Method for Controlling a Compressor Installation

Abstract

A method for controlling a compressor system comprising a plurality of compressors, wherein the compressor system is intended to maintain a predefined excess pressure in a pressurized fluid system, wherein decisions are met at fixed or variable intervals as to switching operations for adapting the system to current conditions, wherein—in a pre-selecting step, switching alternatives are excluded from the plurality of combinatorially available switching alternatives, —in a main selecting step, remaining switching alternatives are weighed against one another while referring to one or more optimization criterion (criteria) and optimum switching alternatives are selected from among the given criteria, and—in a control step, the selected switching alternative is output for implementation in the compressor system.

1 . A method for controlling a compressor system including a plurality of compressors, each compressor optionally having a different design or performance, the compressor system maintaining a predefined excess pressure in a pressurized fluid system despite a withdrawal of pressurized fluid from the pressurized fluid system, the method comprising the steps of:
 excluding one or more switching alternatives from a plurality of available switching alternatives based on current conditions of the pressurized fluid system,   evaluating the plurality of switching alternatives other than the excluded switching alternatives based on an optimization criterion,   selecting a switching alternative from the plurality of switching alternatives based on the evaluation, and   outputting the selected switching alternative to the compressor system,   wherein selecting the switching alternative occurs at fixed or variable intervals.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 increasing generation of the pressurized fluid upon reaching a switch-on pressure and reducing generation of compressed pressurized fluid upon reaching a switch-off pressure.   
     
     
         3 . A method for controlling a compressor system comprising a plurality of compressors, each compressor optionally having a different design or performance, the compressor system maintaining a predefined excess pressure in a pressurized fluid system despite a withdrawal of pressurized fluid from the pressurized fluid system, wherein the control of the system increases generation of compressed pressurized fluid upon reaching an optionally variable switch-on pressure and reduces generation of compressed pressurized fluid upon reaching a switch-off pressure, optionally in accordance with the method of  claim 1 , wherein the switch-off pressure is variable and can be changed as a function of one or both of a current configuration of the compressor system and in a defined change in the configuration of the compressor system. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the switch-off pressure is assessed or calculated on a case-by-case energy optimization basis. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein an optimum switch-off pressure is determined by a quotient of total work loss in a predefined periodic time interval relative to each of the plurality of switching alternatives, and wherein the total work loss is based on a sum of work loss of all load running compressors in the time interval, a no-load running work loss of all of the compressors to be switched on in the time interval, and a switching work loss of all of the compressors to be switched on and off in the time interval. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein the optimum switch-off pressure is calculated based on the following formula:
   Δ p switch,opt=√{[( P no-load· T no-load)+Σ W switch]/[0.5· r load·( P load1/ ldp/dtl average1+ P load2/ ldp/dtl average2)]}.
   
