Air compressor having supplemental power source

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10161271-B2
Application number	US-201615006638-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 26, 2016
Priority date	Jan 26, 2016
Publication date	Dec 25, 2018
Grant date	Dec 25, 2018

Abstract

A fluid expander is disclosed as used in conjunction with an air compressor that is driven by a prime mover. The fluid expander is structured to extract useful work from a fluid stream and add that work to the work provided by the prime mover to the compressor. In some embodiments a clutch can be used to decouple the expander from the compressor if insufficient work is developed by the expander. A gear train can also be used to change the rotational speed prior to work being delivered to the compressor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a prime mover having a rotatable output structured to provide a rotative mechanical power output;
a fluid pump in power communication with the prime mover through the rotative mechanical power output and having an inlet for the receipt of a fluid and an outlet for the conveyance of a fluid, the fluid pump in thermal communication with a waste heat system working fluid such that waste heat generated by the fluid pump during operation is used to provide heat to the waste heat system working fluid;
a waste heat system power provider structured to receive and extract work from the waste heat system working fluid, the waste heat system working fluid being a different composition from the fluid received in the fluid pump; and
an adapter having an adapter housing located between the prime mover and the fluid pump, the adapter having a mechanical summer structured to add the work extracted by the waste heat system power provider to the rotative mechanical power output provided by the prime mover such that total work required to drive the fluid pump is provided by both the prime mover and the waste heat system power provider.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the fluid pump is a compressor and the fluid is air.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , which further includes a clutch mechanically coupled to the waste heat system power provider, the clutch structured to selectively mechanically connect the waste heat system power provider to the fluid pump.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the waste heat system power provider is a turbine structured to provide power to the fluid pump, and wherein the waste heat system working fluid and the working fluid are separate fluids.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the turbine is located within the adapter housing, wherein the waste heat system fluid is in a closed circuit.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the separate fluids are different compositions, and wherein the clutch is an overrun clutch.

7. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the waste heat system fluid circulates in a closed circuit which includes components structured to change the phase of the waste heat system fluid from liquid to gas, and wherein the clutch includes components that permits the waste heat system power provider to be decoupled from the fluid pump if insufficient work is produced.

8. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the clutch is located within the adapter housing.

9. An apparatus comprising:
a compressor having structural members arranged to provide compression of a compressible gas;
an electric motor having an output shaft mechanically connected to and in working communication with the compressor, the electric motor structured to provide work to the output shaft useful to the compressor for the compression of the compressible gas;
a fluid expander structured to extract mechanical work from a working fluid separate from the compressible gas and heated by operation of the compressor which is received by the fluid expander at a first pressure and subsequently discharged from the fluid expander at a second pressure as a result of extracting work from the working fluid; and
a mechanical power coupler having a clutch structured to selectively add work from the fluid expander to work provided through the output shaft of the electric motor such that total power delivered to the compressor originates from both the electric motor and the fluid expander when the clutch selectively adds work from the fluid expander.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the fluid expander is one of a turbine, rotary screw expander, a scroll expander, and a sliding vane expander.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the working fluid is contained in a closed circuit, and wherein the fluid expander includes a rotatable output shaft that rotates in response to the extraction of work from the working fluid.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the clutch is an overrunning clutch, and wherein the rotatable output shaft is in power communication with the overrunning clutch.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the overrunning clutch selectively rotates a gear when the fluid expander produces additive work to work from the electric motor, the gear in intermeshed engagement with a complementary gear that rotates with rotation of the compressor.

14. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the fluid expander receives working fluid from one of an air motor, air starter, steam cycle system, and organic rankine cycle system.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the fluid expander includes a rotatable output shaft that rotates in response to the extraction of work from the working fluid, wherein the clutch is an overrunning clutch, and wherein the overrunning clutch selectively rotates a gear in rotative mechanical communication with the compressor.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , which further includes an adapter having an adapter housing, the fluid expander and the overrunning clutch located within the adapter.

17. A method comprising:
powering an electric motor to provide a motor shaft output power to drive a fluid compressor, the fluid compressor structured to provide compression to a first fluid;
heating a second fluid with a heat generated by a heat of compression of the fluid compressor;
flowing the second fluid after it has been heated with the heat of compression to a fluid work extractor where energy in the second fluid is converted to shaft power output; and
selectively engaging a fluid work extractor clutch such that the shaft power output from the fluid work extractor is added to the motor shaft output power of the electric motor.

18. The method of claim 17 , which further includes selectively disengaging the fluid work extractor when the electric motor produces an amount of power to backdrive the fluid work extractor in the absence of the fluid work extractor clutch.

19. The method of claim 17 , which further includes rotating a pinion located within an adapter housing during the flowing of the second fluid to the fluid work extractor.

20. The method of claim 19 , which further includes routing power from the pinion and through the fluid work extractor clutch during the selectively engaging to a driven gear associated with a shaft mechanically coupled to the fluid compressor.

21. The method of claim 20 , which further includes operating a waste heat recovery system having the fluid work extractor, wherein the second fluid is a waste heat system fluid, and which further includes circulating the waste heat system fluid in a closed loop of the waste heat recovery system.

22. The method of claim 20 , wherein the shaft is a fluid compressor shaft separate from a motor shaft of the electric motor.

Assignees

• Ingersoll Rand Co

Inventors

• Collins James Christopher
• Mcdonald Jr Marion Patrick

Classifications

• F16H3/54

  one of the central gears being internally toothed and the other externally toothed · CPC title

• F04B35/06

  Mobile combinations · CPC title

• F04B35/006

  driven by steam engines · CPC title

• F04B35/01

  the means being mechanical · CPC title

• F04C18/0215

  where only one member is moving · CPC title