Compressor

Abstract

Disclosed, amongst other things, is a compressor, a heat recovery device, and a plant, configured to practice heat recovery from a compressible media for performing useful work in driving a heat-driven chiller.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A compressor, comprising:
 a heat recovery heat exchanger;   the heat recovery heat exchanger configured in a heat recovery branch to recover at least a portion of an excess heat in a compressible media as a recovered heat;   the heat recovery heat exchanger configured to thermally connect with a heat-driven coolant chiller wherein at least a portion of the recovered heat is used to drive the coolant chiller.   
     
     
         2 . The compressor of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the heat recovery heat exchanger configured to connect with a regeneration loop, a heat-carrier media circulatable within the regeneration loop for thermally connecting the heat recovery heat exchanger and the heat-driven chiller.   
     
     
         3 . The compressor of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the heat recovery heat exchanger configured to connect with an open flow structure, a heat-carrier media flowable through the open flow structure for thermally connecting the heat recovery heat exchanger and the heat-driven chiller.   
     
     
         4 . The compressor of  claims 2  or  3 , wherein:
 the heat-carrier media comprises one of a fluid or a gas. 
 
     
     
         5 . The compressor of  claim 4 , wherein:
 the fluid comprises at least one of water, glycol, or oil.   
     
     
         6 . The compressor of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the compressible media comprises one of a fluid or a gas.   
     
     
         7 . The compressor of  claim 6 , wherein:
 the gas comprises air.   
     
     
         8 . The compressor of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the heat recovery heat exchanger configured to recover all of the excess heat.   
     
     
         9 . The compressor of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the heat recovery heat exchanger configured to connect with a heat sink to remove a remaining portion of the recovered heat that is not used to drive the coolant chiller.   
     
     
         10 . The compressor of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the heat sink comprises a condenser loop connected to the regeneration loop through a regeneration loop heat exchanger.   
     
     
         11 . The compressor of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a compressor heat exchanger configured to recover a remaining portion of the excess heat in the compressible media as waste heat;   the compressor heat exchanger configured to connect with a heat sink to reject the waste heat.   
     
     
         12 . The compressor of  claim 11 , wherein:
 the heat sink comprises a trim cooling loop.   
     
     
         13 . The compressor of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a compressible media outlet;   the heat recovery heat exchanger arranged between the compressible media outlet and the compressor heat exchanger.   
     
     
         14 . The compressor of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 a plurality of the heat recovery heat exchangers arranged in-line between the compressible media outlet and the compressor heat exchanger.   
     
     
         15 . The compressor of  claim 14 , wherein:
 the plurality of heat recovery heat exchangers includes a first heat recovery heat exchanger configured to recover a high-temperature portion of the excess heat and a second heat recovery heat exchanger configure to recover a mid-temperature portion of the excess heat.   
     
     
         16 . The compressor of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a plurality of compressor stages;   the heat recovery heat exchanger configured between at least one of adjacent compressor stages.   
     
     
         17 . A heat recovery device, comprising:
 a heat recovery heat exchanger;   the heat recovery heat exchanger configured to connect in a heat recovery branch of a compressor to recover at least a portion of an excess heat in a compressible media;   the heat recovery heat exchanger configured to thermally connect with a heat-driven coolant chiller wherein at least a portion of the recovered heat is used to drive the coolant chiller.   
     
     
         18 . The heat recovery device of  claim 17 , wherein:
 the heat recovery heat exchanger configured to connect with a regeneration loop, a heat-carrier media circulatable within the regeneration loop for thermally connecting the heat recovery heat exchanger and the heat-driven chiller.   
     
     
         19 . The heat recovery device of  claim 17 , wherein:
 the heat recovery heat exchanger configured to connect with an open flow structure, a heat-carrier media flowable through the open flow structure for thermally connecting the heat recovery heat exchanger and the heat-driven chiller.   
     
     
         20 . The heat recovery device of  claims 18  or  19 , wherein:
 the heat-carrier media comprises one of a fluid or a gas. 
 
     
     
         21 . The heat recovery device of  claim 20 , wherein:
 the fluid comprises at least one of water, glycol, or oil.   
     
     
         22 . The heat recovery device of  claim 17 , wherein:
 the compressible media comprises one of a fluid or a gas.   
     
     
         23 . The heat recovery device of  claim 22 , wherein:
 the gas comprises air.   
     
     
         24 . The heat recovery device of  claim 18 , wherein:
 the heat recovery heat exchanger configured to recover all of the excess heat.   
     
     
         25 . The heat recovery device of  claim 18 , wherein:
 the heat recovery heat exchanger configured to connect with a heat sink to remove a remaining portion of the recovered heat that is not used to drive the coolant chiller.   
     
