초록
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According to at least one aspect of the present disclosure, an apparatus for cooling a coolant for a gas compressor includes a compressor to generate a flow of compressed gas, a dryer in fluid communication with the compressor, and a coolant circuit. The coolant circuit includes a accumulator to accumulate the coolant, a pump in fluid communication with the accumulator and the compressor to circulate the coolant through the coolant circuit, a first intercooler in fluid communication with the accumulator and the pump and structured to transfer heat from t...
According to at least one aspect of the present disclosure, an apparatus for cooling a coolant for a gas compressor includes a compressor to generate a flow of compressed gas, a dryer in fluid communication with the compressor, and a coolant circuit. The coolant circuit includes a accumulator to accumulate the coolant, a pump in fluid communication with the accumulator and the compressor to circulate the coolant through the coolant circuit, a first intercooler in fluid communication with the accumulator and the pump and structured to transfer heat from the coolant circuit to the compressed gas flow via the dryer, and a valve disposed between the accumulator and the first intercooler and structured to route at least a portion of the coolant through the first intercooler depending on a temperature of the coolant relative to prescribed low and high temperature limits.
대표
청구항
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1. An apparatus for cooling a coolant for a gas compressor, the apparatus comprising: a compressor structured to generate a flow of compressed gas;a dryer in fluid communication with the compressor to receive an outlet flow from the compressor, the dryer further structured to separate an entrained coolant from the compressed gas flow by cooling the flow of compressed gas to form a condensate of the entrained coolant; anda coolant circuit, the coolant circuit comprising: an accumulator to accumulate the coolant separated from the compressed gas flow, the ...
1. An apparatus for cooling a coolant for a gas compressor, the apparatus comprising: a compressor structured to generate a flow of compressed gas;a dryer in fluid communication with the compressor to receive an outlet flow from the compressor, the dryer further structured to separate an entrained coolant from the compressed gas flow by cooling the flow of compressed gas to form a condensate of the entrained coolant; anda coolant circuit, the coolant circuit comprising: an accumulator to accumulate the coolant separated from the compressed gas flow, the accumulator in fluid communication with the dryer via a passage that is separate and wart from a passage that conveys the flow of compressed gas from the compressor such that the bulk flow of compressed air bypasses the accumulator,a pump in fluid communication with the accumulator and the compressor, the pump structured to introduce the coolant into the compressor, and thereby into the flow of compressed gas, and to circulate the coolant through the coolant circuit,an intercooler in thermal communication with the dryer and in fluid communication with the accumulator and the pump, the intercooler structured to transfer heat from the coolant circuit to the compressed gas flow via the dryer at a downstream compressor flow location of the dryer, wherein the dryer is structured to cool the flow of compressed gas, and wherein the intercooler is structured to heat the condensed gas after it has been cooled by the dryer as a result of being located at a downstream compressor flow location of the dryer, anda valve disposed between the accumulator and the intercooler, the valve structured to enable at least a portion of the coolant in the coolant circuit to flow through the first intercooler depending on a temperature of the coolant relative to prescribed low and high temperature limits. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the valve is a thermostatic valve adapted to activate and deactivate depending on the coolant temperature relative to the prescribed low and high temperature limits. 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the valve is a solenoid actuated by a controller structured to operate upon a change in coolant temperature, wherein the controller is configured to activate and deactivate the solenoid depending on the coolant temperature relative to the prescribed low and high temperature limits. 4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the temperature of the coolant is the temperature of the coolant in the accumulator. 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the coolant is water, the compressed gas is air, and the compressor is a contact-cooled rotary screw compressor. 6. The apparatus of claim 1, the apparatus further comprising: a gas circuit, the gas circuit comprising: the compressor;another intercooler disposed downstream of and in fluid communication with the compressor and structured to lower a gas temperature of the compressed gas flow and to form a condensate,a second separator disposed downstream of and in fluid communication with the another intercooler and structured to separate the condensate from the compressed gas flow,an integrated dryer disposed downstream of and in fluid communication with the second separator and structured to further lower the temperature of the compressed gas flow and to form additional condensate, wherein the integrated dryer includes the dryer in fluid communication with a first separator, the first separator structured to separate the additional condensate from the compressed gas flow, and in thermal communication with the intercooler, anda compressed gas outlet disposed downstream of and in fluid communication with the integrated dryer. 7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the accumulator includes a temperature sensor in communication with a controller configured to activate and deactivate the valve depending on the coolant temperature relative to prescribed high and low temperature limits. 