranged on the rotor shaft; a stage housing that surrounds the rotor disk and has connections for a cold gas that flows through the stage housing; and a machine housing in which the electric machine and shaft bearings for the rotor shaft are arranged. The machine housing is connected with the stage housing. A partition made of insulating material is arranged between the stage housing and the machine housing, which thermally separates the stage housing from the machine housing. A line provided with a flow-through regulation fitting is connected to the flow path of the cold gas, for branching off an amount-regulated cooling stream, which is passed to the electric machine within the machine housing.

Abstract: A turbomachine has a rotor shaft, which is mounted in a bearing arrangement containing a hydrodynamic axial bearing, and a rotor disposed on the rotor shaft. A hydrostatic axial bearing is additionally provided in the immediate vicinity of the hydrodynamic axial bearing, the hydrostatic axial bearing absorbing the axial force acting on the rotor shaft at rest, completely or at least for the most part, relieving stress on the hydrodynamic axial bearing during start-up processes of the rotor shaft, and being shut off during operation at the rated speed of rotation.

Abstract: An expansion turbine stage for compressed gases has a housing and a turbine rotor. The housing has flow guide channels for feeding the compressed gas to the turbine rotor. The turbine rotor, which is over-mounted and has centripetal flow through it, is followed by an out-flow diffuser enclosed by the housing, to delay the cold expanded gas. The out-flow diffuser is arranged in a holder bore in the housing, as a separate component. For thermal insulation of the housing relative to the cold expanded gas stream, the out-flow diffuser is made of a non-metallic material having a low heat conductivity.

Abstract: A turbomachine has at least one rotor disk that is attached at an overhung end of a mounted first shaft, and an electric rotor of an electric machine that is connected with the end of the first shaft that lies opposite the rotor disk, by way of a coupling. The electric rotor is arranged between the first shaft and a second shaft, mounted so as to rotate, which is oriented in alignment with the first shaft, and is also connected with the electric rotor by way of a coupling. The electric rotor is arranged between the couplings as a coupling intermediate piece, without any mounting of its own, and has coupling elements that work together with coupling elements on the shaft ends, without radial play.

Abstract: A rotor of an expansion turbine for low-temperature applications that comprises a turbine rotor, wherein a cold gas is admitted and flows through the rotor centripetally. There is also a turbine shaft. There is also a stud screw that can be inserted in a threaded bore of the turbine shaft on the face side of the shaft that extends through the turbine rotor. There is also a rotor nut mounted on the protruding end of the stud screw. The turbine rotor is secured on the end of the turbine shaft in an overhung manner with the help of the rotor nut and the pre-tensioned stud screw. A rotor hub cap consisting of a heat-insulating material is mounted on the free end of the stud screw protruding into the cold gas flowing off, as well as on the rotor nut.