Method for determining the operating margin of a compressor

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a method is disclosed for determining the operating margin (206) of a compressor (102) equipped with a cooling circuit (101), the method comprising the following steps, namely, measuring one or more process variables that indicate the instantaneous operation of the compressor (102) (200); estimating one or more process variables (201) based on one or more setting parameters of the compressor (102) using a model (203) that includes heat transfer characteristics between the compressor (102) and the cooling circuit (101), wherein the heat transfer characteristics include a contamination parameter; and repeatedly performing the steps (204) of matching the estimated process variables (201) to the measured process variables (202) by changing the contamination parameter, thereby determining the operating margin (206) based on the contamination parameter.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for determining the operating margin of a compressor and / or peripheral equipment in order to improve the availability of the compressor and / or peripheral equipment. [Background technology]

[0002] A compressor is a mechanical device designed to deliver gases, such as ambient air, under high pressure for application in industrial processes and / or the medical sector. Depending on the required pressure, desired application, desired results, and other preconditions, it is possible to choose from a variety of compressor technologies, such as axial flow compressors versus centrifugal compressors, and lubrication-free compressors versus oil-lubricated compressors.

[0003] Furthermore, the compressor may be equipped with peripheral devices, also known as support devices, such as coolers, oil separators, filters or air filters, and dryers.

[0004] It is also clear that in most industrial environments and / or the medical sector, high compressor availability without compromising performance is expected. However, like most mechanical devices, some form of degradation will inevitably occur over time, primarily due to the presence of rotating parts, contaminants in the ambient air around the machine, exposure to large temperature fluctuations, oil loss, and other internal or external influences that may interfere with and / or degrade the proper functioning of the compressor.

[0005] This could lead to the compressor being shut down prematurely without prior notice to the operator. To avoid such an undesirable situation, a method is needed to determine the compressor's operating margin. This would allow for the estimation of remaining availability and / or the timely action required to guarantee that availability. [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a method for determining the operating margin of a compressor equipped with a cooling circuit. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] According to the present invention, the object specified above is achieved by providing a computer-implemented method according to claim 1 for determining the operating margin of a compressor equipped with a cooling circuit, in accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, the method comprising the following steps, namely - A step of measuring one or more process variables that indicate the instantaneous operation of the compressor, - A step of estimating one or more process variables based on one or more setting parameters of a compressor using a model that includes the heat transfer characteristics between the compressor and the cooling circuit, wherein the heat transfer characteristics include a contamination parameter, - A step of matching the estimated process variables to the measured process variables by changing the contamination parameters. This includes repeatedly performing the following: The operating margin is determined based on the contamination parameter and one or more setting parameters of the compressor.

[0008] The step of measurement is understood to be a quantitative input of a quantity obtained from one or more observations, recordings, or samplings at a specific measurement location, using a suitable measuring instrument such as a sensor to represent the observed quantity in a number having relevant units that can be compared to other values ​​of the same quantity.

[0009] The estimation step is understood to be to use a scientific model representing the technical process and / or apparatus, with measured process quantities and / or setting parameters as inputs, and values ​​that need to be determined and therefore estimated based on one or more calculations as outputs, and to determine the values ​​of the quantities based on the measured process quantities and / or setting parameters.

[0010] The matching step is understood as converging the set of variables within a set of expressions by changing one or more parameters of the set of expressions to a desired set of values. Thus, the matching step is performed based on one or more calculations.

[0011] Repeating a step means that the step is performed repeatedly.

[0012] Later in the text, references to machines, compressors, and / or devices will be made, but it should be further noted that these terms are interchangeable for the purposes of discussing the invention. When the term "machine" is used, it may accordingly refer to either a compressor, a support device, or a combination of both.

[0013] In the first step, process variables that indicate the instantaneous operation of the compressor are measured. These process variables include ambient temperature, cooling temperature, compressor temperature, electrical circuit, speed, inlet pressure, outlet pressure, ambient pressure, humidity, and / or flow rate. Furthermore, it should be noted that this list is not exhaustive, and other process parameters that represent compressor operation may also be measured. On the other hand, it should also be noted that not all process variables are measured, but only some of them.

