Variable operating condition gas compressor and regulation method

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of compressor technology and discloses a variable-condition gas compressor and its control method. The compressor includes a housing, a drive shaft, a swashplate, a cylinder block, and a drive piston. Follower pistons are slidably installed within the cylinder bores of the cylinder block, dividing the chamber into a gas compression chamber and a liquid damping chamber. An adjustable flow distribution mechanism within the rear cover continuously adjusts the flow opening of the supply / discharge ports, changing the flow rate of coolant in and out of the liquid damping chamber, thereby controlling the hydraulic damping acting on the follower pistons. This design dynamically adjusts the displacement stroke of the follower pistons through damping changes, thereby changing the effective compression volume of the gas compression chamber and achieving continuous adjustment of the compressor displacement to adapt to varying operating conditions such as high and low loads. Under high loads, priority is given to ensuring gas output and enhancing heat dissipation; under low loads, redundant power is converted into thermal management resources. This solution overcomes the limitation of traditional compressors lacking coordinated control between displacement adjustment and thermal management.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of compressor technology, and in particular to a variable operating condition gas compressor and its control method. Background Technology

[0002] Gas compressors, as core power equipment in the industrial field, are widely used in important industries such as petrochemicals, metallurgy and mining, refrigeration and air conditioning, and energy. Based on different working mechanisms, compressors are mainly divided into two categories: positive displacement and dynamic compressors. Among them, reciprocating piston compressors dominate high-pressure, low-to-medium flow applications due to their advantages such as stable discharge pressure, high compression efficiency, and wide applicable pressure range. However, with the advancement of industrial processes, especially the development of emerging fields such as intelligent manufacturing, new energy (such as hydrogen energy storage and transportation), and precision manufacturing, gas loads are exhibiting significant dynamic and intermittent characteristics, placing higher demands on the variable operating condition capabilities of compressors.

[0003] In actual operation, the compressor's inlet pressure, inlet temperature, and discharge pressure often deviate from the rated design point due to fluctuations in the upstream gas source or changes in the demand of downstream gas-consuming equipment; this is known as variable operating condition. Traditional constant-speed, constant-displacement compressors typically adapt to load changes under such conditions through bypass reflux, suction throttling, or start-stop control. However, these crude adjustment methods inevitably lead to significant energy waste, equipment stress, and fluctuations in output parameters.

[0004] To address the demands of variable operating conditions, domestic and international scholars and engineers have primarily developed the following capacity regulation technologies: variable speed regulation technology, intake valve regulation technology, clearance volume regulation technology, variable swashplate / variable linkage mechanism, etc. When compressors operate under variable conditions, thermal management issues become particularly prominent: when the discharge pressure increases or the operating time is prolonged, the discharge temperature rises significantly; if cylinder cooling is insufficient, shaft power consumption will increase significantly, the compression process will approach adiabatic conditions, and efficiency will decrease; see reference: Fan Xiaoyong, Yu Lijun, Wang Zhanhui. Research on the Variable Operating Condition Compressive Performance of Reciprocating Piston Compressors [J]. Chemical Machinery, 2015, 42(02): 180-183.

[0005] In existing technologies, displacement regulation and thermal management are typically treated as two separate issues: the regulation system focuses on gas volume control, while the cooling system passively responds to temperature changes. This fragmented design makes it difficult for the system to achieve synergistic optimization under varying operating conditions: insufficient heat dissipation exacerbates thermal stress on equipment under high loads, while excessive cooling leads to energy waste under low loads. This limitation is particularly pronounced in high-end applications such as hydrogen compression and electronic specialty gas supply.

[0006] In summary, existing variable-condition gas compressors exhibit significant inefficiencies in energy utilization: insufficient heat dissipation leads to performance degradation under high loads, while inefficient adjustment methods result in low loads, and a lack of a coordinated control mechanism for displacement regulation and thermal management. This technological bottleneck severely restricts the energy efficiency and reliability of compressors under dynamic load scenarios. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The purpose of this invention is to address the shortcomings of existing technologies by proposing a variable operating condition gas compressor and its control method.

