Air-cooled pressurizing device

Abstract

An air-cooled pressurizing device (1), wherein two or more heat exchangers (16, 17, 23) are arranged next to each other or on top of each other or both in the cross section (24, 49) of an air passage (13) such that the total air flow (15) through the air passage (13) is subdivided into several air flows (25-27), wherein one or more guiding elements (28) are provided in the air passage (13) for splitting the air flow (15) and guiding the air to one or more of the heat exchangers (16, 17, 23) or a part of such a heat exchanger (16, 17, 23).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a pressurizing device, typically a compressor, for compressing or pressurizing fluids, usually gaseous fluids such as air or another gas (e.g., oxygen, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, argon, helium, or hydrogen). However, this invention does not preclude the use of the pressurizing device for compressing or pressurizing denser fluids, such as water vapor.

[0002] Furthermore, the pressurizing device of the present invention includes: a housing; a fluid conduit for guiding fluid from the fluid conduit inlet through the pressurizing device to the fluid conduit outlet; and one or more pressurizing sections, each pressurizing section including a pressurizing element for pressurizing the fluid, the pressurizing section being included in the fluid conduit and forming part of the fluid conduit.

[0003] The pressurizing elements are typically connected in series, but other configurations are not excluded by this invention.

[0004] Typically, uncompressed ambient air is drawn in at the inlet of the fluid conduit, and this ambient air is converted into compressed air through different pressurization stages in a pressurization device. This compressed air is then supplied at the outlet of the fluid conduit for use by users of compressed air or pressurized air (or more generally, pressurized fluid).

[0005] More specifically, the present invention relates to a pressurizing device comprising a cooling device, said cooling device being at least partially an air-cooling device. To this end, the pressurizing device of the present invention includes one or more means for forcing airflow in an air passage from the air passage inlet through the housing to the air passage outlet.

[0006] Furthermore, the pressurization device according to the invention includes at least two or possibly more heat exchangers located in an air passage for transferring heat from the heat exchangers to the air forced through the air passage by one or more means for forcing airflow. Typically, these heat exchangers are used to cool the pressurized fluid and transfer heat accumulated in the pressurized fluid during compression to the ambient air flowing through the relevant heat exchanger. Hot pressurized fluid is unsuitable for supply to consumers of pressurized fluid, not only because of its high temperature, but also because, for example, too much moisture can accumulate in it. Typically, a heat exchanger is provided after each pressurization stage in the pressurization device to cool the fluid before supplying it to the next pressurization stage or to a consumer of the pressurized fluid.

[0007] The present invention also does not preclude the heat exchanger from being located in an air passage for purposes other than cooling the pressurized fluid. In possible embodiments, for example, an oil-air heat exchanger or cooler may be located in an air passage, in which oil flows to lubricate or cool compressor components (such as bearings and transmissions). Background Technology

[0008] When air or another fluid is compressed, energy is converted into heat. Therefore, the compressed or pressurized air or fluid that generates heat should be cooled to make it useful to the user. Typically, the oil circulating in the pressurization unit's oil circulation system, used to lubricate or cool the pressurization unit's components, also needs to be cooled. In yet another case, the pressurization unit includes a liquid cooling circuit, for example, to recover energy accumulated in the pressurized fluid during compression. Typically, the liquid cooling circuit also includes a liquid-air heat exchanger to cool any remaining unrecovered energy in the liquid cooling circuit that is excess heat consumed by the consumer.

[0009] In short, in many applications with pressurization devices, two or more heat exchangers are required to cool the airflow of ambient air drawn in from the surrounding environment by means of a device provided in the pressurization device housing for forcing airflow in the air passage.

[0010] Typically, difficulties or problems arise when multiple heat exchangers must be cooled using the same airflow generated in an air passage. In practice, a single device is usually used to force the airflow, and sometimes one or more such devices are used to force the airflow through an air passage housed in a pressurized unit. Multiple heat exchangers in the air passage are exposed to the airflow generated by one or more devices used to force the airflow through the air passage. This means that the forced airflow is separated in the air passage between different heat exchangers or coolers. There is no individual device to force the airflow to flow to each heat exchanger within the heat exchanger.

[0011] However, depending on their purpose, the heat exchangers can have very different sizes, shapes, and characteristics, and they can be made of different materials. They can be used to cool very different media, and the cooling requirements, in terms of cooling rate, input and output temperatures of the medium to be cooled, and flow rate of the medium through the relevant heat exchanger, can also vary greatly depending on the application.

[0012] In this context, an important feature is, for example, the flow resistance of the associated heat exchanger. Air-to-air, fluid-to-air, or liquid-to-air heat exchangers in the form of coolers are essentially cooling devices that include one or more conduits, which are narrow channels or passages formed within a tubular element, typically having a rectangular cross-section in which the air, fluid, or liquid (medium) to be cooled flows. These conduits are spaced apart to allow cooling air to flow through the open spaces between them. Typically, internal fins are provided in the conduits or narrow passages to increase the contact surface with the air, fluid, or liquid (medium) flowing within them. These fins are also referred to as turbulence generators, which turbulentize the flow and improve the efficiency of the heat transfer process.

[0013] In addition, external fins are provided on the outside of the duct to increase the contact surface with the cooling air flowing in the open space between the ducts, thereby enhancing the heat transfer between the cooling air and the fluid or air or liquid to be cooled.

[0014] Obviously, depending on the amount of open space between the ducts, the width of the ducts, the shape of the outer fins, etc., the air flowing towards the heat exchanger will encounter greater or less resistance when flowing through the space between the ducts.

[0015] It is easy to understand that airflow tends to flow more smoothly through a heat exchanger with lower flow resistance than through one with higher flow resistance. Therefore, if two heat exchangers of the same size but different flow resistances are exposed to the same forced airflow flowing uniformly through an air passage, the heat exchanger with lower flow resistance will experience a relatively larger cooling airflow and thus have a greater cooling capacity than the heat exchanger with higher flow resistance.

