Air compressor

Abstract

The present invention provides an air compressor that can continue to operate without stopping the air compressor, even when the intake filter is being replaced or cleaned. [Solution] An air compression device comprising an air compressor that compresses and supplies air, and a separator connected to the air compressor and having an intake filter for removing impurities from the inhaled air, wherein at least two separators are connected to the air compressor.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a pneumatic compressor equipped with an intake filter for removing dust and the like from air introduced from the outside.

Background Art

[0002] An air compressor that introduces outside air, such as a general-purpose air compressor or a raw material air compressor, is provided with an intake filter to exclude impurities such as dust and moisture from the outside air. For example, the intake filter is provided corresponding to the intake air volume of the air compressor, so that it is configured to smoothly introduce outside air into the air compressor while removing dust from all the inhaled air.

[0003] As an example of such an intake filter, Patent Document 1 discloses a bag filter connected to an air compressor. The bag filter disclosed in Patent Document 1 has an air intake part for taking in outside air, an air chamber formed in communication with the lower end part of the air intake part, and a filter cloth accommodation chamber provided below the air chamber and having a plurality of filter cloths arranged therein. With such a configuration, the inhaled outside air is introduced from the air intake part into the air chamber, and after impurities are removed by a plurality of filter cloths in the filter cloth accommodation chamber provided below the air chamber, it is sent to the air compressor side.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, a dust collection hopper is provided below the filter cloth storage chamber, and the removed impurities are collected in the dust collection hopper. On the other hand, since impurities removed from the outside air remain on the filter cloth, the bag filter or multiple filter cloths need to be replaced or cleaned periodically. In such cases, the bag filter disclosed in Patent Document 1 requires the air compressor to be temporarily shut down. In other words, the bag filter disclosed in Patent Document 1 has the problem of downtime occurring when the air compressor cannot be operated when replacement or cleaning is performed.

[0006] This invention has been made in view of these circumstances, and its purpose is to provide an air compressor that can continue to operate without stopping the air compressor even when the intake filter is replaced or cleaned. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The gist of the present invention, which can solve the above problems, is as follows. [1] An air compression device comprising an air compressor for compressing and supplying air, and a separator connected to the air compressor and having an intake filter for removing impurities from the inhaled air, wherein at least two separators are connected to the air compressor. [2] The air compressor according to [1], further comprising: an upstream path for sending the air that has passed through the intake filter of the separator to the air compressor; and an on / off valve provided in the upstream path for opening or closing the inside of the upstream path. [3] The separator further comprises a downstream path through which the air passes before it passes the intake filter, a first pressure sensor for detecting the pressure inside the upstream path, and a second pressure sensor for detecting the pressure inside the downstream path, and further comprises a determination device for determining the state of the intake filter based on the values ​​detected by the first pressure sensor and the second pressure sensor, the determination device further comprises an acquisition unit for acquiring an upstream pressure value which is the pressure in the upstream path detected by the first pressure sensor and a downstream pressure value which is the pressure in the downstream path detected by the second pressure sensor, a calculation unit for determining the differential pressure between the acquired upstream pressure value and the downstream pressure value, and a determination unit for determining that the intake filter is clogged based on the determined differential pressure, as described in [2]. [4] The separator further comprises a flow meter for measuring the flow rate of the air that has passed through the intake filter inside the upstream path, the calculation unit determines a value obtained by the following formula (1) as a determination value based on the flow rate measured by the flow meter, the upstream pressure value and the downstream pressure value, and the determination unit determines that the intake filter is clogged based on the determined determination value. [3] The air compressor according to [3]. Q / √(|P1|-|P2|) ··· (1) Here, Q is the flow rate of air passing through the separator (NL / min), P1 is the air pressure value in the upstream path (kPa), and P2 is the air pressure value in the downstream path (kPa). [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, at least two separators, each having an intake filter for removing impurities from the inhaled air, are connected to the air compressor. This allows the air compressor to continue operating using the other separators even if one of the separators is temporarily unavailable for cleaning or replacing the intake filter. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an air compressor according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a determination device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an air compressor according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an air compressor according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the figures. First, the first embodiment of the present invention will be described using an example of an air compressor in which two separators having intake filters are connected to the intake duct of an air compressor. As shown in Figure 1, the air compressor 100 comprises an air compressor 10, an intake duct 12, a first separator 14, a second separator 16, and a determination device 18.