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: A variable operating condition gas compressor includes a housing, a drive shaft, a swashplate, a cylinder driven by the drive shaft, and a drive piston that reciprocates within a cylinder bore of the cylinder driven by the swashplate. The housing includes a front housing and a rear cover, and the rear cover is provided with a liquid supply interface and a liquid drain interface that are connected to an external cooling source. Each cylinder bore of the cylinder body is slidably installed with a follower piston. The follower piston divides the volume between the driving piston and the end of the cylinder bore into a gas compression chamber and a liquid damping chamber. The surface of the cylinder body is provided with a guide hole that communicates with each of the gas compression chambers. A throttle plug is fixedly installed at the end of the cylinder bore of the cylinder body. The throttle plug is provided with an injection hole that communicates with the liquid damping chamber. The opening of the injection hole can communicate with the liquid supply interface and the liquid discharge interface. An adjustable flow distribution mechanism is provided inside the rear cover to control the flow opening of the liquid supply interface and the liquid drain interface; The flow rate of coolant flowing into / out of the liquid damping chamber is adjusted by the adjustable flow distribution mechanism to change the hydraulic damping acting on the follower piston, thereby dynamically adjusting the displacement stroke of the follower piston, and ultimately changing the effective compression volume of the gas compression chamber and achieving thermal management.

[0009] Preferably, the adjustable flow distribution mechanism includes: A liquid supply chamber and a liquid drain chamber are provided inside the rear cover, and are respectively connected to the liquid supply interface and the liquid drain interface; A first distribution plate and a second distribution plate are respectively disposed in the liquid supply chamber and the liquid discharge chamber; And two servo electric cylinders fixedly installed at the end of the rear cover. The extension and retraction ends of the two servo electric cylinders are fixedly connected to the first distribution plate and the second distribution plate, respectively. The flow gap between the liquid supply interface and the liquid discharge interface is changed by the extension and retraction action of the two servo electric cylinders.

[0010] The rear cover has a first input connector and a first output connector fixedly installed on its surface. The first input connector and the first output connector are respectively connected to the liquid supply chamber and the liquid discharge chamber.

[0011] Preferably, the inner wall of the front housing has two fluid channels, and the surface of the front housing is fixedly installed with a second input connector and a second output connector that communicate with the two fluid channels respectively. The cylinder is rotatably disposed inside the front housing, and the injection hole communicates with the two fluid channels in sequence during the rotation of the cylinder.

[0012] Preferably, the drive piston has an expansion chamber at one end near the follower piston, the follower piston has a cooling shroud extending into the expansion chamber at its end, and the injection hole has a growth tube extending into the cooling shroud fixedly installed at its end.

[0013] Preferably, the swashplate is fixedly installed inside the front housing, and the side of the swashplate closest to the cylinder is a slope with a fixed angle; a swingable disk is fitted on the surface of the drive shaft, and the disk rotates synchronously with the drive shaft via a key connection but cannot move relative to the axial direction; the end of the drive piston away from the cylinder is movably connected to the disk via a ball joint.

[0014] A hemispherical cover is slidably mounted on the surface of the drive shaft, and the hemispherical cover slides in contact with the swashplate. A spring is sleeved on the surface of the drive shaft, and the two ends of the spring abut against the cylinder and the hemispherical cover respectively. The spring provides a force to make the swashplate slide in contact with the inclined surface of the swashplate.

[0015] This invention also proposes a method for regulating a gas compressor under variable operating conditions, comprising the following steps: Operating Parameter Acquisition Steps: Real-time acquisition of compressor operating parameters, including at least the discharge pressure setpoint, actual discharge pressure, and discharge temperature; Control decision-making steps: Based on the operating parameters, determine whether the compressor has entered an operating state that deviates from the rated operating conditions; Displacement-thermal management coordinated control steps: When it is determined that the variable operating condition has been entered, a control signal is generated to drive the adjustable distribution mechanism to open to the target flow opening, change the flow opening of the liquid supply interface and the liquid discharge interface, and allocate the input power between the gas compression work and the coolant driving work to achieve coordinated optimization of displacement regulation and active thermal management.