[0014] In the second step, one or more of these process variables of the compressor are estimated. This estimation is performed based on one or more setting parameters of the compressor that act as inputs to a scientific model of the compressor, and the output of the model is the estimated process variable. Further, as already mentioned, this step can also be performed according to the embodiments based on the measurements performed in the first step.

[0015] It should be further noted that the first step and the second step can be carried out in parallel and simultaneously. Thus, the terms “first” and “second” used serve to distinguish between different steps, but do not indicate a specific time order and / or sequence between the two steps. On the other hand, of course, it must be understood that the step of estimating a process variable based on other measured process variables implies that this measurement is performed prior to the estimation.

[0016] One or more process variables are estimated based on a model that includes heat transfer characteristics between the compressor and the cooling circuit, and these heat transfer characteristics include contamination parameters.

[0017] In the case of an oil-free compressor, the cooling circuit consists of several components such as a pump, the housing of the compressor element of the compressor, a cooler, bearings, a gearbox, and conduits connecting these components. Together, these all form a closed system. This means that the oil for heat transfer is advanced by an oil pump and returns to the inlet of the same pump at a later time. Alternatively, in oil injection compression, heat transfer can be performed in the compressor element itself and / or the cooling circuit can be provided with a coolant other than oil, such as water. It is important that a model representing the cooling circuit used and described by the heat transfer characteristics is used. In further discussion of the present invention, reference is made to oil as a coolant, but it should be understood that the use of another type of coolant is also possible.

[0018] During the compressor's operation, it generates heat that must be dissipated. To this end, oil flows through a cooling circuit, which is configured in such a way that the oil absorbs heat to cool the heated components of the compressor. In other words, the specific mass of the oil, which has a specific heat capacity, flows through the cooling circuit, and the oil absorbs heat at some points in the circuit, such as bearings, gearboxes, compressor elements, element housings, and pumps, and releases the heat elsewhere in the circuit, for example, to a cooler or through radiation to the environment.

[0019] The heat transfer characteristics here are part of the model and represent the cooling circuit, including contamination parameters, as will be further described.

[0020] First, to estimate the process variables, a model of an ideal machine, i.e., a machine free from contaminants and / or defects, is provided. The difference between the measured process variables and the estimated process variables, also known as the delta, will, in principle, indicate the deviation in behavior between the ideal or healthy machine and the actual machine. A larger difference indicates a greater deviation in the machine's behavior compared to a healthy machine. This difference is further interpreted by the defined contamination parameter present in the model used.

[0021] For example, the contamination parameter is a parameter with a value between 0 and 1, where a value of 0 indicates a completely clean compressor cooling circuit, i.e., a healthy state. Such a state can be further described as a state or condition in which no dust or other contaminants are present. Thus, a value of 1 for the contamination parameter indicates a state in which the compressor cooling circuit is contaminated to the extent that maintenance is required. Furthermore, this can be further indicated by the fact that, if such maintenance is not performed, the compressor will no longer be suitable for further use due to the contamination of the cooling circuit.

[0022] For example, it should be further understood that contamination primarily occurs outside the compressor, due to the accumulation of dust particles that can obstruct the smooth passage of air into the air-oil heat exchanger. Furthermore, it should be noted that contamination of mechanical equipment such as compressors, while undesirable, is unavoidable under normal operating conditions.

[0023] The contamination parameter can take values ​​other than between 0 and 1, and can be further normalized, for example, based on the parameter to standardize further processing and control. This normalization can be done, for example, based on the cooling surface of a cooling circuit.

[0024] Therefore, the model is a physical or multiphysical model that represents a compressor with a cooling circuit and describes the different physical parts of the compressor and the cooling circuit, which depend on each other through one or more common variables, for example, a set of differential equations and / or physical relations and / or empirical relations. The set of differential equations further includes one or more parameters and one or more variables, such as the pollution parameters mentioned above. Alternatively, the pollution parameters may be parameters in the empirical model and / or physical relations.

