Fluid Compression System and Control Device Therefor

• US 20150370265A1
• Filed: 02/08/2013
• Published: 12/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: KANEMOTO, Yoshiyuki, REN, Zhijia, TAKAYASU, Hironobu
• Granted Patent: US 10,514,026 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 2205/06 Pressure in a (hydraulic) circuit
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 2205/063 in a reservoir linked to the pump outlet
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 2207/043 of time
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 41/00 Pumping installations or systems specially adapted for elastic fluids free-piston pumps specially adapted for elastic fluids or systems incorporating such pumps F04B31/00; piston pumps specially adapted for elastic fluids and characterised by the driving means to their working members, or by combination with, or adaptation to, specific driving engines or motors, not otherwise provided for F04B35/00
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 41/02 having reservoirs
• 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 11/003 having complementary function
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 14/02 specially adapted for several machines or pumps connected in series or in parallel
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86131 Plural

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a fluid compression system which can supply compressed fluid in accordance with a sudden change in an amount of fluid used even when the number of compressors to be installed is increased, and a control device thereof.

In order to solve the problem, provided is a fluid compression system, including: a plurality of compression devices which compress fluid; and a number of device controller which controls the number of operating compression devices of the plurality of compression devices, in which at least one of the plurality of compression devices is configured of a plurality of compressor main bodies, and performs a volume control operation which changes the number of operating compression devices in accordance with an amount of compressed fluid used, or a fixed control operation which does not change an output during the operation regardless of the amount of the compressed fluid used, and the number of device controller switches a state where the plurality of compression devices perform the volume control operation and a state where the compression devices perform the fixed control operation.

Claims

1. A fluid compression system, comprising:

a plurality of compression devices which compress fluid; and

a number of device controller which controls the number of operating compression devices of the plurality of compression devices,

wherein at least one of the plurality of compression devices is configured of a plurality of compressor main bodies, and performs a volume control operation which changes the number of operating compression devices in accordance with an amount of compressed fluid used, or a fixed control operation which does not change an output during the operation regardless of the amount of the compressed fluid used, and

wherein the number of device controller switches a state where the plurality of compression devices perform the volume control operation and a state where the compression devices perform the fixed control operation.

2. The fluid compression system according to claim 1,

wherein two or more compression devices are configured of the plurality of compressor main bodies, and the number of device controller allows one compression device to perform the volume control operation, and allows other compression devices to perform the fixed control operation.

3. The fluid compression system according to claim 2,

wherein the number of device controller allows newly started compression device to perform the volume control operation.

4. The fluid compression system according to claim 1,

wherein the number of device controller switches the volume control operation or the fixed control operation at a timing of increasing or decreasing the number of operating compression devices.

5. The fluid compression system according to claim 1,

wherein the number of device controller starts the compression device having shorter accumulated operating time preferentially, and stops the compression device having longer accumulated operating time preferentially.

6. The fluid compression system according to claim 1,

wherein the number of device controller increases or decreases the number of operating compression devices when time until pressure in a fluid tank in which the fluid generated by the compression device is stored reaches a predetermined upper limit pressure value or lower limit pressure value becomes equal to or less than a first threshold value, and the compression device increases or decreases the number of operating compressor main bodies when time until the pressure in the fluid tank reaches the predetermined upper limit pressure value or lower limit pressure value becomes equal to or less than a second threshold value which is greater than the first threshold value.

7. The fluid compression system according to claim 1,

wherein at least one of the plurality of compression devices performs the fixed control operation which does not change the output during the operation regardless of the amount of the compressed fluid used.

8. The fluid compression system according to claim 7,

wherein, among the plurality of compression devices, the compression device which performs the volume control operation or the fixed control operation is started prior to the compression device which performs the fixed control operation.

9. The fluid compression system according to claim 7,

wherein, among the plurality of compression devices, the compression device which performs the fixed control operation is stopped prior to the compression device which performs the volume control operation or the fixed control operation.

10. A control device of a fluid compression system, comprising:

a plurality of compressor main bodies,

wherein the control device controls the number of operating compression devices of a plurality of compression devices including at least one compression device which performs a volume control operation that changes the number of operating compression devices in accordance with an amount of compressed fluid used, or a fixed control operation that does not change an output during the operation regardless of the amount of the compressed fluid used, is controlled, and controls whether the volume control operation or the fixed control operation is performed by the compression device.

11. The control device of a fluid compression system, according to claim 10,

wherein two or more compression devices are configured of a plurality of compressor main bodies, and the number of device controller allows one compression device to perform the volume control operation, and allows other compression devices to perform the fixed control operation.

12. The control device of a fluid compression system, according to claim 10,

wherein newly started compression device performs the volume control operation.

13. The control device of a fluid compression system, according to claim 10,

wherein the volume control operation and the fixed control operation are switched to each other at a timing of increasing or decreasing the number of operating compression device.

14. The control device of a fluid compression system, according to claim 10,

wherein the compression device having shorter accumulated operating time is started preferentially, and the compression device having longer accumulated operating time is stopped preferentially.

15. The control device of a fluid compression system, according to claim 10,

wherein the number of operating compression devices is increased or decreased when time until pressure in a fluid tank in which the fluid generated by the compression device is stored reaches a predetermined upper limit pressure value or lower limit pressure value becomes equal to or less than a first threshold value, and the compression device increases or decreases the number of operating compressor main bodies when time until the pressure in the fluid tank reaches the predetermined upper limit pressure value or lower limit pressure value becomes equal to or less than a second threshold value which is greater than the first threshold value.

16. The control device of a fluid compression system, according to claim 15,

wherein at least one of the plurality of compression devices performs the fixed control operation which does not change the output during the operation regardless of the amount of the compressed fluid used, and among the plurality of compression devices, the compression device which performs the volume control operation or the fixed control operation is started prior to the compression device which performs the fixed control operation.

17. The control device of a fluid compression system, according to claim 15,

wherein at least one of the plurality of compression devices performs the fixed control operation which does not change the output during the operation regardless of the amount of the compressed fluid used, and among the plurality of compression devices, the compression device which performs the fixed control operation is stopped prior to the compression device which performs the volume control operation or the fixed control operation.