Method and system for controlling compressors

• US 20040193330A1
• Filed: 03/26/2003
• Published: 09/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ingersoll-Rand Company (Trane Technologies plc)
• Original Assignee: Ingersoll-Rand Company (Trane Technologies plc)
• Inventors: Mehaffey, James D., Dameron, Robert J., Kirkpatrick, Paul A.
• Application Number:
  US10/397,125
• Publication Number:
  US 20040193330A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/301
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 2203/0209 Rotational speed
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 2205/05 Pressure after the pump outlet
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 41/06 Combinations of two or more pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 49/065 and making use of computers
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 2270/90 Remote control, e.g. wireless, via LAN, by radio, or by a wired connection from a central computer
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 23/00 Combinations of two or more pumps, each being of rotary-piston or oscillating-piston type, specially adapted for elastic fluids; Pumping installations specially adapted for elastic fluids; Multi-stage pumps specially adapted for elastic fluids F04C25/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 23/001 of similar working principle
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 28/08 characterised by varying the rotational speed

Abstract

A method and system for controlling one or more compressors in a multiple compressor environment. The system includes a controller, an interface, and one or more sensors coupled to the compressors and a system output. The controller is operable to communicate with each of the one or more compressors, receive data from the one or more sensors and the interface, communicate one or more system parameters to a display device, and modify the operation of the one or more compressors in response to user input and in response to data received from the one or more sensors.

Claims

1. A system for controlling one or more compressors, the system comprising:

a controller including an interface having a display device; and

one or more sensors operable to sense pressure;

wherein the controller is operable to communicate with each of the one or more compressors, receive data from the one or more sensors and the interface, communicate one or more system parameters to the display device, and modify the operation of the one or more compressors in response to a user input and in response to data received from the one or more sensors.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein modifying the operation of the one or more compressors includes sequencing at least two compressors.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein modifying the operation of the one or more compressors includes communicating a pressure command to at least one of the one or more compressors.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the drive is a variable speed drive.

5. A method for controlling pressure in a compressed air system having a controller and a drive coupled to a compressor, the method comprising:

establishing a communications link between the controller and the drive; and

determining a command for the drive such that the compressor coupled to the drive produces an output that is nearer to an operating point;

wherein determining the command for the drive includes acquiring a first value based on a system quantity sensed from a location near an output of the compressor, comparing the first value with a second value acquired from an output of the system to determine a relationship therebetween, and generating a command based on the comparison.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein generating the command includes compensating for pressure drops in the compressed air system.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein determining the command includes determining whether the second value acquired from an output of the system is stable.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein determining the command includes determining whether the compressor is coupled to a variable speed drive.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the communications link comprises at least one of a wired, wireless, and network communications link.

10. A method for controlling one or more compressors in a multiple compressor system, the method comprising:

establishing a communications link between a controller and the one or more compressors;

sensing a system pressure;

storing data based on the system pressure;

communicating one or more output values based on one or more output pressures to the controller;

determining a differential value between a first value based on the system pressure and at least one of the one or more output values;

generating a command for at least one of the one or more compressors based on a target system pressure and the differential value; and

communicating the command to at least one of the one or more compressors;

wherein the controller is operable to initiate a change in at least one output of the one or more compressors.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises determining if the one or more compressors is coupled to a variable speed drive.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises comparing the first value based on the system pressure to a threshold to determine if the first value is stable.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises identifying whether each of the one or more compressors is a trim compressor and generating a different command value based on the identification.

14. A system for controlling drives, the system comprising:

a controller including an interface having a display device;

a communications link between the controller and a first drive;

a communications link between the controller and a second drive;

a first sensor operable to sense a system quantity; and

a second sensor operable to sense the system quantity at a location proximal to a system output;

wherein the controller is operable to receive data from the first and second sensors and the interface, to communicate one or more system parameters to the display device, and to modify the operation of a first and second machine associated with the first and second drive in response to at least one of a scheduled pressure event, a scheduled sequence event, data received from the first and second sensors, and user input.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein modifying the operation of the first and second machine includes generating speed command changes in response to a pressure event.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein modifying the operation of the first and second machine includes changing the order in which commands are communicated to the first and second drive in response to a sequence event.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the communications link between the controller and the first drive, and between the controller and the second drive, includes at least one of a wired, wireless, and network communications link.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the controller is operable to compensate for system quantity variations in response to data received from the first and second sensors.

19. A system for controlling one or more compressors, the system comprising:

one or more sensors operable to sense pressure; and

a controller operable to

establish a communications link with the one or more compressors;

receive information from the one or more sensors representative of a system pressure;

store the information based on the system pressure;

receive one or more output values based on one or more output pressures;

determine a differential value between a value based on the system pressure and at least one of the one or more output values;

generate a command for at least one of the one or more compressors based on a target system pressure and the differential value; and

communicate the command to at least one of the one or more compressors.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the communications link includes at least one of a wired, wireless, and network communications link.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the controller is operable to determine whether the one or more compressors is coupled to a variable speed drive.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the controller includes an interface having a display device.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the controller is operable to receive data from the interface, communicate one or more system parameters to the display device, and modify the operation of the one or more compressors in response to user input.