Method for controlling compression system, compression system, and hydrogen station

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11035520-B1
Application number	US-202017070215-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Oct 14, 2020
Priority date	Dec 3, 2019
Publication date	Jun 15, 2021
Grant date	Jun 15, 2021

Abstract

A method for controlling a compression system that includes a compressor for compressing gas, a first on-off valve provided on a suction flow passage connected to a suction side of the compressor, a pressure reducing valve provided on a portion of the suction flow passage upstream of the first on-off valve, a second on-off valve provided on a discharge flow passage connected to a discharge side of the compressor, a bypass flow passage connecting the suction flow passage and the discharge flow passage to detour the compressor, and a bypass valve provided on the bypass flow passage, includes closing the first on-off valve while driving the compressor, opening the bypass valve simultaneously with or after the closing of the first on-off valve, closing the second on-off valve after the opening of the bypass valve, and continuing to drive the compressor after the closing of the second on-off valve.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for controlling a compression system that includes a compressor for compressing gas, a first on-off valve provided on a suction flow passage connected to a suction side of the compressor, a pressure reducing valve provided on a portion of the suction flow passage upstream of the first on-off valve, a second on-off valve provided on a discharge flow passage connected to a discharge side of the compressor, a bypass flow passage connecting the suction flow passage and the discharge flow passage to detour the compressor, and a bypass valve provided on the bypass flow passage, the method comprising:
closing the first on-off valve while driving the compressor;
opening the bypass valve at the same time as the closing operation of the first on-off valve or after the closing operation of the first on-off valve;
closing the second on-off valve after the opening operation of the bypass valve; and
continuing to drive the compressor after the closing operation of the second on-off valve.

2. The method for controlling a compressor system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the bypass valve is opened after the closing operation of the first on-off valve and when a pressure in the suction flow passage decreases to a first threshold value, and
wherein the first threshold is set based on a predetermined compression ratio of the compressor.

3. The method for controlling a compressor system according to claim 2 ,
wherein the bypass valve is configured to be capable of regulating an opening,
wherein the compression system further includes a buffer tank that is arranged on the suction flow passage and stores gas, and a pressure detection section that detects the pressure in the suction flow passage, and
wherein the opening of the bypass valve is increased while the pressure detected by the pressure detection section is maintained below a second threshold value.

4. The method for controlling a compression system according to claim 3 ,
wherein the compression system further includes a cooler that is provided on the discharge passage and cools gas discharged from the compressor, and
wherein an end portion of the bypass flow passage on the discharge side of the compressor is connected to a part of the discharge flow passage downstream of the cooler.

5. The method for controlling a compression system according to claim 1 ,
wherein during a period from the closing operation of the first on-off valve to the closing operation of the second on-off valve, and after the closing operation of the second on-off valve, a rotational speed of the compressor is maintained at a rotational speed of the compressor before the closing operation of the first on-off valve.

6. A compression system, comprising:
a compressor for compressing gas;
a first on-off valve provided on a suction flow passage connected to a suction side of the compressor;
a pressure reducing valve provided on a portion of the suction flow passage upstream of the first on-off valve;
a second on-off valve provided on a discharge flow passage connected to a discharge side of the compressor;
a bypass flow passage connecting the suction flow passage and the discharge flow passage to detour the compressor;
a bypass valve provided on the bypass flow passage; and
a control unit that controls the compressor, the first on-off valve, the second on-off valve, and the bypass valve,
wherein the control unit performs a control to close the first on-off valve while driving the compressor, open the bypass valve at the same time as the closing operation of the first on-off valve or after the closing operation of the first on-off valve, close the second on-off valve after the opening operation of the bypass valve, and continue to drive the compressor after the closing operation of the second on-off valve.

7. A hydrogen station, comprising:
the compression system according to claim 6 , the compression system for compressing hydrogen gas to a predetermined pressure; and
a dispenser that refuels a fuel cell vehicle with hydrogen gas supplied from the compression system.

Assignees

• Kobe Steel Ltd

Inventors

• Hashimoto Koichiro
• Takano Masashi
• Uba Takuro
• Fukuda Takayuki
• Nagura Kenji

Classifications

• F17C2250/0439

  Temperature · CPC title

• F17C2250/043

  Pressure · CPC title

• F17C2227/0348

  Water cooling · CPC title

• F17C2205/0335

  Check-valves or non-return valves · CPC title

• F17C5/06 Primary

  for filling with compressed gases · CPC title