Modular system for the control of compression systems

• US 7,753,655 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2006
• Issued: 07/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sarlin Oy AB (Sarlin Group Oy AB)
• Original Assignee: CompAir UK Limited
• Inventors: Valovirta, Lauri, Nyman, Sami, Saarinen, Vesa
• Primary Examiner(s): Kramer; Devon C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hamo; Patrick
• Application Number:
  US11/633,054
• Publication Number:
  US 20070134114A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,317 Days
• Field of Search: 417/2, 417/38, 417/286, 417/426
• US Class Current: 417/38
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 2205/05 Pressure after the pump outlet
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 49/065 and making use of computers

Abstract

A modular system for the control of at least one compression system for the compression a fluid medium, said compression system comprising compressors (C1-C7) and their controllers (A1-A7) for the compression of the fluid medium, secondary treatment devices for the treatment of the medium delivered from the compressors, and piping systems (17-19, 23) for conducting the fluid medium to a place of consumption (16, 22), said control system comprising a control unit (3) containing a data processing system (34) for controlling the compression system, a user interface (35) including a display associated with it and transmission means for the transmission of control data between the control unit, the controllers and pressure sensors. The transmission means consist of data communication buses, preferably serial communication buses (30-32) and a data communication port unit (33) serving to connect the bus to the control unit (34). The controllers and pressure sensors are connected to common data communication buses.

Claims

1. A method for the control of a compression system for compressing a fluid medium,

said compression system comprising a plurality of compressors (C1-C7) for the compression of the fluid medium, a plurality of controllers (A1-A7) respectively associated with said plurality of compressors, secondary treatment devices for treatment of the fluid medium delivered from the plurality of compressors, a plurality of piping systems (17-19, 23) for conducting the fluid medium from the compressors to a place of consumption (16, 22), and a plurality of pressure sensors (P11-P15) for reading fluid medium pressure delivered from the plurality of compressors to the control unit;

a control unit (3) containing a data processing system (34) for controlling the compression system, and a user interface (35) including a display; and

transmission means for transmission of control data between the control unit, the plurality of controllers and the pressure sensors, the transmission means consisting of at least one data communication bus and a data communication port unit (33) serving to connect the bus to the control unit (3);

said method comprising the steps of

connecting the plurality of controllers and the plurality of pressure sensors to a common data communication bus,

selecting one of the pressure sensors (P11-P15) which provides a pressure sensor value and selecting a pressure setting of at least one of the compressors via the user interface according to said pressure sensor value,

configuring each compressor (C1-C7) via the user interface (35) as to compressor type by means of a first user-chosen parameter,

configuring the number of pressure sensors by means of a second user-chosen parameter via the user interface (35), each item of pressure data from the pressure sensors containing volume and rate of pressure change data, and

connecting the plurality of pressure sensors to a bus (30-32) via associated pneumatic station controllers (AS1-AS3), which read pneumatic station-specific pressure and alarm data from the plurality of piping systems.