Ingersoll-rand Company

James D Mehaffey

Paul A Kirkpatrick

Marty L Connell

Paul Scarpinato

Jason A Roberge

James Richard Lindsey

Sudhir Sreedharan

Mark R Greer

Frederick E Bender

Richard Mauney

Darrell F Murray

Paul A Scarpinato

A thermal control valve for use in a lubricant flooded compressor system including a controller that generates a control signal includes a valve body including a hot coolant inlet, a cooled coolant inlet, a mixed coolant outlet, an actuator space, and a cylinder bore. A sleeve is positioned within the cylinder bore and is movable between a first position, a second position, and a third position, and an electrical actuator is at least partially disposed within the actuator space and is operable in response to the control signal to move the sleeve between the first position, the second position, and the third position.

Oil flooded compressor having motor operated temperature controlled mixing valve

A compressor system includes a lead compressor operable to produce a flow of compressed fluid at a first output and a lag compressor operable to produce a flow of compressed fluid at a second output. The sum of the first output and the second output defines a system output. A lead variable speed motor is operable to drive the lead compressor at a first compressor speed to vary the first output and a lag variable speed motor is operable to drive the lag compressor at a second compressor speed to vary the second output. A sensor is operable to measure a system load, and a lead motor drive is operable to control the speed of the lead variable speed motor and to set a desired operating state of the lag variable speed motor in response to a comparison of the system load and the system output.

Compressor system

A compressor system operable to shutdown in response to a shutdown signal. The compressor system includes a compression device operable between a first speed and a second speed to produce a flow of compressed fluid at a pressure. A blowdown valve is movable between a closed position and an open position in which at least a portion of the flow of compressed fluid passes through the blowdown valve to reduce the pressure of the flow of compressed fluid. A sensor is positioned to measure the pressure and a controller is operable to move the blowdown valve to the open position and set the speed of the compression device to a low set point speed in response to the shutdown signal.

System and method for controlling a variable speed compressor during stopping

A fluid compression system includes a plurality of compressors, each compressor having a local controller for controlling operation thereof and a sensor for sensing the pressure of compressed fluid discharged therefrom. A method for controlling operation of the fluid compression system includes establishing a set point pressure threshold for loading and unloading each compressor, and assigning a ranking to each compressor for identifying a highest ranked compressor and a lowest ranked compressor, whereby the highest ranked compressor for the compression system initiates all commands for controlling all of the lower ranked compressors in the compression system. The method also includes commencing a loading subroutine including loading the highest ranked unloaded compressor, setting a load delay timer, sensing the pressure of the compressed fluid discharged from the highest ranked compressor, comparing the sensed discharge pressure of the highest ranked compressor to the set point pressure threshold established for the highest ranked compressor, and transmitting a load command from the controller of the highest ranked compressor to the controller of the next highest ranked unloaded compressor if the sensed discharge pressure of the highest ranked compressor remains less than or equal to the set point pressure threshold established for the highest ranked compressor, and the load delay timer equals zero. The loading subroutine is repeated until the discharge pressure of the highest ranked compressor is greater than the set point pressure threshold established therefor.

Method for controlling the operation of a compression system having a plurality of compressors

A method for controlling the supply flow through a compressed fluid system having a fluid compressor with a inlet valve, and a host system in signal receiving relation with a supply flow sensor and in signal transmitting relation with a compressor controller. The method includes the following steps: sensing the actual compressed fluid supply flow, sending a first signal representing the actual compressed fluid supply flow from the flow sensor to the host system, sending a second signal, with a current corresponding to the required predetermined required inlet vacuum, from the host system to the compressor controller, sensing the actual vacuum at the fluid compressor inlet, and comparing the actual vacuum at the fluid compressor inlet to a predetermined target vacuum required to produce the desired supply flow through the compressed fluid system, and if the predetermined target vacuum is greater than the actual vacuum, performing the additional step of closing the inlet valve until the actual vacuum is substantially equal to the predetermined target vacuum and if the predetermined target vacuum is less than the actual vacuum, performing the additional step of opening the inlet valve until the actual vacuum is substantially equal to the predetermined target vacuum.

Method for controlling fluid flow through a compressed fluid system

A method for controlling modulation of at least one compressor in a compressor system includes the steps of providing a host controller including a microprocessor for controlling overall operation of the compressor system. The host controller includes a microprocessor and memory for storing system values and transmitting load, unload and modulation commands to the at least one compressor. The at least one compressor includes a compressor controller having a microprocessor in communication with the host controller, a discharge port for discharging compressed fluid from the compressor, and a pressure sensor in communication with the discharge port for sensing the pressure of the compressed fluid discharged therefrom. The sensor is in signal sending relation with the compressor controller. The method also includes transmitting a modulation command from the host controller to the compressor controller of the at least one compressor upon the occurrence of a predetermined event. After the at least one compressor receives the modulation signal, the local controller establishes a modulation range for the at least one compressor including sensing the pressure of the compressed fluid discharged from the at least one compressor, transmitting the sensed pressure signal to the compressor controller of the at least one compressor, and establishing the modulation range of the at least one compressor based upon the sensed pressure signal.

Method for modulation lag compressor in multiple compressor system

Control panel for a microprocessor

A portable electronic apparatus tests and diagnoses an electronic controller of a machine. The electronic apparatus includes an AC voltage detection means for sequentially detecting at least one high level AC voltage signal generated by at least one electronic controller output. A converter converts the at least one high level AC voltage signal to at least one low level DC voltage signal which simulates a low level contact closure input. A means is provided which sequentially inputs the at least one low level DC voltage signal to a low level DC voltage input of the electronic controller for detection by the electronic controller. A generator generates at least one analog voltage signal which simulates at least one known, fixed value operating parameter of the machine. A means is provided which inputs the at least one analog voltage signal to a predetermined electronic controller input for detection by the electronic controller. An indicator sequentially indicates the detection of the at least one high level AC voltage signal, the detection of the at least one low level DC voltage signal, and the detection of the at least one analog voltage signal.

Growing community of inventors

Mooresville, NC, United States of America

James D Mehaffey