[0016] However, cooling requirements are typically such that the flow rates of cooling air through the two heat exchangers should be divided in an almost equal manner. In other cases, or more generally, the flow rate of cooling air through each heat exchanger in the air passage does not correspond to the flow rate of cooling air required to meet the cooling capacity required by the respective heat exchanger.

[0017] Several other parameters also play an important role and can complicate matters considerably. In fact, let's consider two identical heat exchangers placed in the air passage of a pressurized device. They have exactly the same shape and size, flow resistance and other external features, and are made of the same material. If this type of heat exchanger is positioned in a uniform airflow within the air passage, the airflow passing through the heat exchanger is expected to be identical.

[0018] Let us further assume that two identical heat exchangers are used to cool different media with completely different specific heat capacities, but these media are pumped through their respective heat exchangers at the same flow rate. For example, let us assume that the first heat exchanger is used to cool a medium such as air, which has a low specific heat capacity, while the second heat exchanger is used to cool a medium in liquid form, such as lubricating oil, which has a (higher) specific heat capacity.

[0019] Obviously, cooling a medium (air) with a low specific heat capacity by 1°C in the first heat exchanger requires a certain flow rate of cooling air passing through the relevant heat exchanger, which is much less than the flow rate of cooling air required to cool a medium (oil) with a high specific heat capacity by 1°C in the second heat exchanger.

[0020] Therefore, if the objective is to cool two different media in two identical heat exchangers, or to lower their temperatures at the same rate, the first heat exchanger should be subjected to a lower airflow rate than the second. This is not the case if the heat exchangers are identical in size, the relevant media flow through them at the same flow rate, and the heat exchangers are subjected to a common, uniform cooling airflow in the air passages. This again demonstrates that even considering only the media to be cooled (let alone other factors), meeting certain cooling capacity requirements in two or more heat exchangers simultaneously exposed to a common cooling airflow is far from self-evident.

[0021] Clearly, other parameters can play an additional or alternative role. For example, the medium in a heat exchanger can have different proximity temperatures, which greatly affects the heat transfer efficiency between the medium to be cooled and the cooling air flowing in the heat exchanger.

[0022] In practice, let's assume, for example, that the first and second heat exchangers are identical and used to cool the same medium flowing through them at the same flow rate, and that the flow rates of cooling air on the heat exchangers are equal. Let's further assume that the temperature of the medium to be cooled at the inlet of the first heat exchanger is relatively higher than the temperature of the medium at the inlet of the second heat exchanger.

[0023] Clearly, the heat of the medium in the first heat exchanger is transferred to the cooling air more efficiently than in the second heat exchanger because the temperature difference between the medium to be cooled and the cooling air is higher in the first heat exchanger than in the second, and furthermore, the flow rates of the medium to be cooled and the cooling air are the same. Therefore, the first heat exchanger has a higher cooling capacity than the second heat exchanger. Thus, from this perspective, it may not seem obvious that meeting certain cooling requirements of two or more heat exchangers subjected to a common, uniform airflow in the air passage is feasible.

[0024] The above also clearly demonstrates that the flow rate of the medium to be cooled also plays a role in the relevant heat exchanger. In fact, the higher the flow rate of the medium to be cooled, the more the medium must be cooled by a fixed flow of cooling air within a certain time interval, and the less the temperature of the medium to be cooled drops after passing through the relevant heat exchanger.

[0025] Finally, the design of the pressurizing device itself, the operating conditions of the pressurizing device, and the requirements expected by the consumers of the pressurized fluid (such as output flow rate, output pressure, and output fluid temperature) essentially limit the freedom to randomly select or set the above parameters, and fundamentally determine the cooling requirements in the air passage, which usually vary substantially for different related heat exchangers.

[0026] For example, pressurization devices typically include an oil lubrication system, where the oil temperature rises to a higher temperature after passing through the lubrication circuit. An oil-air cooler can be placed in the air passage to cool the oil to the required lower temperature. Oil flows through the oil lubrication circuit at a controlled flow rate. The higher and lower oil temperatures, as well as the required oil flow rate, depend on the type of oil used, the design of the pressurization device, operating conditions, and limitations on components.

[0027] Similarly, such pressurization devices typically comprise two or more compression stages. For example, the fluid is compressed in a first stage and further compressed in a second stage, while being heated each time during compression. The fluid is then cooled in a first fluid-air cooler and a second fluid-air cooler after each stage. The fluid flow rate after each compression stage is typically different, as are the fluid temperatures reached during compression and those required after cooling. These parameters are generally determined by the design and operating conditions of the pressurization device, as well as the requirements specified by the consumers of the pressurized fluid.

[0028] Clearly, it's not feasible to randomly select the parameters of an oil-air cooler and two fluid-air coolers, resulting in multiple heat exchangers included in an air passageway, with completely different cooling air requirements, all positioned together and subjected to a common cooling airflow. Typically, the airflow pattern of the cooling air is not suitable for all the relevant heat exchangers or coolers with very different needs.

[0029] According to existing technology, known possible methods for solving the problem of cooling air flow and cooling capacity of multiple heat exchangers in an air passage include redesigning the heat exchangers so that their shape, flow resistance, size, inner tube diameter, etc., are designed such that the required portion of the total cooling air flows through the relevant heat exchanger corresponding to the (possibly adapted) required cooling capacity.

[0030] A major drawback of this solution is that designing and manufacturing the right heat exchanger or a set of heat exchangers for each specific application or even a combination of applications is very time-consuming, difficult, and expensive.

[0031] Furthermore, this practice hinders the standardization and reuse of pressurization device components (especially heat exchangers or cooling elements installed in such pressurization devices).

[0032] Furthermore, under different conditions of the required output pressure or the required output flow rate of the pressurized fluid, a certain type of pressurizing device, or even a single type of pressurizing device, is often used.

