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US 10,161,271 B2Granted
Air compressor having supplemental power source
AssigneeIngersoll-Rand Company
InventorsJames Christopher Collins, Marion Patrick McDonald, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fluid expander is disclosed as used in conjunction with an air compressor that is driven by a prime mover. The fluid expander is structured to extract useful work from a fluid stream and add that work to the work provided by the prime mover to the compressor. In some embodiments a clutch can be used to decouple the expander from the compressor if insufficient work is developed by the expander. A gear train can also be used to change the rotational speed prior to work being delivered to the compressor.
Claims22
An apparatus comprising:
- a prime mover having a rotatable output structured to provide a rotative mechanical power output;
- a fluid pump in power communication with the prime mover through the rotative mechanical power output and having an inlet for the receipt of a fluid and an outlet for the conveyance of a fluid, the fluid pump in thermal communication with a waste heat system working fluid such that waste heat generated by the fluid pump during operation is used to provide heat to the waste heat system working fluid;
- a waste heat system power provider structured to receive and extract work from the waste heat system working fluid, the waste heat system working fluid being a different composition from the fluid received in the fluid pump;
- and
- an adapter having an adapter housing located between the prime mover and the fluid pump, the adapter having a mechanical summer structured to add the work extracted by the waste heat system power provider to the rotative mechanical power output provided by the prime mover such that total work required to drive the fluid pump is provided by both the prime mover and the waste heat system power provider.
2 more elements
An apparatus comprising:
- a compressor having structural members arranged to provide compression of a compressible gas;
- an electric motor having an output shaft mechanically connected to and in working communication with the compressor, the electric motor structured to provide work to the output shaft useful to the compressor for the compression of the compressible gas;
- a fluid expander structured to extract mechanical work from a working fluid separate from the compressible gas and heated by operation of the compressor which is received by the fluid expander at a first pressure and subsequently discharged from the fluid expander at a second pressure as a result of extracting work from the working fluid;
- and
- a mechanical power coupler having a clutch structured to selectively add work from the fluid expander to work provided through the output shaft of the electric motor such that total power delivered to the compressor originates from both the electric motor and the fluid expander when the clutch selectively adds work from the fluid expander.
2 more elements
A method comprising:
- powering an electric motor to provide a motor shaft output power to drive a fluid compressor, the fluid compressor structured to provide compression to a first fluid;
- heating a second fluid with a heat generated by a heat of compression of the fluid compressor;
- flowing the second fluid after it has been heated with the heat of compression to a fluid work extractor where energy in the second fluid is converted to shaft power output;
- and
- selectively engaging a fluid work extractor clutch such that the shaft power output from the fluid work extractor is added to the motor shaft output power of the electric motor.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.