Abstract:
A compressor including an airflow manifold located within a compressor housing where the airflow manifold includes a heat exchanger flow connected to a shroud that includes a hopper that terminates in a spout that extends through the bottom compressor housing panel and is located outside the compressor housing to permit particulate matter dislodged from the heat exchanger to be discharged from the compressor housing.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to a fluid compressor and more specifically the invention relates to a fluid compressor having an airflow manifold enclosed by a compressor housing where the airflow manifold includes a heat exchanger and a shroud with integral hopper means for discharging particulate matter dislodged from the heat exchanger out of the compressor housing. 
     Fan shrouds used on engine driven equipment, such as compressors, typically utilize pusher type fans to draw ambient air into the compressor housing. The drawn air is supplied to the compression module and also is used to cool the engine and other compressor components. The drawn air is flowed through a heat exchanger to reduce the temperature of a compressor system fluid such as engine coolant for example. The drawn air enters the heat exchanger through a heat exchanger inlet side and exits the heat exchanger through a heat exchanger discharge side. Over time, dirt and other particulate matter entrained in the drawn air collects and accumulates in the heat exchanger. The collected particulate matter diminishes the efficiency and cooling capacity of the heat exchanger and as a result it is necessary to regularly flush the accumulated particulate matter out from the heat exchanger. 
     The particulate matter is dislodged from the heat exchanger by reversing the flow of fluid through the heat exchanger: supplying a pressurized fluid such as air to the heat exchanger discharge side and flowing the pressurized air and particulate matter entrained in the air out the heat exchanger inlet side. The pusher fan is typically enclosed by a fan shroud that encloses the fan and inlet side. The entrained particulate matter dislodged from the heat exchanger is trapped in the shroud interior. 
     The particulate matter trapped in the shroud must immediately be removed from the shroud to prevent the particulate matter from reentering and again accumulating in the heat exchanger when compressor operation is resumed. Removal of the collected particulate matter from the shroud is usually accomplished by removing the shroud or by providing access to the inside of the shroud with doors or covers. If covers and doors are used they must be opened or removed to permit the removal of the particulate matter by hand or by pressure washing. Shroud removal and door/cover removal are awkward, time consuming, and difficult cleaning methods to perform due to the traditional inaccessibility of the heat exchanger in the compressor housing. In the event doors or covers are not provided on the shroud, a technician must usually remove the collected particulate matter by inserting his hand into the shroud interior. This manual method of cleaning out the shroud frequently results in the technician injuring his hand on the sharp heat exchanger fins or fan blade, and also frequently results in the technician damaging the heat exchanger fins as a result of hand or tool contact with the fins. 
     The foregoing illustrates limitations known to exist in present devices and methods. Thus, it is apparent that it would be advantageous to provide an alternative directed to overcoming one or more of the limitations set forth above. Accordingly, a suitable alternative is provided including features more fully disclosed hereinafter. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In one aspect of the present invention, this is accomplished by providing a fluid compressor comprising: a fluid compression module; a prime mover for driving the fluid compression module; a compressor housing defining a housing interior, the compressor housing having a first housing panel, the fluid compression module and prime mover being located in the housing interior; and an airflow manifold located in the housing interior, downstream from the prime mover and compression module, the manifold comprising a heat exchanger flow connected to a shroud that includes a hopper, the hopper terminating in a spout that extends through first panel of the compressor housing. 
     The foregoing and other aspects will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawing figures. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a fluid compressor that includes the airflow manifold of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of the compressor of FIG. 1 illustrating the location of the airflow manifold within the compressor housing; 
     FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of components of the airflow manifold of FIG. 2; and 
     FIG. 4 is a left elevational view of the airflow manifold of FIG.  2 . 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Turning now to the drawings wherein like parts are referred to by the same number throughout the several views, and particularly FIGS. 1 and 2 which generally illustrate fluid compressor  10  that includes the airflow manifold of the present invention; the compressor  10  generally includes a compression module  12  that is driven by prime mover  14  through coupling  16 . The compression module may be any compression module adapted to compress a fluid such as air, and the prime mover may be any prime mover suitable to effectively drive the compression module. However, for purposes of describing the preferred embodiment of the invention, the compression module is a rotary screw airend having interengaging male and female rotors and the prime mover is a diesel engine. 
     Compressor  10  includes a housing  20  that is comprised of housing side panels  22  and  24 , end panels  26  and  28 , and top and bottom panels  30  and  32  respectively. The housing side panels  22  and  24 , housing end panels  26  and  28 , housing top panel  30  and housing bottom panel  32  together define housing interior  34 . The prime mover and compression module and airflow manifold  50  are located within the housing interior. Housing inlets  36  are provided on one or more of the housing panels and as shown in FIG. 1, the inlet openings are provided along the side panels  22  and  24 . 
     During operation of compressor  10 , ambient air is drawn through the housing inlets  36  and into the compressor interior  34  in the direction generally identified by arrows  40 . The air passes around the compression module and a portion of the drawn air enters the compression module through the compression module inlet valve (not shown). The air that does not enter the compression module continues downstream around the prime mover  14  and substantially all of the drawn air continues through airflow manifold assembly  50 . 