[0033] Therefore, in practice, it is not feasible to adapt the design to every situation, and as a result, heat exchangers often cannot operate under optimal conditions.

[0034] In applications with multiple heat exchangers, another possibility for solving airflow problems includes regulating the flow rate of cooling air through devices that force airflow through air channels.

[0035] In fact, by increasing the flow rate of cooling air supplied by the device used for forced airflow to a sufficiently high level, it is generally possible to ensure that each associated heat exchanger at least reaches its minimum required cooling capacity. However, in this solution, excessively high flow rates of cooling air must typically be supplied, which is not cost-effective in the first place. Furthermore, it is usually impossible to provide a cooling airflow suitable for each associated heat exchanger or cooler, thus overcooling or undercooling cannot be ruled out.

[0036] Another known problem with pressurization devices is the high level of noise caused by the flow of cooling air through the air passage and the cooler or heat exchanger, as well as by the fan or device used to force the airflow in the air passage. Summary of the Invention

[0037] The purpose of this invention is to overcome one or more of the above-mentioned problems and / or other problems that may exist.

[0038] In particular, the object of the present invention is to provide an improved air-cooled pressurization device that includes two or more heat exchangers in the air passage of the pressurization device, and is capable of better supplying the required cooling airflow to at least one of the associated heat exchangers, and preferably each heat exchanger, wherein the supplied cooling airflow is better suited to the cooling capacity required by the associated one or more heat exchangers compared to similar pressurization devices known according to the prior art.

[0039] Another object of the present invention is to provide an air-cooled pressurization device in which the total power required to force cooling air through a cooling air passage is minimized or at least reduced compared to similar pressurization devices known according to the prior art.

[0040] Another object of the present invention is to reduce the noise generated by the components of the air cooling system of the pressurization device and the dissipated acoustic energy compared with similar pressurization devices known to date.

[0041] Another object of the present invention is to provide a method by which existing known pressurization devices can be easily modified with minimal additional components without requiring significant alterations to the components of such existing known pressurization devices.

[0042] Finally, another objective of this invention is to develop an air-cooled pressurization device that is size-limited, reliable, and cost-effective.

[0043] Therefore, the present invention relates to an air-cooled pressurizing device, comprising: a housing; a fluid conduit for guiding fluid from a fluid conduit inlet through the pressurizing device to a fluid conduit outlet; one or more pressurizing sections in the fluid conduit, each pressurizing section including a pressurizing element; means for forcing airflow in an air passage through the housing; and two or more heat exchangers located in the air passage, the heat exchangers for transferring heat from the heat exchangers to the air forced through the air passage by means of the means for forcing the airflow, wherein the two or more heat exchangers are arranged close to or superimposed on each other or close to and superimposed on each other in the cross-section of the air passage, such that the total airflow through the air passage is subdivided into several airflows, wherein each airflow flows through a corresponding heat exchanger of the two or more heat exchangers, wherein the airflows divide the total airflow into the two or more heat exchangers in the cross-section, and wherein one or more plate-like or plate-like guiding elements are disposed in the air passage for dividing the airflow and guiding the air to one or more of the two or more heat exchangers or a portion of such one or more heat exchangers.

[0044] A significant advantage of this pressurization device according to the invention is that the airflow of cooling air is separated across several heat exchangers and is guided or can be guided to one or more heat exchangers, or conversely, is guided or can be guided away from one or more heat exchangers by plate-like or plate-like guide elements disposed in the air passage. The purpose of this is to divide the total airflow into different airflows to better accommodate the needs of different heat exchangers.

[0045] In this way, the amount of cooling airflow through at least one of the heat exchangers or coolers can be controlled. This can be advantageously used to increase the cooling capacity of one cooler by reducing the cooling capacity of the airflow through the other cooler.

[0046] Another advantage of this pressurization device according to the invention is that, in many cases, the total power required to move cooling air through the air passage can be minimized. In fact, when the airflow is partially directed, for example, by plate-like or flat guide elements, to a heat exchanger with higher flow resistance, a larger airflow passes through the heat exchanger compared to the case where no plate-like or flat guide elements are placed in the air passage. This means that the required airflow of the relevant heat exchanger can be achieved with a lower total airflow provided by the device for forced airflow. In this way, the energy consumption of the device for forced airflow can also be reduced.

[0047] Therefore, in a possible embodiment of the air-cooled pressurization device according to the invention, heat exchangers with different flow resistances are arranged in the air passage, and one or more guiding elements are oriented and positioned in the air passage to constrain, guide, or divert the airflow in the air passage, such that a relatively large portion of the airflow is guided towards the heat exchanger with higher flow resistance, and a portion of the airflow flowing towards the heat exchanger with lower flow resistance is partially guided away from that heat exchanger or constrained to some extent. The word "relatively" is used to express that the portion of the airflow guided to the relevant heat exchanger with higher flow resistance is not necessarily larger in absolute value than the portion of the airflow flowing towards the heat exchanger with lower flow resistance, but is relatively larger than the case where there are no guiding elements in the air passage.

[0048] Conversely, when the airflow through a heat exchanger with lower flow resistance is insufficient to achieve the required cooling capacity, and a heat exchanger with higher flow resistance has excessive cooling capacity, it may be advantageous to partially direct the airflow to a heat exchanger with lower flow resistance via plate-shaped or finned guiding elements.

[0049] Therefore, in another possible embodiment of the air-cooled pressurization device according to the invention, one or more guiding elements are oriented and positioned in the air passage to constrain, guide or divert the airflow in the air passage, such that a relatively large portion of the airflow is guided toward a heat exchanger with lower flow resistance, and a portion of the airflow toward a heat exchanger with higher flow resistance is partially guided away from the heat exchanger or constrained to some extent.

