Patent Application
20240003362
Compressors increase the pressure of a compressible fluid (e.g., air, gas, etc.) by reducing the volume of the fluid. Often, compressors are staged so that the fluid is compressed several times in different stages, to further increase the discharge pressure of the fluid. As the pressure of the fluid increases, the temperature of the fluid also increases. Consequently, in some compressors, the compressed fluid may be cooled between stages.
The Detailed Description is described with reference to the accompanying figures. The use of the same reference numbers in different instances in the description and the figures may indicate similar or identical items.
For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the subject matter, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the subject matter is thereby intended. Any alterations and further modifications in the described embodiments, and any further applications of the principles of the subject matter as described herein are contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the subject matter relates.
Fluid compressor systems are widely used in a variety of industries such as in construction, manufacturing, agriculture, energy production, etc. As fluid compressors compress a working fluid, heat is produced as a result of the pressure increase in the working fluid. Fluid compressors can have more than one compressor stage by having more than one air-end, where the working fluid is compressed several times in steps, or stages, to increase the discharge pressure. The second stage may be physically smaller than the primary stage, to accommodate the already compressed gas without reducing its pressure.
As each air-end on each stage further compresses the working fluid, it increases its pressure and its temperature. Intercoolers and aftercoolers are heat exchangers used to cool the working fluid after being compressed in each air-end. Heat exchangers include but are not limited to shell and tube heat exchangers, extended fin heat exchangers, double-pipe heat exchangers, helical-coil heat exchangers, and waste heat recovery units among others. Types of shell and tube heat exchangers include but are not limited to fixed tube sheet heat exchangers, U-tube heat exchangers, floating head heat exchangers, among others.
Intercoolers may accumulate dirt and debris build up over time, which may cause partial or total clogging of tubes within the intercoolers. As a consequence, the intercoolers do not run at their maximum efficiency and the temperature of the working fluid may be higher than desired prior to entering the next compression stage or air-end. Users may modulate water/coolant flow to the cooler in a way to lower the discharge temperature at each compression stage.
The present disclosure is directed to a fluid compression system having at least two compression stages, in other words, at least a first air-end and a second air-end, configured to compress a working fluid. The fluid compression system includes a first intercooler, a second intercooler, and an aftercooler configured to reduce the temperature of the working fluid after the working fluid is compressed by the first and second air-ends at each of the two compression stages, and a coolant circulation system having at least one throttle valve that regulates the flow of a coolant flowing through the coolant circulation system. The throttle valve modulates the coolant flow of the coolant circulation system to lower a desired air-end temperature of the fluid compression system.
The throttle valve for the coolant circulation system can be used with any type of device having a cooler or heat exchanger and should not be limited to the illustrative fluid compressor system shown in any of the accompanying figures. The term “working fluid” should be understood to include any compressible fluid medium that can be used in the fluid compressor system as disclosed herein. It should be understood that air is a typical working fluid, but different fluids or mixtures of fluid constituents can be used and remain within the teaching of the present disclosure. Therefore, terms such as working fluid, air, compressible gas, etc. can be used interchangeably in the present disclosure. For example, in some embodiments it is contemplated that ambient air, a hydrocarbon gaseous fuel including natural gas or propane, or inert gases including nitrogen or argon may be used as a primary working fluid.
The term “coolant” should be understood to include any fluid medium that can be used in the coolant circulation system as disclosed herein, where the fluid is used to reduce or regulate the temperature of the fluid compression system. It should be understood that water is a typical coolant, but different fluids or mixtures of fluid constituents can be used and remain within the teaching of the present disclosure. Therefore, terms such as water, coolant, heat-transfer fluid, refrigerant, etc. can be used interchangeably in the present disclosure. For example, in some embodiments it is contemplated that water, a liquid coolant mixture including water, corrosion inhibitors, and antifreeze, or liquid gases including liquid nitrogen, may be used as a coolant.
Referring generally to
In example embodiments, the fluid compressor system 100 may include at least one motive source (not shown) driving the first air-end 101, the second air-end 102, and the third air-end 103. An inlet air filter filters an incoming compressible working fluid (e.g., air, gas, etc.) prior to the working fluid entering the first air-end 101. The motive source may be operable for driving the first air-end 101, the second air-end 102, and the third air-end 103 via a drive shaft. The motive source may be an electric motor, an internal combustion engine, a fluid-driven turbine, or the like.
In the example embodiment shown in
The first air-end 101 receives the working fluid and compresses the working fluid in a first stage compression process. This first stage compression process also increases the temperature of the working fluid. The first intercooler 108 is located downstream from the first air-end 101 and upstream from the second air-end 102. The first intercooler 108 cools down the working fluid delivered by the first air-end 101 prior to entering the second air-end 102. In embodiments, the fluid compressor system 100 includes a first interstage moisture separator (not shown) to separate moisture from the working fluid prior to entering the second air-end 102.
The second air-end 102 receives the working fluid and further compresses it, increasing its temperature. A second intercooler 110 receives the compressed working fluid from the second air-end 102 and cools it down prior to delivering the working fluid to the third air-end 103. In embodiments, the fluid compressor system 100 includes a second interstage moisture separator (not shown) to separate moisture from the working fluid prior to entering the third air-end 103.
The third air-end 103 receives the working fluid and further compresses it, increasing its temperature. An aftercooler 118 receives the compressed working fluid from the third air-end 103 and cools it down prior to discharging the compressed working fluid through a discharge outlet or delivering the compressed working fluid to a processing system for further processing.
