MOBILE OIL-FREE MULTI-STAGE COMPRESSOR DEVICE AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING SUCH COMPRESSOR DEVICE

Abstract

Mobile oil-free multi-stage compressor device which includes at least a low-pressure stage compressor element with an inlet and an outlet and a high-pressure stage compressor element with an inlet and an outlet, wherein the outlet of low-pressure stage compressor element is connected to the inlet of the high-pressure stage compressor element through a line. The line includes an intercooler which is provided with a controllable fan. In addition, the compressor device is provided with a control unit that is configured to control a controllable fan to control the temperature at an outlet of the intercooler on the basis of the dewpoint in the line.

Claims

1.-11. (canceled)

12. A mobile oil-free multi-stage compressor device which comprises at least a low-pressure stage compressor element with an inlet and an outlet and a high-pressure stage compressor element with an inlet and an outlet, wherein outlet of low-pressure stage compressor element is connected to inlet of high-pressure stage compressor element through a line, wherein said line includes an intercooler which is provided with a controllable fan and wherein the compressor device is provided with a control unit that is configured to control controllable fan to control the temperature at outlet of intercooler on the basis of the dewpoint in said line.

13. The mobile oil-free multistage compressor device in accordance with claim 12, wherein the compressor device is provided with a drive in the form of an internal combustion engine which is configured to drive the compressor elements and a generator, which generator is configured to supply power to said controllable fan.

14. The mobile oil-free multistage compressor device in accordance with claim 12, wherein the compressor device is provided with a drive in the form of an electrical motor which is configured to drive the compressor elements, and wherein said electrical motor is powered by power mains which are configured to also drive said controllable fan.

15. The mobile oil-free multistage compressor device in accordance with claim 12, wherein said controllable fan is provided with a frequency controller or RPM control with variable speed.

16. The mobile oil-free multistage compressor device in accordance with claim 12, wherein said controllable fan is composed of various controllable subfans.

17. The mobile oil-free multistage compressor device in accordance with claim 16, wherein at least a first subfan is provided with its own frequency controller or RPM control with variable speed.

18. The mobile oil-free multistage compressor device in accordance with claim 12, wherein said compressor device is provided with an aftercooler which is installed downstream of outlet of the high-pressure compressor element.

19. The mobile oil-free multistage compressor device in accordance with claim 12, wherein said compressor device is provided with an inlet sensor, or a group of sensors which measures the ambient parameters and which is linked with said control unit and/or compressor device is provided with a sensor which measures the pressure in line, with a sensor which measures the relative humidity in line, and/or with a sensor which measures the temperature in line downstream of the intercooler which are both linked with the control unit, wherein measurements of the inlet sensor and the pressure measurement of said sensor are used for determining the dewpoint in said line or wherein the measurements of the sensor which measures the relative humidity in line and the temperature measurement of said sensor are used for determining the dewpoint in said line.

20. A method for controlling a mobile oil-free compressor device in accordance with claim 12, wherein the method comprises the following steps: determining the dewpoint in said line; calculating a preset temperature which equals the dewpoint increased by a certain margin; and controlling the controllable fan so that the temperature in said line downstream of the intercooler becomes equal to said preset temperature.

21. The method in accordance with claim 20, wherein for determining the dewpoint in said line, the method comprises the following steps: measuring or determining the temperature, pressure, and relative humidity of the surroundings and/or the relative humidity with an additional sensor in said line downstream of the intercooler; measuring or determining the temperature in said line downstream of the intercooler and measuring or determining the pressure in said line; and calculating the dewpoint in said line on the basis of one or more of said measured or determined parameters.