[0011] The air compressor 10 generates compressed air by compressing the air (outside air) that is drawn in or introduced. The generated compressed air is used to produce so-called general-purpose air, which is used for mechanical operations such as cleaning, stirring, and cooling in manufacturing processes, such as driving production equipment. The generated compressed air (general-purpose air) is supplied to various devices via the compressed air main pipe. As shown in Figure 1, the air compressor 10 is connected to an electric motor 20 and is fixed to the compressor base 22 together with the electric motor 20. The electric motor 20 generates power to operate the air-compressing equipment located inside the air compressor 10. For example, the air compressor 10 has a pair of screws and impellers (neither of which are shown) arranged inside, and the air drawn in is compressed by rotating them with the electric motor 20. Since the air compressor 10 is used in multiple processes in factories, it is required to operate continuously without stopping.

[0012] The suction duct 12 is connected to the air compressor 10 and is a pipe for passing air drawn in by the air compressor 10. The suction duct 12 is formed, for example, in a cylindrical shape, and its internal cross-sectional area is determined according to the performance of the air compressor 10. A first separator 14 and a second separator 16 are attached to the opposite side of the suction duct 12 from the air compressor 10.

[0013] The first separator 14 and the second separator 16 remove impurities such as dust from the air (outside air) drawn in by the air compressor 10. The first separator 14 and the second separator 16 are configured similarly. Therefore, in the following description, unless otherwise specified, the first separator 14 and the second separator 16 will be collectively referred to as separator 24. The elements constituting them will be given the same reference numerals, and when described separately, they will be referred to as the first separator 14 or the second separator 16, respectively. Separator 24 includes an outside air inlet 26, an air filtration section 28, a dust collection hopper section 30, and an intake confluence section 32.

[0014] The outside air introduction section 26 is a pipe for introducing outside air (air before being filtered) sucked by the air compressor 10 into the air filtration section 28. The outside air introduction section 26 is connected to the side surface of the air filtration section 28 in a state where the internal spaces communicate with each other. The outside air introduction section 26 is formed such that the portion for introducing outside air faces downward in the vertical direction with respect to the horizontal direction, and is configured to suck the outside air staying relatively downward outside. Note that the outside air introduction section 26 corresponds to the downstream path in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] The air filtration section 28 filters impurities such as dust and moisture from the air sucked from the outside air introduction section 26. The air filtration section 28 has a filter cloth accommodation chamber 34 formed to be long in the vertical direction and an intake filter 36 disposed inside the filter cloth accommodation chamber 34. The outside air introduction section 26 is connected to the side surface of the filter cloth accommodation chamber 34, whereby outside air is introduced into the filter cloth accommodation chamber 34 through the outside air introduction section 26.

[0016] The intake filter 36 has a plurality of filter cloths 38 and partition walls 40. The plurality of filter cloths 38 are filter media formed by weaving threads made of materials such as polypropylene, nylon, or polyester. The plurality of filter cloths 38 have a vertically long cylindrical shape and are arranged at a predetermined interval. The lower end side inside the filter cloth 38 is closed, and the upper end side of the filter cloth 38 is open. The filter cloth 38 is formed so as not to allow powder, dust, etc. to pass through, thereby generating clean air from which impurities have been removed from the air sucked from the outside. Also, in order to prevent the collected impurities from accumulating on the filter cloth 38, backwashing for periodically removing the impurities from the filter cloth 38 is performed. On the other hand, when the filter cloth 38 becomes clogged with impurities and the pressure loss exceeds the predetermined allowable pressure loss even after backwashing, that is, when clogging occurs, the filter cloth 38 is cleaned or replaced. This backwashing is performed periodically.

