C ompressor Capacity Control

Unloaders improve operating efficiency.

DISCRETE STEP CAPACITY
CONTROL
 VARIABLE CAPACITY CONTROL
Reduce Operating Costs with
Unloaders are used to deactivate Variable Capacity Control
 
one or more cylinder ends for Demand for variable load control
CAPCON SUITE APPLICATION MAP
starting or for capacity control. is growing because of the
100

This reduces the throughput and increase in driver sizes and the
90
power consumed by that cylinder cost of power. Variable capacity
approximately 50 percent. By control dates back to the 1950s,
80
HVVCP
unloading both ends of a double- when Ingersoll Rand developed
70

acting cylinder the capacity is a pneumatic hydromechanical

60
reduced to zero for start-up. infinite step controller (ISC) that
   %
  held the suction valve open and
   W
   O
50
ISC 
   L
   F
Port, Plug and Clearance provided variable end unloading.
40 Pocket Unloaders The variable volume clearance
These rugged devices require pocket (VVCP) concept was also
30
only a minimal force to close the
developed during this time.
20 unloader sleeve. The unloader
piston rod is sealed and vented. Variable End Unloading with ISC
10
The air housing is completely The ISC technology proved
0
sealed against the process
1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4
successful with integral gas
 
environment. An indicator rod
.
RATIO
. . engines through the 1970s,
shows the unloader “load” or
“unload” position. Air-to-load but wasn’t actively pursued in
(shown) and air-to-unload the process market until more
ISC curve versions are available. recently. In the late 1990s,
Dresser-Rand began using
electronic controls on gas engines
and later adapted this technology
for variable capacity control
Plug Unloader  Operator
of reciprocating compressors
for process applications and
Unloader Rod Operator Return Spring modernized the original ISC
system.

The Dresser-Rand ISC system

allows compressor capacity to
be varied between 30 and 100
Gland Sweeping Purge Cover
percent of maximum capacity
within a wide variety of operating
conditions. The ISC control panel
Gland Vent receives a capacity, torque or
pressure set-point signal from
Gland a local controller or the client’s
Sleeve-type Unloader Valve
plant control system. Using this
input, the ISC generates an
O-Ring
unloader timing signal that is
Unloader Guide distributed to the ISC unloaders,
Cylinder Wall holding the suction valves
open for a precise portion of
Partial Compressor Valve the compression stroke. This
 Valve Cage process delays the beginning
of compression in the
cylinder, thereby reducing
compressor capacity.