Cold start helium compressor
AssigneeSumitomo (SHI) Cryogenics of America, Inc.
InventorsStephen Dunn, Ralph C. Longsworth
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
This invention provides a means to start an oil lubricated air cooled helium compressor at ambient air temperatures in the range from −30° C. to 0° C. by heating the oil in the sump and opening one or more by-pass valves that allows oil to flow to the oil injection port of the compressor without passing through all of the after-cooler.
Claims6
An oil lubricated air cooled compressor which supplies helium to a cryogenic expander when the ambient temperature is in the range of −30° C. to 45° C., said system comprising;
- a compressor having a port in which oil is injected and mixed with the helium during compression,
- a volume in which the discharge mixture of helium and oil separate such that most of the oil collects in a sump,
- a heater in the sump,
- an air cooled after-cooler having separate channels for helium and oil,
- piping that directs all of the oil to flow from the sump through the after-cooler to the injection port in the compressor when the ambient temperature is greater than 0° C.,
- at least one by-pass valve that connects a point in the oil piping between the sump and an intermediate point in the after-cooler to the oil injection port when the ambient temperature is less than 0° C.,
- an oil management system that maintains a discharge temperature of less than 100° C. when the ambient air temperature is between −30° C. to 45° C.
A method to start an oil lubricated air cooled compressor which supplies helium to a cryogenic expander when the ambient temperature is in the range of −30° C. to 0° C., said system comprising;
- a compressor having a port in which oil is injected and mixed with the helium during compression,
- a volume in which the discharge mixture of helium and oil separate such that most of the oil collects in a sump,
- a heater in the sump,
- an air cooled after-cooler having separate channels for helium and oil,
- piping that directs all of the oil to flow from the sump through the after-cooler to the injection port in the compressor when the ambient temperature is greater than 0° C.,
- a by-pass valve that connects a point in the oil piping between the sump and an intermediate point in the after-cooler to the oil injection port
- the method comprising;
- 1. heating the oil in the sump to a temperature greater than 0° C.,
- 2. starting the compressor,
- 3. opening the oil by-pass valve when the compressor is started.
A method to start an oil lubricated air cooled compressor which supplies helium to a cryogenic expander when the lubricating oil has a pour point higher than −45° C. and the ambient temperature is more than 10° C. warmer than the pour point, said system comprising;
- a compressor having a port in which oil is injected and mixed with the helium during compression,
- a volume in which the discharge mixture of helium and oil separate such that most of the oil collects in a sump,
- a heater in the sump,
- an air cooled after-cooler having separate channels for helium and oil,
- piping that directs all of the oil to flow from the sump through the after-cooler to the injection port in the compressor when the ambient temperature is greater than 0° C.,
- a by-pass valve that connects a point in the oil piping between the sump and an intermediate point in the after-cooler to the oil injection port the method comprising;
- 4. heating the oil in the sump to a temperature greater than 0° C.,
- 5. starting the compressor,
- 6. opening the oil by-pass valve when the compressor is started.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.