[0017] Above the filter cloth storage chamber 34, a partition wall 40 that divides the interior of the filter cloth storage chamber 34 into an upper region and a lower region is arranged, and a filter cloth 38 is attached to each of a plurality of through holes (not shown) formed through the partition wall 40. For example, a protruding portion (not shown) that protrudes downward from the through hole of the partition wall 40 is formed, and a retainer (not shown) for holding the filter cloth 38 is attached to the protruding portion, whereby the filter cloth 38 is arranged as described above. Thus, the interior space of the filter cloth storage chamber 34 is divided into an upper space and a lower space by the partition wall 40 and the plurality of filter cloths 38, and the sucked outside air is filtered by passing through the filter cloth 38 and introduced into the upper space of the filter cloth storage chamber 34. When cleaning or replacing the filter cloth 38, it is performed by removing the filter cloth 38 from the protruding portion with the filter cloth storage chamber 34 not under negative pressure by the air compressor 10.

[0018] The dust collection hopper portion 30 is formed on the lower surface of the filter cloth storage chamber 34 so as to communicate with the interior space of the filter cloth storage chamber 34, and collects powder and dust collected on the surface of the filter cloth 38. The dust collection hopper portion 30 is formed in a tapered shape with a smaller diameter toward the lower side. When dust or the like accumulates beyond a predetermined deposition amount, impurities are discharged to the outside through a discharge machine (not shown) such as a rotary valve provided at the lower end thereof.

[0019] The intake air merging portion 32 is a pipe connecting the separator 24 and the suction duct 12, and sends the air filtered by the intake air filter 36 into the suction duct 12. The intake air merging portion 32 has two ventilation channels 42 connected to the upper surfaces of the filter cloth storage chambers 34 of the first separator 14 and the second separator 16 respectively, and a header 44 connected to the two ventilation channels 42 and the suction duct 12. The air discharged from the separator 24 is introduced into the ventilation channel 42, merges in the header 44, and is sent to the suction duct 12. The intake air merging portion 32 corresponds to the upstream path in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Although not shown in the diagram, the first separator 14 and the second separator 16 are each provided with a branch pipe (blow tube) for introducing compressed air from the air compressor 10 and an opening for injecting the compressed air in order to perform the backwashing described above. By injecting compressed air from the branch pipe and the opening, the compressed air is injected into the filter cloth 38, and dust and other particles are blown off the filter cloth 38. In this way, backwashing is performed when the amount of impurities adhering to the intake filter 36 increases, thereby suppressing pressure loss by the intake filter 36.

[0021] Each of the two ventilation passages 42 is provided with an on / off valve (control valve) 46 that selectively opens the inside of the ventilation passage 42 by means of an internal valve (throttling mechanism) or the like. The on / off valve 46 can allow or block air from passing from the separator 24 to the suction duct 12. Therefore, by closing the on / off valve 46, the suction of air through the separator 24 is stopped, and the use of the separator 24 can be stopped. The on / off valve 46 is configured to be able to open or close the ventilation passage 42 by electronic control. For example, the on / off valve 46 is configured to be opened or closed by an actuator (not shown), and when a command signal to change the open / closed state is received, the actuator operates to open or close the on / off valve 46.