[0016] The present invention has the following beneficial effects: 1. The variable operating condition gas compressor proposed in this invention separates the cylinder bores into a gas compression chamber and a liquid damping chamber by setting follower pistons in each cylinder bore. The adjustable distribution mechanism in the rear cover continuously adjusts the supply / discharge fluid flow opening, changing the flow resistance and hydraulic damping of the coolant entering and exiting the liquid damping chamber. This allows the response stroke of the follower piston to be adjusted according to the operating conditions, thereby changing the effective compression stroke / effective compression volume of the driving piston. This enables continuous adjustment of the compressor displacement, adapting to variable operating conditions such as high load and low load.

[0017] 2. The variable operating condition gas compressor proposed in this invention can remove the heat generated during the compression process while the coolant circulates in the liquid damping chamber. Furthermore, by adjusting the supply / discharge opening, the coolant flow rate is increased under high load conditions to enhance heat dissipation, and the flow rate is reduced under low load conditions, which, combined with damping adjustment, reduces the discharge capacity. Unlike traditional variable swashplate compressors that adjust the discharge capacity by changing the swashplate angle, this invention uses a fixed swashplate to not only achieve adjustable discharge capacity but also to achieve coordinated control with thermal management, reducing exhaust temperature and temperature rise fluctuations, and improving the thermal stability and reliability of the compressor under variable operating conditions.

[0018] 3. The variable operating condition gas compressor proposed in this invention has an expansion cavity at the end of the driving piston, a cooling cover extending into the expansion cavity at the end of the follower piston, and an extension tube at the end of the injection hole to introduce coolant into the interior of the cooling cover. This allows the coolant to scour and transfer heat to the inner and / or outer walls of the cooling cover, thereby increasing the heat transfer area and improving the heat transfer coefficient in the gas compression chamber. This can more effectively suppress the accumulation of compression heat and reduce the temperature of key components. It should be noted that the exhaust temperature of a traditional compressor increases continuously with the duration of operation, and the temperature rise is aggravated when the exhaust pressure increases. At the same time, insufficient cooling will lead to a significant increase in shaft power. The continuous heat dissipation capacity of this invention avoids heat accumulation, thereby breaking the vicious cycle of "exhaust temperature increasing with the duration of operation" in traditional compressors.

[0019] 4. The variable-condition gas compressor proposed in this invention, operating under a specific condition, achieves a rational distribution of input power between gas compression work and coolant driving work through the adjustment of an adjustable distribution mechanism: when gas demand is high, the system prioritizes gas compression efficiency; when gas demand decreases, the system does not waste power but automatically enhances coolant circulation. This eliminates the outdated energy-wasting mode of traditional compressors through bypassing and depressurization, converting redundant power into valuable system thermal management resources. This improves the compressor's thermal stability and operational reliability under frequent changing conditions, making it particularly suitable for fields with stringent requirements for thermal control and efficiency, such as robotics and pneumatic servo systems. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1This is a partial cross-sectional structural diagram of the working gas compressor proposed in this invention. Figure 1 .

[0021] Figure 2 This is a partial cross-sectional structural diagram of the working gas compressor proposed in this invention. Figure 2 .

[0022] Figure 3 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the working gas compressor proposed in this invention.

[0023] Figure 4 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the cylinder block proposed in this invention.

[0024] Figure 5 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the front housing proposed in this invention.

[0025] Figure 6 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the back cover proposed in this invention.

[0026] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the front section structure of the working gas compressor proposed in this invention.

[0027] Figure 8 This is a top-section structural diagram of the working gas compressor proposed in this invention.

[0028] Figure 9 for Figure 8 Enlarged diagram of local structure Figure 1 .

[0029] Figure 10 for Figure 8 Enlarged diagram of local structure Figure 2 .

