Oil free screw compressor

• US 9,394,906 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2008
• Issued: 07/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Fujimoto, Hideki, Nishimura, Hitoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): FREAY, CHARLES GRANT
• Application Number:
  US12/166,347
• Publication Number:
  US 20090016921A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,939 Days
• Field of Search: 417/228, 417/243, 418/84, 418/85, 165/288, 165/291, 165/292, 165/293, 165/299, 165/300
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 18/16 with helical teeth, e.g. chevron-shaped, screw type for non-parallel axes of movement F04C18/48
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 2240/30 Casings or housings
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 2240/81 Sensor, e.g. electronic sensor for control or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 2270/195 Controlled or regulated
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 29/02 Lubrication of machines or engines in general F01M; Lubricant separation separation in general B01D
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 29/04 Heating; Cooling of machines or engines in general F01P; Heat insulation heat insulation in general F16L59/00
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 29/12 Arrangements for admission or discharge of the working fluid, e.g. constructional features of the inlet or outlet
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 2021/0049 for lubricants, e.g. oil coolers for vehicles F28D2021/0089

Abstract

Provided is a highly reliable oil free screw compressor including a first sensor for detecting a temperature of lubrication oil, second sensors for detecting temperatures of intake air, and a cooling fan controller having a storage portion storing therein a set temperature of lubrication oil and a set temperature of intake air, and a computing portion for computing a control signal for increasing the speed of the cooling fan if a detected value of a temperature of the lubrication oil, delivered from the first sensor, becomes higher than the set value of lubrication oil stored in the storage portion, and computing a control signal for increasing the speed of the cooling fan if a detected value of a temperature of the intake air, delivered from the second sensor, becomes higher than the set temperature of the intake air, stored in the storage portion.

Claims

1. An oil free screw compressor comprising:

a compressor housing;

at least one compressor body having a pair of male and female screw rotors which are rotatable in a noncontact and nonlubricated manner provided in the compressor housing,

a gear casing provided in the compressor housing and which defines in its lower part an oil sump and which accommodates a first gear which is attached to one of the pair of male and female screw rotors at one axial end thereof and a second gear which is coupled with a drive shaft and meshed with the first gear,

a first motor for providing power for driving the at least one compressor body through the drive shaft, the second gear and the first gear,

a compressed air discharge line provided in the compressor housing for discharging compressed air from the at least one compressor body,

a lubrication oil pipe line provided in the compressor housing separately from the compressed air discharge line for flowing lubrication oil from the oil sump to at least the first and second gears,

an air cooling cooler for cooling lubrication oil for the compressor flowing in the lubrication oil pipe line,

an air cooling cooler for cooling compressed air flowing in the compressed air discharge line,

a cooling fan for feeding cooling air into the compressor housing and the air cooling coolers,

a second motor for driving the cooling fan,

a first sensor for detecting a temperature of lubrication oil,

a second sensor for detecting a temperature of intake air,

a cooling fan controller including a storage portion storing therein a set temperature of the lubrication oil and a set temperature of the intake air, and a computing portion configured to compute a control signal for controlling a power delivered to the second motor for increasing the speed of the cooling fan if a detected value of a temperature of the lubrication oil, delivered from the first sensor, becomes higher than the set temperature of the lubrication oil stored in the storage portion, and configured to compute a control signal for controlling a power delivered to the second motor for increasing the speed of the cooling fan if a detected value of a temperature of the intake air, delivered from the second sensor, becomes higher than the set temperature of the intake air.

2. An oil free screw compressor as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that the power delivered to the second motor for increasing the speed of the cooling fan is controlled by an inverter exclusively used for the cooling fan.

3. An oil free screw compressor as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that the power delivered to the second motor for increasing the speed of the cooling fan is controlled by an inverter for the compressor.

4. An oil free screw compressor as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that the cooling fan controller receives temperatures inside and outside of the compressor unit so as to control the speed of the cooling fan.

5. An oil free screw compressor as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that the cooling fan controller receives a temperature in a control panel so as to control the speed of the cooling fan.

6. An oil free screw compressor as set forth in claim 5, characterized in that the control panel is a starter panel.

7. An oil free screw compressor as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that the pair of male and female screw rotors are supported at at least one end by bearings, and the bearings are lubricated by lubricating oil flowing in the lubrication oil pipe line.

8. An oil free screw compressor as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a first timing gear attached to the male screw rotor at another axial end thereof opposite the one axial end at which the first gear is attached to one of the pair of male and female screw rotors, and a second timing gear meshed with the first timing gear attached to the female screw rotor at the another axial end thereof.

9. An oil free screw compressor as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that the oil free screw compressor comprises at least two compressor bodies, each having a pair of male and female screw rotors which are rotatable in a noncontact and nonlubricated manner provided in the compressor housing.

10. An oil free screw compressor as set forth in claim 9, characterized in that the oil free screw compressor comprises at least a first stage compressor body and a second stage compressor body, each having a pair of male and female screw rotors which are rotatable in a noncontact and nonlubricated manner provided in the compressor housing, and the compressed air discharge line provided in the compressor housing comprises a first portion for discharging compressed air from the first stage compressor body and delivering the compressed air to the second stage compressor body and second portion for discharging compressed air from the second stage compressor body and delivering the compressed air outside the compressor housing.

11. An oil free screw compressor as set forth in claim 10, characterized in that the air cooling cooler comprises a first cooler for cooling compressed air flowing in the first portion of the compressed air discharge line and a second cooler for cooling compressed air flowing in the second portion of the compressed air discharge line.

12. An oil free screw compressor as set forth in claim 11, characterized in that the first sensor for detecting a temperature of lubrication oil is provided in a position for detecting a temperature of lubrication oil in the lubrication oil pipeline downstream of the air cooling cooler for cooling lubrication oil.

13. An oil free screw compressor as set forth in claim 12, characterized in that the second sensor comprises a plurality of sensors, a first one of the plurality of sensors being provided in a position for detecting a temperature of intake air on a suction side of the first stage compressor body, and a second one of the plurality of sensors being provided in a position for detecting a temperature compressed air flowing in the first portion of the compressed air discharge line.

14. An oil free screw compressor as set forth in claim 13, characterized in that the compressed air discharge line discharges compressed air directly from the pair of male and female screw rotors of the at least one compressor body, and the compressed air discharged through the compressed air discharge line does not pass through the gear casing or the oil sump.

15. An oil free screw compressor as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that the compressed air discharge line discharges compressed air directly from the pair of male and female screw rotors of the at least one compressor body, and the compressed air discharged through the compressed air discharge line does not pass through the gear casing or the oil sump.