METHOD FOR OPERATING AN OIL LEVEL REGULATOR

Abstract

In the method according to the invention for operating an oil level regulator on a compressor, the oil level regulator monitors an oil level in the compressor and causes oil to be refilled when an oil deficiency is recognized. The oil level regulator provides operating recognition of the compressor in which a check is made as to whether the compressor is in a switched-on or switched-off state, the refilling with oil being carried out only when the compressor is in the switched-on state.

Claims

1. A method for operating an oil level regulator on a compressor, the oil level regulator monitoring the oil level in the compressor and causing oil to be refilled when an oil deficiency is recognized, characterized in that the oil level regulator provides operating recognition of the compressor in which a check is made as to whether the compressor is in a switched-on or switched-off state, and the refilling with oil is carried out only when the compressor is in the switched-on state.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the refilling with oil is interrupted when the compressor is brought from the switched-on state into the switched-off state during the refilling of oil.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the compressor is designed for generating a mass flow of a compressed gas.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that the compressor has a low-pressure area and a high-pressure area, the oil being refilled by withdrawing the oil from a reservoir that is connected to the high-pressure side of the compressor and supplying it to the low-pressure area of the compressor.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the oil level regulator monitors the refill period required for refilling oil, and switches off the compressor if a sufficient oil level is not reached within a predefined refill period.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that during refilling of oil a filling period (FP1, FP2), comprising a filling cycle in which oil is refilled during a filling cycle period (FZ1, FZ2), and a pause cycle in which the refilling of oil is interrupted during a pause cycle period (PZ1, PZ2), is repeated until a sufficient oil level is reached.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that an average refill period (NZ) within which the sufficient oil level is reached is determined, and the filling cycle period and the pause cycle period are fixed as a function of the average refill period.

8. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that a predefined number of filling periods is pursued for the refilling of oil until reaching a sufficient oil level, and the filling cycle period and the pause cycle period are fixed as a function of the predefined number of filling periods.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that the filling cycle period is computed according to the following formula:
filling cycle period=(average refill period/predefined number of filling periods)*a, where a is a value in the range of 0.5 to 0.9, and the pause cycle period is computed according to the following formula:
pause cycle period=(average refill period/predefined number of filling periods)*b, where b=1a.

10. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that the average refill period is computed as the average value of a predefined number of the most recent refill periods.

11. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that the average refill period is computed as the weighted average value of a predefined number of the most recent refill periods.

12. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the refilling of the oil is continued for a predefined overfill period, even after reaching a sufficient oil level.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that the overfill period is settable.

14. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the oil level regulator (1) continuously monitors the oil level in the machine (2) during the refilling.

15. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the compressor is a compressor of a refrigeration system, or an air compressor.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Further embodiments of the invention are explained in greater detail with reference to the following description and the drawings, which show the following:

[0022] FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of a machine with an oil level regulator,

[0023] FIG. 2 shows a graphical illustration of the filling algorithm, taking the operating state of the machine into account,

[0024] FIG. 3 shows a graphical illustration of the filling algorithm as a function of the oil level, and

[0025] FIG. 4 shows a graphical illustration of the filling algorithm with addition of an overfill period.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The compressor 2 illustrated in FIG. 1 has an oil level regulator 1 for monitoring the oil level. The task of the oil level regulator 1 is to refill the compressor 2 with oil from an oil reservoir 6 when there is an oil deficiency. For this purpose, the oil level regulator 1 has, for example, an optical sensor 3 that measures the oil level in the machine 2. When an oil deficiency is determined, a controller 4 opens a solenoid valve 5 in order to feed the compressor 2 with oil from the oil reservoir 6. In addition, the oil level is continuously monitored during the refilling, the solenoid valve being closed once again when a sufficient oil level is reached.

[0027] FIG. 2 shows the filling algorithm according to the invention, in which a check is made as to whether the compressor 2 is in a switched-on or switched-off state, the refilling with oil being carried out only when the compressor is in the switched-on state.