[0022] The separator 24 is equipped with a first pressure sensor 48, a second pressure sensor 50, and a flow rate sensor 52. The first pressure sensor 48 is located in the outside air inlet 26 and detects a first pressure value P1 corresponding to the pressure of the inhaled air. The second pressure sensor 50 is located in the air passage 42 and detects a second pressure value P2 corresponding to the pressure of the air after it has passed through the intake filter 36 in the filter cloth containment chamber 34. The flow rate sensor 52 is located in the air passage 42 and measures the flow rate Q corresponding to the flow rate of the air that has passed through the intake filter 36 in the filter cloth containment chamber 34. Based on the detected values ​​P1, P2, and Q from the first pressure sensor 48, the second pressure sensor 50, and the flow rate sensor 52, it is determined whether cleaning or replacement of the filter cloth 38 in the intake filter 36 is necessary. In the above configuration, pressure sensors 48 and 50 are provided in the outside air inlet 26 and the air passage 42, respectively, but it may also be configured with a single pressure sensor that detects the differential pressure between the outside air inlet 26 and the air passage 42. Furthermore, the first pressure value P1 corresponds to the upstream pressure value in the embodiment of the present invention. The second pressure value P2 corresponds to the downstream pressure value in the embodiment of the present invention. The flow sensor 52 corresponds to the flow meter in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] The determination device 18 outputs a control signal to close the on / off valve 46 of the separator 24 when the pressure loss due to the intake filter 36 exceeds a predetermined threshold, based on the detected values ​​P1, P2, and Q of the first pressure sensor 48, the second pressure sensor 50, and the flow sensor 52, respectively. The determination device 18 is, for example, a general-purpose computer such as a workstation or personal computer. As shown in Figure 2, the determination device 18 has a control unit 60, an acquisition unit 62, an input unit 64, a display unit 66, and a storage unit 68. The control unit 60 also has a calculation unit 70, a determination unit 72, and an output unit 74.

[0024] The control unit 60 is, for example, a processing unit such as a CPU, which performs calculations and outputs control signals by executing various programs stored in the storage unit 68. The acquisition unit 62 includes at least one of a communication module that supports wired communication and a communication module that supports wireless communication. As a result, the acquisition unit 62 acquires the detection values ​​P1, P2, and Q of the first pressure sensor 48, the second pressure sensor 50, and the flow rate sensor 52. The input unit 64 is, for example, a keyboard, a touch panel integrated with a display, etc. The display unit 66 displays the determination result of the determination device 18, and is, for example, an LCD or CRT display, etc. The storage unit 68 is, for example, an information recording medium such as an updatable flash memory, a hard disk that is built-in or connected via a data communication terminal, or a memory card, and a device for reading and writing the same. The storage unit 68 stores the following formula (1) and a threshold value for the determination used to calculate the determination value used when determining the magnitude of pressure loss by the intake filter 36 of the filter cloth storage chamber 34.

[0025] Q / √(|P1|-|P2|) ··· (1) Q is a value detected by the flow sensor and represents the flow rate (NL / min) of air passing through the separator 24. P1 is a value detected by the first pressure sensor 48 and represents the pressure (kPa) of air that has passed through the intake filter 36 in the filter cloth storage chamber 34. P2 is a value detected by the second pressure sensor 50 and represents the pressure (kPa) of air that has flowed into the outside air inlet 26.

[0026] The calculation unit 70 calculates a determination value for determining the magnitude of pressure loss by the separator 24 based on equation (1) above. The calculation unit 70 obtains the value obtained by inputting the detection values ​​P1, P2, and Q obtained by the acquisition unit 62 into equation (1) above as the determination value. The determination unit 72 determines, based on the determination value, that cleaning or replacement of the intake filter 36 in the separator 24 is necessary. The determination unit 72 reads a predetermined threshold value stored in the storage unit 68 and determines whether the determination value obtained by the calculation unit 70 is greater than or equal to that threshold value. If the determination value is greater than or equal to the threshold value, the determination unit 72 determines that a relatively large pressure loss has occurred due to dust or other particles adhering to the intake filter 36, requiring cleaning or replacement. The output unit 74 outputs a control signal to control the on / off valve 46 to open or close it. The output unit 74 outputs a control signal to close the on / off valve 46 when the determination unit 72 has determined that the determination value is greater than or equal to the threshold value. In other words, the output unit 74 closes the on / off valve 46 to prevent air from flowing into the separator 24, which the determination unit 72 has determined needs cleaning or replacement of the intake filter 36.