[0025] In the third step, the estimated process rate is matched to the measured rate by varying the contamination parameter within the model. In other words, the contamination parameter is varied to match the estimated process rate to the measured rate, while other parameters in the differential equation describing the compressor are kept constant. When the model is an empirical model and / or includes physical relations, parameters other than the contamination parameter may be kept constant in order to determine the value of the contamination parameter. It should be further understood that, as a result of the sensors used and the methods used to converge and match the values ​​to the measured values, there may still be deviations between the measured process variables and the matched process variables.

[0026] Ultimately, the compressor's operating margin is determined based on the contamination parameter and one or more compressor setting parameters. In other words, by matching the process variable estimated by changing the contamination parameter in the model with the measured process variable, this parameter will be adjusted, as mentioned above, to a range between 0 and 1, whether normalized or not. As already stated, this corresponds to a perfectly healthy situation versus a perfectly contaminated situation, and therefore gives an idea of ​​what the operating margin is and thus the future availability of the compressor under certain use.

[0027] As already mentioned, various steps are performed iteratively. In other words, the steps are repeated, providing a continuous estimation of the operating margin over time.

[0028] This operating margin can then be further monitored, and as a result, it can be estimated that a failure or shutdown will occur under that operating margin. For example, such a failure may occur if the oil temperature of the oil present in the oil circuit exceeds a predetermined safety limit. This excess may be due to a situation where the compressor and / or cooling circuit is excessively contaminated, and can therefore be derived from the value of the contamination parameter.

[0029] A further advantage is that, instead of estimating when a failure will occur, it is also possible to estimate the compressor's operational availability based on these contamination parameters. This can be predicted, for example, by limiting the range of compressor setting parameters. These setting parameters of the compressor are, for example, pressure, flow rate, power, and / or, optionally, humidity level. This limitation can extend the availability or time that the compressor can continue to operate. This is possible because it is possible to take into account undesirable but expected contamination of the compressor under normal operating conditions.

[0030] Alternatively, if contamination can be expected to cause the machine to operate suboptimally, or to be at risk of operating suboptimally, this can be anticipated by limiting the range of the setting parameters. This avoids the risk of sudden failure or shutdown, and prevents any further damage to the machine if it continues to operate based on setting parameters that may negatively impact its further operation. As a result, the availability of the compressor can be optimized. The machine will operate suboptimally, but it is possible to ensure that the machine continues to operate.

[0031] According to one embodiment, the heat transfer characteristics further include a heat dissipation component that includes a power efficiency factor of the compressor.

[0032] In addition to modeling the cooling circuit itself, the heat transfer characteristic model can further include the heat dissipation component of the compressor, expressed through a power efficiency factor. This means the model takes into account the expected heat generated by the compressor during normal operation. Since losses, expressed by the return or efficiency factor, always occur in any machine, taking this into account makes the model more accurate.

[0033] According to one embodiment, the heat dissipation component may further include the instantaneous speed factor of the compressor.

[0034] The heat generated during normal operation also depends on the rotational speed of the compressor elements and is represented by an instantaneous velocity factor. This factor then ensures that the model becomes even more accurate.

[0035] According to one embodiment, the heat transfer characteristics further include a heat removal component, which includes the cooling capacity of the cooling circuit.

[0036] In addition to taking into account the heat generated by the compressor during operation, the cooling capacity of the cooling circuit is also taken into consideration, thereby allowing the cooling capacity model to further include the heat transfer coefficient of the cooling circuit.

[0037] A second aspect of the present invention discloses a data processing system comprising a processing unit configured to carry out a method according to the first aspect of the present invention.

[0038] According to a third aspect of the present invention, a computer program product is disclosed which includes a computer executable instruction for carrying out the method of the first aspect when the program is executed on a computer.

[0039] According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, a computer-readable storage means including a computer program product of the third aspect is disclosed.