[0050] In another preferred embodiment of the air-cooled pressurization device according to the invention, one or more guide elements are positioned and oriented in the air passage such that, compared with the absence of such one or more guide elements, the airflow through the associated heat exchangers with different airflow resistances is more uniformly distributed on the associated heat exchangers.

[0051] The advantage of this embodiment of the pressurization device according to the invention is that, compared to the case where there are no guiding elements in the air passage, the total airflow is more evenly distributed across the different heat exchangers or coolers, with heat exchangers or coolers having higher airflow resistance being supplied with a larger portion of the total airflow and those having lower airflow resistance being supplied with a smaller portion. This arrangement is suitable when the relevant heat exchangers or coolers require nearly the same flow rate of cooling air to meet their cooling needs.

[0052] In other cases, the present invention certainly does not preclude directing a larger portion of the total airflow toward heat exchangers or coolers requiring higher cooling capacity, and / or slightly restricting the airflow toward heat exchangers or coolers requiring lower cooling capacity, even if all heat exchangers or coolers operate in the same manner.

[0053] In another preferred embodiment of the air-cooled pressurization device according to the invention, one or more guiding elements are oriented and positioned in the air passage to constrain, guide or divert the airflow in the air passage, thereby improving the total flow through the air passage by reducing frictional losses, and thus reducing the pressure drop in the air passage compared to the case without guiding elements.

[0054] An advantage of this embodiment of the pressurizing device according to the invention is that the device for forcing airflow in the air passage consumes less energy.

[0055] In another possible embodiment of the air-cooled pressurization device according to the invention, the guiding element forms a baffle that is at least partially covered on one or both sides with sound-absorbing foam that absorbs noise, or the baffle is made entirely of foam or porous material with very high flow resistance.

[0056] The advantage of this embodiment of the pressurizing device according to the invention is that the sound-absorbing material or foam absorbs sound energy, thereby greatly reducing the noise generated by the cooling of the pressurizing device. Attached Figure Description

[0057] The invention will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0058] Figure 1 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a possible embodiment of the pressurization device according to the present invention;

[0059] Figures 2 to 5 This is a schematic cross-sectional view, which even illustrates other possible embodiments of the pressurization device according to the invention in a more simplified manner; and,

[0060] Figure 6 and Figure 7 This is a front view of the heat exchanger of the pressurization device according to the present invention, respectively composed of... Figure 5 Arrow F6 and Figure 2 The arrow F7 in the image indicates... Detailed Implementation

[0061] Figure 1 A first possible embodiment of an air-cooled pressurizing device 1 according to the present invention is shown, which is used to compress or pressurize a fluid 2, in which case the fluid 2 is air 2 obtained from the surrounding environment 3 of the pressurizing device 1.

[0062] The pressurizing device 1 includes a housing 4 and a fluid conduit 5, which guides fluid 2 from a fluid conduit inlet 6 through the pressurizing device 1 to a fluid conduit outlet 7. The fluid 2 obtained at the fluid conduit inlet 6 is pressurized or compressed in the pressurizing device 1 by means of one or more pressurizing sections, in this case two pressurizing sections 8 and 9, which form part of the fluid conduit 5, and each pressurizing section includes pressurizing elements, namely, pressurizing elements 10 and 11 in this case.

[0063] The pressurizing elements 10 and 11 are those shown in the figure as compressors 10 and 11, but the present invention does not preclude the use of other types of pressurizing elements, such as pumps. Pressurizing elements 10 and 11 are each free... Figure 1 Driven by a motor (e.g., an electric motor) not shown in the diagram.

[0064] The pressurized fluid (air) 12 leaves the pressurizing device 1 at the fluid conduit outlet 7 and is supplied to the consumer or consumer network of the pressurized fluid 12 through a pipe or network (not shown in the figure).

[0065] exist Figure 1 In the example, the fluid 2 to be pressurized is air, but it can be any other gaseous fluid or a fluid with a higher density, and it can also be, for example, oxygen, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, argon, helium, hydrogen or water vapor.

[0066] An air passage 13 is disposed within the housing 4, and a device 14 for forcing airflow 15 within the air passage 13 ensures that airflow 15 is supplied through the air passage 13. The device 14 for forcing airflow 15 is typically a fan 14 or a ventilator. The device 14 for forcing airflow 15 shown in the figure is merely one of many possibilities, and in other embodiments, multiple such devices 14 for forcing airflow 15 may be provided, for example, installed in parallel, in series, or in other configurations. The device 14 for forcing airflow 15 may also include multiple fans or ventilators, or may include only a single fan or ventilator.

[0067] In each segment 8 or 9, the pressurized fluid 2 is cooled after passing through the associated pressurizing element 10 or 11 in a corresponding heat exchanger or cooler (cooler 16 and cooler 17, respectively). These coolers 16 and 17 are positioned in an air passage 13 for transferring heat from the heat exchanger or cooler 16 or 17 to cooling air 15, which is ambient air drawn from the surrounding environment 3 of the pressurization device 1 and forced through the air passage 13 by means of a device 14 for forced airflow.

[0068] The first cooler 16 cools the fluid 2 pressurized in the first section 8 pressurizing element 10 or the first compressor element 10, and forms an intercooler 16 located downstream of the first compressor element 10 (in the fluid flow 2) and upstream of the second compressor element 11 (in the fluid flow 2).

[0069] The second cooler 17 cools the fluid 2 pressurized in the second or final section 8 pressurizing element 11 or the second compressor element 11, and forms an aftercooler 16, which is located downstream of the second compressor element 11 (in the fluid flow 2).

[0070] The pressurizing device 1 is also equipped with an oil lubrication and / or cooling system, which includes an oil reservoir or oil tank 18 with oil 19. A closed-loop oil circuit 20 consisting of oil pipes 21 connects the oil reservoir 18 to components of the pressurizing device 1 that require lubrication or cooling, such as the rotors, bearings, transmission devices, drive motors, etc. of the pressurizing elements 10 and 11. Figure 1 (Not shown in the image). Oil 19 also returns from the relevant component to the oil reservoir 18 via oil passage 20.

