pressure relief valves are intended for a different role than their safety counterparts. A pressure relief valve is intended to vent excess pressure from the system. These valves are, in a sense, a type of pressure regulator. When the pressure exceeds a preset level, the relief valve opens and bleeds down the system. These valves …
Safety relief valves are a critical safety device that must be used on all compression systems. These valves prevent catastrophic failure of the essential pressure equipment and piping. All receivers must be equipped with a safety relief valve that is rated to open at a pressure no higher than the maximum rating on the receiver’s …
Air tools, especially those that use air motors, will benefit from proper lubrication. This is an area of compressed air that is usually neglected, although it is responsible for causing millions of dollars of damage to air tools every year. If an air tool is lubricated properly, it will last a lifetime. On the flip …
Most compressed air systems require at least one regulator, and in many situations they require a large number of these devices. A pressure regulator is a control device that takes a high input pressure and lowers it to a usable output pressure. The most important regulator in the system is the master regulator, which is …
The water that is drained from any compression system is considered hazardous waste and must be handled properly. Simply blasting the condensate out into the back driveway has become unacceptable behavior. State and federal regulations are rather specific about this form of dumping and heavy fines and cleanup cost can be levied against any company …
Taking the plate separator a little further is the coalescing filter. These are generally comprised of hundreds of closely placed elements that force the compressed air to flow through restrictive gaps in the stack. Like the plate separator, the water separates when it comes in contact with the elements, except that with the coalescing filter …
Liquid ring compressors generally fall into the “blower” category. They are a type of positive displacement pump . These pumps have an impeller, which is placed off center in a housing. The impeller has a series of cupped blades arranged radially around a hub. The housing has a charge of low viscosity liquid inside, usually …
Centrifugal fan are commonly found in commercial heating, airconditioning, and ventilation systems. In this role they serve the same function as a squirrel cage fan as a prime air mover. A centrifugal fan can produce a higher output pressure than a squirrel cage blower and, therefore, is the preferred choice for pumping large positive pressure …
Compressors are mechanical devices used to increase the pressure of air, gas or vapor and in the process move it from one location to another. The inlet or suction pressure can range from low subatmospheric pressure levels to any pressure level compatible with piping and vessel strength limits. The ratio of absolute discharge pressure to …
Two types of dynamic compressors are in use today—they are the axial compressor and the centrifugal compressor. The axial compressor is used primarily for medium and high horsepower applications, while the centrifugal compressor is utilized in low horsepower applications. Both the axial and centrifugal compressors are limited in their range of operation by what is …