[0030] In the picture: 101. Front housing; 102. Rear cover; 103. Liquid supply port; 104. Liquid drain port; 105. Liquid supply chamber; 106. Liquid drain chamber; 107. First distribution plate; 108. Second distribution plate; 109. Servo electric cylinder; 110. First input connector; 111. First output connector; 112. Fluid channel; 113. Second input connector; 114. Second output connector; 200. Drive shaft; 201. oscillating plate; 202. hemispherical cover; 203. Spring; 300, swashplate; 400. Cylinder block; 401. Gas compression chamber; 402. Liquid damping chamber; 403. Flow guide hole; 404. Throttling plug; 405. Injection hole; 406. Growth tube; 500, Drive piston; 501, Expansion chamber; 600, follower piston; 601, cooling shroud. Detailed Implementation

[0031] The technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments.

[0032] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention.

[0033] Example 1 Reference Figure 1-10 A variable operating condition gas compressor includes a housing, a drive shaft 200, a swashplate 300, a cylinder 400 driven by the drive shaft 200, and a drive piston 500 that reciprocates within the cylinder bore of the cylinder 400 driven by the swashplate 300.

[0034] The housing includes a front housing 101 and a rear cover 102, which are fixedly joined together, wherein, as shown in the figure... Figure 5 As shown, the inner wall of the front housing 101 has two fluid channels 112, and a second input connector 113 and a second output connector 114, which are respectively connected to the two fluid channels 112, are fixedly installed on the surface of the front housing 101. Figure 6 As shown, the rear cover 102 is provided with a liquid supply interface 103 and a liquid drain interface 104 that are connected to an external cooling source. The surface of the rear cover 102 is fixedly installed with a first input connector 110 and a first output connector 111.

[0035] refer to Figure 4 , Figure 9 , Figure 10 Each cylinder bore of the cylinder body 400 is slidably installed with a follower piston 600. The follower piston 600 divides the volume between the drive piston 500 and the end of the cylinder bore into a gas compression chamber 401 and a liquid damping chamber 402. The surface of the cylinder body 400 is provided with a guide hole 403 that communicates with each gas compression chamber 401. The cylinder body 400 is rotatably disposed in the front housing 101. During the rotation of the cylinder body 400, the liquid injection hole 405 is connected to two fluid channels 112 in sequence.

[0036] like Figure 4 , Figure 8As shown, a throttle plug 404 is fixedly installed at the end of the cylinder bore of the cylinder body 400. The throttle plug 404 is provided with an injection hole 405 that communicates with the liquid damping chamber 402. The opening of the injection hole 405 can communicate with the liquid supply interface 103 and the liquid discharge interface 104. An adjustable flow distribution mechanism, located inside the rear cover 102, is used to control the flow opening of the liquid supply port 103 and the liquid drain port 104; wherein, for example... Figure 8 As shown, the adjustable flow distribution mechanism includes: The liquid supply chamber 105 and the liquid discharge chamber 106 located in the rear cover 102 are respectively connected to the liquid supply interface 103 and the liquid discharge interface 104, and the first input connector 110 and the first output connector 111 are respectively connected to the liquid supply chamber 105 and the liquid discharge chamber 106. A first distribution plate 107 and a second distribution plate 108 are respectively provided in the liquid supply chamber 105 and the liquid discharge chamber 106; And two servo electric cylinders 109 are fixedly installed at the end of the rear cover 102. The telescopic ends of the two servo electric cylinders 109 are fixedly connected to the first distribution plate 107 and the second distribution plate 108, respectively. Through the telescopic movement of the two servo electric cylinders 109, the first distribution plate 107 moves closer to or away from the liquid supply port 103, and the second distribution plate 108 moves closer to or away from the liquid discharge port 104, so as to change the flow gap between the liquid supply port 103 and the liquid discharge port 104.

[0037] The flow rate of coolant entering / exiting the liquid damping chamber 402 is adjusted by the adjustable flow distribution mechanism to change the hydraulic damping acting on the follower piston 600, thereby dynamically adjusting the displacement stroke of the follower piston 600, and finally changing the effective compression volume of the gas compression chamber 401 and realizing thermal management.