22. The method in accordance with claim 21, wherein determining the ambient parameters comprising the temperature and relative humidity takes place with the aid of an inlet sensor, or a group of sensors, which measures the ambient parameters and/or for determining the temperature in said line downstream of the intercooler and for determining the pressure and the relative humidity in said line, use is made of a sensor which measures the temperature in line downstream of intercooler, of a sensor which measures the relative humidity in line, and a sensor which measures the pressure in said line.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0045] With a view to better demonstrating the characteristics of the invention, below, by way of example without any restrictive character, some preferred embodiments are described of a mobile oil-free multi-stage compressor device according to the invention and the method used in this connection, with reference to the attached drawings, in which:

[0046] FIG. 1 schematically shows a device according to the invention,

[0047] FIG. 2 schematically shows an alternative embodiment of the controllable fan from FIG. 1

[0048] FIG. 3 schematically shows an alternative embodiment of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0049] The mobile oil-free multi-stage compressor device 1 in FIG. 1 mainly comprises a low-pressure stage compressor element 2 with an inlet 3a and an outlet 4a and a high-pressure stage compressor element 5 with an inlet 3b and an outlet 4b.

[0050] Outlet 4a of low-pressure stage compressor element 2 is connected to inlet 3b of high-pressure stage compressor element 5 through a line 6.

[0051] According to the invention it is not ruled out that there still is a third stage, i.e., that high-pressure stage compressor element 5, is followed by a next high-pressure stage compressor element 5.

[0052] In addition, compressor device 1 is provided with a drive 7 in the form of an internal combustion engine 8 which will drive compressor elements 2, 5.

[0053] According to the invention, said line 6 is provided with an intercooler 9 for cooling the gas in line 6.

[0054] This intercooler 9 is provided with a controllable fan 10, which will allow control of the cooling capacity or the cooling power of intercooler 9 by controlling fan 10.

[0055] For control of this fan 10, compressor device 1 is provided with a generator 11, which is driven by said internal combustion engine 8. Generator 11 will supply the electric power for driving fan 10.

[0056] Controllable fan 10 is provided with a frequency controller 10a or an rpm controller with variable speed, also referred to as VSD or variable speed drive.

[0057] Frequency controller 10a will be able to control the rpm or the speed of fan 10.

[0058] In this case, but not necessary for the invention, compressor device 1 is provided with an aftercooler 12 which is installed downstream of outlet 4b of high-pressure compressor element 5.

[0059] This aftercooler 12 is provided with a fan 13, which may or may not be controllable.

[0060] Finally, compressor device 1 according to the invention is provided with a control unit 14 which will control controllable fan 10 to control the temperature at outlet 15 of intercooler 9 on the basis of the dewpoint in said line 6 increased by a preset margin.

[0061] In particular, control unit 14 will control frequency controller 10a of fan 10.

[0062] Although in the example frequency controller 10a is shown schematically separate from fan 10 it does not necessarily have to be that way and this frequency controller 10a may also be part of, or be integrated in, fan 10 or in a housing of fan 10.

[0063] In addition, in this case an inlet sensor 16 is provided that measures the ambient parameters and which is linked with control unit 14. Instead of this inlet sensor 16, separate sensors may be provided which individually couple every ambient parameter to control unit 14.

[0064] The ambient parameters may comprise for instance the temperature, pressure, and relative humidity of air inlet 3a of low-pressure compressor element 2.

[0065] In addition, in this case compressor device 1 is provided with a sensor 17 and a sensor 18 which measure the pressure, respectively the temperature, in line 6 downstream of intercooler 9 and which are coupled with control unit 10. It is not ruled out that sensor 17 measures the pressure in line 6 upstream of intercooler 9.

[0066] If sensor 17 provides a relative pressure measurement, it is not necessary that inlet sensor 16 measures the ambient pressure.

[0067] It is also possible that the compressor device is provided with a sensor that measures the relative humidity in line 6.

[0068] The operation of compressor device 1 is very simple and as follows.

[0069] During operation of compressor device 1, internal combustion engine 8 will drive both compressor elements.

[0070] Low-pressure stage compressor element 2 will suck in and compress gas through its inlet 3a.

[0071] It is known that, while compressing the gas, heat will be generated.

