Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
REGISTER LOG IN
Hydraulics &; Pneumatics
Technologies News Markets Fluid Power Basics Community Learning Resources Directories
HOME > FLUID POWER BASICS > PNEUMATICS > AIR COMPRESSORS
Air compressors
Although air compressor operating specifications may look the same on paper,
their fundamental designs and controls can make major differences in how they Top Articles
perform.
Hydraulics & Pneumatics Jan 1, 2012 1. A BIG Troubleshooting Secret:
Principles Before Methods
SHARE 2. Getting HandsOn Experience at the
NFPA Fluid Power Challenge
Although air compressor operating specifications What is in this article?: 3. 10th International Fluid Power
may look the same on paper, their fundamental
Air compressors Conference Comes to Dresden,
designs and controls can make major differences in
how they perform. Germany in 2016
Continuous duty
4. New Flint Hydraulics Website
Power and efficiency Provides Easy Navigation for Users
5. Using Water Glycol as Your Hydraulic
Importance of capacity controls
Fluid?
Variable-displacement controls
Hot Topics
More About: Automate With Air
Automate With Air Fluid Power Handbook
& Directory Digital
Continuous duty Edition
View All
The availability of continuousduty aircooled compressors (particularly in large sizes)
offers a great deal of flexibility for installing them. Such compressors can be mounted on
any surface that will support their static weight. In many facilities, great savings also are
available in piping cost, compared to other types of systems. These compressors lend New blog posts
themselves to either the central or departmentalcompressor system concept. Units are Using Water Glycol as Your Hydraulic
available with electric motor and engine drives on bases, on skids, on wheels, etc. Fluid?
by Alan Hitchcox
Compared to other types of continuousduty air compressors, oilcooled rotaryscrew Posted 3 days ago
compressors offer a number of advantages: in The Hitch Post
Oil cooling holds internal temperatures to an optimum level. As a result, discharge air is A BIG Troubleshooting Secret: Principles
relatively cool no more than about 180° F higher than ambient. Before Methods
by Brendan Casey
Discharge air is clean free from burned oil or carbon.
Posted 6 days ago
The rotary design lends itself to higher speeds, particularly in the larger sizes.
in Hydraulics At Work
Consequently, larger flow capacity is available from compressors with physically smaller
envelopes providing significant savings on floor space and foundation requirements.
The Hydraulic Maintenance Dilemma: Not
Because of their compact size and inherent quietrunning characteristics, it is relatively Deciding Has Consequences
easy to suppress noise. Electricmotordriven models are commercially available rated by Brendan Casey
from 75 to 85 dB at one meter per the CAGI Pneurop Test Code. Posted 1 week ago
Most models have fewer moving parts, and those parts run under more ideal conditions in Hydraulics At Work
resulting in lower temperatures and less vibration.
Fewer parts make it easier to stock them for the rotary designs, and the machines are
easier to work on.
In summary, oilcooled rotaryscrew compressors offer users a continuousduty source of
compressed air in a neat, compact package that has low initial cost, maximum flexibility
of installation, and easy maintenance.
Nonlubricated rotary screw and lobe
In addition to the nonlubricated reciprocating compressors that have become so
common over the years, there are several versions of nonlubricated positivedisplacement
lobe or screw rotary compressors. These units are referred to as clearancetype
compressors because the internal parts do not contact each other, so they require no
lubrication in the compression chamber. Cooling is accomplished through the cylinder
walls via water jackets.
http://hydraulicspneumatics.com/200/TechZone/FluidPowerAcces/Article/False/6453/TechZoneFluidPowerAcces?page=2 1/3
4/27/2015 Air compressors | Pneumatics content from Hydraulics & Pneumatics
The lobes or screws do not drive one another either; they are driven by some type of gear
arrangement instead. This drive system also acts as a timing gear to maintain the rotor or
lobe profile relationship accurately. Lubricant for the drive train must be confined to the
bearing and gear area and not allowed to get into the compression chamber. Signup to receive our free newsletters
H&P Product Source (Monthly) View
In this basic design, there is a constant leakage rate for any fixed set of conditions. The Sample
critical internal clearances are between end covers and the rotor, between the rotor lobes,
Fluid Power Monthly (Varies) View
and between the rotor OD and the cylinder ID. These gaps, combined with no injected oil Sample
to help with sealing, are the main reasons why two stages are required for these units to
EMAIL*
produce acceptable efficiencies in 100psi class applications.
COUNTRY* United States
Because these are rotary units, they enjoy all the advantages of rotaries over similarsized Enter your email above to receive messages about
offerings by Penton, its brands, affiliates and/or third
nonlubricated reciprocating units: party partners, consistent with Penton’s Privacy Policy.
compact size,
smooth delivery of cool air,
ease of installation, and
simple (but critical) maintenance
Hydraulics & Pneumatics
They also have some disadvantages, depending on the specific type of compressor and its
Bookstore
duty cycle:
Our online bookstore
more sensitive to dirty inlet air, features most of the
lower efficiency resulting in higher power cost, and industry’s most popular
and classic technical
any repair work is more sophisticated and requires specialized training, which the user training books available.
may not have nor want to have. This means repair work will probably have to be
performed by the distributor or the manufacturer. Click below to browse the
bookshelves today!
Slidingvane rotary compressors
BROWSE BOOKS
Oilcooled slidingvane compressors, Figure 2, operate as other positivedisplacement
compressors do by trapping a charge of intake air in this case, between the vanes. As the
eccentric rotor turns, the vanes are forced into the rotor slots, shrinking the size of the cell
holding the trapped air. The air is compressed to full discharge pressure when it reaches Follow Us
the outlet port. The heat of compression is removed by cooling oil sprayed right into the
air while it is being compressed. The same oil helps with sealing the vane tips.
light weight yet continuous rating,
integrated and compact configuration,
efficient production of compressed air at
relatively low rotary speeds,
smooth operation with little vibration,
extremely quiet operation,
coolest possible discharge air, and
few wearing parts, making the machine easy Fig. 2. Typical rotaryvane compressor has oil
and economical to repair. injected during compression cycle to absorb
some heat of compression. Air exiting from
vane (and screw) compressors usually is
However, the oilcooled rotaryvane design in its
delivered to a separator where liquid oil is
singlestage configuration is limited in capacity. removed.
Bending stress applied to the vanes is the
problem. The speed, size, and weight of the vanes must be limited for the machine to be
durable. Because of this, oilcooled rotaryvane compressors generally are applied only in
a size range between 2 and 100 hp.
Lubricated or lubefree?
Two fundamental groups of compressor types are lubricated and lubefree. Lubricated
compressors use oil to reduce friction between moving parts. As a result, some oil is
entrained in the air being compressed. The entrained oil must be removed from or
tolerated by the downstream system.
Lubefree compressors use no oil in the airend, and thus add no oil to the compressed air
they produce.
http://hydraulicspneumatics.com/200/TechZone/FluidPowerAcces/Article/False/6453/TechZoneFluidPowerAcces?page=2 2/3
4/27/2015 Air compressors | Pneumatics content from Hydraulics & Pneumatics
« Air compressors Power and efficiency »
Prev 1 2 3 4 5 Next
SHARE
Related Articles
Air motor selection and sizing
Air receivers
Compressed air efficiency
Airdriven power units
Joystick controls
HydraulicsPneumatics.com
Technologies Applications Fluid Power Basics Events Forums Products eBooks Directories
Copyright © 2015 Penton
http://hydraulicspneumatics.com/200/TechZone/FluidPowerAcces/Article/False/6453/TechZoneFluidPowerAcces?page=2 3/3