[0071] In order to drive oil 19 around oil passage 20, oil pump 22 is included in oil passage 20 upstream of oil reservoir 18.

[0072] exist Figure 1 In the example, the oil circuit 20 includes two loops, a first loop extending from the oil reservoir 18 to the first pressurizing element 10 and back to the oil reservoir 18, and a second loop extending from the oil reservoir 18 to the second pressurizing element 10 and back to the oil reservoir 18.

[0073] An oil cooler 23 is included in the oil passage 20 and is also located in the air passage 13 for cooling the oil 19 circulating in the oil passage 20 by means of a cooling airflow 15 flowing in the air passage 13.

[0074] Generally, according to the invention, in the cross section 24 of the air passage 13, at least two and possibly more heat exchangers are arranged close to each other or stacked on top of each other or close to and stacked on top of each other, such that the total airflow 15 through the passage 13 is divided into several airflows.

[0075] exist Figure 1 In the example, there are three such heat exchangers or coolers, namely the intercooler 16, the aftercooler 17 and the oil cooler 23, and these three heat exchangers or coolers 16, 17 and 23 are stacked on top of each other in the cross section 24 of the air passage 13.

[0076] The oil cooler 23 is located between the aftercooler 17 and the intercooler 16. The intercooler 16 is located on top of the oil cooler 23, and the oil cooler is located on top of the aftercooler 17.

[0077] Apart from the openings provided in the coolers 16, 17, and 23, no other openings are provided in the relevant cross-section 24, such that the total airflow 15 is divided into several airflows 25, 26, and 27 (by...). Figure 1 (The arrow in the text indicates this).

[0078] Each airflow 25, 26, and 27 flows through an opening of a corresponding heat exchanger or cooler (i.e., intercooler 16, oil cooler 23, and aftercooler 17). Airflows 25, 26, and 27 divert the total airflow 15 to the corresponding coolers 16, 17, and 23 in cross-section 24.

[0079] Furthermore, according to the invention, one or more sheet-like or plate-like guiding elements 28 are disposed in the air passage 13 to divert the airflow 15 and guide the air to one or more of two or more heat exchangers or coolers, or a portion of one or more such heat exchangers or coolers.

[0080] exist Figure 1 In the example, the air passage 13 is equipped with only one such sheet or plate-shaped guide element 28. In this case, the guide element 28 is located upstream of the heat exchangers or coolers 16, 17 and 23 (in the airflow), or upstream of the relevant cross section 24 in the air passage 13 (in the airflow).

[0081] Air passage 13 extends from air passage inlet 29 to air passage outlet 30, and in this case, device 14 for forcing airflow is installed on the air passage outlet side 30.

[0082] However, the present invention does not exclude the installation of a device 14 for forced airflow on the air channel inlet side 29, or the installation of a device 14 for forced airflow on both sides 29 and 30 of the air channel 13.

[0083] In addition, Figure 1 In this case, the air passage 16 extends mainly in the vertical direction AA' through the pressurizing device 1. Preferably, the device 14 for forcing airflow is located on the upper side 31 or the top of the pressurizing device 1.

[0084] Air passage inlet 29 and air passage outlet 30 are also provided on the upper side 31 of pressurization device 1, and air 15 in air passage 13 flows downward from air passage inlet 29 to heat exchangers or coolers 16, 17 and 23 in air passage 13, and flows upward from heat exchangers or coolers 16, 17 and 23 to air passage outlet 30.

[0085] The air passage 13 is mainly U-shaped or V-shaped, and the heat exchangers or coolers 16, 17 and 23 are stacked on top of each other in a generally vertical plane in cross section 14, which divides the air passage 13 into a portion 32 for downward airflow and a portion 33 for upward airflow.

[0086] exist Figure 1 In the example, the guide element 28 is disposed on the upstream side of the heat exchangers or coolers 16, 17 and 23 (in the airflow 15). The guide element 28 has a lower portion 34 and an upper portion 35. The lower portion 34 has a flat surface oriented parallel to the vertical plane of the heat exchangers or coolers 16, 17 and 23, and the upper portion 35 has a flat surface inclined in the inclined direction BB' relative to the lower portion 34 toward the air passage inlet 29, which is disposed in the side wall 36 of the housing 4 of the pressurizing device 1.

[0087] It is obvious that what is being discussed here is Figure 1 In the embodiments, heat exchangers or coolers 16, 17, and 23 have different dimensions. Typically, heat exchangers or coolers 16, 17, and 23, disposed in air passages, also have different airflow resistances. In particular, compared to the corresponding characteristics of the intercooler 16 and aftercooler 17, the oil cooler 23 may, for example, have very different shapes, airflow resistances, cooling capacities, and characteristics of the inlet and outlet temperatures of the oil 19 to be cooled. Furthermore, the specific heat capacity of the oil 19 is significantly different from the specific heat capacity of the pressurized fluid 2 (typically air) that will be cooled in the intercooler 16 and aftercooler 17.

[0088] When the guide element 28 is not installed in the air passage 13, the total airflow 15 will be split on the coolers 16, 17 and 23 in a manner determined by their airflow resistance, but the different airflows generated by this split will not typically correspond to the cooling airflow required for each of the coolers 16, 17 or 23 to achieve the desired cooling capacity.

[0089] Typically, higher flow rates of cooling air will flow to the cooler with the lowest airflow resistance, while lower flow rates of cooling air will flow to the cooler with the highest airflow resistance.

[0090] When there is insufficient airflow through a heat exchanger or cooler with high flow resistance, this can be corrected by increasing the total airflow 15, for example, by increasing the rotational speed of device 14 or multiple devices 14. However, the disadvantage of this solution is that it consumes more energy, and the portion of the airflow flowing to the cooling air in the heat exchanger or cooler with lower air resistance becomes too high, causing overcooling in such a cooler.

