Low energy idling for a compressed air system
AssigneeClark Equipment Company
InventorsPetr Jindra, Ctibor Balas, Jaromir Nusl
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An air compressor system includes a motor operably connected to an air compressor, a separator tank fluidly connected to the air compressor by a supply line, a compressed air line coupled to the separator tank, a service valve connected to the compressed air line and positioned downstream of the separator tank, and a controller in operable communication with the motor, wherein in response to the controller detecting the motor operating at an idle speed, the controller reduces the motor speed to a low idle speed and reduces pressure in the separator tank, the low idle speed being slower than the idle speed.
Claims17
An air compressor system comprising:
- a motor operably connected to an air compressor;
- a separator tank fluidly connected to the air compressor by a supply line;
- a compressed air line coupled to the separator tank;
- a service valve connected to the compressed air line and positioned downstream of the separator tank;
- a controller in operable communication with the motor, wherein in response to the controller detecting the motor operating at an idle speed, the controller reduces the motor speed to a low idle speed, the low idle speed being slower than the idle speed;
- a pressure relief orifice positioned in the supply line downstream of the air compressor and upstream of the separator tank;
- and
- a return line coupled to the supply line, the return line including a valve, a first end of the return line coupled to the supply line downstream of the air compressor and upstream of the pressure relief orifice, and a second end of the return line coupled to the supply line downstream of the pressure relief orifice and upstream of the separator tank,
- wherein in response to reducing the motor speed to the low idle speed, the controller reduces the pressure of compressed air in the separator tank, and
- wherein the controller reduces the pressure of compressed air in the separator tank by opening the valve to vent compressed air through the return line and out the pressure relief orifice.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.