     
         26 . The heat recovery device of  claim 25 , wherein:
 the heat sink comprises a condenser loop connected to the regeneration loop through a regeneration loop heat exchanger.   
     
     
         27 . The heat recovery device of  claim 17 , wherein:
 the heat recovery heat exchanger arranged between a compressible media outlet of the compressor and a compressor heat exchanger.   
     
     
         28 . The heat recovery device of  claim 17 , wherein:
 the heat recovery heat exchanger arranged at an outlet of a compressor heat exchanger of the compressor.   
     
     
         29 . The heat recovery device of  claim 17 , wherein:
 the heat recovery heat exchanger arranged configured within the heat-driven chiller  11 .   
     
     
         30 . A plant, comprising:
 a compressor for compressing a compressible media;   a heat recovery heat exchanger;   the heat recovery heat exchanger configured in a heat recovery branch to recover at least a portion of an excess heat in the compressible media as a recovered heat;   a heat-driven coolant chiller;   the heat recovery heat exchanger configured to thermally connect with the heat-driven coolant chiller wherein at least a portion of the recovered heat is used to drive the coolant chiller.   
     
     
         31 . The plant of  claim 30 , further comprising:
 a regeneration loop;   the heat recovery heat exchanger configured to connect with the regeneration loop, a heat-carrier media circulatable within the regeneration loop for thermally connecting the heat recovery heat exchanger and the heat-driven chiller.   
     
     
         32 . The plant of  claim 30 , further comprising:
 an open flow structure;   the heat recovery heat exchanger configured to connect with the open flow structure, a heat-carrier media flowable through the open flow structure for thermally connecting the heat recovery heat exchanger and the heat-driven chiller.   
     
     
         33 . The plant of  claims 31  or  32 , wherein:
 the heat-carrier media comprises one of a fluid or a gas. 
 
     
     
         34 . The plant of  claim 33 , wherein:
 the fluid comprises at least one of water, glycol, or oil.   
     
     
         35 . The plant of  claim 30 , wherein:
 the compressible media comprises one of a fluid or a gas.   
     
     
         36 . The plant of  claim 35 , wherein:
 the gas comprises air.   
     
     
         37 . The plant of  claim 31 , wherein:
 the heat recovery heat exchanger configured to recover all of the excess heat.   
     
     
         38 . The plant of  claim 31 , further comprising:
 a heat sink;   the heat recovery heat exchanger configured to connect with the heat sink to remove a remaining portion of the recovered heat that is not used to drive the coolant chiller.   
     
     
         39 . The plant of  claim 38 , wherein:
 the heat sink comprises a condenser loop connected to the regeneration loop through a regeneration loop heat exchanger.   
     
     
         40 . The plant of  claim 30 , wherein:
 a heat sink;   the compressor further includes a compressor heat exchanger configured to recover a remaining portion of the excess heat in the compressible media as waste heat;   the compressor heat exchanger configured to connect with the heat sink to reject the waste heat.   
     
     
         41 . The plant of  claim 40 , wherein:
 the heat sink comprises a trim cooling loop.   
     
     
         42 . The plant of  claim 40 , wherein:
 the compressor includes a compressible media outlet;   the heat recovery heat exchanger arranged between the compressible media outlet and the compressor heat exchanger.   
     
     
         43 . The plant of  claim 42 , further including:
 a plurality of the heat recovery heat exchangers arranged in-line between the compressible media outlet and the compressor heat exchanger.   
     
     
         44 . The plant of  claim 43 , further comprising:
 the plurality of heat recovery heat exchangers includes:   a first heat recovery heat exchanger configured to recover a high-temperature portion of the excess heat for driving a first heat-driven load; and   a second heat recovery heat exchanger configure to recover a mid-temperature portion of the excess heat for driving a second heat-driven load;   wherein one of the first and second heat-driven loads include the coolant chiller.   
     
     
         45 . The plant of  claim 30 , further comprising:
 a plurality of compressor stages;   the heat recovery heat exchanger configured between at least one of adjacent compressor stages.   
     
     
         46 . The plant of  claim 30 , further comprising:
 a chiller load;   a chilled water loop thermally connecting the chiller with the chiller load.   
     
     
         47 . The plant of  claim 46 , wherein:
 the chiller load comprises at least one of:   a chilled water tank;   a molding system.   
     
     
         48 . The plant of  claim 30 , wherein:
 the thermal connection between the heat recovery heat exchanger and the heat-driven chiller  11  is controllable;   the heat recovery heat exchanger configured to be controllably thermally connected to another heat-driven load.