Oil flooded compressor having motor operated temperature controlled mixing valve

A compressor system comprising:

• a compressor including a gas inlet and a lubricant inlet, the compressor operable to compress a gas and discharge a mixed flow of compressed gas and lubricant;
• a valve housing including a hot lubricant inlet, a cooled lubricant inlet, and a lubricant outlet connected to the lubricant inlet of the compressor;
• a sleeve disposed within the valve housing and movable between a first position and a second position, the sleeve selectively uncovering the hot lubricant inlet to selectively direct a hot lubricant to the lubricant outlet and selectively uncovering the cooled lubricant inlet to selectively direct a cooled lubricant to the lubricant outlet, the hot lubricant and cooled lubricant mixing at the lubricant outlet to define a bulk lubricant that is directed to the lubricant inlet of the compressor;
• a controller operable to sense a parameter and generate a control signal at least partially in response to the sensed parameter;
• a motor coupled to the sleeve and operable to move the sleeve in response to the control signal, the movement of the sleeve being operable to vary the amount of hot lubricant admitted through a first aperture and to vary the amount of cooled lubricant admitted through a second aperture to control a temperature of the bulk lubricant;
• and
• wherein the sleeve is slidably movable between the first position in which the hot lubricant inlet is fully open and the cooled lubricant inlet is fully closed such that all of the lubricant flowing to the lubricant outlet amounts to a first quantity, and the second position in which the hot lubricant inlet is closed and the cooled lubricant inlet is partially open such that all of the lubricant amounts to a second quantity that is about equal to the first quantity;
• wherein the first aperture has a first size and the second aperture has a second size that is larger than the first size.

A valve system comprising:

• a valve housing including a hot lubricant inlet, a cooled lubricant inlet and a lubricant outlet connectable to a lubricant inlet of a compressor;
• a sleeve disposed within the valve housing and movable between a first position and a second position, the sleeve defined by a substantially solid body extending along a longitudinal length and bounded by first and second end walls, the sleeve selectively uncovering the hot lubricant inlet to selectively direct a hot lubricant to the lubricant outlet and selectively uncovering the cooled lubricant inlet to selectively direct a cooled lubricant to the lubricant outlet, the hot lubricant and cooled lubricant mixing at the lubricant outlet to define a bulk lubricant discharged from the lubricant outlet;
• a pin aperture extending through each of the endwalls along the longitudinal length of the sleeve;
• a lead screw aperture extending through the longitudinal length of the sleeve;
• a flow passage aperture extending through each of the endwalls along the the longitudinal length of the sleeve;
• an actuator coupled to the sleeve being operable to move the sleeve to vary the amount of hot lubricant admitted through a first aperture and to vary the amount of cooled lubricant admitted through a second aperture to control a temperature of the bulk lubricant.

A method of controlling the temperature and quantity of a bulk flow of coolant to a lubricant flooded compressor in a compressor system, the method comprising:

• dividing a flow of hot coolant into a first flow of coolant and a second flow of coolant;
• cooling the first flow of coolant to produce a third flow of coolant;
• directing the second flow of coolant and the third flow of coolant to a valve and discharging the bulk flow of coolant from the valve;
• sensing a parameter of the compressor system and delivering the measured parameter to a controller;
• generating a control signal at least partially in response to the sensed parameter;
• and
• operating an electrical actuator at least partially in response to the control signal to configure the valve between a first position, a second position, and a third position, wherein the bulk flow of coolant includes only coolant from the second flow of coolant when the valve is in the first position, the bulk flow of coolant includes only coolant from the third flow of coolant when the valve is in the second position, and the bulk flow of coolant includes a mixture of coolant from the second flow of coolant and the third flow of coolant when the valve is between the first position and the second position;
• and delivering a first quantity of coolant in the bulk flow of coolant when the valve is positioned between the first position and the second position and delivering a second quantity of coolant in the bulk flow of coolant when the valve is positioned in the third position, the second quantity being greater than the first quantity.