Controller unit for controlling the speed of a motor driving an oil injected compressor and method of controlling said speed

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11092156-B2
Application number	US-201716341469-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 19, 2017
Priority date	Oct 25, 2016
Publication date	Aug 17, 2021
Grant date	Aug 17, 2021

Abstract

A controller unit for controlling the speed of a motor for driving an oil injected compressor, the controller unit including: a data connection; and a first module to receive data through the data connection. The controller unit includes a processing unit for determining a minimum working speed of the motor on the basis of the measured working pressure, the ambient temperature and a dew point temperature; and a comparator unit to compare the determined minimum working speed with the retrieved working speed of the motor. The processing unit includes a signal generating unit to send a signal to the motor for increasing the working speed of the motor to at least the determined minimum working speed, if the retrieved working speed is lower than the determined minimum working speed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A controller unit for controlling the speed of a motor for driving an oil injected compressor, said controller unit comprising:
a data connection configured to connect the controller unit with measuring module;
a first module configured to receive data through said data connection, wherein said data comprises: a measurement of a working pressure of said compressor and a working speed of the motor;
said first module further being configured to receive a measured or retrieved ambient temperature value;
a processing unit provided with an algorithm to calculate a minimum working speed of the motor that maintains a temperature of the oil injected compressor above a condensation temperature, said algorithm using at least the measured working pressure, the ambient temperature and a dew point temperature in said calculation;
a comparator unit configured to compare the calculated minimum working speed with the retrieved working speed of the motor;
said processing unit further comprising a signal generating unit configured to send a signal to said motor for increasing the working speed of the motor to at least the calculated minimum working speed, if said retrieved working speed is lower than the calculated minimum working speed.

2. The controller unit according to claim 1 , wherein the data connection is through a wireless connection.

3. The controller unit according to claim 1 , wherein the said data further comprises a working temperature of said compressor, and whereby said algorithm is configured to determine the dew point temperature on the basis of the measured working pressure and temperature.

4. The controller unit according to claim 1 , wherein the controller unit is part of the oil injected compressor or is placed in the vicinity of said oil injected compressor.

5. The controller unit according to claim 1 , wherein the measuring module comprises a pressure sensor and a temperature sensor positioned at a compressed air outlet of a compressor element part of said oil injected compressor, for retrieving said measured working pressure and working temperature.

6. The controller unit according to claim 1 , wherein said controller unit comprises a data connection with the motor driving said oil injected compressor for retrieving said working speed of the motor.

7. The controller unit according to claim 1 , wherein said first module comprises a wired or wireless data connection to a temperature sensor positioned in the vicinity of the oil injected compressor or to an internet network providing the ambient temperature measurement in the geographical area where the oil injected compressor is located.

8. The controller unit according to claim 1 , wherein the controller unit is configured to receive said measurement of the working pressure, working temperature and the working speed of the motor in real time.

9. The controller unit according to claim 1 , wherein said algorithm is further configured to compare the working temperature with a determined dew point temperature.

10. The controller unit according to claim 9 , wherein the controller unit is configured to determine the dew point temperature by calculation on the basis of the measured working pressure, the ambient temperature and a retrieved or determined relative humidity.

11. A method of controlling the speed of a motor driving an oil injected compressor, the method comprising at least the following steps:
measuring a working pressure of the oil injected compressor and sending the measured value to a first module of a controller unit;
sending the speed of the motor and a measured or retrieved ambient temperature to said first module;
calculating a minimum working speed of the motor that maintains a temperature of the oil injected compressor above a condensation temperature, wherein said calculating uses the measured working pressure, ambient temperature and a dew point temperature; and
comparing the calculated minimum working speed with the retrieved working speed of the motor and, if said retrieved working speed is lower than the calculated minimum working speed, increasing the working speed of said motor to at least the calculated minimum working speed.

12. The method according to claim 11 , further comprising the steps of measuring a working temperature of the oil injected compressor, sending the measured value to said first module, and determining said dew point temperature on the basis of the measured working pressure and working temperature.

13. The method according to claim 12 , further comprising the step of calculating the minimum working speed on the basis of measured working temperature, a temperature of the oil injected in said oil injected compressor and a retrieved or determined relative humidity.

14. The method according to claim 13 , further comprising the step of calculating the temperature of the oil on the basis of: the working temperature, power of the oil injected compressor and oil mass flow.

15. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the power of the oil injected compressor is calculated as a function of the working speed of the motor and the working pressure.

16. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the oil mass flow is calculated as a function of the working pressure.

17. The method according to claim 12 , further comprising the step of increasing the working speed of the motor if the working temperature is lower than the dew point temperature to which a tolerance is added.

18. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the dew point temperature is calculated on the basis of the working pressure, ambient temperature and the relative humidity.

19. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the method applies a sampling rate of 25 Hertz for retrieving the measured working pressure and/or the working temperature, and/or the speed of the motor.

20. The oil injected compressor configured to apply the method of claim 11 .

Assignees

• Atlas Copco Airpower Nv

Inventors

• Moens Wim

Classifications

• F04C2240/40

  Electric motor · CPC title

• F04C2240/81

  Sensor, e.g. electronic sensor for control or monitoring · CPC title

• F04C18/0215

  where only one member is moving · CPC title

• F04C18/16

  with helical teeth, e.g. chevron-shaped, screw type {(for non-parallel axes of movement F04C18/48)} · CPC title

• F04C2210/1005

  Air · CPC title