Gas Compression System

Abstract

A method and apparatus to reduce the intrusion of ambient air into an open-crankcase compressor. The method employs recycle control to reduce the magnitude of vacuum inside the compressor relative to ambient air pressure, and thereby eliminate the intrusion of said ambient air into said compressor.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A gas compression system comprising,
 a. an open-crankcase compressor,   b. a recycle loop for allowing compressed gas from the outlet of said compressor, to return to the inlet of said compressor, and   c. a means to control the flow of said compressed gas through said recycle loop, so as to substantially reduce the magnitude of a vacuum condition at the inlet of said compressor relative to the ambient air, and whereby substantially reduce the intrusion of said ambient air into said compressor.   
     
     
         2 . The gas compression system of  claim 1  which includes a pulsation dampener on the inlet of said compressor. 
     
     
         3 . The gas compression system of  claim 1  which includes a pulsation dampener on the outlet of said compressor. 
     
     
         4 . The gas compression system of  claim 1  which includes a heat exchanger on the outlet of said compressor. 
     
     
         5 . The gas compression system of  claim 1  in which the means to control the flow of gas through said recycle loop is a pressure regulator. 
     
     
         6 . A method of reducing the intrusion of ambient air into an open-crankcase compressor comprising the use of recycle control in a manner effective to reduce or eliminate a vacuum condition at the inlet of said compressor relative to the ambient air. 
     
     
         7 . A method for reducing the intrusion of ambient air into an open-crankcase compressor, comprising the steps of:
 a. measuring the gas pressure at the inlet of said compressor relative to the ambient air,   b. recycling a portion of the compressed gas at the outlet of said compressor back to the inlet of said compressor and,   c. controlling the flow rate of said recycled compressed gas so as to prevent a vacuum relative to said ambient air, at the inlet of said compressor, thereby preventing the intrusion said ambient air into said compressor.