Compressor device

Abstract

Compressor including a housing containing a compressor element that is powered by a variable speed motor with a control box with a set maximum number of revolutions (Nmax) for the compressor element, an air cooling blower which sucks air from the environment via an inlet and blows it back to the environment through the housing via an exhaust and a cooling circuit for the cooling of the gas which has been compressed by the compressor element, further wherein the control box is equipped with an algorithm that reduces the maximum allowed set number of revolutions (Nmax) to a defined level as soon as the monitored environmental temperature (T 20 ) rises above a maximum set level (Tmax), and the maximum allowed set number of revolutions (Nmax) is increased as soon as the environmental temperature (T 20 ) falls below the maximum set level (Tmax).

1 . A gas compressor comprising:
 a gas compressor element;   a variable speed motor powering the gas compressor element;   a motor control unit for the variable speed motor having a setting for a maximum number of revolutions (Nmax) for the compressor element;   an air blower arranged to suck environmental air via an inlet and to blow it back to the environment through a housing via an exhaust;   a cooling circuit arranged to cool gas which has been compressed by the compressor element;   a first temperature sensor arranged to sense an environmental temperature; and   said housing containing said gas compressor element, variable speed motor, motor control unit, air blower, and cooling circuit,   wherein the motor control unit includes an algorithm that reduces the maximum allowed set number of revolutions (Nmax) by a desired level when the sensed environmental temperature rises above a maximum set environmental temperature level (Tmax) and increases the maximum allowed set number of revolutions (Nmax) when the sensed environmental temperature falls below said maximum set environmental temperature level (Tmax).   
     
     
         2 . The gas compressor according to  claim 1 , wherein the algorithm is configured so that the maximum set number of revolutions (Nmax) is adjusted so that a cooling capacity of the air blower by the sensed environmental temperature is sufficient to permit the gas compressor element to operate at the adjusted maximum set number of revolutions (Nmax) without danger of over heating or unwanted stoppages. 
     
     
         3 . The gas compressor according to  claim 1 , further comprising a second temperature sensor arranged to sense a cooling circuit temperature, wherein the algorithm is configured so that the maximum set number of revolutions (Nmax) is further reduced when a sensed temperature of the cooling circuit rises above a set cooling circuit temperature level (T 21 max). 
     
     
         4 . The gas compressor according to  claim 1 , further comprising a second temperature sensor, wherein said first and second temperature sensors are arranged to sense either or both the environment temperature and the cooling circuit temperature, and wherein either or both the temperature of the environment and the cooling circuit is or are continuously or intermittently measured via said temperature sensors arranged to sense the temperature of the environment and the temperature of the cooling circuit and the maximum set number of revolutions (Nmax) is adjusted as a function of the temperature sensing results. 
     
     
         5 . The gas compressor according to  claim 1 , wherein the housing includes an electronic compartment which is equipped with a second air cooling blower which sucks in environmental air via an entrance and blows it back into the environment via an exit, and further comprises an additional cooling arrangement for the cooling of the air moved by the second air cooling blower of the electronic compartment, said additional cooling arrangement being operational when the sensed environmental temperature approaches a level above a maximum set environmental temperature level (Tmax). 
     
     
         6 . The gas compressor according to  claim 5 , further comprising a second temperature sensor for sensing a temperature in the electronic compartment, wherein the set maximum level (Tmax) of the environmental temperature is defined by the temperature in the electronic compartment of a component in the electronic compartment. 
     
     
         7 . The gas compressor according to  claim 5 , further comprising a second temperature sensor for sensing the temperature of air that is cooled by the additional cooling arrangement, and including an arrangement to increase the cooling capacity of the additional cooling arrangement when the sensed temperature of the cooled air cooled by the additional cooling arrangement rises above a set maximum additional cooling arrangement critical level (T 22 max). 
     
     
         8 . The gas compressor according to  claim 5 , wherein said motor control unit is arranged to control the additional cooling arrangement.