Centrifugal compressor having cooling system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9670937-B2
Application number	US-201313906314-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 30, 2013
Priority date	May 30, 2013
Publication date	Jun 6, 2017
Grant date	Jun 6, 2017

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards a centrifugal compressor, a heat exchanger integral with the centrifugal compressor and configured to transfer heat from a fluid pressurized by the centrifugal compressor to a cooling fluid flow, and a cooling fluid supply head of the heat exchanger comprising an integral flow control valve configured to regulate a cooling fluid flow rate through the heat exchanger.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
a centrifugal compressor;
a heat exchanger having a plurality of heat exchanger shells formed integral with the centrifugal compressor and configured to transfer heat from a fluid pressurized by the centrifugal compressor to a cooling fluid flow;
a cooling fluid supply head coupled to each of the integral shells of the heat exchanger;
first and second integral flow control valves formed integrally with each of the supply heads;
removable valve elements positioned within housings of the first and second valves;
wherein each of the integral control valves are configured to regulate a cooling fluid flow rate through each of the heat exchanger shells independently; and
a cooling fluid entry conduit coupled externally across in each of the plurality of cooling fluid supply heads, the cooling fluid entry conduit configured to flow the cooling fluid to the heat exchanger supply heads in parallel.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the cooling fluid supply heads comprise a cooling fluid exit conduit configured to flow the cooling fluid flow out of the heat exchanger.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein each of the integral flow control valves are disposed along the cooling fluid exit conduit.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the cooling fluid flow is water, and the fluid pressurized by the centrifugal compressor is air.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the cooling fluid supply heads are removable from the heat exchanger.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the integral flow control valves comprises a plug valve.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein each of the integral flow control valves is configured to be actuated manually.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein each of the integral flow control valves comprises:
a knob;
a bracket extending from the knob and fixed to the plug valve; and
an adjustable retaining pin coupled to the knob, wherein the retaining pin is configured to extend into one of a plurality of notches formed in a flange of the integral flow control valve.

9. A system, comprising:
a first cooling fluid supply head configured to attach directly to a machine, comprising:
a first cooling fluid entry conduit configured to flow a cooling fluid flow into a first heat exchanger;
a first cooling fluid exit conduit configured to flow the cooling fluid flow out of the first heat exchanger; and
a first flow control valve configured to regulate the cooling fluid flow;
wherein the first control valve includes a valve housing formed as an integral portion of the supply head and a removable valve element disposed within the valve housing;
a heat exchanger shell of the first heat exchanger, wherein the first cooling fluid supply head is removably coupled to the heat exchanger shell;
and

a second cooling fluid supply head coupled to the heat exchanger shell, wherein the second cooling fluid supply head comprises:
a second cooling fluid entry conduit configured to flow the cooling fluid flow into a second heat exchanger, wherein the second cooling fluid entry conduit is fluidly coupled to the first cooling fluid entry conduit;
a second cooling fluid exit conduit configured to flow the cooling fluid flow out of the second heat exchanger, wherein the second cooling fluid exit conduit is fluidly coupled to the first cooling fluid exit conduit;
a second flow control valve configured to regulate the cooling fluid flow;

wherein the first and second control valves control cooling fluid flow independently to the first and second heat exchangers;
wherein the first and second cooling fluid entry conduits are coupled together-external to the first and second cooling supply heads such that cooling fluid is supplied to each of the cooling supply heads in parallel; and
wherein the first and second cooling fluid exit conduits are coupled together-external to the first and second cooling supply heads such that cooling fluid is supplied to the first and second cooling fluid exit conduits from each of the cooling supply heads in parallel.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the first flow control valve is disposed along the first cooling fluid exit conduit.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the first flow control valve is configured to be operated automatically.

12. The system of claim 11 , comprising a controller configured to actuate the first flow control valve based on feedback from at least one sensor.

13. The system of claim 12 , comprising a centrifugal compressor coupled to the first heat exchanger, wherein the centrifugal compressor is configured to pressurize a gas and flow the gas through the first heat exchanger, and wherein the feedback comprises a temperature of cooling fluid entering the first heat exchanger, a temperature of cooling fluid exiting the first heat exchanger, a flow rate of cooling fluid entering the first heat exchanger, a flow rate of cooling fluid exiting the first heat exchanger, a temperature of the gas entering the first heat exchanger, a temperature of the gas exiting the first heat exchanger, or a combination thereof.

14. A system, comprising:
a compressor;
a rotor assembly of the compressor;
a gear box of the compressor;
a heat exchanger integral with the compressor, wherein the heat exchanger comprises:
a plurality of heat exchanger shells;
a cooling fluid exit conduit externally coupled to each of the plurality of heat exchanger shells, the cooling fluid exit conduit configured to receive cooling fluid from the plurality of heat exchanger shells in parallel;
cooling fluid control valves fluidly coupled to the exit conduit proximate each of the plurality of heat exchanger shells, each cooling fluid control valve being configured to regulate a cooling fluid flow through each of the heat exchanger shells independently; and
wherein each of the control valves include a valve housing extending in a permanent fixed location from a portion of the heat exchanger and removable valve elements disposed within each of the valve housings.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein each of the cooling fluid control valves are integral with a cooling fluid supply head of the heat exchanger.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the heat exchanger is configured to transfer heat from a gas pressurized by an impeller of the rotor assembly to the cooling fluid flow.

17. The system of claim 14 , wherein the cooling fluid control valves are configured to be operated manually.

Assignees

• Ingersoll-Rand Company

Inventors

• Gerber Thomas Edward
• Clemons Johnathon David

Classifications

• F04D29/5833 Primary

  flow schemes and regulation thereto · CPC title

• F04D29/5826 Primary

  Cooling at least part of the working fluid in a heat exchanger · CPC title

• F28D2021/0019

  Other heat exchangers for particular applications; Heat exchange systems not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• F04D17/10

  for compressing or evacuating · CPC title

• F28F27/02

  for controlling the distribution of heat-exchange media between different channels ({static flow control means in header boxes F28F9/026}; arrangements of guide plates or guide vanes F28F9/22, F28F25/12) · CPC title