[0038] Specifically, such as Figure 2 , Figure 7 As shown, the swashplate 300 is fixedly installed inside the front housing 101, and the side of the swashplate 300 near the cylinder 400 is a slope with a fixed angle. A swingable disk 201 is fitted onto the surface of the drive shaft 200. The disk 201 rotates synchronously with the drive shaft 200 via a key connection but cannot move axially relative to it. The end of the drive piston 500 away from the cylinder 400 is movably connected to the disk 201 via a ball joint. A hemispherical cover 202 is slidably mounted on the surface of the drive shaft 200, and the hemispherical cover 202 slides in contact with the disk 201. A spring 203 is fitted onto the surface of the drive shaft 200, with its two ends abutting against the cylinder 400 and the hemispherical cover 202 respectively. The spring 203 provides a force that causes the disk 201 to slide in contact with the slope of the swashplate 300. Figure 4 As shown, the drive shaft 200 rotates clockwise, causing the swing plate 201 and the cylinder 400 to rotate synchronously. During this process, the swing plate 201 swings, driving the drive piston 500 to reciprocate within the cylinder bore of the cylinder 400.

[0039] In this embodiment, see details. Figure 8 , Figure 10 An expansion chamber 501 is provided at one end of the drive piston 500 near the follower piston 600. A cooling cover 601 extending into the expansion chamber 501 is provided at the end of the follower piston 600. An extension tube 406 extending into the cooling cover 601 is fixedly installed at the end of the injection hole 405.

[0040] Working principle 1. The air compression process When the drive shaft 200 rotates under the drive of an external power source (such as a variable frequency motor), the swashplate 201 oscillates periodically during rotation due to the constraint of the inclined plane of the swashplate 300. This oscillation is transmitted to the drive piston 500 through a ball joint, causing the drive piston 500 to reciprocate linearly within the cylinder bore of the cylinder block 400.

[0041] The gas compression process is as follows: (For ease of understanding, it is assumed that the flow gaps between the liquid supply port 103 and the liquid discharge port 104 are closed at this time through the first distribution plate 107 and the second distribution plate 108;) Inhalation phase: such as Figure 9 As shown, when the drive piston 500 moves away from the gas compression chamber 401 (velocity V1), the volume inside the cylinder bore increases, creating a negative pressure. External gas is then drawn into the gas compression chamber 401 through the second input connector 113 and the guide hole 403. At this time, the follower piston 600 maintains its relative position under the hydraulic damping action of the liquid damping chamber 402, ensuring that the initial effective volume of the gas compression chamber 401 remains stable.

[0042] Compression stage: such as Figure 10 As shown, the drive piston 500 moves in the opposite direction (V3) under the drive of the swashplate 201, approaching the gas compression chamber 401 to compress the gas drawn in. Since the inclination angle of the swashplate 300 is fixed, the stroke range of the drive piston 500 is determined by the swing angle of the swashplate 201, and the swing of the swashplate 201 is ensured to be in close contact with the swashplate 300 by the preload force of the spring 203, ensuring smooth reciprocating motion. After the gas is compressed, the pressure increases, and when the exhaust pressure is reached, it is discharged through the guide hole 403 and the second output connector 114.

[0043] 2. Coolant circulation and thermal management The purpose of coolant circulation is to remove the heat generated during compression and prevent the equipment from overheating. At this time, the flow gap between the supply port 103 and the drain port 104 is opened by the first distribution plate 107 and the second distribution plate 108. Coolant (such as water or special hydraulic oil) enters the system from the external cooling source through the supply port 103, flows through the liquid damping chamber 402 and is discharged from the drain port 104, forming a closed loop.

