Compressor system including a flow and temperature control device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9500191-B2
Application number	US-201013580292-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 22, 2010
Priority date	Jan 22, 2010
Publication date	Nov 22, 2016
Grant date	Nov 22, 2016

Abstract

A compressor system including a lubricant inlet compresses a gas and discharges a mixed flow of compressed gas and lubricant. A valve housing includes a hot and a cooled lubricant inlet, and a lubricant outlet. A sleeve is disposed within the valve housing and is movable between a first and a second position. The sleeve defines a mixing chamber and includes a first aperture with the hot lubricant inlet and a second aperture with the cooled lubricant inlet. The hot and cooled lubricant mix in the mixing chamber are directed to the lubricant inlet of the compressor. A thermal element is positioned to sense a temperature and moves the sleeve in response. The movement of the sleeve varies the amount of hot lubricant admitted through the first aperture and varies the amount of cooled lubricant admitted through the second aperture to control a lubricant temperature.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A compressor system comprisig:
a compressor including a gas inlet and a lubricant inlet, the compressor operable to compress a gas and discharge a mixed flow of compressed gas and lubricant;
a valve housing including a hot lubricant inlet forming a first annular passageway surrounding an internal portion of the valve housing, a cooled lubricant inlet forming a second annular passageway surrounding the internal portion of the valve housing, and a lubricant outlet connected to the lubricant inlet of the compressor;
a sleeve having a length extending in an axial direction and being disposed within the valve housing and movable between a first position and a second position, the sleeve at least partially defining a mixing chamber and including a first aperture in fluid communication with the hot lubricant inlet to selectively admit a hot lubricant into the mixing chamber and a second aperture spaced axially apart from the first aperture in fluid communication with the cooled lubricant inlet to selectively admit a cooled lubricant into the mixing chamber, the hot lubricant and cooled lubricant mixing in the mixing chamber to define a bulk lubricant that is directed to the lubricant inlet of the compressor via the lubricant outlet, wherein the sleeve includes a hollow element, and wherein the mixing chamber is at least partially disposed within the hollow element; and
a thermal element actuator positioned to sense a temperature the thermal element actuator coupled to the sleeve and constructed to move the sleeve in response to the sensed temperature, the movement of the sleeve being operable to vary an amount of hot lubricant ado teed through the first aperture and to vary an amount of cooled lubricant admitted through the second aperture to control a temperature of the bulk lubricant;
wherein the sleeve is movable between the first position in which the first aperture is fully open and the second aperture is fully closed such that all of the lubricant flowing into the mixing chamber amounts to a first quantity and flows through the first aperture, and the second position in which the first aperture is closed and the second aperture is partially open such that all of the lubricant flowing into the mixing chamber amounts to a second quantity that is equal to the first quantity and flows through the second aperture.

2. The compressor system of claim 1 , further comprising a lubricant separator and a lubricant cooler, the lubricant separator operable to separate the mixed flow of compressed gas and lubricant into a flow of compressed gas and a flow of lubricant, at least a portion of the flow of lubricant passing through the lubricant cooler to reduce a temperature of the portion of the flow of lubricant.

3. The compressor system of claim 2 , wherein the lubricant cooler includes an outlet in fluid communication with the cooled lubricant inlet such that the portion of the flow of lubricant flows through the lubricant cooler to the cooled lubricant inlet and a remainder of the flow of lubricant bypasses the lubricant cooler and flows to the hot lubricant inlet.

4. The compressor system of claim 1 wherein the hollow element is at least partially cylindrical.

5. The compressor system of claim 1 , wherein the first aperture has a first size and the second aperture has a second size that is larger than the first size.

6. The compressor system of claim 1 , wherein the sleeve is further movable between the second position and a third position in which the first aperture is closed and the second aperture is fully open such that all of the lubricant flowing into the mixing chamber flows through the second aperture and amounts to a third quantity that is greater than the first quantity.

7. The compressor system of claim 6 , wherein the thermal element actuator expands in response to an increased sensed temperature to move the sleeve in a direction from the first position toward the second position and from the second position toward the third position.

8. The compressor system of claim 1 , wherein a portion of the thermal element actuator is positioned in one of the lubricant inlet and the mixed flow of compressed gas and lubricant.

9. A compressor system comprising:
a compressor including a gas inlet and a lubricant inlet, the compressor operable to compress a gas and discharge a mixed flow of compressed gas and lubricant;
a valve housing including a hot lubricant inlet disposed completely around an inner circumferential wall of the valve housing, a cooled lubricant inlet disposed completely around the inner circumferential wall of the valve housing, and a lubricant outlet connected to the lubricant inlet of the compressor;
a sleeve disposed within the valve housing and at least partially defining a mixing chamber, the sleeve including a first aperture in fluid communication with the hot lubricant inlet to selectively admit a hot lubricant into the mixing chamber and having, a first size, and a second aperture in fluid communication with the cooled lubricant inlet to selectively admit a cooled lubricant into the mixing chamber and having a second size, the second size being larger than the first size, the hot lubricant and cooled lubricant mixing in the mixing chamber to define a bulk lubricant that is directed to the lubricant outlet;
an actuator coupled to the sleeve and operable to move the sleeve between a first position in which the first aperture is fully open and the second aperture is fully closed such that all of the lubricant flowing into the mixing chamber flows through the first aperture and amounts to a first quantity of the lubricant, and a second position in which the first aperture is closed and the second aperture is partially open such that all of the lubricant flowing into the mixing chamber flows through the second aperture and amounts to a second quantity that is equal to the first quantity, the sleeve further movable between the second position and a third position in which the first aperture is closed and the second aperture is fully open such that all of the lubricant flowing into the mixing chamber flows through the second aperture and amounts to a third quantity that is greater than the first quantity.

10. The compressor system of claim 9 , further comprising a lubricant separator and a lubricant cooler, the lubricant separator operable to separate the mixed flow of compressed gas and lubricant into a flow of compressed gas and a flow of lubricant, at least a portion of the flow of lubricant passing through the lubricant cooler to reduce a temperature of the portion of the flow of lubricant.

11. The compressor system of claim 10 , wherein the lubricant cooler includes an outlet in fluid communication with the cooled lubricant inlet such that the portion of the flow of lubricant flows through the lubricant cooler to the cooled lubricant inlet and a remainder of the flow of lubricant bypasses the lubricant cooler and flows to the hot lubricant inlet.

12. The compressor system of claim 9 , wherein the sleeve includes a hollow cylindrical element, and wherein the mixing chamber is at least partially disposed within the hollow cylindrical element.

13. The compressor system of claim 9 , wherein the actuator includes a thermal element positioned to sense a temperature and move the sleeve in response to the sensed temperature.

14. The compressor system of claim 13 , wherein a portion of the thermal element is positioned in one of the lubricant inlet and the mixed flow of compressed gas and lubricant.

15. The compressor system of claim 13 , wherein the thermal element expands in response to an increased s

Assignees

• Scarpinato Paul A
• Stutts Larry R
• Sreedharan Sudhir
• Ingersoll-Rand Company

Inventors

• Scarpinato Paul A
• Stutts Larry R
• Sreedharan Sudhir

Classifications

• F04B39/02

  Lubrication (of machines or engines in general F01M) · CPC title

• F01M5/007

  Thermostatic control · CPC title

• F04C18/16

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

• F04C29/042

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

• F04C29/021

  Control systems for the circulation of the lubricant · CPC title