[0028] In the illustrated example, the compressor 2 is switched on from time t1 to time t5 and between times t6 and t8, and otherwise is switched off. There is an oil deficiency between times t2 and t3, so that refilling of oil is carried out here by opening the solenoid valve 5 during a refill period NZ1. The next oil deficiency is determined at time t4, so that once again refilling of oil is brought about. The compressor 2 is switched off at a time t5, whereupon the refilling of the oil is immediately terminated (NZ2), although a sufficient oil level is not yet present. The refilling is not continued until the machine is switched on once again at time t6. The refill period NZ3 ends at time t7, at which a sufficient oil level is once again present. An oil deficiency is determined once again at time t9, but no refilling of oil is triggered since the compressor 2 is not switched on at this point in time. The refilling is not carried out again until the compressor 2 is once again switched on (no longer illustrated).

[0029] The filling algorithm during a refill period (NZ1, for example) is apparent from FIG. 3. The uppermost characteristic curve indicates whether the sensor diagnoses an oil deficiency (yes), or whether the sensor recognizes a sufficient oil level (no). Beneath this characteristic curve, the state of the solenoid valve 5 is indicated, oil being refilled in the open state (open) and no oil being refilled in the closed state (closed). The refilling of oil takes place during multiple filling periods (FP1, FP2), each comprising a filling cycle in which oil is refilled during a filling cycle period FZ1 or FZ2, and a pause cycle in which the refilling of oil is interrupted during a pause cycle period PZ1 or PZ2. In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, there are two complete filling periods FP1 and FP2 as well as an initiated filling period FP3 that ends after a filling cycle period of FZ3, since beginning at this time, a sufficient oil level is once again present and the solenoid valve is closed. All three filling periods FP1, FP2, and FP3 form the refill period NZ.

[0030] For an adaptive filling algorithm, according to the invention the average refill period NZ, within which the sufficient oil level is reached, is determined. This takes place, for example, by taking the most recent 5 to 10 refill periods into account, wherein an average value is formed. The refill periods are advantageously taken into account in a weighted manner, in which the most recent refill periods are to be assigned a higher weighting than the less recent refill periods in order to take any changes in the operating conditions into account.

[0031] The filling cycle period may be computed according to the following formula, for example:

Filling cycle period=(average refill period/predefined number of filling periods)*a,

where a is a value in the range of 0.5 to 0.9.

[0032] The pause cycle period may then be analogously computed according to the following formula:

Pause cycle period=(average refill period/predefined number of filling periods)*b,

where b=1a.

[0033] The predefined number of filling periods may be in the range of 3 to 8, for example. The value a is set at 0.8, for example, so that a value of 0.2 results for b. This means that the filling cycle period [is] four times longer than the pause cycle period. Here as well, however, some other ratio may be selected or set, depending on the circumstances.

[0034] In applications having very high pressure ranges, this correspondingly results in shorter filling periods and pause cycle periods, since the refilling takes place correspondingly faster.

[0035] According to another option, the oil level regulator monitors the refill period required for the refilling of oil, and switches the compressor off when a sufficient oil level is not reached within a predefined refill period. This control is used to protect the machine. Taking into account the operating state of the compressor, described above with reference to FIG. 2, is a meaningful supplement in particular for this additional monitoring, since the compressor 2 could otherwise be switched off by the oil level regulator 1, even though oil actually needed to be refilled.

[0036] FIG. 4 shows yet another option in which the refilling of the oil is continued for a predefined overfill period Z when a sufficient oil level has already been determined. This takes account of the fact that, although the oil level regulator indicates a sufficient oil level, the measurement is based on the oil level regulator erroneously interpreting possible foam as oil, and thus reporting a sufficient oil level too early. By setting a suitable overfill period (5 seconds, for example), even more oil is refilled, so that the sufficient oil level is present after the foam subsides.