[0040] According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, a compressor comprising a data processing system according to a second aspect of the present invention is disclosed.

[0041] A sixth aspect of the present invention discloses a method for determining the operating margin of a compressor equipped with a cooling circuit, the method comprising the following steps: - A step of measuring one or more process variables that indicate the instantaneous operation of the compressor, - A step of estimating one or more process variables based on one or more setting parameters of a compressor using a model that includes the heat transfer characteristics between the compressor and the cooling circuit, wherein the heat transfer characteristics include a contamination parameter, - A step of matching the estimated process variables to the measured process variables by changing the contamination parameters. This includes repeatedly performing the operation, and the operating margin is determined based on the contamination parameter and one or more setting parameters of the compressor.

[0042] Furthermore, estimations can be made based on one or more measured process variables.

[0043] Furthermore, the heat transfer characteristics may include heat dissipation components, including the power efficiency factor of the compressor.

[0044] The emission components may further include the instantaneous speed factor of the compressor.

[0045] The heat transfer characteristics may further include a heat removal component, which includes the cooling capacity of the cooling circuit.

[0046] The cooling capacity may further include the heat transfer coefficient of the cooling circuit.

[0047] The cooling circuit may further comprise an oil circuit equipped with a coolant, and the heat removal component further comprises a temperature difference between the coolant and the inlet air.

[0048] Furthermore, the method involves the following steps, namely, - A step to normalize contamination parameters based on the cooling surface of the cooling circuit. It can include...

[0049] Furthermore, the method involves the following steps, namely, - A step to limit the range of compressor setting parameters based on contamination parameters. It can include...

[0050] Process variables include one or more of the following: ambient temperature, cooling temperature, compressor temperature, flow rate, velocity, inlet pressure, outlet pressure, ambient pressure, humidity, and / or flow rate.

[0051] The setting parameters include one or more of the following: pressure, flow rate, humidity level, and power.

[0052] The present invention will be further described with reference to the drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0053] [Figure 1] This diagram schematically illustrates a compressor having a cooling circuit monitored by a controller. [Figure 2] This figure schematically illustrates the steps of the method of the present invention for determining the operating margin of a compressor and cooling circuit according to the embodiment shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3] This figure provides a more detailed illustration of the cooling circuit shown in Figure 1. [Figure 4] This diagram illustrates a model that includes a set of inputs representing a compressor and / or cooling circuit. [Figure 5A] This diagram illustrates the development of oil temperature and operating margin under various conditions. [Figure 5B] This diagram illustrates the development of oil temperature and operating margin under various conditions. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0054] The present invention is described with reference to certain drawings in relation to certain embodiments, but the invention is not limited thereto and is determined solely by the claims. The drawings provided are merely schematic and non-limiting. In the drawings, the size of certain elements may be exaggerated for illustrative purposes and may not be drawn to actual size. Dimensions and relative dimensions do not necessarily correspond to the practical embodiments of the invention.

[0055] Furthermore, terms such as first, second, third, etc., are used in the description and claims to distinguish between similar elements and do not necessarily indicate order or chronological order. These terms are interchangeable in preferred settings, and embodiments of the invention may be carried out in an order other than those described or illustrated herein.

[0056] In addition, terms such as top, bottom, upper, and lower used in the description and claims are for illustrative purposes only and do not necessarily describe relative positions. These terms are interchangeable in preferred contexts, and embodiments of the invention described herein may be adopted in orientations other than those described or illustrated herein.

[0057] Furthermore, various embodiments are referred to as “preferred embodiments,” but should be interpreted not as limitations on the scope of the present invention, but rather as exemplary means of carrying out the present invention.

[0058] The term “comprising” as used in a claim should not be construed as limiting to means or steps described thereafter, and the term does not exclude other elements or steps. The term should be construed as specifying the existence of a mentioned feature, element, step, or component, or a referenced component, but does not exclude the existence or addition of one or more other features, elements, steps, or components, or groups thereof. The scope of the expression “device comprising means A and B” should therefore not be limited to a device consisting only of components A and B. The meaning is that, with respect to the present invention, only components A and B of the device are listed, but the claim is further construed to also include equivalents of these components.

