# US 11,905,963 B1 · Compressor startup > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,905,963 B1 - Document ID: US11905963B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 17/991,290 - Filed: 2022-11-21 - Granted: 2024-02-20 - Earliest claimed: 2022-11-21 - Assignees: Saudi Arabian Oil Company - Applicants: Saudi Arabian Oil Company - Inventors: Talal H. Rashidi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11905963B1 ## CPC - F04D 27/0246: {by varying geometry within the pumps, e.g. by adjusting vanes} - F04D 27/0253: {by throttling (F04D27/0246 takes precedence)} - F04D 27/002: {by varying geometry within the pumps, e.g. by adjusting vanes} - F04D 27/0215: {Arrangements therefor, e.g. bleed or by-pass valves} - F04D 27/0223: {Control schemes therefor} - F05D 2250/51: Inlet - F05D 2270/304: Spool rotational speed - F04D: NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PUMPS (engine fuel-injection pumps F02M; ion pumps H01J41/12; electrodynamic pumps H02K44/02) - F05D: INDEXING SCHEME FOR ASPECTS RELATING TO NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, GAS-TURBINES OR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS ## Abstract A suction throttling valve adjusts flow of a process gas through an inlet flowline. A compressor pressurizes the process gas. An outlet flowline flows the process gas from the compressor. An anti-surge flowline branching from the outlet flowline directs a first portion of the process gas from the outlet flowline back to the inlet flowline. The anti-surge flowline is connected to the inlet flowline intermediate of the suction throttling valve and the compressor. An anti-surge control valve adjusts flow of the first portion of the process gas through the anti-surge flowline to the inlet flowline. A bypass flowline provides an alternative flow path for a second portion of the process gas flowing through the anti-surge flowline to the inlet flowline around the suction throttling valve. A bypass control valve adjusts flow of the second portion of the process gas through the bypass flowline. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: adjusting, by a suction throttling valve, flow of a process gas through an inlet flowline; pressurizing, by a compressor downstream of the suction throttling valve, the process gas; flowing, by an outlet flowline, the process gas from the compressor; directing, by an anti-surge flowline branching from the outlet flowline, a first portion of the process gas from the outlet flowline back to the inlet flowline, wherein the anti-surge flowline is connected to the inlet flowline intermediate of the suction throttling valve and the compressor; adjusting, by an anti-surge control valve, flow of the first portion of the process gas through the anti-surge flowline to the inlet flowline; directing, by a bypass flowline branching from the anti-surge flowline, a second portion of the process gas from the anti-surge flowline to the inlet flowline, wherein the bypass flowline is connected to the inlet flowline upstream of the suction throttling valve, and the bypass flowline provides an alternative flow path for the second portion of the process gas flowing through the anti-surge flowline to the inlet flowline around the suction throttling valve; and adjusting, by a bypass control valve, flow of the second portion of the process gas through the bypass flowline to the inlet flowline around the suction throttling valve. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, comprising: determining a compressor rotation speed of the compressor; comparing the compressor rotation speed with a specified rated speed; and closing the bypass control valve in response to determining that the compressor rotation speed has reached the specified rated speed, thereby shutting off flow of the second portion of the process gas through the bypass flowline. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, comprising: determining a flow rate of the process gas flowing through the compressor; comparing the flow rate of the process gas flowing through the compressor with a specified minimum flow rate; and opening the anti-surge control valve in response to determining that the flow rate of the process gas flowing through the compressor has dropped to the specified minimum flow rate. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, comprising: determining whether a percent opening of the anti-surge control valve has increased; and opening the bypass control valve in response to determining that the percent opening of the anti-surge control valve has increased. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the bypass control valve is a tight shut off valve. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein a ratio of an inner diameter of the bypass flowline to an inner diameter of the anti-surge flowline is in a range of from 8:26 to 12:22. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein a ratio of the inner diameter of the bypass flowline to an inner diameter of the inlet flowline is in a range of from 8:32 to 12:28. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein a ratio of the inner diameter of the bypass flowline to an inner diameter of the outlet flowline is in a range of from 8:20 to 12:16. ### Claim 9 A system comprising: an inlet flowline configured to flow a process gas; a suction throttling valve installed on the inlet flowline, the suction throttling valve configured to control flow of the process gas through the inlet flowline; a compressor downstream of the suction throttling valve, the compressor configured to pressurize the process gas; an outlet flowline configured to flow the process gas from the compressor; an anti-surge flowline branching from the outlet flowline and connected to the inlet flowline intermediate of the suction throttling valve and the compressor; an anti-surge control valve installed on the anti-surge flowline, the anti-surge control valve configured to control flow of a first portion of the process gas from the outlet flowline through the anti-surge flowline to the inlet flowline; a bypass flowline branching from the anti-surge flowline and connected to the inlet flowline upstream of the suction throttling valve, the bypass flowline providing an alternative flow path for a second portion of the process gas flowing through the anti-surge flowline to the inlet flowline around the suction throttling valve; and a bypass control valve installed on the bypass flowline, the bypass control valve configured to control flow of the second portion of the process gas from the anti-surge flowline through the bypass flowline to the inlet flowline around the suction throttling valve. