Air compressor

Abstract

An air compressor (10) comprising an air compression unit with a low pressure air input and a high pressure air output, a heat exchanger system for cooling components and/or fluids of the air compressor, the heat exchanger system comprising at least one heat exchanger and at least one fan for driving airflow through the at least one heat exchanger, an exhaust for the airflow from the heat exchanger, an air intake for the one or more fan and a housing for containing the air compression unit and the heat exchanger system, wherein: the housing comprises first, second and third sections (32, 34, 35), the sections separated from one another by internal walls of the housing, the first section housing the at least one heat exchanger and the at least one fan, the second section being a ventilation space and the third section being a compartment that houses the air compression unit, and the ventilation space has a lower opening in a bottom wall of the housing and an upper opening (52) in a top wall of the housing for allowing air to be vented from the bottom to the top of the ventilation space. The housing is designed to be stacked on top of similar units.

1 . An air compressor comprising:
 an air compression unit with a low pressure air input and a high pressure air output;   a heat exchanger system for cooling components and/or fluids of the air compressor, the heat exchanger system comprising at least one heat exchanger and at least one fan for driving airflow through the at least one heat exchanger;   an exhaust for the airflow from the heat exchanger;   an air intake for the one or more fan; and   a housing for containing the air compression unit and the heat exchanger system;   wherein:   the housing comprises first, second and third sections, the sections separated from one another by internal walls of the housing, the first section housing the at least one heat exchanger and the at least one fan, the second section being a ventilation space and the third section being a compartment that houses the air compression unit; and   the ventilation space has a lower opening in a bottom wall of the housing and an upper opening in a top wall of the housing for allowing air to be vented from the bottom to the top of the ventilation space.   
     
     
         2 . The air compressor of  claim 1 , wherein the lower opening in the bottom wall has a perimeter that conforms to the shape of, or it is sized to encompass or surround the shape of, the exhaust for the airflow from the heat exchanger. 
     
     
         3 - 8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . The air compressor of  claim 1 , wherein the three sections of the housing are linearly distributed along the length of the housing. 
     
     
         10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . The air compressor of  claim 1 , wherein the internal wall separating two or more of the three sections is thermally insulated. 
     
     
         12 . The air compressor of  claim 1 , wherein the perimeter of the lower opening in the bottom wall of the housing is vertically aligned to a perimeter of the exhaust for the airflow from the heat exchanger. 
     
     
         13 . The air compressor of  claim 1 , wherein the housing is 8 ft (2.44 m) wide and 20 ft (6.1 m) long, with twistlock fittings in each of the eight corners for hoisting, stacking, and securing to other containers, air compressors or the deck or hull of a ship or platform. 
     
     
         14 - 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . The air compressor of  claim 1  having one or more walkway to either or both sides of the housing and/or to a rear and/or front of the housing, wherein the walkways are made with decks of expanded metal mesh, or otherwise perforated sheeting, or perforated fibreglass sheets. 
     
     
         17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . A stack of air compressors, the stack comprising a first air compressor with a top vent for exhaust gas from a heat exchanger thereof, and a second air compressor stacked on the first air compressor, the second air compressor being an air compressor of  claim 1  and the lower opening of the second air compressor being aligned over the top vent of the first air compressor. 
     
     
         19 . A stack of at least two air compressors, one being a lower air compressor and the other being an upper air compressor, each air compressor comprising:
 an air compression unit with a low pressure air input and a high pressure air output;   a heat exchanger system for cooling components and/or fluids of the air compression unit, the heat exchanger system comprising at least one heat exchanger and at least one fan for driving airflow through the at least one heat exchanger;   a housing;   an exhaust for the airflow from the heat exchanger in an upper wall of the housing; and   an air intake for the one or more fan;   wherein:   the housing of the upper air compressor comprises first, second and third sections, the first section housing the at least one heat exchanger and the at least one fan of that air compressor, the second section being a ventilation space and the third section being a compartment that houses the air compression unit of that air compressor, and the ventilation space having a) a lower opening in a bottom wall of its housing that is aligned over the exhaust of the lower air compressor, and b) an upper opening in a top wall of its housing for allowing exhausted air from the lower air compressor to be vented from the exhaust of the lower air compressor through the ventilation space of the upper air compressor and out through the upper opening of the upper air compressor.   
     