In example embodiments (not shown) the fluid compressor system includes a temperature monitoring and control system for staged inlet temperatures. The temperature monitoring and control system may include a first air-end temperature sensor, a second air-end temperature sensor, a third air-end temperature sensor, and a fluid compressor system discharge temperature sensor. The first air-end temperature sensor, the second air-end temperature sensor, and the third air-end temperature sensor may each sense a temperature of the working fluid at the discharge of each corresponding compression stage.
With respect to
The coolant circulation system 106 includes a coolant supplying header 114 and a coolant collecting header 112. The coolant supplying header 114 includes a main coolant supplying pipeline 113 that supplies a coolant flow to a first coolant inlet 120A at the first front end 109A of the first intercooler 108, a second coolant inlet 120B at the second front end 109B of the second intercooler 110, and a third coolant inlet 120C of the aftercooler 118. The coolant supplying header 114 connects the first intercooler 108, the second intercooler 110, and the aftercooler 118 in parallel with each other.
The coolant collecting header 112 includes a main coolant collecting pipeline 111 that aggregates the coolant flow exiting each one of the first intercooler 108, the second intercooler 110, and the aftercooler 118. The main coolant collecting header 112 is connected to a first coolant outlet 122A of the first intercooler 108, a second coolant outlet 122B of the second intercooler 110, and a third coolant outlet 122C of the aftercooler 118. The coolant collecting header 112 connects the first intercooler 108, the second intercooler 110, and the aftercooler 118 in parallel with each other.
The flow of coolant within the coolant circulation system 106 may be driven by a pump (not shown). As shown, the coolant flow circulating in the coolant supplying header 114 is split into a first flow stream, a second flow stream, and a third flow stream. The first flow stream passes into the first intercooler 108, where the working fluid delivered by the first air-end 101 is cooled. After splitting from the first flow stream, the second flow stream is directed to the second intercooler 110, where the working fluid delivered by the second air-end 102 is cooled. After splitting from the second flow stream, the third flow stream is directed to the aftercooler 118, where the working fluid delivered by the third air-end 103 is cooled. The first flow stream, second flow stream, and third flow stream merge back together into the same coolant flow stream in the coolant collecting header 112 after the heat exchanging process at each respective one of the first intercooler 108, the second intercooler 110 and the aftercooler 118.
Referring to
In the embodiment shown in
The first throttle valve 130A and the second throttle valve 130B help the fluid compressor system 100 run at a higher efficiency and may help a user to direct the coolant flow in an efficient way. For example, by being able to regulate the coolant flow exiting the first intercooler 108 and/or the second intercooler 110, the coolant flow from the first intercooler 108 and/or the second intercooler 110 may be restricted and directed to another element of the coolant circulation system 106 that may require a higher coolant flow to operate.
In embodiments, if one of the air-end temperature sensors of the temperature monitoring and control system senses that an inlet or outlet temperature from one or more of the air-ends is too high, the coolant flow can be partially restricted from one of the intercoolers and directed to the respective intercoolers that cool the working flow of the mentioned air-ends. For example, if the first intercooler 108 is discharging the working fluid at a temperature that is higher than a desired predetermined temperature range, a user may fully open the first throttle valve 130A and partially close the second throttle valve 130B to flow the coolant fluid flow of the first intercooler 108 at a higher coolant fluid flow rate than the rest of the coolant circulation system 106.
In example embodiments (not shown), the first throttle valve 130A is connected to the first coolant inlet 120A and the second throttle valve 130B is connected to the second coolant inlet 120B. In such embodiments, the throttle valve regulates the coolant flow supplied by the coolant supplying header 114 into each one of the first intercooler 108 and the second intercooler 110. In other embodiments (not shown), a third throttle valve may be disposed at the third coolant outlet 122C or at the third coolant inlet 120C of the aftercooler 118.
In example embodiments, the coolant circulation system 106 is in fluid communication with intercoolers that cool the working fluid of the fluid compressor system 100 and oil coolers (not shown) that cool an oil flow provided to the compression stages (for example, in contact-cooled air-ends) and other rotating elements of the fluid compressor system. Each of the oil coolers may include a respective coolant inlet in fluid communication with the coolant supplying header and a coolant outlet in fluid communication with the coolant collecting header of the coolant circulation system 106.
In the embodiment shown, the first throttle valve 130A and the second throttle valve 130B are manually operated. However, in other embodiments (not shown), the throttle valves may be automatic throttle valves. For example, the throttle valves may be pneumatic throttle valves, electrical throttle valves, among other automatic throttle valves. The automatic throttle valves may be remotely controlled by a control system or programmed to actuate at specific hours of the day. The control system controlling the first throttle valve 130A and the second throttle valve 130B may be in communication with the temperature monitoring system monitoring the first air-end temperature sensor, the second air-end temperature sensor, the the third air-end temperature sensor, and the fluid compressor system discharge temperature sensor.
In implementations, the coolant circulating system 106 may be retrofitted into existing fluid compressor systems and heat exchanger systems. The application of a throttle valve in the coolant circulating system 106 is not limited to fluid compression systems, as any equipment having a heat exchanging application where a coolant circulation system supplies a coolant flow to several cooling elements may benefit from the increased efficiency as a result of the coolant circulation system having at least one throttle valve. Other applications include, but are not limited to, HVAC systems, refrigeration systems, gas turbines, petrochemical plants, etc.
While the subject matter has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character. In reading the claims, it is intended that when words such as “a,” “an,” or “at least one” are used there is no intention to limit the claim to only one item unless specifically stated to the contrary in the claim. Unless specified or limited otherwise, the terms “mounted,” “connected,” and “coupled” and variations thereof are used broadly and encompass both direct and indirect mountings, connections, supports, and couplings. Further, “connected” and “coupled” are not restricted to physical or mechanical connections or couplings.
Although the subject matter has been described in language specific to structural features and/or process operations, it is to be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63356545 | Jun 2022 | US |
