A hydraulically operated compressor has a fixed piston and a fixed compression or outer cylinder. A drive or intermediate cylinder is located between the piston and outer cylinder. A compression chamber is formed between the drive cylinder and the outer cylinder. Drive fluid is pumped into and released from an interior chamber in the drive cylinder to reciprocate the drive cylinder. The drive fluid also provides cooling to the interior of the compressor.

Most multistage compressors specify a maximum inlet pressure that may be supplied to the compressor to stay within designed limits. If the supply gas to be compressed is at a higher pressure than the specified maximum inlet pressure, then its pressure must be reduced before connecting it to the compressor. This pressure reduction is inefficient. The present invention avoids reducing the inlet pressure by routing the supply gas directly to the appropriate compression stage depending on its inlet pressure such that the compressor loads are still within the specified limits of the equipment.

Most multistage compressors specify a maximum inlet pressure that may be supplied to the compressor to stay within designed limits. If the supply gas to be compressed is at a higher pressure than the specified maximum inlet pressure, then its pressure must be reduced before connecting it to the compressor. This pressure reduction is inefficient. The present invention avoids reducing the inlet pressure by routing the supply gas directly to the appropriate compression stage depending on its inlet pressure such that the compressor loads are still within the specified limits of the equipment.

A process for internally cooling an inline compressor comprises the steps of providing a compression chamber between an outer cylinder and an intermediate cylinder and a drive chamber between the intermediate cylinder and a piston; admitting gas into the compression chamber; pumping drive fluid through the piston into the drive chamber to extend the intermediate cylinder and compress the compression chamber and the gas in the compression chamber; allowing heat from the compressed gas to transfer to the drive fluid; allowing the compressed gas to exit the compression chamber; allowing the withdrawal of the drive fluid from the drive chamber; passing the withdrawn drive fluid through a heat exchanger to cool the drive fluid for reuse in extending the intermediate cylinder.

A cooling block for cooling pistons of a multi-cylinder air compressor is disclosed. The cooling block may comprise a body including a first end and a second end on opposing sides of the body. The cooling block may further comprise a first cooling nozzle near the first end, and a second cooling nozzle near the second end. The first cooling nozzle and the second cooling nozzle may each include an orifice through which coolant is sprayed into a crankcase of the multi-cylinder air compressor.

A cooling block for cooling pistons of a multi-cylinder air compressor is disclosed. The cooling block may comprise a body including a first end and a second end on opposing sides of the body. The cooling block may further comprise a first cooling nozzle near the first end, and a second cooling nozzle near the second end. The first cooling nozzle and the second cooling nozzle may each include an orifice through which coolant is sprayed into a crankcase of the multi-cylinder air compressor.

A natural gas pumping system that includes six reciprocating compressor cylinders, the reciprocating pistons of the six compressors having cycles offset by 60 degrees one from another.

A vacuum pump is provided that includes a body, a first cylinder at least partially inside the body, a second cylinder at least partially inside the body, and an electric drive motor attached to the body and driving a common crank pin. The first cylinder has a first cylinder axis, and a first piston is reciprocal in the first cylinder. A first piston rod is attached to the first piston. The second cylinder has a second cylinder axis, and a second piston is reciprocal in the second cylinder. A second piston rod is attached to the second piston. The first and second cylinder axes are arranged at substantially 90° to each other. The first and second piston rods engage the common crank pin such that the first piston and the second piston are commonly driven by the common crank pin.

The compressor presents a first and a second cylinder block arranged in V and defining, respectively, a first and a second cylinder, and being affixed on a base block, each cylinder housing a respective piston driven by a crankshaft which is housed and supported on the base block. The first and the second cylinder block incorporate, respectively, a first and a second duct portion having an outer end open to the interior of the cylinder head of the respective cylinder, and an inner end open to a third duct portion incorporated to the base block, said duct portions forming a compressed air duct connecting the first cylinder to the second cylinder.

A vacuum generation system and method utilizes a dual-action piston-cylinder vacuum generation system to evacuate a vacuum storage. Saturated steam of higher than ambient pressure is inserted into a condensation cylinder with two chambers separated by a movable piston. Steam moves the piston to fill one chamber while expel gaseous content and condensate out of the other chamber. Steam is then condensed to a rough vacuum (RV) state by cooling. By repeated operations of inserting and condensing steam in each chamber alternatively, a sustained vacuum generation is achieved. A multi-level vacuum storage is also disclosed with a high vacuum (HV) storage placed inside a rough vacuum (RV) storage to reduce leakage as well as mechanical stresses. The vacuum generation system and method is extended for creating a prime mover or actuator to drive vacuum pumps maximizing thermal energy usage for increased vacuuming capacity.