[0044] The specific loop path is as follows: Coolant injection: such as Figure 9 As shown, coolant enters the supply chamber 105 from the first input connector 110 of the rear cover 102, and then flows into the injection hole 405 through the adjustable distribution mechanism (the opening of the supply interface 103 is controlled by the first distribution plate 107), entering the liquid damping chamber 402. Under the hydraulic damping action of the liquid damping chamber 402, the follower piston 600 moves at a speed V2, where V2 < V1, ensuring that the gas compression chamber 401 increases during the intake phase. Coolant enters the liquid damping chamber 402 through the injection hole 405 and the extension tube 406. The extension tube 406 extends into the interior of the cooling shroud 601 at the end of the follower piston 600, allowing the coolant to directly flush the inner wall of the cooling shroud 601, increasing the heat exchange area. When the cylinder 400 rotates, the injection hole 405 switches to be aligned with the drain interface 104.

[0045] Heat exchange process: such as Figure 9 As shown, when the coolant flows in the liquid damping chamber 402, it absorbs the heat conducted through the wall of the cooling shroud 601 from the gas compression chamber 401, as well as the heat generated by the friction between the driving piston 500 and the follower piston 600. Since the cooling shroud 601 of the follower piston 600 extends into the expansion chamber 501 of the driving piston 500, the heat of the compressed gas in the expansion chamber 501 can be transferred to the cooling shroud 601, providing sufficient heat conduction area to suppress heat accumulation.

[0046] Coolant drain: such as Figure 10 As shown, when the drive piston 500 moves toward the gas compression chamber 401 (speed V3), the follower piston 600 moves at speed V4, V4 < V3, ensuring that the gas compression chamber 401 decreases during the compression stage. The follower piston 600 moves at speed V4 to squeeze the coolant. The coolant, after absorbing heat, returns from the liquid damping chamber 402 through the injection hole 405 to the drain port 104, and then is discharged from the system through the drain chamber 106 and the first output connector 111.

[0047] It should be noted that by changing the hydraulic damping of the liquid damping chamber 402, the displacement stroke of the follower piston 600 is adjusted, thereby changing the effective compression volume of the gas compression chamber 401, realizing continuous adjustment of the compressor displacement to adapt to the requirements of high load and low load conditions. The entire process is dynamically adjusted by the adjustable distribution mechanism to regulate the coolant flow rate. Under high load conditions, the coolant flow rate is increased to enhance heat dissipation, and under low load conditions, the flow rate is reduced and damping adjustment is used to reduce the displacement, ensuring the coordination of thermal management and displacement adjustment.

[0048] Example 2 A method for controlling a gas compressor under variable operating conditions includes the following steps: Operating Parameter Acquisition Steps: Real-time acquisition of compressor operating parameters, including at least the discharge pressure setpoint, actual discharge pressure, and discharge temperature; Control decision-making steps: Based on operating parameters, determine whether the compressor has entered an operating state that deviates from the rated operating conditions; Displacement-thermal management coordinated control steps: When it is determined that the variable operating condition has been entered, a control signal is generated to drive the adjustable distribution mechanism to open to the target flow opening, change the flow opening of the liquid supply interface 103 and the liquid discharge interface 104, and allocate the input power between the gas compression work and the coolant driving work to achieve coordinated optimization of displacement regulation and active thermal management.

[0049] The displacement-thermal management coordinated control steps include the coordination or switching of any one or more of the following modes: Mode A: High-load gas volume priority mode When a high-load condition is detected, the adjustable distribution mechanism increases the flow opening of the supply port 103 and the drain port 104 to increase the coolant flow and enhance heat dissipation. At this time, the hydraulic damping of the coolant decreases, reducing the relative distance between the drive piston 500 and the follower piston 600. Although the effective compression volume of the gas compression chamber 401 decreases, the variable frequency motor used to drive the drive shaft 200 is simultaneously controlled to increase its speed to maintain the rated flow output. This design reduces the effective volume of a single compression, and the gas compression work that the variable frequency motor needs to overcome is correspondingly reduced. This directly reduces the peak torque demand of the variable frequency motor and avoids instantaneous overload.