     
         20 . The stack of  claim 18 , wherein each air compressor is a containerised air compressor, the upper air compressor being for stacking on the lower air compressor in a secured or interconnected manner, the housing of each air compressor providing the containerisation, and being compatible for stacking with and interconnecting with each other. 
     
     
         21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . The stack of  claim 19 , wherein the third section of each air compressor provides a service space for the air compression unit and the service space has a ventilation air intake and a ventilation air outlet, at least one of which is provided with a ventilation fan, and a chimney extends from at least one of the ventilation air outlets, external of the housing or housings to which it is attached, and extends vertically upwards to a point at or above the top of the stack. 
     
     
         23 - 24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . The stack of  claim 22  wherein there is a lower air compressor and an upper air compressor in the stack, and the chimney is extended from the lower air compressor's ventilation air outlet up to and past the ventilation air outlet of the upper air compressor, both ventilation air outlets using the chimney as a common chimney. 
     
     
         26 . The stack of  claim 25 , wherein the common chimney has a height that is at least 1.3× the height of the housing of the upper air compressor. 
     
     
         27 . A platform having a plurality of air compressors arranged thereon, each air compressor having a service access space, the plurality of air compressors being formed into at least two stacks, the stacks having an upper unit and a lower unit, the upper unit being an air compressor, and the lower unit being an air compressor in one of the stacks and either an air compressor or an air filter unit in the other stack. 
     
     
         28 . The platform of  claim 27 , wherein at least one of the stacks is a stack of at least two air compressors, one being a lower air compressor and the other being an upper air compressor, each air compressor comprising:
 an air compression unit with a low pressure air input and a high pressure air output;   a heat exchanger system for cooling components and/or fluids of the air compression unit, the heat exchanger system comprising at least one heat exchanger and at least one fan for driving airflow through the at least one heat exchanger;   a housing;   an exhaust for the airflow from the heat exchanger in an upper wall of the housing; and   an air intake for the one or more fan;   wherein:   the housing of the upper air compressor comprises first, second and third sections, the first section housing the at least one heat exchanger and the at least one fan of that air compressor, the second section being a ventilation space and the third section being a compartment that houses the air compression unit of that air compressor, and the ventilation space having a) a lower opening in a bottom wall of its housing that is aligned over the exhaust of the lower air compressor, and b) an upper opening in a top wall of its housing for allowing exhausted air from the lower air compressor to be vented from the exhaust of the lower air compressor through the ventilation space of the upper air compressor and out through the upper opening of the upper air compressor.   
     
     
         29 . The platform of  claim 27 , wherein the platform is the deck of a ship. 
     
     
         30 . The platform of  claim 27 , wherein there are at least six stacks, the six stacks being arranged in a regular array on the platform. 
     
     
         31 - 33 . (canceled) 
     
     
         34 . The platform of  claim 30 , wherein the stacks in the regular array have air intakes for their heat exchangers at their short ends that face away from each other in the rows, with at least one of the two stacks in the central column being a stack with an air compressor at the top and an air filter unit at the bottom. 
     
     
         35 . The platform of  claim 34 , wherein an additional stack of air compressors is provided to form a further row, the compressors in the further row being turned 90 degrees relative to the other stacks to direct side and outward venting of air in a service space within that stack's air compressors away from the regular array. 
     
     
         36 . The platform of  claim 27 , wherein the front most stacks are positioned with their front ends at least a full air compressor length from a forward wall of the platform, defining an area of the platform in front of those front ends. 
     
     
         37 - 38 . (canceled)