     The airflow manifold assembly  50  is comprised of cooler or heat exchanger  52  that is attached to a rigid support channel  54 , and the heat exchanger and channel together close open side  57  of defined by shroud  60  and hopper  61  while the shroud side  58  opposite open side  57  includes an inlet opening  59  that supports rotation of fan  62 . For purposes of describing the preferred embodiment of the invention, the fan is directly driven by prime mover  14  through coupling  53  however it should be understood the fan may be driven by any suitable driving means such as a hydraulic motor for example. 
     The airflow manifold  50  of the present invention permits safe, simple, and effective removal of particulate matter from the shroud and hopper. 
     Cooler  52  includes upper manifold  64  and lower manifold  66  and heat exchanger core  68  which flow connects the manifolds  64  and  66 . 
     Coolant from prime mover  14  enters the upper manifold  64  continues through conduits in the heater core, through lower manifold  66  and returns to the prime mover. The conduits in the heat exchanger core are not illustrated in the drawing figures. Cooler  52  is of conventional design well known to one skilled in the relevant art and further description of the cooler is not required. Additionally, although one heat exchanger is illustrated and disclosed a plurality of heat exchangers could be used in combination and also the one or more heat exchanger could be used for any required purpose such as to cool oil injected into the compression module for example. 
     The elongate rigid support channel  54  has a C-shaped cross section comprised of upper and lower horizontal channel webs  55   a,    55   b  respectively that are joined by vertical web  55   c.  The channel is attached to the lower manifold  64  at the upper horizontal channel portion  55   a  by a weld or other suitable conventional connection means. As shown in FIG. 2, the lower channel web  55   b  is seated on bottom housing panel  32 . The lower web  55   b  may in turn be welded, bolted or otherwise fixed to the compressor housing panel  32 . The support channel  54  and heat exchanger  52  together comprise a substantially planar structure that serves to close open side  57  defined by shroud  60  and hopper  61 . See FIG.  2 . 
     In an alternate embodiment of the invention, the heat exchanger alone would substantially close open side  57 . 
     The shroud is attached to the channel  54  and heat exchanger  52  in a conventional manner using weld or fasteners to make the required connection. Shroud  60  includes walls  70 ,  72 , and  74  which are joined by wall  58 . Shroud wall  58  includes outwardly extending ring  63  that defines airflow inlet  59 . As shown in FIG. 3, the shroud includes a hopper  61  with sides  80 ,  82 , and  84  that extend downwardly and inwardly from respective shroud sides  70 ,  58 , and  74  and terminate in rectangular spout  90 . The spout  90  as illustrated in the Figures is defined by sides  93 ,  94 ,  95 , and bottom  96 . The spout is closed except for discharge side  92  that is coplanar with open side  57 . As shown in FIG. 4, when the airflow manifold is located in interior  34 , spout  90  is passed through opening  98  in compressor housing bottom panel  32 . The closed bottom  96  impedes and as a result slows the movement of particulate matter out of the shroud. It is believed that because the particulate matter is slowed as it moves out of the spout, the particulate matter is more likely to land in a receptacle under the spout then if the particulate matter was discharged unabated. 
     In addition to the rectangular spout  90 , the spout may also be cylindrical with a closed sidewall and an open discharge end, semi-cylindrical with an opening along the sidewall and at the spout end, or any other suitable configuration. The spout  90  may be closed by a removable cap that covers the open spout between cooler cleanings. 
     Fan  62  is a conventional pusher fan that is directly driven by prime mover coupling  53 . However, it should be understood that the fan could be any suitable fan driven by any other suitable means such as by an electric motor for example. As shown in FIG. 4, the fan is located in the ring  63  and draws ambient air into the compressor interior  34  and through manifold shroud inlet  59 . 
     When it is necessary to clean the heat exchanger core  68 , pressurized fluid such as air is applied to the core in the direction represented by arrows  100 . The pressurized fluid dislodges particulate matter accumulated in the core and forces it out of the core and into the hopper chamber  102  in the direction of arrow  105 . See FIG.  2 . The particulate matter continues down into the hopper  61  in the direction  106  and is discharged out of the hopper through spout discharge side  92  in the direction  107 . A receptacle such as a bucket can be placed beneath the spout to catch the discharged particulate matter. 
     In summary, our invention provides the following benefits and improvements over the prior art: allows the removal and collection of particulate matter accumulated in a compressor heat exchanger without requiring access to the inside of the shroud or hopper; prevents damage to the cooler fins from tools being used to remove debris from inside the shroud; reduces the risk of injury to technician by eliminating the need to physically access the area inside the shroud and hopper to remove debris and particulate matter from the shroud and hopper; and provides easier and faster cleaning of the cooler core. 
     While we have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of our invention, it is understood that this is capable of modification, and we therefore do not wish to be limited to the precise details set forth, but desire to avail ourselves of such changes and alterations as fall within the purview of the following claims.