System and method for controlling moisture within an air compressor assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10502204-B2
Application number	US-201615565348-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 11, 2016
Priority date	Apr 10, 2015
Publication date	Dec 10, 2019
Grant date	Dec 10, 2019

Abstract

An air compressor assembly for filling self-contained breathing apparatus air containers has at least one condensate separator. The condensate separator includes a liquid-retaining vessel a liquid-level sensor. A drain valve is in fluid communication with the condensate separator. The drain valve is configured to open and drain retained liquid from the liquid-retaining vessel when the liquid-level sensor detects that a level of the retained liquid reaches a drain valve activation triggering level.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An air compressor assembly for filling self-contained breathing apparatus air containers, the air compressor assembly comprising:
a plurality of condensate separators, each of the plurality of condensate separators including:
a liquid-retaining vessel; and
a liquid-level sensor; and

at least one drain valve in fluid communication with the plurality of condensate separators, the at least one drain valve being configured to open and simultaneously drain retained liquid from the liquid-retaining vessel of each of the plurality of condensate separators when the liquid-level sensor of any one of the plurality of condensate separators detects that a level of the retained liquid retained within the liquid-retaining vessel reaches a drain valve activation triggering level.

2. The air compressor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the liquid-level sensor is a continuity sensor.

3. The air compressor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the liquid-level sensor is an optical sensor.

4. The air compressor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the liquid-level sensor is an acoustic sensor.

5. The air compressor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the air compressor assembly is a multi-stage breathing air compressor configured to fill self-contained breathing apparatus breathing air containers.

6. The air compressor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least one drain valve includes a solenoid, the solenoid being activated when the liquid-level sensor of any one of the plurality of condensate separators detects that the level of the retained liquid retained within the liquid-retaining vessel reaches the drain valve activation triggering level.

7. The air compressor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the air compressor includes at least a first stage and a second stage of air compression, and wherein one of the plurality of condensate separators is fluidly disposed between the first stage and the second stage, and wherein the at least one drain valve is configured to drain liquid within the plurality of condensate separators when liquid-level sensor within the condensate separator between the first stage and the second stage detects that the level of retained liquid retained within its liquid-retaining vessel reaches the drain valve activation triggering level.

8. The air compressor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least one drain valve is configured to drain the liquid-retaining vessel for a predetermined amount of time.

9. A multi-stage air compressor assembly for filling self-contained breathing apparatus air containers, the air compressor assembly comprising:
a first stage compressor;
a second stage compressor;
a third stage compressor;
a first condensate separator disposed between and in fluid communication with the first stage compressor and the second stage compressor, the first condensate separator including:
a first liquid-retaining vessel; and
a first liquid-level sensor of the first condensate separator;

a second condensate separator disposed between and in fluid communication with the second stage compressor and the third stage compressor, the second condensate separator including:
a second liquid-retaining vessel; and
a first liquid-level sensor of the second condensate separator;

a controller in communication with the first liquid-level sensor; and
a drain valve in fluid communication with the first liquid-retaining vessel and the second liquid-retaining vessel, the controller being configured to send a drain valve activation signal to the drain valve, the drain valve activation signal being configured to open the drain valve and simultaneously drain retained liquid from the first liquid-retaining vessel and the second liquid-retaining vessel when the first liquid-level sensor of the first condensate separator detects that a level of the retained liquid retained within the first liquid-retaining vessel reaches a drain valve activation triggering level.

10. The multi-stage air compressor assembly of claim 9 , wherein the first condensate separator further a second liquid-level sensor of the first condensate separator, the second liquid-level sensor of the first condensate separator being positioned to detect a lower level of liquid in the first retaining vessel than the first liquid-level sensor of the first condensate separator, and wherein the controller is further configured to close the drain valve when the second liquid-level sensor of the first condensate separator detects that the level of the retained liquid retained within the first liquid-retaining vessel reaches a drain valve termination triggering level.

11. The multi-stage air compressor assembly of claim 9 , wherein the first liquid-level sensor of the first condensate separator is a continuity sensor.

12. The multi-stage air compressor assembly of claim 9 , wherein the first liquid-level sensor of the first condensate separator is an optical sensor.

13. The multi-stage air compressor assembly of claim 9 , wherein the first liquid-level sensor of the first condensate separator is an acoustic sensor.

14. The multi-stage air compressor assembly of claim 9 , further comprising a reservoir in fluid communication with the drain valve, the reservoir configured to retain water drained from the first liquid-retaining vessel and the second liquid-retaining vessel.

15. The multi-stage air compressor assembly of claim 9 , wherein the drain valve is configured to simultaneously drain the first liquid-retaining vessel and the second liquid-retaining vessel for a predetermined amount of time.

16. A multi-stage air compressor assembly for filling self-contained breathing apparatus air containers, the air compressor assembly comprising:
a first stage compressor;
a second stage compressor;
a third stage compressor;
a first condensate separator disposed between and in fluid communication with the first stage compressor and the second stage compressor, the first condensate separator including:
a first liquid-retaining vessel; and
a first high level liquid-level sensor and a first low level liquid-level sensor disposed within the first liquid-retaining vessel;
a second condensate separator disposed between and in fluid communication with the second stage of compression and the third stage of compression, the second condensate separator including:
a second liquid-retaining vessel; and
a second high level liquid-level sensor and a second low level liquid-level sensor disposed within the second liquid-retaining vessel;
a solenoid drain valve in fluid communication with the first condensate separator and the second condensate separator; and
a controller in communication with the first high level liquid-level sensor, the first low level liquid-level, the second high level liquid-level sensor, and the second low level liquid-level, the controller being configured to:
send a drain valve activation signal to the drain valve, the drain drive activation signal being configured to open the drain valve to simultaneously drain the liquid retained within the first liquid-retaining vessel and the second liquid-retaining vessel when at least one of the first high level liquid-level sensor and the second high level liquid-level sensor detects that a level of the retained liquid retained within at least one of the first liquid-retaining vessel and the second-liquid retaining vessel reaches a drain valve activation triggering level; and
send a drain valve termination signal to the drain valve, the drain drive termination signal being configured to close the drain valve when at least one of the low level liquid-level sensor and the second low level liq

Assignees

• Scott Tech Inc

Inventors

• Rado Gordon E

Classifications

• F04B53/04

  Draining · CPC title

• F17C5/06

  for filling with compressed gases · CPC title

• Y10T137/3052

  Level responsive · CPC title

• F17C2270/079

  Respiration devices for rescuing · CPC title

• F04B41/02

  having reservoirs · CPC title