[0059] Figure 1 schematically illustrates a compressor 102 equipped with a compressor element 100. The compressor element 100 is, for example, a screw if the compressor 102 is a screw compressor type. Furthermore, the compressor may be an oil-lubricated type, also called an oil-injection type, or a non-lubricated type. However, assuming the steps of this method, the presence of a cooling circuit 101 is essential.

[0060] Referring to Figure 3, the cooling circuit 101 is illustrated in more detail. The illustrated cooling circuit 101 is a closed cooling circuit, which means that a coolant, in this case oil, circulates within the closed circuit and exchanges heat with the various components of the compressor 102. The oil is circulated by the pump 300 to one or more mechanical components 301, such as the compressor element 100, where the heat is extracted into the oil. The oil is then cooled again in the cooler 302, for example by the fan 303, thus exchanging heat with the ambient air. The oil can then be recirculated through the pump 300 in the cooling circuit 101 for further use as a lubricant 304 for mechanical components such as a gearbox.

[0061] The fan 303, schematically illustrated in Figure 3, should be considered a component of the air-oil heat exchanger, where heat can be extracted from the oil to the environment, as already mentioned above. Dust particles present in the ambient air can contaminate the fan 303 and / or the air-oil heat exchanger by accumulating these dust particles, potentially damaging the fan 303 and / or obstructing the smooth flow of air to the air-oil heat exchanger.

[0062] The compressor element 100 and more generally the compressor 102 will generate further heat during operation, and this heat is Q heat generated This is called [name of process]. Heat is generated by various physical processes. The first process is the release of heat from the compressor due to the compression process, with power efficiency factor η and instantaneous speed factor ω unit , and Compressor Power P compr It is a function of . Compressor power can be determined using the compression model. The second process is the generation of heat due to friction, which depends on the speed at which the compressor rotates. Thus, the heat output due to friction is a gain factor α that represents the friction factor for the compressor element 100 when the compressor 102 is operating. fric , and the instantaneous velocity factor ω unit It is a function of . Therefore, the general expression for the heat generated is Qheat generated (η, P compr , ω unit , α fric , …) is.

[0063] Next, the cooling circuit 101 is characterized by the cooling capacity P as the power that the circuit 101 can discharge from the compressor 102 through oil. cooler This cooling capacity is also the heat Q extracted during the operation of the compressor 102, and is also the temperature T of the oil in the circuit heat removed and the difference between the temperature T of the cooling air supplied by the fan 303. The proportionality factor is equal to the heat transfer coefficient UA of the cooler. Furthermore, the cooling capacity also depends on whether the forced ventilation by the fan 303 is active or not. The cooling air temperature itself can be modeled as a correction above the temperature in the compressor casing of the compressor 102. The cooling capacity P corresponding to the heat released oil then becomes the following equation. air inlet P cooler (fanstate, UA, T cooler , T oil , …) = Q air inlet

[0064] As long as it can be assumed that the cooling circuit 101 is healthy, i.e., not contaminated, the above model can be used to generally determine the efficiency of the cooling circuit 101 and the compressor 102. Furthermore, the operating margin of the compressor 102 can also be determined from it. Note that the operating margin is understood to be the magnitude by which the compressor 102 can still continue to operate in a safe and effective manner while increasing the process variables. When the cooling circuit 101 is healthy, the measured values and the estimated values through calculations will be in harmony with each other. However, when the cooler starts to clog, the heat transfer coefficient UA of the cooler will decrease. This deterioration is further called a contamination parameter, an additional factor β heat generated ​​The model may be included by introducing a value that is between 1, which corresponds to a healthy cooling circuit 101, and 0, which represents no heat transfer at all. Here, the capacity of the cooler P cooler (fanstate, UA, T oil , T air inlet , β U )=Q heat generated You can obtain this.