[0050] Mode B: Low-load energy efficiency optimization mode When the system is determined to be in a low-load condition, the adjustable distribution mechanism is controlled to reduce the flow opening of the supply port 103 and the drain port 104 to increase the hydraulic damping of the coolant and increase the relative distance between the drive piston 500 and the follower piston 600. At this time, the effective compression volume of the gas compression chamber 401 increases, and the variable frequency motor used to drive the drive shaft 200 is controlled to reduce its speed, thereby reducing the total input power. By increasing the single effective compression volume, the compressor can meet the low flow requirements at a lower speed, and it is also beneficial to adjust the variable frequency motor to a higher efficiency operating range.

[0051] Mode C: Low-load thermal management priority mode When a low-load operating condition is detected and heat dissipation demand becomes prominent, the speed of the variable frequency motor used to drive the drive shaft 200 is maintained or reduced. The flow opening of the liquid supply interface 103 and the liquid drain interface 104 is increased through the adjustable flow distribution mechanism. The redundant power generated by the variable frequency motor is redistributed to the thermal management system by increasing the coolant driving power, which pre-cools the compressor for subsequent high-load operation and improves the thermal stability and operational reliability of the compressor under frequent changes in operating conditions. It should be noted that the low-load thermal management priority mode is named after the most typical and widely used scenario of this strategy, which is low-load operation. It is not limited to low-load operation and is also applicable in special circumstances (such as a sudden heat dissipation crisis during high-load operation).

[0052] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any equivalent substitutions or modifications made by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in the present invention, based on the technical solution and inventive concept of the present invention, should be covered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A variable operating condition gas compressor, comprising a housing, a drive shaft (200), a swashplate (300), a cylinder (400) driven by the drive shaft (200), and a drive piston (500) reciprocating within a cylinder bore of the cylinder (400) driven by the swashplate (300), characterized in that: The housing includes a front housing (101) and a rear cover (102). The rear cover (102) is provided with a liquid supply port (103) and a liquid drain port (104) that are connected to an external cooling source. Each cylinder bore of the cylinder body (400) is slidably installed with a follower piston (600). The follower piston (600) divides the volume between the drive piston (500) and the end of the cylinder bore into a gas compression chamber (401) and a liquid damping chamber (402). The surface of the cylinder body (400) is provided with a guide hole (403) that communicates with each of the gas compression chambers (401). A throttle plug (404) is fixedly installed at the end of the cylinder bore of the cylinder body (400). The throttle plug (404) is provided with an injection hole (405) that communicates with the liquid damping chamber (402). The opening of the injection hole (405) can communicate with the liquid supply interface (103) and the liquid discharge interface (104). An adjustable flow distribution mechanism is provided inside the rear cover (102) to control the flow opening of the liquid supply port (103) and the liquid discharge port (104); The flow rate of coolant flowing into / out of the liquid damping chamber (402) is adjusted by the adjustable flow distribution mechanism to change the hydraulic damping acting on the follower piston (600), thereby dynamically adjusting the displacement stroke of the follower piston (600), and finally changing the effective compression volume of the gas compression chamber (401) and realizing thermal management.

2. A variable operating condition gas compressor according to claim 1, characterized in that: The adjustable flow distribution mechanism includes: The liquid supply chamber (105) and the liquid drain chamber (106) located in the rear cover (102) are respectively connected to the liquid supply port (103) and the liquid drain port (104); A first distribution plate (107) and a second distribution plate (108) are respectively provided in the liquid supply chamber (105) and the liquid discharge chamber (106); And two servo electric cylinders (109) fixedly installed at the end of the rear cover (102). The telescopic ends of the two servo electric cylinders (109) are fixedly connected to the first distribution plate (107) and the second distribution plate (108) respectively. The flow gap of the liquid supply port (103) and the liquid discharge port (104) is changed by the telescopic action of the two servo electric cylinders (109).

3. A variable operating condition gas compressor according to claim 2, characterized in that: The surface of the rear cover (102) is fixedly equipped with a first input connector (110) and a first output connector (111), which are respectively connected to the liquid supply chamber (105) and the liquid discharge chamber (106).

