Oil-free screw compressors
Second Quarter 2005
Pneumatic systems & components
Where contaminated compressed air can result in expensive product spoilage, CompAir can supply oil-free compressors to eliminate the possibility of oil-carryover in the compressed air. Removal of oil from the compression process enables compressed air users to operate with maximum environmental efficiency.
CompAir compressors supply consistent, high quality compressed air for many areas of industry; examples include the automotive, aviation, petrochemical, power generation, shipping industries as well as utilities. The company's oil-free offering was extended with the introduction of a range of water-injected single screw compressors. Designed for applications where there is a need for high-quality 'active' air - air that comes into direct contact with the process it serves. The series is launched with 15, 22 and 37 kW models.
In active air applications, quality of the air is key. High technology industries in particular, including precision engineering, pharmaceutical, food and drink, electronics, chemicals and healthcare, all demand higher quality air. They are also looking for the lowest ownership and operating costs. The DH single-stage water-injected rotary series is believed to be the most efficient range of oil-free rotary products available, offering reduced energy and maintenance costs and hence a lower life time cost than other compressors in its size range.
At the heart of the compressor is an innovative single screw compression element, featuring a single main rotor with six flutes meshing with a pair of 11 tooth gate rotors that has demonstrated its reliability in thousands of installations.
Intake: Atmospheric air enters the compression element and fills the flutes of the main rotor. The gate rotors engage with the flutes and form two compression chambers, above and below the main door.
Compression: The gate rotors automatically follow the rotation of the main rotor reducing the volume in the flutes and compressing the air along the compression chambers. Purified water injected into the compression element seals, cools and lubricates the process.
Discharge: When the flutes align with the discharge port the compressed air and water mixture are discharged from the compression element
Compression takes place in two chambers above and below the main rotor, as a result compression loads are balanced and bearing loads are significantly reduced. The low bearing loads extend compression element life and significantly reduce lifetime operating costs.
Water injected into the compression element provides lubrication, sealing and cooling. The superior cooling properties of water allows the compressor to operate at a low temperature providing near isothermal compression, resulting in lowered power consumption and class-leading efficiency levels. A reverse osmosis membrane cartridge filters the injection water entering the compressor; as a result the water is always maintained at a high purity level.
100% oil-free construction
Low operating temperatures and bearing loads enable maintenance free sealed bearings to be used, totally removing the need for lubricating oil in the compressor. 100% oil-free compression is therefore guaranteed and the maintenance and environmental costs associated with oil and oil filter changes are eradicated.
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