Patent ID: 9500191
Filing Date: 2016-11-22
CPC Classification: F01M,F04B,F04C

Claim Text:
1. A compressor system comprisig: a compressor including a gas inlet and a lubricant inlet, the compressor operable to compress a gas and discharge a mixed flow of compressed gas and lubricant; a valve housing including a hot lubricant inlet forming a first annular passageway surrounding an internal portion of the valve housing, a cooled lubricant inlet forming a second annular passageway surrounding the internal portion of the valve housing, and a lubricant outlet connected to the lubricant inlet of the compressor; a sleeve having a length extending in an axial direction and being disposed within the valve housing and movable between a first position and a second position, the sleeve at least partially defining a mixing chamber and including a first aperture in fluid communication with the hot lubricant inlet to selectively admit a hot lubricant into the mixing chamber and a second aperture spaced axially apart from the first aperture in fluid communication with the cooled lubricant inlet to selectively admit a cooled lubricant into the mixing chamber, the hot lubricant and cooled lubricant mixing in the mixing chamber to define a bulk lubricant that is directed to the lubricant inlet of the compressor via the lubricant outlet, wherein the sleeve includes a hollow element, and wherein the mixing chamber is at least partially disposed within the hollow element; and a thermal element actuator positioned to sense a temperature the thermal element actuator coupled to the sleeve and constructed to move the sleeve in response to the sensed temperature, the movement of the sleeve being operable to vary an amount of hot lubricant ado teed through the first aperture and to vary an amount of cooled lubricant admitted through the second aperture to control a temperature of the bulk lubricant; wherein the sleeve is movable between the first position in which the first aperture is fully open and the second aperture is fully closed such that all of the lubricant flowing into the mixing chamber amounts to a first quantity and flows through the first aperture, and the second position in which the first aperture is closed and the second aperture is partially open such that all of the lubricant flowing into the mixing chamber amounts to a second quantity that is equal to the first quantity and flows through the second aperture.