Compressed air, which drives a variety of mechanisms, produces an air compressor, which in turn consumes electricity or works from internal combustion engines. Thus, the compressed air itself is merely a form of energy potential, so to speak of a means of energy transmission. And there are plenty of advantages to this. One of them is the high safety of work with a pneumatic tool, – you will never hit the current because it just is not there. This allows you to work in wet or dusty rooms, or during rain and snow – enough to protect only the best 12v air compressor.
Air compressors – means of compressed air production. In the modern market, quite a large selection of compressors. They may differ in size, performance, time of continuous operation, working pressure, etc. For some types of air compressors compressed air must be enriched with oil fog – there is such equipment.
After the air is cleared and the required parameters are acquired in the compressor, it enters the pipes to the points of consumption – tools and various pneumatic equipment. For different tasks, compressors with different technical characteristics may be required. In the case of the choice of compressor, there is a lot of specifics, which is better to know from the very beginning.
Air compressor choosing tips: varieties of air compressors
All air compressors are divided according to the type of device on the piston and rotary.
Piston air compressors are more common. The principle of their work is similar to the principle of a piston internal combustion engine only if it removes the inflammation phase from there and inverts the gas distribution process. Simply put, in compressors, the pistons compress air through the valves, pumping it into the receiver. But in the movement of the piston compressor group is the electric motor or internal combustion engine. With all its simplicity, this design is not without disadvantages. This is the wear of friction parts, and relatively low performance, high noise levels. This is opposed by the low price of piston air compressors, maintainability, and ease of maintenance.
Wide application of piston air compressors is found in providing compressed air of sandblasting equipment, pneumatic tools, as well as air pumps. Their resource depends largely on the quality of the performance of the block and the piston group and varies from several hundred to several tens of thousands of engine hours.
Another type of air compressor – a screw, which spray air through two special-purpose screws. Screw air compressors do not have valves, so they have lower noise than piston air compressors. There is also no strong friction that reduces energy consumption.
Choosing an air compressor: There are several types of screw drive options available. The synchronous drive is the most popular – the screws are arranged in such a way that a minimum clearance is present at the rotation between them. Such air compressors have high-pressure values, which piston models can provide only with a two-stage compression cycle.
The advantages of screw air compressors, in the first place, include a high moto to a hundred thousand motor hours and the ability to work without technical breaks, because they almost do not heat up. Screw air compressors are better piston than all indicators, however, they are more expensive and can not be repaired outside the service center.
Spiral Air Compressors. Spiral air compressors are similar to a screw, but the use of a spiral instead of screws makes their design different. Inspiral air compressors, the rotor axis is located not parallel, as in screw air compressors, but at an angle. With the same performance, spiral models have smaller dimensions. Their construction is more complicated than the classic screw and, consequently, the higher the price.
And piston, rotary (screw, spiral) air compressors are oil and oil-free. The first is more complex in maintenance but has a large motor resource due to reduced friction. Oil models have one significant drawback – the need for additional cleaning of air from oil dust. They should not be chosen for the food and medical industry, or they will have to use expensive devices for fine air purification.
Membrane air compressors pump air using a flexible membrane made of metal, rubberized fabric or rubber. The membrane is driven similarly to that of pistons or with eccentrics or hydraulics. This type of air compressor is not designed to create a pressure of more than 2-3 atmospheres. Their performance is low, but the delivered air is clean. They are used for pumping gases, food, and the medical industry, etc. The membrane air compressor resource, in terms of motor hours, is quite large and is calculated by hundreds of thousands. However, when comparing them with other types of compressors it is necessary to take into account performance. Another advantage of membrane air compressors in their ability to repair – the replacement of the membrane can be made locally.
Performance of air compressors. The universal compressor does not exist, because the tasks for which compressor equipment may require are very different. However, in most cases, there will be a sufficient unit capable of providing 6-8 atmospheres.
Buyers often choose air compressors in the volume of the receiver, usually within 24-50 liters. But here just does not mean better anymore. Much more important other equipment parameters.
Often, the same unit with an engine installed on a model with different volumes of receivers. Thus, choosing a larger receiver will only cost you a lot of money, but in practice, it will not be of any use. A large receiver is only beneficial when compressed air is used periodically during the day. In this case, the engine will not start every time a small amount of air is required under excess pressure. So, for example, when painting the house from a large receiver there was a little benefit – it would be necessary and small.
But the performance of the air compressor is an important parameter. In order not to pay more and not feel a shortage of compressed air it is necessary to estimate the consumption of all pneumatic tools that can be used simultaneously with this compressor. It’s not difficult to do it. Each air compressor has clear passport data, which indicates airflow and other important parameters, it is important to consider when buying air compressors.
Similarly, the performance of an air compressor is also expressed. Another important parameter is the coefficient of internally variable use. The higher it is, the longer the unit can operate without stopping. It should be understood that this parameter reflects the work of the air compressor itself, and does not mean stopping the supply of compressed air that will flow from the receiver until it is completely devastated.
Piston machines are suitable for fragmentary need in compressed air. If a continuous cycle is required, it is better to choose screw air compressors. The latter, on the contrary, should not be operated in intermittent mode, since they have requirements for the constant temperature of the compressor unit.
Concerning the energy supply of the air compressor, the choice is made between single-phase and three-phase electric models. If necessary, work at the exit, you can choose an assembly that works directly from the internal combustion engine or the generated electricity. There are also mobile kits consisting of an electric generator, a compressor, and a welding machine – these funds are enough to provide a small construction object.
By designation, all air compressors are divided into household, professional and industrial models. All of them have differences in performance, working pressure and motor resources.