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, comprising a controller communicatively coupled to the compressor, to the suction throttling valve, to the anti-surge control valve, and to the bypass control valve, the controller comprising: one or more processors; and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium coupled to the one or more processors and storing programming instructions for execution by the one or more processors, the programming instructions instructing the one or more processors to perform operations comprising: determining a compressor rotation speed of the compressor; comparing the compressor rotation speed with a specified rated speed; and transmitting a close signal to the bypass control valve to close the bypass control valve in response to determining that the compressor rotation speed has reached the specified rated speed. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the programming instructions instruct the one or more processors to perform operations comprising: determining a flow rate of the process gas flowing through the compressor; comparing the flow rate of the process gas flowing through the compressor with a specified minimum flow rate; and transmitting an open signal to the anti-surge control valve to open the anti-surge control valve in response to determining that the flow rate of the process gas flowing through the compressor has dropped to the specified minimum flow rate. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the programming instructions instruct the one or more processors to perform operations comprising: determining whether a percent opening of the anti-surge control valve has increased; and transmitting a second open signal to the bypass control valve to open the bypass control valve in response to determining that the percent opening of the anti-surge control valve has increased. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the bypass control valve is a tight shut off valve. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein a ratio of an inner diameter of the bypass flowline to an inner diameter of the anti-surge flowline is in a range of from 8:26 to 12:22. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein a ratio of the inner diameter of the bypass flowline to an inner diameter of the inlet flowline is in a range of from 8:32 to 12:28. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein a ratio of the inner diameter of the bypass flowline to an inner diameter of the outlet flowline is in a range of from 8:20 to 12:16. ### Claim 17 A system comprising: an inlet flowline configured to flow a process gas; a suction throttling valve installed on the inlet flowline, the suction throttling valve configured to control flow of the process gas through the inlet flowline; a compressor downstream of the suction throttling valve, the compressor configured to pressurize the process gas; an outlet flowline from the compressor; an anti-surge flowline branching from the outlet flowline and connected to the inlet flowline intermediate of the suction throttling valve and the compressor; an anti-surge control valve installed on the anti-surge flowline, the anti-surge control valve configured to control flow of a first portion of the process gas from the outlet flowline through the anti-surge flowline to the inlet flowline; a bypass flowline branching from the anti-surge flowline and connected to the inlet flowline upstream of the suction throttling valve, the bypass flowline providing an alternative flow path for a second portion of the process gas flowing through the anti-surge flowline to the inlet flowline around the suction throttling valve; a bypass control valve installed on the bypass flowline, the bypass control valve configured to control flow of the second portion of the process gas from the anti-surge flowline through the bypass flowline to the inlet flowline around the suction throttling valve; and a controller communicatively coupled to the compressor, to the suction throttling valve, to the anti-surge control valve, and to the bypass control valve, the controller comprising: one or more processors; and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium coupled to the one or more processors and storing programming instructions for execution by the one or more processors, the programming instructions instructing the one or more processors to perform operations comprising: determining a compressor rotation speed of the compressor; comparing the compressor rotation speed with a specified rated speed; and transmitting a close signal to the bypass control valve in response to determining that the compressor rotation speed has reached the specified rated speed. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, wherein the programming instructions instruct the one or more processors to perform operations comprising: determining a flow rate of the process gas flowing through the compressor; comparing the flow rate of the process gas flowing through the compressor with a specified minimum flow rate; and transmitting an open signal to the anti-surge control valve to open the anti-surge control valve in response to determining that the flow rate of the process gas flowing through the compressor has dropped to the specified minimum flow rate. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The system of claim 18, wherein the programming instructions instruct the one or more processors to perform operations comprising: determining whether a percent opening of the anti-surge control valve has increased; and transmitting a second open signal to the bypass control valve to open the bypass control valve in response to determining that the percent opening of the anti-surge control valve has increased. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The system of claim 19, wherein: a ratio of an inner diameter of the bypass flowline to an inner diameter of the anti-surge flowline is about 5:12; a ratio of the inner diameter of the bypass flowline to an inner diameter of the inlet flowline is about 1:3; and a ratio of the inner diameter of the bypass flowline to an inner diameter of the outlet flowline is about 5:9.