Compressor device and method for controlling such a compressor device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10145485-B2
Application number	US-201314380876-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 22, 2013
Priority date	Feb 29, 2012
Publication date	Dec 4, 2018
Grant date	Dec 4, 2018

Abstract

Compressor device that comprises a compressor element that is equipped with a compression chamber with at least one coolant inlet, and which furthermore comprises a gas outlet, a gas/coolant separation tank connected to it, and, a cooling circuit with a cooler that extends between the separation tank and the coolant inlet, and which is equipped with control means to adjust the temperature of the coolant flow supplied to the compressor element, whereby the aforementioned control means comprise a first and a second sub-controller, each with a different target parameter, whereby the control means also comprise switching means to place one of the two sub-controllers in an activated state and the other sub-controller in a deactivated state.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A compressor device that comprises:
a liquid-injected compressor element that is equipped with a compression chamber with at least one coolant inlet, and which furthermore comprises a gas outlet,
a gas/coolant separation tank connected to the gas outlet, and
a cooling circuit equipped with a cooler that extends between the separation tank and the at least one coolant inlet of the compression chamber, and which is equipped with control means to adjust a temperature of a coolant flow supplied to the compressor element,
wherein the aforementioned control means comprise a first and a second sub-controller, each with a different target parameter based on a first operating condition and a second operating condition,
wherein the aforementioned control means also comprise switching means to place only one of the two sub-controllers in an activated state and only the other of the two sub-controllers in a deactivated state based on a selected target parameter during the first operating condition and place the deactivated sub-controller in the activated state and the other of the two sub-controllers in the deactivated state during the second operating condition to control the coolant flow through the cooling circuit and the cooler,
wherein the aforementioned first sub-controller comprises a first shut-off valve and a first connecting channel configured to allow the coolant flow to flow through the first shut-off valve,
wherein the aforementioned second sub-controller comprises a second shut-off valve and a second connecting channel configured to allow the coolant flow to flow through the second shut-off valve, and
wherein the aforementioned first and second shut-off valves are equipped with a common housing, and
wherein in the deactivated sub-controller, the respective first or second connecting channel through the deactivated sub-controller is closed off so that a link of the coolant flow through the deactivated sub-controller is not formed and the respective first or second shut-off valve does not affect an opening or closing of the respective first or second connecting channel of the deactivated sub-controller, and
wherein the control means is configured in a way such that the coolant flow always entirely or partially flows over sensor elements of both the first sub-controller and the second sub-controller independently of the state of the first sub-controller and the second sub-controller.

2. The compressor device according to claim 1 , wherein the aforementioned first sub-controller is constructed in the form of a controller of the temperature of the coolant at an inlet of the cooler or a temperature equal to it.

3. The compressor device according to claim 1 , wherein the aforementioned second sub-controller is constructed in the form of a controller of the temperature of the coolant at the at least one coolant inlet of the compressor element or a temperature equal to it.

4. The compressor device according to claim 1 , further comprising a bypass across the cooler and that the first and/or second sub-controller is constructed such that it is configured to adjust the temperature of the coolant at the inlet of the cooler or at the at least one coolant inlet or temperatures equal to it by adjusting the ratio of the respective coolant flow rates through the cooler and through the bypass.

5. The compressor device according to claim 2 , wherein the aforementioned first and/or second sub-controller is constructed such that it is configured to adjust the temperature of the coolant at the inlet of the cooler or at the at least one coolant inlet or temperatures equal to it by adjusting the flow or temperature in a secondary circuit of the cooler.

6. The compressor device according to claim 1 , wherein said first shut-off valve is a thermostatic shut-off valve.

7. The compressor device according to claim 1 , wherein said second shut-off valve is a thermostatic shut-off valve.

8. The compressor, device according to claim 6 , wherein said second shut-off valve is a thermostatic shut-off valve, and wherein dimensions of the chamber of both the first and second shut-off valves are the same.

9. The compressor device according to claim 1 , wherein the aforementioned common housing comprises an inlet channel and an outlet channel, connected by three connecting channels, the first and second of which are able to be closed off, whereby the first thermostatic shut-off valve with a first sensor element that is thermally connected to the inlet channel is configured to reversibly shut off the first connecting channel when a reference value of the temperature in the inlet channel is exceeded, whereby a second thermostatic shut-off valve with a second sensor element that is thermally connected to the outlet channel is configured to reversibly shut off the second connecting channel when a reference value of the temperature in the outlet channel is exceeded, and whereby the link formed by the third connecting channel runs via the cooler.

10. The compressor device according to claim 9 that the first and second connecting channel run internally in the housing and the third connecting channel runs externally to the housing.

11. The compressor device according to claim 9 , wherein the thermostatic shut-off valves each comprise a plunger with a passage, and this plunger is configured to be moved between at least two positions of a first position whereby the passage does not form a connection between the inlet channel and the outlet channel and a second position in which the passage forms part of the first or second connecting channel.

12. The compressor device according to claim 11 , wherein the sensor element of each of the thermostatic shut-off valves expands upon a temperature increase, and this sensor element is in contact with the plunger and the plunger is configured to move between the aforementioned positions, and each comprise a spring that opposes a force exerted by the sensor element, whereby the switching means consists of a blocking means that is configured to block a plunger in its first position, and a means that forms an end stop for the sensor element of the other plunger.

13. The compressor device according to claim 9 , wherein the sensor element of each thermostatic shut-off valve is affixed in a chamber with an opening whereby the dimensions of the chambers of both thermostatic shut-off valves are the same, and whereby the aforementioned switching means comprise a deactivating cap that has a length that corresponds to a blocked position of the plunger and is provided with a recess that enables the free expansion of the sensor element, and an activating cap that has a length such that, the activating cap forms an end stop for the sensor element.

14. The compressor device according to claim 1 , wherein the aforementioned switching means comprise a data processing unit that is connected to measuring instruments for receiving measurement signals from them; and that a selection algorithm is programmed in the aforementioned data processing unit that determines an outcome on the basis of the aforementioned measurement signals that is converted into a control signal for the automatic activation of one of the sub-controllers.

15. The compressor device according to claim 14 , wherein the first and second sub-controllers comprise magnetically controlled valves that are configured to respond to the control signal.

16. A method for controlling a compressor device that is equipped with a liquid-injected compressor element provided with a compression chamber with one or more coolant inlets, a gas/coolant separ

Assignees

• Atlas Copco Airpower Nv

Inventors

• Martens Kristof Adrien Laura

Classifications

• F04C29/042

  by injecting a fluid (injection of fluid for sealing, cooling or lubrication F04C29/0007) · CPC title

• Y10T137/6579

  Circulating fluid in heat exchange relationship · CPC title

• F04C29/026

  Lubricant separation · CPC title

• F04B49/06

  Control using electricity (regulating by means of floats actuating electric switches F04B49/04) · CPC title

• F04C2270/195

  Controlled or regulated · CPC title