[0091] By installing guide elements 28 in the air passage 13, the total airflow 15 can be diverted and directed to one or more heat exchangers or coolers 16, 17, or 23, which require a relatively larger portion 25, 26, or 27 of the total airflow 15 compared to the case without guide elements 28. A portion of the total airflow 15 can also be directed away from one or more heat exchangers or coolers 16, 17, or 23, which require a relatively smaller portion 25, 26, or 27 of the total airflow 15 compared to the case without guide elements 28.

[0092] According to the air-cooled pressurization device described above, one or more guiding elements are positioned and oriented in the air passage such that the airflow through the relevant heat exchanger is more evenly distributed on the relevant heat exchanger compared to the case without such one or more guiding elements.

[0093] Another criterion that can be used to determine the position and orientation of the guide element 28 in the air passage 13 includes finding a position or orientation that improves the total airflow 15 through the air passage 13 by reducing frictional losses, thereby reducing the pressure drop in the air passage 13 compared to the case without one or more guide elements 28.

[0094] Can Figure 1 The situation shown is considered a fairly schematic illustration of the pressurization device 1 of the present invention. Figures 2 to 5 The illustration is more schematic and is intended only to illustrate some principles of the invention, which can be applied to the actual pressurization device 1 of the invention.

[0095] Figure 2 The air passage 13 of the pressurizing device 1 according to the invention is shown schematically. In the cross-section 24 of the air passage 16, there are two coolers 16 and 17, which are mounted stacked on top of each other in the vertically oriented cross-section 24 of the air passage 13. The coolers 16 and 17 can be, for example, an intercooler 16 and an aftercooler 17 for cooling the pressurized fluid 2, as in... Figure 1 The same as in the previous examples.

[0096] Figure 6 This is a front view of cross section 24. Clearly, at the location of cross section 24, the total airflow 15 through channel 13 is divided into airflows 25 and 26 between the two coolers 16 and 17. Coolers 16 and 17 are mounted in a frame 37, which includes side slats 38 and 39, a top slat 40, and a bottom slat 41. At the center of the frame, a middle slat 42 separates the top cooler 16 and the bottom cooler 17. Apart from the openings provided in the coolers 16 and 17, there are no other openings in cross section 24. Of course, the invention does not preclude the application of all kinds of other configurations, in which more coolers or heat exchangers are mounted relative to each other in any position.

[0097] exist Figure 2 In the middle, the air passage 13 extends in the horizontal direction, but this is not necessarily the case in reality. Figure 2 The arrow on the top side indicates the direction of airflow for cooling through channel 13.

[0098] Guide elements 28 in the form of sheet or plate elements 28 are mounted on the upstream side of coolers 16 and 17 and cross section 24 (in the cooling airflow 15). Guide elements 28 are inclined downward along direction BB' toward the center of air passage 13, i.e. toward the intermediate slat 42 of frame 37, which separates the top cooler 16 from the bottom cooler 17.

[0099] Clearly, the guide element 28 directs the airflow 15 to the bottom cooler or aftercooler 17 and, to some extent, impedes the flow of cooling air to the top cooler or aftercooler 16. This is evident from... Figure 7 It is also very clear in the front view shown.

[0100] Therefore, a larger portion of the total airflow 15 flowing through the air passage 13 forms an airflow 26 toward the aftercooler 17, thus increasing the cooling capacity of the aftercooler 17 compared to the case where no guide element 28 is installed in the air passage 13.

[0101] On the other hand, a smaller portion of the total airflow 15 forced through the air passage 13 forms an airflow 25 toward the intercooler 16. Therefore, the cooling capacity of the intercooler 16 is reduced compared to the case where the guide element 28 is not installed in the air passage 13.

[0102] Of course, this is just one possible configuration; for example, the intercooler 16 and the aftercooler 17 can be interchanged.

[0103] Figure 3 The configuration shown is the same as Figure 2 The configuration shown is exactly the same, except that the guide element 28 now forms a baffle, one side of which is covered with sound-absorbing foam 43 for absorbing noise.

[0104] This will obviously help reduce the noise level generated by the air cooling of pressurization device 1.

[0105] exist Figure 3 In the example, a layer of noise-absorbing foam 43 is applied to the entire side of the guide element 28, which is directed towards the bottom of the air channel 13, i.e., the side exposed to the airflow 26 with the highest flow rate.

[0106] In other embodiments, it is not excluded that sound-absorbing foam 43 is provided on both sides of the guide element 28 or only on the side facing the top of the air channel 13. It is also possible that such sound-absorbing foam 43 covers only a portion of one side of the guide element 28.

[0107] exist Figure 4 In the embodiment of the pressurizing device 1 shown, the pressurizing device 1 has a generally T-shaped air passage 13. The air passage 13 has a main air passage section 44, which in... Figure 4 It extends horizontally and has an upward-pointing air passage side branch 45.

[0108] Two coolers 46 and 47 are disposed in the cross section 24 of the main section 44 of the air passage, and their arrangement is similar to... Figure 2 and Figure 3 The examples mentioned above are similar.

[0109] The third cooler 48 is installed in the cross section 49 of the air passage side branch pipe 45.

[0110] In this configuration, the air passage 13 has a single air passage inlet 29 and two air passage outlets 50 and 51, namely an air passage outlet 50 for air flowing through the main section 44 of the air passage and an air passage outlet 51 for air flowing through the side branch 45 of the air passage.

[0111] A fan 14 or other device or devices for forcing airflow through air passage 13 may be installed at air passage inlet 29. Alternatively or supplementarily, such a fan 14 or other device for forcing airflow through air passage 13 may also be installed at each of the air passage outlets 50 and 51. Air may flow out of air passage 13 through one of coolers 46, 47 and 48. No other openings are provided in cross sections 24 and 49. The total airflow 15 is divided into three airflows 25, 26 and 27, corresponding to the airflow through coolers 46 and 47 in the main section 44 of the air passage and the airflow through cooler 48 installed at the inlet of the side branch 45 of the air passage.