[0027] The threshold is set according to the performance and operating conditions of the intake filter 36. For example, the threshold is set to a value that allows for the determination of when the pressure loss in the intake filter 36 has become several times the initial pressure loss, or when the efficiency (intake efficiency) of the intake filter 36 has fallen below a predetermined value. For example, the threshold is set so that it can be determined when the pressure loss in the intake filter 36 is about 2 to 3 times the initial pressure loss, or when the efficiency of the intake filter 36 has fallen below 85%. By setting the threshold in this way, blockages or abnormalities in the intake filter 36 can be detected early, and the air compressor 10 can be operated stably.

[0028] The following describes the process of determining the state of the separator 24 and controlling the on / off valve 46 in the determination device 18 configured in this way. First, the acquisition unit 62 acquires the detection values ​​P1, P2, and Q of the first pressure sensor 48, the second pressure sensor 50, and the flow rate sensor 52, respectively. The acquisition unit 62 may acquire each detection value P1, P2, and Q at predetermined intervals or at any arbitrary timing. The calculation unit 70 calculates a determination value from each of the acquired detection values ​​P1, P2, and Q using the above equation (1). The calculation unit 70 calculates a determination value for each of the intake filters 36 of the first separator 14 and the second separator 16. The determination unit 72 compares the obtained determination value with a predetermined threshold, and determines that the intake filter 36 is clogged if the determination value is greater than or equal to the threshold. Specifically, if the intake filter 36 is clogged even after backwashing is performed on it, the determination unit 72 determines that the intake filter 36 is clogged if the determination value is greater than or equal to the threshold. In the first embodiment, since the first separator 14 and the second separator 16 are configured similarly to each other, the threshold values ​​are set to the same value. Therefore, if the configuration differs for each separator 24, such as having a different intake filter 36 capacity, a threshold value is determined for each separator 24, and clogging of the intake filter 36 is determined by comparing each determination value with each threshold value.

[0029] In the determination unit 72, if the determination value is smaller than the threshold, it is determined that the pressure loss is relatively small and that the intake filter 36 is not clogged, and the operation of the air compressor 100 is maintained. Conversely, if the determination unit 72 determines that the intake filter 36 is clogged because the determination value is greater than or equal to the threshold, the output unit 74 outputs a control signal to close the on-off valve 46 corresponding to the clogged separator 24. The control signal output by the output unit 74 closes the air passage 42 by the on-off valve 46, so that the intake of air through the one separator 24 stops. In this way, if the filter becomes clogged, the on-off valve 46 closes and the use of the clogged separator 24 is stopped. The other separator 24 can be used continuously, so the intake filter 36 of the clogged separator 24 can be cleaned or replaced without stopping the air compressor 10.

[0030] Next, the operation process of the air compressor 100 of the first embodiment configured as described above will be explained. First, by operating the air compressor 10 and the electric motor 20, outside air is drawn in from the outside air inlet 26. The drawn-in air has dust and other particles removed by the multiple filter cloths 38 in the two filter cloth storage chambers 34 and is then drawn into the air compressor 10. The dust and other particles adhering to the filter cloths 38 are brushed off into the dust collection hopper section 30 by backwashing and collected. This backwashing may be performed periodically, or the timing of its execution may be determined based on the judgment value described above. After the backwashing is performed, the judgment device 18 determines that the intake filter 36 is clogged.

[0031] If none of the separators 24 have clogged intake filters 36, the air compressor 100 continues to operate in its current state. Conversely, if any separator 24 is determined to have a clogged intake filter 36, the on-off valve 46 corresponding to that separator 24 is closed to prevent air from flowing in. The clogged intake filter 36 is then cleaned and replaced. During this time, the air compressor continues to operate using the separators 24 that are determined to have no clogged intake filters 36. After the clogged intake filters 36 are cleared, the on-off valve 46 of the stopped separator 24 is opened and operation is resumed.

[0032] As described above, in the air compressor 100 according to the first embodiment, two separators 24 equipped with intake filters 36 are connected to one air compressor 10. Therefore, even if the intake filter 36 in one separator 24 is replaced or cleaned, the other separator 24 can continue to filter the air. In other words, even if one separator 24 is stopped to replace or clean the intake filter 36, the air compressor 10 can continue to operate. In addition, compared to the case where there is only one separator 24, the load on each separator 24 is reduced, so a decrease in the durability of the separator 24 can be suppressed. Furthermore, since the intake filters 36 can be cleaned and replaced without stopping the air compressor 10, the cleaning of the separators 24 can be performed at an appropriate time, and as a result, a decrease in the performance and durability of the intake filters 36 can be suppressed.