4. A variable operating condition gas compressor according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inner wall of the front housing (101) has two fluid channels (112). The surface of the front housing (101) is fixedly installed with a second input connector (113) and a second output connector (114) that are respectively connected to the two fluid channels (112). The cylinder (400) is rotatably disposed in the front housing (101). The injection hole (405) is connected to the two fluid channels (112) in sequence during the rotation of the cylinder (400).

5. A variable operating condition gas compressor according to claim 1, characterized in that: The drive piston (500) has an expansion chamber (501) at one end near the follower piston (600), and the follower piston (600) has a cooling shroud (601) extending into the expansion chamber (501) at its end. The injection hole (405) has a growth tube (406) fixedly installed at its end, extending into the cooling shroud (601).

6. A variable operating condition gas compressor according to claim 1, characterized in that: The swash plate (300) is fixedly installed inside the front housing (101), and the side of the swash plate (300) near the cylinder block (400) is a slope with a fixed angle.

7. A variable operating condition gas compressor according to claim 1, characterized in that: The surface of the drive shaft (200) is fitted with a swingable disk (201). The disk (201) rotates synchronously with the drive shaft (200) via a key connection but cannot move relative to the axial direction. The end of the drive piston (500) away from the cylinder (400) is movably connected to the disk (201) via a ball joint.

8. A variable operating condition gas compressor according to claim 1, characterized in that: A hemispherical cover (202) is slidably mounted on the surface of the drive shaft (200). The hemispherical cover (202) slides in contact with the swing plate (201). A spring (203) is sleeved on the surface of the drive shaft (200). The two ends of the spring (203) abut against the cylinder (400) and the hemispherical cover (202) respectively. The spring (203) provides a force to make the swing plate (201) slide in contact with the inclined surface of the swashplate (300).

9. A method for regulating a variable-condition gas compressor according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Operating Parameter Acquisition Steps: Real-time acquisition of compressor operating parameters, including at least the discharge pressure setpoint, actual discharge pressure, and discharge temperature; Control decision-making steps: Based on the operating parameters, determine whether the compressor has entered an operating state that deviates from the rated operating conditions; Displacement-thermal management coordinated control steps: When it is determined that the variable operating condition is entered, a control signal is generated to drive the adjustable distribution mechanism to open to the target flow opening, change the flow opening of the liquid supply interface (103) and the liquid discharge interface (104), and allocate the input power between the gas compression work and the coolant driving work to achieve coordinated optimization of displacement regulation and active thermal management.

10. The method for controlling a variable operating condition gas compressor according to claim 9, characterized in that, The displacement-thermal management coordinated control steps include the coordination or switching of any one or more of the following modes: Mode A: High-load gas volume priority mode When it is determined that the high load condition has been entered, the adjustable distribution mechanism is controlled to increase the flow opening of the liquid supply port (103) and the liquid discharge port (104) to increase the coolant flow and enhance heat dissipation. At this time, the hydraulic damping of the coolant is reduced, and the relative distance between the drive piston (500) and the follower piston (600) is reduced. Simultaneously, the variable frequency motor used to drive the drive shaft (200) is controlled to increase its speed in order to maintain the rated flow output; Mode B: Low-load energy efficiency optimization mode When it is determined that the low load condition has been entered, the adjustable distribution mechanism is controlled to reduce the flow opening of the liquid supply port (103) and the liquid drain port (104) to increase the hydraulic damping of the coolant and increase the relative distance between the drive piston (500) and the follower piston (600). At the same time, the variable frequency motor used to drive the drive shaft (200) is controlled to reduce its speed, thereby reducing the total input power; Mode C: Low-load thermal management priority mode When it is determined that the low-load operating condition has been entered and the heat dissipation demand is prominent, the speed of the variable frequency motor used to drive the drive shaft (200) is maintained or reduced. The flow opening of the liquid supply interface (103) and the liquid drain interface (104) is increased through the adjustable flow distribution mechanism. The redundant power generated by the variable frequency motor is redistributed to the thermal management system by increasing the coolant driving power, so as to pre-cool the subsequent high-load operation.

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