[0112] According to the invention, on the upstream side of the coolers 46, 47 and 48 (in the cooling airflow 15), guide elements 28 in the form of sheet or plate elements 28 are also installed in the main section 44 of the air passage.

[0113] This time, the guide element 28 is inclined upward along the direction CC' toward the center of the main section 44 of the air passage, that is, inclined upward toward the middle slat 42, which separates the cooler 46 at the bottom of the main section 44 of the air passage from the cooler 47 at the top of the main section 44 of the air passage.

[0114] In this way, a larger portion of the total airflow 15 is directed toward coolers 47 and 48. Therefore, compared to the case where no such guiding element 28 is installed in the main section 44 of the air passage, the airflow 26 and 27 are relatively larger, and thus the cooling capacity of the corresponding coolers 47 and 48 is relatively increased.

[0115] On the other hand, compared with the case without guide element 28, the cooler 46 located at the bottom of the main section 44 of the air passage receives a relatively small portion of the total airflow, and therefore its cooling capacity is relatively reduced.

[0116] Obviously, the airflows 25, 26 and 27 can be adjusted in various other ways according to the cooling requirements of coolers 46, 47 and 48, such as by using more guide elements, by modifying the direction or position of such guide elements 28, etc.

[0117] at last, Figure 5 This demonstrates that by using the guide element 28, one can obtain... Figure 2 and Figure 3 A similar result is seen in the example where the guide element 28 is located downstream of the coolers or heat exchangers 16 and 17 in the cross section 24 of the air passage 13 (in the airflow).

[0118] exist Figure 5In this case, the guide element 28 is tilted upward along the direction DD', which is away from the center of the air passage 13 or the intermediate strip 42 between the coolers 16 and 17.

[0119] This positioning of the guide element 28 can also have a similar effect on the total airflow 15, in order to stimulate flow toward a cooler, or conversely, reduce flow toward a cooler.

[0120] The present invention is by no means limited to the embodiment of the air-cooled pressurization device 1 described above, but can be applied and implemented in many different ways without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An air-cooled pressurization device (1), comprising: Housing (4); fluid conduit (5) for guiding fluid from fluid conduit inlet (6) through the air-cooled pressurizing device (1) to fluid conduit outlet (7); one or more pressurizing sections (8, 9) in the fluid conduit (5), each pressurizing section including pressurizing element (10, 11); one or more devices (14) for forcing airflow for forcing airflow (15) in air passages (13, 44, 45) through the housing (4);and two or more heat exchangers (16, 17, 23, 46-48) located in the air passages (13, 44, 45) for transferring heat from the heat exchangers (16, 17, 23, 46-48) to the air forced through the air passages (13, 44, 45) by the one or more means (14) for forced airflow, characterized in that the two or more heat exchangers (16, 17, 23, 46-48) are arranged close to or overlapping each other in the cross-section (24, 49) of the air passages (13, 44, 45). Or they may be close to and superimposed on each other, such that the airflow (15) through the air channels (13, 44, 45) is subdivided into several airflows (25-27), wherein each airflow (25-27) flows through a corresponding heat exchanger (16, 17, 23, 46-48) of the two or more heat exchangers (16, 17, 23, 46-48), wherein the airflow (25-27) divides the airflow (15) into the two or more heat exchangers (16, 17, 23, 46-48) in the cross section (24, 49), and wherein one or more of the plates or A plate-shaped guide element (28) is disposed in the air passages (13, 44, 45) for diverting the airflow (15) and guiding the air to one or more of the two or more heat exchangers (16, 17, 23, 46-48) or a portion of the one or more heat exchangers (16, 17, 23, 46-48) to control the amount of cooling airflow through at least one of the heat exchangers, wherein the heat exchangers (16, 17, 23, 46-48) in the air passages (13, 44, 45) have different flow resistances, and the one or more plates A plate-shaped or plate-shaped guiding element (28) is oriented and positioned in the air passages (13, 44, 45) to constrain, guide, or divert the airflow (15) within the air passages (13, 44, 45), such that a relatively large portion of the airflow (15) is guided toward heat exchangers (16, 17, 23, 46-48) with higher flow resistance, and a portion of the airflow (15) flowing toward heat exchangers (16, 17, 23, 46-48) with lower flow resistance is partially guided away from or constrained to some extent by the heat exchangers with lower flow resistance.

2. The air-cooled pressurization device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The one or more sheet-like or plate-like guide elements (28) are positioned and oriented in the air passages (13, 44, 45) such that the airflow (15) through the heat exchangers (16, 17, 23, 46-48) is more uniformly distributed on the heat exchangers (16, 17, 23, 46-48) compared to the case without the one or more sheet-like or plate-like guide elements (28).

3. The air-cooled pressurization device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The one or more sheet-like or plate-like guide elements (28) are oriented and positioned in the air passages (13, 44, 45) to constrain, guide, or divert airflow (15) in the air passages (13, 44, 45), thereby improving airflow (15) through the air passages (13, 44, 45) by reducing frictional losses, and reducing pressure drop across the air passages (13, 44, 45) compared to the absence of the guide elements (28).

4. The air-cooled pressurization device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that, At least one of the heat exchangers (16, 17, 23, 46-48) forms an air cooler (16, 17, 23, 46-48) for cooling pressurized fluid (2, 12) in the fluid conduit (5) downstream of the pressurizing element (10, 11).