[0033] In the above-described air compressor 100, a separator 24 capable of supplementing the airflow (output) of one air compressor 10 was used, but the air compressor 100 according to the present invention is not limited to such a configuration. For example, in the air compressor 100 shown in Figure 1, the first separator 14 and the second separator 16 may be configured to supplement the airflow to one air compressor 10. In other words, the first separator 14 and the second separator 16 may be separators whose processing airflow of the intake filter 36 is about half the airflow drawn in by the air compressor 10.

[0034] Even with such a configuration, when cleaning or replacing the intake filter 36 of one separator 24, filtered air can be generated by the other separator 24, allowing the air compressor 10 to continue operating. In this case, it is advisable to set the output of the air compressor 10 to an output corresponding to that of the other separator 24, for example, about half, to continue the operation of the air compressor 10.

[0035] Furthermore, since the capacity of the intake filter 36 can be reduced, the separator 24 can be miniaturized, increasing the flexibility of installation and layout. In particular, when supplementing the output of a large air compressor 10 used for multiple processes or equipment with a single separator 24, a relatively large capacity intake filter 36 is required, and a specially designed separator 24 may be used. In such cases, the size of the separator 24 itself may increase due to the enlargement of the intake filter 36, and costs may increase due to the special design and the need for assembly at the manufacturing site. In other words, if a single specially designed separator 24 is used, it may not only be larger but also more expensive compared to using two general-purpose separators. In contrast, by using a general-purpose separator 24 with a relatively small intake filter 36 capacity, the output of the air compressor 10 can be guaranteed while suppressing or avoiding such cost increases and the enlargement of the separator 24. Therefore, by configuring the two separators 24 to supplement the airflow to one air compressor 10, the intake filter 36 can be cleaned or replaced without stopping the air compressor 10, and costs can be reduced and the separators 24 can be made smaller.

[0036] Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the air compressor 200 according to the second embodiment, as shown in Figure 3, three separators 24, each having an intake filter 36, are connected to the intake duct 12 of the air compressor 10. In the following description, components with the same configuration as those shown in Figure 1 will be given the same reference numerals as in Figure 1, and their descriptions will be omitted.

[0037] As shown in Figure 3, in the air compressor 100 according to the second embodiment, the first separator 14, the second separator 16, and the third separator 202 are connected via a header 44. Accordingly, a ventilation passage 42, a first pressure sensor 48, a second pressure sensor 50, a flow sensor 52, and an on / off valve 46 are provided. The third separator 202 is configured similarly to the first separator 14 and the second separator 16. Therefore, in the following description, unless otherwise specified, the first separator 14, the second separator 16, and the third separator 202 will be collectively referred to as separator 24. The elements constituting them will also be given the same reference numerals, and when described separately, they will be referred to as the first, second, or third, respectively.

[0038] In the second embodiment, a so-called general-purpose separator 24 is used, and clean air corresponding to the airflow rate of the air compressor 10 is generated by two separators 24. That is, one separator 24 is configured to supplement about half the airflow rate or output of the air compressor 10. For this reason, two of the three separators 24 are always in operation, and the other separator 24 functions as a so-called backup unit. For example, when cleaning or replacing the intake filter 36 of one of the two separators 24, that separator 24 is stopped and the other separator 24 is activated. That is, the on / off valve 46 provided in the vent passage 42 connected to one separator 24 is closed, and the on / off valve 46 provided in the vent passage 42 connected to the other separator 24 is opened. As a result, clean air corresponding to the airflow rate of the air compressor 10 can be generated by the other separator 24 and the other separator 24. Therefore, even when the separator 24 is stopped for cleaning or replacement of the intake filter 36, the air compressor 10 can continue to operate without reducing its airflow or output.