[0065] In Figure 1, the controller 103 has the aforementioned contamination parameters and a set of possible setting parameters β for the compressor 102. U Based on this, a method for determining the operating margin of the compressor 100, which includes a cooling circuit 101, is configured and further illustrated. As shown in Figure 1, the controller 103 is configured to exchange information 104 with the compressor 102, although it should be further understood that the controller 103 may be an integral part of the compressor 102.

[0066] Referring to Figure 2, the steps performed by the controller 103 are further illustrated. In the first step, process variables 200 representing and / or indicating the operation of the compressor 102 are measured by the measurement module 202. In the second step 201, these measured process variables are estimated based on a model illustrated by module 203, based on one or more setting parameters of the compressor 102. Furthermore, as illustrated in Figure 2, the estimation can also be made based on one or more measured process variables. For example, the result of module 202 is the measured oil temperature, and the result of model 203 is the estimated oil temperature in the same example.

[0067] Next, in the measurement module 202, calculations are performed based on the above equation and the measured value 200 to further determine the cooling capacity of the cooling circuit 101. In module 203, the expected cooling capacity as well as the heat generated are estimated based on the setting parameters of the compressor 102. Thus, module 203 predicts the temperature by performing the necessary calculation steps. Figure 2 serves to illustrate the steps of the disclosed method, and it should be further noted that all calculations may be performed by module 203.

[0068] In Figure 4, modules 202 and 203 are illustrated in more schematic form. Here, a set of inputs 401-405 are shown, for example, velocity 401, pressure 402, inlet temperature 403, ventilation state of fan 303 404, and oil temperature 405 at a given time, so that the cooling capacity can be determined and estimated as a result of calculations using a set of equations 406, such as the model above.

[0069] Furthermore, the difference 204 between the measured value and the estimated value is determined here, and then the contamination parameter β U This can be determined via module 205 whether normalization is enabled or disabled, and based on this and a set of setting parameters for compressor 102, the operating margin 206 can be derived.

[0070] Referring to Figures 5A and 5B, graphs 511-514 and 521-524 are shown, where the oil temperature 500 is expressed in °C on the y-axis 500 as a function of time 501. The graphs in Figure 5A, 511-514, represent a compressor 102 with a clean or healthy cooling circuit 101. Furthermore, there are variations in oil temperature 511-512 at an ambient temperature of 20°C and variations 513-514 at 40°C, respectively, with the compressor 102 operating at minimum 511, 513, and maximum 512, 514, respectively. In addition, there is a limit 502 within which the compressor 102 can continue to operate in a safe manner, which can be selected as the limit value. In this example, this limit value is set to 70°C, and the corresponding zone above the limit value 502 is the shutdown limit; that is, in the zone inside it, the compressor 102 must be switched off because the oil temperature 500 is excessively high. In the examples in graphs 511-514, there are different operating modes that do not reach the threshold or limit.

[0071] Further reference to graphs 521-524 in Figure 5B, in this example, the contamination level is 85%, and the normalized contamination parameter β is 0.85. U An example of a compressor 102 having a contaminated cooling circuit 101 is shown.

[0072] Again, there are four operating modes: 521, where the compressor 102 operates at minimum power at an ambient temperature of 20°C; 522, where the compressor 102 operates at maximum power at an ambient temperature of 20°C; 523, where the compressor 102 operates at minimum power at an ambient temperature of 40°C; and 524, where the compressor 102 operates at maximum power at an ambient temperature of 40°C. Here, since the operating point is within the shutdown limit range, the contamination parameter β is 0.85. U It should be noted that the compressor 102, which has a dirty cooling circuit 101 that corresponds to an ambient temperature of 40°C, must be switched off over time.

[0073] Furthermore, other values ​​of the contamination parameter β UPlease note that a similar graph can be drawn for this.

[0074] Contamination parameter β U Once determined based on the method described above, the contamination parameter β is then... U Based on these different models for different values ​​and a set of setting parameters for the compressor 102, the operating margin 206 can be determined. Not only can we estimate what the remaining operating margin will be over time at a given ambient temperature, but we can also estimate what the effects may be when the ambient temperature rises or when the exhaust pressure or compressed air consumption increases.