[0072] The gas will be cooled down in intercooler 9 before it is guided through line 6 to inlet 3b of high-pressure stage compressor element 5 where the gas will be submitted to a next compression operation.

[0073] The compressed gas that leaves high-pressure stage compressor element 5, will be cooled down by aftercooler 12 before it is delivered to a network of high-pressure gas or to end-users of high-pressure gas.

[0074] For controlling the temperature at outlet 15 of intercooler 9 such that no condensate will develop in the gas in line 6, frequency controller 10a of controllable fan 10 will be controlled by control unit 14, while generator 11 will provide the drive for controllable fan 10.

[0075] The control to be observed by control unit 14, is as follows.

[0076] Firstly, the ambient parameters are determined or measured by inlet sensor 16 and transmitted to control unit 14.

[0077] On that basis and on the basis of the pressure in line 6 downstream of intercooler 9 as measured by sensor 17, it will calculate a dewpoint.

[0078] Alternatively, it is also possible to determine the dewpoint in line 6 on the basis of the measurements of the sensor which measures the relative humidity in line 6, if compressor device 1 is equipped with it, and the temperature measurement of said sensor 18 which measures the temperature in line 6.

[0079] On the basis of this dewpoint, a preset temperature will be determined which is equal to the dewpoint increased by a certain margin.

[0080] This is done in accordance with the example shown in FIG. 1, in computing unit 19, which is part of control unit 14.

[0081] Subsequently, this preset temperature is compared with the temperature in line 6 downstream of intercooler 9 measured by sensor 18.

[0082] This is done according to the example shown in FIG. 1 in computing module 20, which is part of control unit 14.

[0083] Based on this comparison, control unit 14 will control fan 10 to ensure that the temperature in said line 6 downstream of the intercooler 9 becomes equal to said preset temperature.

[0084] In doing so, control unit 14 will control the speed of fan 10 by controlling frequency controller 10a.

[0085] When the preset temperature is lower than the temperature measured by sensor 18, control unit 14 will increase the speed of fan 10 and, consequently, also the cooling capacity of intercooler 9, and vice versa.

[0086] Another option is that fan 10 is an on/off fan, wherein in this case control unit 14 will switch on fan 10 when the preset temperature is lower than the temperature measured by sensor 18 or will switch off fan 10 when the preset temperature is lower than the temperature measured by sensor 18.

[0087] FIG. 2 shows a variant of fan 10 according to FIG. 1, wherein in this case controllable fan 10 is composed of various controllable subfans 21.

[0088] In the example of FIG. 2 there are 16 subfans 21, but that could also be more than or fewer than 16.

[0089] It is possible that at least one subfan 21 or every subfan 21 is provided with an individual frequency controller 10a or rpm control with variable speed.

[0090] It is also possible that all subfans 21 are controlled by the same frequency controller 10a. Or that a number of the subfans 21 are controlled by a first frequency controller 10a and some other ones are controlled by a second frequency controller 10a.

[0091] It is also possible that only some subfans 21 are cooling cooler 9 and that some other subfans 21 are cooling one or more other coolers of compressor device 1.

[0092] It is also possible for the embodiment of fan 10 from FIG. 1, that this fan 10 is assisting in cooling one or more other coolers of the compressor device 1.

[0093] FIG. 3 is a variant of FIG. 1 wherein in this case compressor device 1 is provided with a drive 7 in the form of an electric motor 22 which will drive compressor elements 2, 5. A power mains 23 provides power for electric motor 22 and for controllable fan 10.

[0094] It is not ruled out that controllable fan 10 is designed as shown in FIG. 2, wherein some of the subfans 21 will cool intercooler 9, while some other fans will cool aftercooler 12, while fan 13 is omitted.

[0095] Otherwise, the operation of compressor device 1 is similar to the operation described above.

[0096] The present invention is by no means limited to the embodiments as described and as shown in the figures by way of example, but a mobile oil-free multi-stage compressor device according to the invention and the method used, may be realized in all variants without going beyond the framework of this invention.