Air compressor system including a refrigerated dryer and a condensate harvester and water supply

1. An apparatus comprising:

a gas compressor system having a compressor structured to rotate a mechanical compression member and produce a stream of compressed wet gas, the gas compressor system having a refrigerated dryer configured to dry the wet compressed gas by removing condensable vapor, the refrigerated dryer including a dryer compressor to compress a refrigeration fluid, a condenser to receive compressed refrigeration fluid, and an evaporator to exchange heat between the wet compressed gas and the refrigeration fluid, the gas compressor system including an expansion tank to receive an inflow of a condensate produced from the condensable vapor as a result of operation of the evaporator, the expansion tank having an outlet in fluid communication with a valving member having a first inflow passage to receive condensate from the expansion tank and a second inflow passage to receive water from a utility water supply, wherein the valving member is configured to flow one or both of the condensate and water to a condenser pump which provides one or both of the condensate and water to the condenser.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a check valve is disposed intermediate with and in fluid communication with both the expansion tank and the valving member.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the check valve is oriented to permit flow from the expansion tank to the valving member, but to check a flow from the valving member to the expansion tank.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the valving member operates based upon a Venturi effect in which a flow of water from the utility water supply is a primary flow used to entrain water from the expansion tank, wherein water from the expansion tank is a secondary flow of the valving member.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the compressor system further includes a high water level sensor to detect a water level in the tank that represents a volumetric fill quantity greater than half the fill quantity of the expansion tank.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the high water level sensor is used to detect a high water level within the expansion tank, and which further includes an overflow valve operable to open and vent excess water from the expansion tank when the high water level sensor detects a high water level.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , which further includes a high water level sensor, a low water level sensor, and an overflow valve, wherein the overflow valve is actuated to an open position to vent water from the expansion tank when the high water level sensor detects a high water level, wherein the valving member is actuated to provide water from the utility water supply to the condenser pump when the low water level sensor detects a low water level.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the valving member is a controllable valve that includes a movable member structured to move between a first position in which water from the utility water supply is used to supply water to the pump and a second position in which water from the expansion tank is used to supply water to the pump, and wherein the valving member can include an intermediate position between the first and second position in which a mixture of water from the expansion tank and the utility water supply are used to supply liquid to the pump.

9. An apparatus comprising:

a gas compressor system structured to compress a fluid stream that includes air and water vapor to create a compressed mixed gas stream, the gas compressor system including a refrigerated dryer configured to cool the compressed mixed gas stream and remove the water vapor by condensing the water vapor through cooling action of an evaporator of the refrigerated dryer thus forming a condensate water produced from the water vapor and which is routed to an expansion tank, the refrigerated dryer also including a condenser structured to receive and cool a refrigeration fluid before providing the refrigeration fluid to the evaporator, the expansion tank having an outlet in fluid communication with a valving member and pump, the valving member also in fluid communication with a utility water supply and structured to flow one or both of condensate water from the expansion tank and water from the utility water supply to the pump, the pump providing liquid to the condenser of the refrigerated dryer.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the valving member is of a Venturi type that includes internal passages that provide a relatively low pressure and high speed flow of water from the utility water supply, and a relatively high pressure and low speed flow of condensate water from the expansion tank, the water from the utility water forming a primary flow that entrains a secondary flow in the form of the condensate water from the expansion tank.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , which further includes a check valve disposed between the expansion tank and the valving member, the check valve structured to permit flow of condensate water from the expansion tank to the valving member and discourage flow of water from the valving member to the expansion tank.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the compressor system further includes a high water level sensor configured to detect a high water level within the expansion tank.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , which further includes an overflow valve actuated by a command triggered by a high water level sensed by the high water level sensor.

14. The apparatus of claim 9 , which further includes a high water level sensor, a low water level sensor, and an overflow valve, wherein the overflow valve is actuated as a result of the high water level sensor detecting a high water level, and wherein the valving member is actuated to switch from using condensate water from the expansion tank to using water from the utility water supply when the low water level sensor detects a low water level in the expansion tank.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the valving member is capable of selecting an intermediate position to provide liquid to the pump that includes a portion of condensate water from the expansion tank and water from the utility water supply.

16. A method comprising:

compressing air to create a wet compressed fluid stream; and

drying the wet compressed fluid stream to form a condensate and relatively dry air;

routing the condensate to an expansion tank;

routing water from a utility water supply to a valving member, the valving member also in fluid communication with the expansion tank to receive condensate from the expansion tank; and

flowing one or both of the water and condensate to a condenser of a refrigerated dryer, the refrigerated dryer used to dry the wet compressed fluid stream.

17. The method of claim 16 , which further includes mixing the water and condensate with the valving member.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the mixing includes entraining a flow of condensate using a flow of water from the utility water supply.

19. The method of claim 18 , which further includes venting condensate from the expansion tank when a high water level sensor detects a high water level in the expansion tank.

20. The method of claim 16 , which further includes actuating the valving member to flow water from the utility water supply as a result of a low water level sensor detecting a low water level.

21. The method of claim 20 , which further includes venting excess condensate from the expansion tank when a high water level sensor detects a high water level in the expansion tank.