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein the switch-off pressure is calculated based on an energy demand of one or more of load running compressors optionally when supplying against a continuously increasing pressure; no-load running losses of the load running compressors switched to no-load running or stopped status; no-load running losses of the no-load running compressors; or switching loss energy of the compressors switched based on the selected switching alternative. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the switch-on pressure is calculated such that an actual pressure profile reaches a calculated adaptation pressure, which is below the switch-on pressure at a deviation of less than 5%. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the switching alternatives for reducing generation of pressurized fluid are evaluated according to optimizing criteria that are different than the optimizing criteria for switching alternatives for increasing generation of pressurized fluid. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the evaluating and selecting of switching alternatives for reducing generation of pressurized fluid uses optimizing criteria based on a total energy expenditure of the switching alternatives. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein the total energy expenditure of the switching alternatives is based on energy demand of one or more of the load running compressors, no-load running losses of the compressors to be switched to no-load running or at stopped status, no-load running losses of the no-load running compressors, or switching loss energy of the compressors switched based on the selected switching alternative. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the evaluating and selecting of the switching alternative takes place in real-time. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the determining of the switch-off pressure or switch-on pressure is performed in real-time. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein control of the system is based on empirical parameters from past switching operations. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein the empirical parameters include one or more of: a level of energy demand of each of the compressors, switch-on response times of the compressors, consumption behavior of the pressurized fluid consumers, a size of the pressure accumulator, or a pressure compensation degree of one or more compressors. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein the empirical parameters include one or more of: a pressure compensation degree of a compressor depending on the storage volume and an installation scheme of the pressurized fluid system; a level of energy demand of a compressor depending on a previous mode of operation of the compressor, environmental temperature, maintenance, wear and contaminating states; or a switch-on response time and pressure compensation degree of a compressor depending on typical patterns of change of withdrawal of pressurized fluid. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein a switching on of one or more compressors is performed such that in consideration of the startup behavior of the one or more compressors and in consideration of the adaptively learnt switch-on response times of each of the compressors, a real pressure profile reaches an adaptation pressure at a deviation of less than 5%. 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein one or more compressors are selected, in the determining of switching alternatives of compressors, to be switched to load have favorable empirical parameter values for a level of energy demand. 
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein compressors are selected to be switched to load from no-load based on remaining no-load running time of each compressor, and wherein compressors are selected to be switched to no-load or stopped status based on a low remaining no-load work of each compressor. 
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the determining of switching alternatives, the determining of a switch-off pressure, or the determining of a switch-on pressure is performed while assuming a constant pressurized fluid reduction. 
     
     
         21 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the determining of a current value of the withdrawal of pressurized fluid is either determined by a measuring device or calculated from a past real pressure profile, an operating state of the compressors, or an adaptively adjusted accumulator size of the compressor system. 
     
     
         22 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein under predefined conditions, switch-on or switch-off commands triggered upon the real pressure profile reaching the switch-on pressure or switch-off pressure are suppressed or additional switch-on commands or switch-off commands are triggered independently of the real pressure profile reaching the switch-on pressure or switch-off pressure. 
     
     
         23 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein upon determining a plurality of switching alternatives as being equivalent in terms of energy, further criteria are additionally taken into account such as a number of operating hours of a compressor. 
     
     
         24 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the determined switching off is only triggered by the control when a necessary switch-on operation can be performed in time in consideration of a startup behavior of a possible switching combination. 
     
     
         25 . A control means for implementing the method according to  claim 1 , wherein the compressor system maintains a predefined excess pressure in a pressurized fluid system despite a substantially constant withdrawal of pressurized fluid from the pressurized fluid system, wherein switching operations for adapting the system to current conditions are performed at fixed or variable intervals, and wherein the control means includes
 an excluding means which excludes switching alternatives from among a plurality of switching alternatives based on the current conditions,   a selecting means which weighs the switching alternatives other than the excluded switching alternatives against one another while considering one or more optimization criteria and selects an optimum switching alternative based on the criteria, and   an output means configured to output the selected switching alternative to implement in the compressor system.   
     
     
         26 . The control means according to  claim 25 , wherein the control means further includes a switch-off pressure determining module which, upon excess production of pressurized fluid, determines a switch-off pressure as a function of the current configuration of the compressor system or in consideration of a defined switching operation. 
     
     
         27 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored thereon computer executable instructions which, when executed on a computer, configure the computer to perform a method for controlling a compressor system according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         28 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored thereon computer executable instructions which, when executed on a computer, configure the computer to perform a method for controlling a compressor system according to  claim 2 . 
     
     
         29 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the switch-on pressure is calculated such that the actual pressure profile reaches a calculated adaptation pressure, which is below the switch-on pressure at a deviation of less than 2%. 
     
     
         30 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein a switching on of one or more compressors is performed such that in consideration of the startup behavior of the one or more compressors and in consideration of the preferably adaptively learnt switch-on response times of each of the compressors, a real pressure profile reaches an adaptation pressure at a deviation of less than 2%.