Patent ID: 7069733

Claim:
An apparatus for regulating a driver driving a gas compressor having a gas inlet and a gas outlet, wherein the driver has a maximum power, which apparatus comprises: a recycle pressure relief device in fluid communication with the gas outlet, the recycle pressure relief device adapted to receive a stream of a compressed gas having a discharge pressure from the gas outlet; a conduit in fluid communication with the gas inlet, whereby the gas inlet receives at least a portion of the stream of the compressed gas transmitted to the conduit from the recycle pressure relief device when the discharge pressure reaches a designated pressure, wherein the driver is a gas turbine and at least a portion of the compressed gas is a refrigerant; and at least one additional recycle pressure relief device in fluid communication with the gas outlet, the additional recycle pressure relief device adapted to receive an additional stream of the compressed gas from the gas outlet; wherein the at least a portion of the stream of the compressed gas is transmitted to the conduit from the recycle pressure relief device when the driver reaches a first designated percentage of the maximum power, and at least a portion of the additional stream of the compressed gas is transmitted to the conduit from the additional recycle pressure relief device when the driver reaches a second designated percentage of the maximum power.