Method for operating a compressor, and arrangement with a compressor

A method for operating a compressor (CO) for supplying a compressed fluid to a consumer (CON), the method comprising:

• feeding an intake flow (MF) into an inlet (IN) of the compressor (CO),
• compressing the intake flow (MF) by the compressor (CO) to give an outlet flow (VF),
• introducing at least one first part flow of the outlet flow (MF) into a bypass station (BS) as first bypass flow (BF1),
• controlling the feeding-in of the un-cooled first bypass flow (BF1) from the bypass station (BS) into the inlet (IN) of the compressor (CO), depending on operating parameters of the compressor (CO),
• cooling at least one second part flow of the outlet flow (VF),
• controlling the feeding-in of the cooled second part flow as second bypass flow (BF2) into the inlet (IN) of the compressor (CO), depending on operating parameters of the compressor (CO), wherein the control of the feeding-in of the first bypass flow (BF1) and/or of the second bypass flow (BF2) is configured such that the intake flow (MF) into the inlet (IN) of the compressor (CO) approaches a first setpoint temperature (TS1) after feeding-in of the first bypass flow (BF1) and/or of the second bypass flow (BF2),
• wherein the feeding-in of the first bypass flow (BF1) and/or of the second bypass flow (BF2) is controlled on the basis of
• a measurement of the temperature of the intake flow (MF) upstream or downstream of the feeding-in of the first bypass flow (BF1) or of the second bypass flow (BF2), and
• a measurement of the temperature of the intake flow, and
• a measurement of the temperature of a mixture of the first bypass flow (BF1) and the second bypass flow (BF1),
• wherein the position of at least one valve for controlling the feeding-in of the first bypass flow (BF1) or of the second bypass flow (BF2), or of a mixture of the first bypass flow (BF1) and the second bypass flow (BF2), is determined on the basis of the measurements via a control algorithm.

An arrangement with a compressor (CO) for supplying a compressed fluid to a consumer (CON), comprising:

• a bypass station (BS),
• a first bypass line (BL1),
• at least one bypass valve (BV),
• a control unit (CU),
• wherein the compressor (CO) has an inlet (IN) for feeding an intake flow (MF) to the compressor (CO) and an outlet (EX) for discharging compressed intake flow (MF) as an outlet flow (VF) into an outflow line (EXL),
• wherein, downstream of the outlet (EX), the first bypass line (BL1) removes outlet flow (VF) from the outflow line (EXL) toward the bypass station (BS),
• wherein the bypass station (BS) is designed such that it supplies bypass flow (BF1, BF2) to the inlet (IN),
• wherein the arrangement has, parallel to the first bypass line (BL1), at least one second bypass line (BL2) which removes outlet flow (VF) from the outflow line (EXL),
• a cooler (COL) arranged downstream of the connection of the first bypass line (BL1) to the outflow line (EXL) in the outflow line (EXL), or of the second bypass line (BL2), such that cooled outlet flow (VF) is guided through at least part of the second bypass line (BL2) to the bypass station (BS),
• wherein the bypass station (BS) has at least two bypass valves (BV) which are arranged such that the ratio of the first bypass flow (BF1) to the second bypass flow (BF2) and the total quantity of the first bypass flow and of the second bypass flow can be regulated,
• a first bypass valve (BV1) arranged in the first bypass line (BL1), and
• a second bypass valve (BV2) arranged in the second bypass line (BL2),
• wherein the control unit (CU) has a surge limiter (ASC) with a ratio calculation unit (PCU), wherein the control unit (CU) signals to the ratio calculation unit (PCU) the requirements for controlling the feeding-in of the bypass flows (BF1, BF2) and the ratio calculation unit (PCU) actuates the bypass valves (BV) accordingly,
• wherein the control unit (CU) is designed such that the feeding-in of the first bypass flow (BF1) and/or of the second bypass flow (BF2) takes place on the basis of
• a measurement of the temperature of the intake flow (MF) upstream or downstream of the feeding-in of the first bypass flow (BF1) or of the second bypass flow (BF2), and
• a measurement of the temperature of the intake flow, and
• a measurement of the temperature of a mixture of the first bypass flow (BF1) and the second bypass flow (BF1),
• wherein the position of at least one valve for controlling the feeding-in of the first bypass flow (BF1) or of the second bypass flow (BF2), or of a mixture of the first bypass flow (BF1) and the second bypass flow (BF2), is determined on the basis of the measurements via a control algorithm.