Air Compressor

          If your air compressor has been used for a long time, the machine is slow, hangs often, pressure drops, shutdown itself or stops working. And the maintenance cost is very high, cannot meet your application needs any longer. It might be time to look for a new air compressor in order to save energy and enhance the potential of your production system.

          You should have one of our specialists visit for a checkup to determine the cause. The internal problems of the air compressor are caused by the fault of the main components inside the machine. Compare between the cost of repairs and the cost of purchasing a new, more efficient unit; which one is more worthwhile?

 

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Energy Conservation Guidelines for Compressed Air Systems

1.     Replace with a high efficiency air compressor

Air compressor efficiency is very important factor in the energy consumption of a compressed air system. Because the air compressor has moving parts that cause constant wear. After long service life, this can result in losses due to more than 50% lower efficiency compared to new compressors. Due to 2 main reasons, the performance of the device is lower and technology developed.

Therefore, the actual performance of the air compressor should be checked regularly in order to assess the cost-effectiveness of switching to a high-efficiency air compressor. Also it can evaluate the electricity saving per year for the replacement of high-efficiency air compressors.

2.    Reducing compressed air leaks

In addition to pressure loss, most of the losses occur in compressed air systems are caused by compressed air leakage. which almost no compressed air system where there is no leakage. And by standard, a compressed air leak is not more than 5% of the total compressed air produced.

To check the compressed air leak

This must be done while the compressed air is not being used in the machine/equipment with the following steps:

  • Stop the compressor, open the air supply valve from the tank and all valves in the system.
  • Run the compressor and the timer used while the machine is working (TLoad) and stopped (TUnload)
  • Calculate % leakage = [TLoad/ (TLoad+ TUnload)] x 100
  • The amount of compressed air leak = percentage of leakage x compressed air production rate

 

3.    Adjusting the pressure drop

Pressure setting often neglected in its use. The pressure is often set higher than necessary. This, in addition to wasting energy in vain, also results in lower compressed air volumes. Therefore, it is important to check whether the operating pressure set at the air compressor is suitable for the application needs.

By checking the device’s maximum pressure requirement and setting the pressure higher than approx. 1 bar or try to reduce the pressure gradually (about 0.5 bar) and check whether the equipment can be used normally. Until the lowest pressure can be used. Another way to help save energy, in case some equipment has low pressure requirement, a pressure reducing device is installed on the compressed air pipe before entering that machine/equipment.

4.    Adjusting the temperature of the air entering the air compressor

When the temperature is high, the air will be less dense. Therefore, it takes a lot of energy to extract the air to reach the desired volume. While the air is cold, the density is high, so it uses less energy to suck up the air. The relationship between the inlet air temperature and the mechanical work used in compressed air which is an adiabatic process.

5.    Using a variable speed air compressor (VSD)

Variable speed air compressor has more efficient than conventional air compressors. It can achieve savings of up to 30 % or more. The principle of the VSD of the air compressor is controlled by the pressure in the system. If the pressure in the system drops below the set, the speed regulator increases the rpm of the air compressor motor. Conversely, the rotational speed of the air compressor is reduced when the pressure reaches a certain level.

 

Source (in Thai):

กรมพัฒนาพลังงานทดแทนและอนุรักษ์พลังงาน กระทรวงพลังงาน. (2555).
In คู่มือการตรวจวิเคราะห์การอนุรักษ์พลังงานสำหรับวิสาหกิจขนาดกลางและขนาดย่อม. หน้า 6-7 – 6-17

การอนุรักษ์พลังงานในระบบอากาศอัด [Online].
Available from: https://ienergyguru.com/2015/11/energyconservation-air-compressor [14/6/2564]

Translated by: Win Win Team

Air Compressor

An air compressor is a mechanical device that increases the pressure of a gas by reducing its volume. It is used throughout industry to provide instrument air; to power air tools, paint sprayers, and abrasive blast equipment; to phase shift refrigerants for air conditioning and refrigeration; to propel gas through pipelines; etc.

1. Piston Air Compressor

This popular type of displacement compressor is the reciprocating compressor. These are typically found at smaller work sites such as garages and home construction projects. Unlike the rotary screw compressor, the reciprocating compressor is not designed for continuous use. A reciprocating air compressor has more moving parts than a rotary screw compressor, and these parts are lubricated with oil for smoother movement.

2. Screw Air Compressor

Rotary screw compressors are equipped with an internal cooling system and do not require much maintenance. They are typically large, industrial-sized machines that can be either lubricated with oil or run oil-free. Rotary screw air compressors generate energy via two internal rotors that turn in opposite directions. The air gets trapped between the two opposing rotors, and builds up pressure within the housing. Because of the internal cooling system, these air compressors are designed for continuous use, and range in power from 5 horsepower up to 350 horsepower.

3. Sliding Vane Rotary Air Compressor

The sliding vane compressor is a rotary type compressor, meaning a rotating device is used to compress gas. Vanes on the rotor trap gas between the rotor and cylinder walls. This gas is compressed and released into the discharge line. The sliding vane compressor consists of a rotor mounted off-center in a cylinder slightly larger than the rotor. The rotor has a series of radial slots that hold vanes. These vanes are free to move in and out of the slots, but always maintain contact with the cylinder wall.

4. Roots Air Compressor

This type of air compressor has 2 rotating impellers when the two rotors rotate. Air is sucked from one side to the other. Without change in volume, the air is not compressed or compressed. The air is compressed when the air is supplied to the air tank. This type of air compressor, the production cost is expensive, does not have a valve, does not require a lot of lubrication while working but must have good heat dissipation.

5. Diaphragm Air Compressor

It is an air pump that uses a diaphragm. It works like a piston and results in the intake flap and the air inlet flap working without touching the metal parts. The compressed air will not mix the lubricant. So it's a clean wind but cannot generate high pressure. The advantage is that the air from this type of air compressor is very safe and is often used in the food industry, pharmaceutical industry, chemical industry and commonly used in the aquaculture industry because of the quiet sound and clean air itself.

6. Radial and Axial Flow Air Compressor

This type of air pump will have a high air supply rate. Looks like a turbine blade that sucks air from the other side. With high speed and exported to the other side, the design of the impeller is very important in terms of the rate of production and air supply.

Source (in Thai): [Online] Available from LINK
Translated by: Win Win Team