Gas compressor and system and method for gas compressing

A control system for adaptively controlling a hydraulic fluid supply to supply a driving fluid for applying a driving force on a piston in a gas compressor, the driving force being cyclically reversed between a first direction and a second direction to cause the piston to reciprocate in strokes, the system comprising:

• first and second proximity sensors positioned and configured to respectively generate a first signal indicative of a first time (T1) when a first part of the piston is in proximity of the first proximity sensor, and a second signal indicative of a second time (T2) when a second part of the piston is in a proximity of the second proximity sensor, whereby the speed of the piston is calculable based on T1, T2 and a distance between the first and second proximity sensors;
• one or more pressure sensors positioned and configured to generate a signal indicative of a load pressure applied on the piston;
• a temperature sensor positioned and configured to generate a signal indicative of a temperature of the driving fluid;
• and
• a controller configured to receive signals from said sensors and for controlling the hydraulic fluid supply to control reversal of the driving force based on the speed of the piston, the temperature of the driving fluid, and the load pressure applied to the piston during the first stroke.

A gas compressor system comprising:

• a controller;
• a gas compressor comprising:
• a first driving fluid cylinder having a first driving fluid chamber adapted for containing a first driving fluid therein, and a first driving fluid piston movable within said first driving fluid chamber;
• a gas compression cylinder having a gas compression chamber comprising a first end and a second end, the gas compression chamber adapted for holding a gas therein and a gas piston reciprocally movable within said gas compression chamber between said first and said second end for compressing a gas;
• a second driving fluid cylinder having a second driving fluid chamber adapted for containing a second driving fluid therein, and a second driving fluid piston movable within said second driving fluid chamber;
• said first and second driving fluid cylinders located at each end of the gas compression cylinder and each of said first and second driving fluid pistons connected to said gas piston for axially driving said gas piston between said first and said second end;
• a first and a second proximity sensor respectively coupled to said first and second driving fluid cylinders, said first and second proximity sensors respectively operable to indicate a first and second time when a pre-defined portion of said first and said second driving fluid pistons is proximal to a respective one of said sensors and send said first and said second time to said controller in response thereto, said controller for determining a speed of movement of said gas piston within said gas compression chamber between said first and second end based on said first and second time;
• a temperature sensor coupled to one of said driving fluid cylinders and operable to detect a temperature of a respective one of said driving fluids and provide a temperature signal indicative of said temperature to said controller;
• a pressure sensor coupled to said driving fluid cylinders and operable to detect a pressure difference between said first and second driving fluids and provide a pressure signal indicative of said pressure difference to said controller;
• and
• said controller in communication with said temperature sensor, said pressure sensor and said first and second proximity sensors, said controller configured to control the flow of driving fluid into and out of each of said driving fluid chambers for causing a subsequent movement of said gas piston in an opposite direction between said second end and said first end in a second other stroke in response to said pressure signal, said temperature signal and said speed.

A gas compressor system comprising:

• a driving fluid cylinder having a driving fluid chamber adapted for containing a driving fluid therein, and a driving fluid piston movable within said driving fluid chamber;
• a gas compression cylinder having a gas compression chamber adapted for holding a gas therein and a gas piston movable within said gas compression chamber;
• a buffer chamber located between said driving fluid chamber and said gas compression chamber;
• said buffer chamber adapted to inhibit movement of at least one non-driving fluid component, when gas is located within said gas compression chamber, from said gas compression chamber into said driving fluid chamber.

A gas compressor system comprising:

• a first driving fluid cylinder having a first driving fluid chamber adapted for containing a first driving fluid therein, and a first driving fluid piston movable within said first driving fluid chamber;
• a gas compression chamber adapted for holding a gas therein and a gas piston movable within said gas compression chamber;
• a first buffer chamber located between said first driving fluid chamber and a first section of said gas compression chamber;
• a second driving fluid cylinder having a second driving fluid chamber adapted for containing a second driving fluid therein, and a second driving fluid piston movable within said second driving fluid chamber;
• a second buffer chamber located between said first driving fluid chamber and a second section of said gas compression chamber;
• wherein said first buffer chamber is adapted to inhibit movement of at least one non-driving fluid component, when gas is located within a first section of said gas compression chamber, from said first section gas compression chamber section into said first driving fluid chamber;
• wherein said second buffer chamber adapted to inhibit movement of at least one non-driving fluid component, when gas is located within a second section of said gas compression chamber, from said second section of said gas compression chamber into said second driving fluid chamber.