5. The air-cooled pressurization device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The air-cooled pressurizing device (1) includes: at least two pressurizing sections (8, 9), a first pressurizing element (10) in the form of a first compressor (10) and a second pressurizing element (11) in the form of a second compressor (11); two heat exchangers (16, 17) for cooling the pressurized fluid (2, 12) in the fluid conduit (5), the two heat exchangers being air coolers (16, 17), the first air cooler (16) being an intercooler (16) located downstream of the first compressor (10) and upstream of the second compressor (11), and the second air cooler (17) being an aftercooler (17) located downstream of the second compressor (11).

6. The air-cooled pressurization device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that, One of the two or more heat exchangers (16, 17, 23, 46-48) is an air-cooled oil cooler (23).

7. The air-cooled pressurization device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The air passages (13, 44, 45) extend from the air passage inlet (29) to one or more air passage outlets (30, 50, 51), wherein the device (14) for forced airflow is installed on the side of the air passage outlet (30, 50, 51).

8. The air-cooled pressurization device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The air passages (13, 44, 45) extend from the air passage inlet (29) to one or more air passage outlets (30, 50, 51), wherein the device (14) for forcing airflow is installed on the side of the air passage inlet (29).

9. The air-cooled pressurization device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The guiding element (28) is positioned upstream of the two or more heat exchangers (16, 17, 23, 46-48).

10. The air-cooled pressurization device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The guiding element (28) is positioned downstream of the two or more heat exchangers (16, 17, 23, 46-48).

11. The air-cooled pressurization device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The air passages (13, 44, 45) extend through the air-cooled pressurizing device (1) in a generally vertical direction (AA'), wherein the device (14) for forcing airflow (15) is located on the upper side of the air-cooled pressurizing device or on the top of the air-cooled pressurizing device.

12. The air-cooled pressurization device according to claim 11, characterized in that, An air passage inlet and an air passage outlet are located on the upper side (31) of the air-cooled pressurizing device (1), wherein air in the air passages (13, 44, 45) flows downward from the air passage inlet (29) to the two or more heat exchangers (16, 17, 23, 46-48), and flows upward from the two or more heat exchangers (16, 17, 23, 46-48) to the air passage outlet (30).

13. The air-cooled pressurization device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The two or more heat exchangers (16, 17, 23, 46-48) are positioned on top of each other in a generally vertical plane that separates the generally U-shaped or V-shaped air passage (13) between a portion (32) for downward airflow and a portion (33) for upward airflow.

14. The air-cooled pressurization device (1) according to claim 13, characterized in that, A guide element (28) is provided on the upstream side of the two or more heat exchangers (16, 17, 23, 46-48), the guide element having a lower portion (34) and an upper portion (35), the lower portion having a flat surface oriented parallel to the vertical plane of the heat exchangers (16, 17, 23, 46-48), the upper portion having a flat surface inclined in an inclined direction (BB') relative to the lower portion (34) toward an air passage inlet (29), the air passage inlet being disposed in the side wall (36) of the air-cooled pressurization device (1).

15. The air-cooled pressurization device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The guiding element (28) forms a baffle, which is at least partially covered on one or both sides by sound-absorbing foam (43) that absorbs noise.

16. The air-cooled pressurization device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The fluid to be pressurized (2) is a gaseous fluid or a fluid with a higher density, and is one of the following: -Air; -oxygen; -carbon dioxide; -Nitrogen; -Argon gas; - Helium; - Hydrogen; and, -water vapor.

17. The air-cooled pressurization device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pressurizing element (10, 11) is a compressor (10, 11), and at least one of the devices (14) for forced airflow (15) is a fan.

18. The air-cooled pressurization device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pressurizing element (10, 11) is a compressor (10, 11), and at least one of the devices (14) for forced airflow (15) is a ventilator.

19. An air-cooled pressurization device (1), comprising: Housing (4); fluid conduit (5) for guiding fluid from fluid conduit inlet (6) through the air-cooled pressurizing device (1) to fluid conduit outlet (7); one or more pressurizing sections (8, 9) in the fluid conduit (5), each pressurizing section including pressurizing element (10, 11); one or more devices (14) for forcing airflow for forcing airflow (15) in air passages (13, 44, 45) through the housing (4);and two or more heat exchangers (16, 17, 23, 46-48) located in the air passages (13, 44, 45) for transferring heat from the heat exchangers (16, 17, 23, 46-48) to the air forced through the air passages (13, 44, 45) by the one or more means (14) for forced airflow, characterized in that the two or more heat exchangers (16, 17, 23, 46-48) are arranged close to or overlapping each other in the cross-section (24, 49) of the air passages (13, 44, 45). Or they may be close to and superimposed on each other, such that the airflow (15) through the air channels (13, 44, 45) is subdivided into several airflows (25-27), wherein each airflow (25-27) flows through a corresponding heat exchanger (16, 17, 23, 46-48) of the two or more heat exchangers (16, 17, 23, 46-48), wherein the airflow (25-27) divides the airflow (15) into the two or more heat exchangers (16, 17, 23, 46-48) in the cross section (24, 49), and wherein one or more of the plates or A plate-shaped guide element (28) is disposed in the air passages (13, 44, 45) for diverting the airflow (15) and guiding the air to one or more of the two or more heat exchangers (16, 17, 23, 46-48) or a portion of the one or more heat exchangers (16, 17, 23, 46-48) to control the amount of cooling airflow through at least one of the heat exchangers, wherein the heat exchangers (16, 17, 23, 46-48) in the air passages (13, 44, 45) have different flow resistances, and the one or more plates A plate-shaped or plate-shaped guiding element (28) is oriented and positioned in the air passages (13, 44, 45) to constrain, guide, or divert the airflow (15) within the air passages (13, 44, 45), such that a relatively large portion of the airflow (15) is guided toward heat exchangers (16, 17, 23, 46-48) with lower flow resistance, and a portion of the airflow (15) flowing toward heat exchangers (16, 17, 23, 46-48) with higher flow resistance is partially guided away from or constrained to some extent by the heat exchangers with higher flow resistance.

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