[0039] In the second embodiment, all three separators 24 may be configured to always generate clean air. In that case, as in the first embodiment, the separator 24 whose intake filter 36 needs cleaning or replacement is stopped. That is, the on / off valve 46 is closed to prevent intake through the separator 24 that needs to be stopped. By configuring it in this way, the load on each separator 24 is reduced, so that the durability of the separators 24 does not decrease.

[0040] Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the air compressor 300 according to the third embodiment, as shown in Figure 4, two air compressors 10 are arranged, and six separators 24 having intake filters 36 are connected to the intake ducts 12 of the two air compressors 10. In the following description, components with the same configuration as those shown in Figures 1 and 3 will be given the same reference numerals as in Figures 1 and 3, and their descriptions will be omitted.

[0041] As shown in Figure 4, in the air compressor 300 according to the third embodiment, the first separator 14, the second separator 16, the third separator 202, the fourth separator 302, the fifth separator 304, and the sixth separator 306 are connected via a header 44. Accordingly, a ventilation passage 42, a first pressure sensor 48, a second pressure sensor 50, a flow sensor 52, and an on / off valve 46 are provided. In addition, in the air compressor 300 according to the third embodiment, the first air compressor 310 and the second air compressor 312 are connected to the header 44. That is, the first suction duct 314 of the first air compressor 310 and the second suction duct 316 of the second air compressor 312 are each connected to the header 44. Each suction duct 314 and 316 is provided with a first adjustment valve 318 and a second adjustment valve 320, respectively, for selectively blocking the inflow of air to each air compressor 310 and 312. Furthermore, the first separator 14, the second separator 16, the third separator 202, the fourth separator 302, the fifth separator 304, and the sixth separator 306 are configured similarly to each other. Therefore, in the following description, unless otherwise specified, they will simply be referred to as separator 24. Also, the first air compressor 310 and the second air compressor 312 are configured similarly to each other, so in the following description, unless otherwise specified, they will simply be referred to as air compressor 10.

[0042] In the third embodiment, a so-called general-purpose separator 24 is used, and clean air corresponding to the airflow of one air compressor 10 is generated by two separators 24. That is, the separators 24 are configured such that one separator 24 can supplement about half the airflow or output of one air compressor 10. Therefore, in the third embodiment, any four of the six separators 24 are always in operation, and the other two separators 24 are configured to function as so-called backup units.

[0043] For example, if the intake filter 36 of one of the four separators 24 needs to be cleaned or replaced, that separator 24 is stopped. Then, one of the two stopped separators 24 is started. In other words, the on / off valve 46 of the vent passage 42 connected to the separator 24 whose intake filter 36 is being cleaned or replaced is closed, and the on / off valve 46 of the vent passage 42 connected to the one of the stopped separators 24 is opened. In this way, even if one of the separators 24 is stopped for cleaning or replacement of the intake filter 36, the operation of the air compressor 10 can be continued by starting the other stopped separators 24. Furthermore, by using the separators 24 alternately (on a rotating basis), the operation of both air compressors 10 can be continued without stopping the air compressor 10 or reducing the airflow (output).

[0044] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the examples described above, and may be modified as appropriate within the scope of achieving the objectives of the present invention. For example, in the present invention, in order to suppress the need for a dedicated design or an increase in size of the separator 24, it is sufficient to reduce the load or airflow received by each separator 24. For this reason, the load and airflow that multiple separators 24 can receive from each other may differ, as described above. For example, in the air compressor 100 according to the first embodiment described above, the first separator 14 may be configured to receive an airflow of about 70% of that of the air compressor 10, and the second separator 16 may be configured to receive an airflow of about 30% of that of the air compressor 10. Even with this configuration, the intake filter 36 of the separator 24 can be cleaned or replaced without stopping the air compressor 10, and the same effects as in each of the above embodiments can be obtained.