8. A method for cooling a coolant for a gas compressor, the method comprising: introducing a coolant into a gas compressor, the compressor structured to generate a flow of compressed gas, such that the coolant is substantially dispersed in the compressed gas flow;separating the coolant entrained in the compressed gas flow from the compressed gas using a dryer and a first separator in fluid communication with the compressor;routing the coolant separated from the compressed gas flow to a cooling circuit, the cooling circuit comprising: an accumulator to accumulate the coolant separated from the compressed gas flow, the accumulator structured to receive coolant via a passage that is independent of the passage of compressed gas flow such that the compressed gas flow does not flow through the accumulator,a pump in fluid communication with the accumulator and the compressor, the pump structured to introduce the coolant into the compressor, and thereby into the flow of compressed gas, and to circulate the coolant through the coolant circuit,an intercooler in thermal communication with the dryer and in fluid communication with the accumulator and the pump, the intercooler structured to transfer heat from the coolant circuit to the compressed gas flow via the dryer, anda valve disposed between the accumulator and the intercooler, the valve structured to enable at least a portion of the coolant in the coolant circuit to flow through the intercooler depending on a temperature of the coolant relative to low and high temperature limits;monitoring the coolant temperature;actuating the valve when the coolant temperature exceeds the high temperature limit to enable at least a portion of the coolant in the coolant circuit to flow from the accumulator, through the intercooler, and to the pump;actuating the valve when the coolant temperature is below the low temperature limit to bypass the intercooler and enable coolant to flow from the accumulator to the pump;as a result of activating the valve when the coolant temperature exceeds the high temperature limit; transferring heat from the coolant to an outlet flow of compressed air from the compressor. 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the valve is a thermostatic valve adapted to activate and deactivate depending on the coolant temperature relative to the prescribed low and high temperature limits. 10. The method of claim 8; wherein the valve is a solenoid actuated by a controller structured to operate upon a change in coolant temperature, wherein the controller is configured to activate and deactivate the solenoid depending on the coolant temperature of to the prescribed low and high temperature limits. 11. The method of claim 8, wherein the coolant temperature is the temperature of the coolant in the accumulator. 12. The method of claim 8, wherein the coolant is water, the compressed gas is air, and the compressor is a contact-cooled rotary screw compressor. 13. The method of claim 8, wherein the compressor is a portion of a gas circuit, the gas circuit further comprising: another intercooler disposed downstream of and in fluid communication with the compressor and structured to lower a gas temperature of the compressed gas flow and to form a condensate,a second separator disposed downstream of and in fluid communication with the another intercooler and structured to separate the condensate from the compressed gas flow,an integrated dryer disposed downstream of and in fluid communication with the second separator and structured to further lower the temperature of the compressed gas flow and to form additional condensate, wherein the integrated dryer includes the dryer in fluid communication with a first separator, the first separator structured to separate the additional condensate from the compressed gas flow, wherein the integrated dryer is in thermal communication with the intercooler, anda compressed gas outlet disposed downstream of and in fluid communication with the integrated dryer. 14. The method of claim 8, wherein the accumulator includes a temperature sensor in communication with a controller configured to activate and deactivate the valve depending on the coolant temperature relative to upper and lower temperature limits. 15. A gas compression system, the system comprising: a gas circuit, the gas circuit comprising: a compressor structured to generate a flow of compressed gas, the compressed gas flow including an entrained coolant therein,a first intercooler disposed downstream of and in fluid communication with the compressor and structured to lower a gas temperature of the compressed gas flow and to form a condensate, wherein the condensate includes at least a portion of the entrained coolant,a first separator disposed downstream of and in fluid communication with the first intercooler and structured to separate the condensate from the compressed gas flow,an integrated dryer disposed downstream of and in fluid communication with the first separator and structured to further lower the temperature of the compressed gas flow and to form additional condensate, wherein the integrated dryer includes a dryer in fluid communication with a second separator, the second separator structured to separate the additional condensate from the compressed gas flow, and in thermal communication with a second intercooler through which the coolant flows, anda compressed gas outlet disposed downstream of and in fluid communication with the integrated dryer; anda coolant circuit, the coolant circuit comprising: an accumulator structured to accumulate the coolant separated by the first and second separators, the accumulator also structured to receive coolant via a passage that is separate from a passage that conveys the compressed gas flow such that the accumulator is not in compressed gas flow communication with the compressor, the accumulator further structured to supply coolant to the coolant circuit,a pump in fluid communication with the accumulator and the compressor of the gas circuit, the pump structured to introduce the coolant into the compressor, and thereby into the flow of compressed gas, and to circulate the coolant through the coolant circuit,the second intercooler in thermal communication with the dryer of the gas circuit and in fluid communication with the accumulator and the pump, the second intercooler structured to transfer heat from the coolant circuit to the compressed gas flow via the dryer, anda valve disposed between the accumulator and the second intercooler, the valve structured to enable at least a portion of the coolant in the coolant circuit to flow through the second intercooler depending on a temperature of the coolant relative to prescribed low and high temperature limits. 16. The system of claim 15, wherein the valve is a thermostatic valve adapted to activate and deactivate depending on the coolant temperature relative to the prescribed low and high temperature limits. 17. The system of claim 15, wherein the valve is a solenoid actuated by a controller structured to operate upon a change in coolant temperature, wherein the controller is configured to activate and deactivate the solenoid depending on the coolant temperature of to the prescribed low and high temperature limits. 18. The system of claim 15, wherein the coolant temperature is the temperature of the coolant in the accumulator. 19. The system of claim 15, wherein the coolant is water, the compressed gas is air, and the compressor is a contact-cooled rotary screw compressor. 20. The system of claim 15, wherein the valve is activated to enable at least a portion of the coolant in the coolant circuit to flow through the second intercooler when the coolant temperature exceeds the prescribed high temperature limit.