[0075] Ambient temperature of 20°C and contamination parameter β of 0.85 U And so the compressor 102 continues to operate because it will not eventually reach the zone where failure is expected, i.e., the zone exceeding the 70°C limit 502. For example, if the ambient temperature is expected to rise to 40°C during the summer season, estimate what the operating margin will be, and therefore a certain contamination parameter β U Furthermore, a set of setting parameters for the compressor 102 makes it possible to estimate the remaining time until the operating point exceeds the 70°C limit. Therefore, timely action can be taken, for example, by performing maintenance on the cooling circuit 101 and / or the compressor 102 as a whole. [Explanation of symbols]

[0076] 100 Compressor Elements 101 Cooling circuit 102 Compressor 103 Controller 104 Information 200 process variables, measured values 202 Measurement Module 203 modules, models 204 Difference 205 modules 206 Operating margin 300 pumps 301 Mechanical Components 302 Cooler 303 Fans 304 Lubrication 401 Speed, input 402 Pressure, input 403 Inlet temperature, input 404 Ventilation status, input 405 Oil temperature, input 406 formula 500 oil temperature, y-axis 501 hours 502 Limit 511 Graph, fluctuation, minimum 512 Graphs, fluctuations, maximum 513 Graph, fluctuation, minimum 514 Graphs, fluctuations, maximum 521 Graph, Operating Mode 522 Graphs, Operating Modes 523 Graph, Operating Mode 524 graphs, operating modes

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for determining the operating margin (206) of a compressor (102) equipped with a cooling circuit (101), comprising the following steps: The steps include measuring one or more process variables that indicate the instantaneous operation of the compressor (102) (200), Step (201) of estimating one or more process variables based on one or more setting parameters of the compressor (102) using a model (203) that includes the heat transfer characteristics between the compressor (102) and the cooling circuit (101), wherein the heat transfer characteristics include a contamination parameter, Step (204) to match the estimated process variable (201) to the measured process variable (200) by changing the contamination parameter. This includes repeatedly performing the following: A method in which the operating margin (206) is determined based on the contamination parameter and one or more setting parameters of the compressor (102) (205).

2. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein the estimation (201) is further performed based on one or more measured process variables (200) from among the one or more measured process variables.

3. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the heat transfer characteristics further include a heat dissipation component that includes the power efficiency factor of the compressor (102).

4. The computer-implemented method according to claim 3, wherein the heat dissipation component further includes an instantaneous speed factor of the compressor (102).

5. The computer-implemented method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the heat transfer characteristics further include a heat removal component that includes the cooling capacity of the cooling circuit (101).

6. The computer-mounted method according to claim 5, wherein the cooling capacity includes the heat transfer coefficient of the cooling circuit (101).

7. The computer-mounted method according to claim 6, wherein the cooling circuit (101) comprises an oil circuit equipped with a coolant, and the heat removal component further comprises a temperature difference between the coolant and the inlet air.

8. Steps (205, 206) to normalize the contamination parameters based on the cooling surface of the cooling circuit (101) A computer-implemented method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising:

9. A step of limiting the range of the setting parameters of the compressor (102) based on the aforementioned contamination parameters. A computer-implemented method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising:

10. The computer-implemented method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the process variables include one or more of the group consisting of ambient temperature, cooling temperature, compressor temperature, flow, velocity, inlet pressure, outlet pressure, ambient pressure, humidity, and / or flow rate.

11. The computer-implemented method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the setting parameter includes one or more of the group consisting of pressure, flow rate, humidity level, and power.

12. A data processing system (103) comprising a processing unit configured to carry out the method described in any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. A computer program product comprising computer-executable instructions for carrying out the method described in any one of claims 1 to 11 when the program is executed on a computer.

14. Computer-readable storage means including the computer program product described in claim 13.

15. A compressor (102) comprising the data processing system described in claim 14.

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