Diaphragm compressor system and method
A roll-diaphragm compressor and a roll-diaphragm compressors system, including methods for manufacturing and using same. The roll-diaphragm compressor includes a compressor body having a concave portion that defines a rounded interface wall and an apex portion adjacent to the concave portion that comprises an inlet and outlet port. The roll-diaphragm compressor also includes a flexible roll-diaphragm coupled to the compressor body about a compressor body edge and a compression chamber defined by the concave portion, apex portion and roll-diaphragm. The roll-diaphragm compressor further includes a piston head rigidly coupled to a central portion of the roll-diaphragm and configured to drive the roll-diaphragm to a first configuration where the roll-diaphragm engages the interface wall as part of a compression cycle.
1. A roll-diaphragm compressor comprising:
a compressor body including:
a concave portion that defines a rounded convex interface wall; and
a planar apex portion adjacent to the concave portion that comprises an inlet and outlet port;
a flexible roll-diaphragm coupled to the compressor body about a compressor body edge and defining a dome profile, the roll-diaphragm defining a fluid impermeable membrane and comprising a plurality of elongated tensile elements extending radially from a diaphragm central portion toward an edge of the roll-diaphragm, the plurality of elongated tensile elements having a greater tensile strength than the fluid impermeable membrane to reinforce the fluid impermeable membrane;
a compression chamber defined by the concave portion, the planar apex portion and roll-diaphragm; and
a piston head rigidly coupled to a central portion of the roll-diaphragm at a planar top face of the piston head and defining a planar central portion of the roll-diaphragm, the piston head configured to drive the roll-diaphragm in a rolling cycle motion including:
driving the roll-diaphragm in a first stage of a compression cycle to have rolling engagement of the roll-diaphragm against the rounded convex interface wall with the compression chamber having a first volume, and
driving the roll-diaphragm in a second stage of the compression cycle with compression chamber having second volume that is less than the first volume and close to or nearly zero, with the roll-diaphragm substantially fully engaged with the rounded convex interface wall and with the planar top face of the piston head and the planar central portion of the roll-diaphragm residing within the planar apex portion of the compression body.
2. The roll-diaphragm compressor of claim 1 , wherein the roll-diaphragm has anisotropic material properties that provide for radial strength while providing circumferential compliance to allow for the rolling cycle motion.
3. The roll-diaphragm compressor of claim 1 , wherein an operating pressure external to the compression chamber is maintained at a greater pressure than a maximum pressure generated inside the compression chamber during the compression cycle.
4. A roll-diaphragm compressor system consisting essentially of:
a first roll-diaphragm compressor as described claim 1 ;
a second roll-diaphragm compressor as described in claim 1 ;
architecture that holds the first and second compressor in an opposing configuration along a common axis; and
a piston assembly disposed between the first and second roll-diaphragm compressor configured to drive a respective first and second piston head of the first and second roll-diaphragm compressor,
wherein said piston assembly comprises a first and second crank that are offset from each other about a central crank-shaft axis, the first and second crank configured to drive the first and second roll-diaphragm compressor in staggered respective compression cycles.
5. The roll-diaphragm compressor of claim 1 , wherein the roll-diaphragm is defined by a plurality of leaves that extend from a diaphragm central portion to a diaphragm edge, each leaf having side edges that are coupled with side edges of adjoining leaves to generate a dome profile of the roll-diaphragm, and
wherein said leaves comprise tensile elements that extend radially from the diaphragm central portion, the tensile elements having anisotropic material properties that provide for radial strength while providing circumferential compliance to allow for the rolling cycle motion.
6. A roll-diaphragm compressor comprising:
a compressor body including:
a concave portion that defines a rounded convex interface wall; and
a planar apex portion adjacent to the concave portion that comprises an inlet and outlet port;
a flexible roll-diaphragm coupled to the compressor body about a compressor body edge;
a compression chamber defined by the concave portion, the planar apex portion and roll-diaphragm; and
a piston head rigidly coupled to a central portion of the roll-diaphragm and configured to drive the roll-diaphragm to a first configuration where the roll-diaphragm engages the rounded convex interface wall as part of a compression cycle.
7. The roll-diaphragm compressor of claim 6 , wherein the piston head corresponds to and is configured to reside within the planar apex portion when the roll-diaphragm is in the first configuration.
8. The roll-diaphragm compressor of claim 6 , wherein the roll-diaphragm rollingly engages the rounded convex interface wall as part of the compression cycle.
9. The roll-diaphragm compressor of claim 6 , wherein the piston head is configured to drive the roll-diaphragm in a rolling cycle motion.
10. The roll-diaphragm compressor of claim 6 , wherein an operating pressure external to the compression chamber is maintained at a greater pressure than a maximum pressure generated inside the compression chamber during the compression cycle.
11. The roll-diaphragm compressor of claim 6 , wherein the roll-diaphragm defines a dome profile.
12. The roll-diaphragm compressor of claim 6 , wherein the roll-diaphragm comprises tensile elements that extend radially from a diaphragm central portion.
13. The roll-diaphragm compressor of claim 6 , wherein the roll-diaphragm is defined by a plurality of leaves that extend from a diaphragm central portion to a diaphragm edge, each leaf having side edges that are coupled with side edges of adjoining leaves to generate a dome profile of the roll-diaphragm.
14. The roll-diaphragm compressor of claim 13 , wherein said leaves comprise tensile elements that extend radially from the diaphragm central portion.
15. A roll-diaphragm compressor system consisting essentially of:
a first roll-diaphragm compressor as described claim 6 , and
a second roll-diaphragm compressor as described in claim 6 .
16. The roll-diaphragm compressor system of claim 15 , further comprising:
an architecture that holds the first and second compressor in an opposing configuration along a common axis; and
a piston assembly disposed between the first and second roll-diaphragm compressor configured to drive a respective first and second piston head of the first and second roll-diaphragm compressor.
17. The roll-diaphragm compressor of claim 16 , wherein said piston assembly comprises a first and second crank that are offset from each other about a central crank-shaft axis, the first and second crank configured to drive the first and second roll-diaphragm compressor in staggered respective compression cycles.
18. A roll-diaphragm compressor system comprising:
a first roll-diaphragm compressor as described claim 6 ,
a second roll-diaphragm compressor as described in claim 6 ;
a third roll-diaphragm compressor as described in claim 6 ;
an architecture that holds the first, second and third roll-diaphragm compressors in an offset opposing configuration without any of the diaphragm compressors being aligned along a common axis; and
a piston assembly disposed between the first, second and third roll-diaphragm compressors configured to drive a respective first, second and third piston head of the first, second and third roll-diaphragm compressors.
19. A method of driving a roll-diaphragm compressor comprising:
providing a roll-diaphragm compressor having a flexible roll-diaphragm coupled with an edge of a compressor body that defines a concave portion having a convex interface wall and a planar apex portion adjacent to the concave portion, the roll-diaphragm and convex interface wall defining a compression chamber;
driving the roll-diaphragm to a first concave configuration wherein the roll-diaphragm is spaced apart from the convex interface wall such that the compression chamber is at a maximum volume; and
driving the roll-diaphragm to a second convex configuration wherein the roll-diaphragm rollingly engages the convex interface wall such that the compression chamber is at a minimum volume.
20. The method claim 19 , wherein said driving the roll-diaphragm to a first concave configuration draws a volume of fluid into the compression chamber via an inlet port of the compressor body.
21. The method claim 20 , wherein said driving the roll-diaphragm to a second convex configuration expels the volume of fluid from the compression chamber.