[0045] Furthermore, the determination device only needs to be able to perform control to determine whether the determination value is equal to or greater than a threshold. That is, the determination device may be configured to notify the user of the result of calculating the determination value and comparing it with the threshold via a display unit or the like, and the on / off valve 46 may be closed or shut by operation by a worker or the like. [Examples]

[0046] As an embodiment of the present invention, the results of applying the air compressor 100 shown in Figure 1 to operate multiple production facilities will be described. In the air compressor 100 shown in Figure 1, as shown in Figure 5, the air compressor 10 has an electric motor 20 with a rating of 30,000 Nm 3 / h(=500Nm 3 An air compressor 10 capable of increasing atmospheric pressure to 0.7 MPa was used, with a pressure of 0.7 MPa ( / min). A compressed air main pipe was connected to the opening of the air compressor 10 to supply compressed air to production equipment, etc. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5, both the first separator 14 and the second separator 16 had a rating of 250 Nm². 3 A general-purpose separator 24 with a capacity of / min was used. That is, when the air compressor 100 is operated at its rated capacity, the combined processing air volume (rated air volume) of the first separator 14 and the second separator 16 is equal to the air volume drawn in by the air compressor 10.

[0047] After operating the air compressor 100 configured in this way for about a year, it was possible to stably generate and supply compressed air without stopping the air compressor 10. Furthermore, during that period, the processing air volume (intake) of the first separator 14 and the second separator 16 was almost uniform without any bias, and the air compressor 100 could be operated with almost no difference in efficiency (difference in intake efficiency) between the first separator 14 and the second separator 16. Thus, good operating results were obtained for the air compressor 100 shown in Figure 1. Moreover, compared to the case in which a specially designed separator 24 with a processing air volume corresponding to one air compressor 10 was used, the space required to install the first separator 14 and the second separator 16 was reduced. In addition, the cost of installing the first separator 14 and the second separator 16 was reduced by about half. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0048] 10 Air compressor 18 Judgment device 24 Separator 26. Outside air intake section (downstream path) 32 Intake confluence section (upstream path) 36. Intake filter 46. ​​On / off valve 48. First pressure sensor 50. Second pressure sensor 52 Flow Sensor (Flow Meter) 60 Control Unit 62 Acquisition Department 70 Calculation Unit 72 Judgment section 74 Output section 100, 200, 300 Air Compressor

Claims

1. An air compressor that compresses and supplies air, An air compressor comprising: an air compressor connected to a separator having an intake filter for removing impurities from the inhaled air; An air compressor is an air compressor to which at least two separators are connected.

2. An upstream path that sends the air that has passed through the intake filter of the separator to the air compressor, The air compression device according to claim 1, further comprising an on / off valve provided in the upstream path for opening or closing the inside of the upstream path.

3. The aforementioned separator is The downstream path through which the air passes before it passes the intake filter, A first pressure sensor detects the pressure inside the upstream path, The system further includes a second pressure sensor that detects the pressure inside the downstream path, The system further includes a determination device that determines the state of the intake filter based on the detected values ​​of the first pressure sensor and the second pressure sensor. The determination device is An acquisition unit that acquires an upstream pressure value, which is the pressure in the upstream path detected by the first pressure sensor, and a downstream pressure value, which is the pressure in the downstream path detected by the second pressure sensor, A calculation unit that determines the differential pressure between the acquired upstream pressure value and the downstream pressure value, The air compressor according to claim 2, further comprising a determination unit that determines whether the intake filter is clogged based on the obtained differential pressure.

4. The separator further includes a flow meter for measuring the flow rate of the air that has passed through the intake filter inside the upstream path, The calculation unit determines a value as a determination value based on the flow rate measured by the flow meter, the upstream pressure value, and the downstream pressure value, using the following formula (1). The air compressor according to claim 3, wherein the determination unit determines, based on the determined value, that the intake filter is clogged. Q / √(|P1|-|P2|) ... (1) Here, Q is the flow rate of air passing through the separator (NL / min), P1 is the air pressure value in the upstream path (kPa), and P2 is the air pressure value in the downstream path (kPa).

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