Air compressors

Eng. Sultan Radhi Al Harthi

 How & where we used the air in the plant?

• Fans
• Blower
• Compressor
 How & where we used the air in the plant?

• A fan moves large amounts of gas with low increase in pressure.

• By the fan we use the air for:

By make section
• Fans - ID fan to transmit the hot gas.
- bag filter & raw mill Fans.
 Transition the material and the hot gases.
• Blower
• Compressor By push the air
- The fan of air slid

 For Cooling: - Fans of the cooler.

-fans of the heat exchanger.
 How & where we used the air in the plant?

• A blower is a machine for moving volumes of a gas with moderate increase of

pressure.
• We use the blower for:
• Fans
• Blower  To make the aeration for the silo.
• Compressor  To blow the air to the burner.
 How & where we used the air in the plant?

• A compressor is a machine for raising a gas - a compressible fluid - to a

higher level of pressure.
• We use the compressed air for:

• Fans  in the bag filter

• Blower  In the plaster.
 In the backing machine.
• Compressor  Pneumatic valves.
 RO filters.
 Air compressor
• Outline
- Background
- Screw compressor
- The compression air system.
- compressor rooms
- The compressor
- Dryer
- Tanks
- Maintenance.
Air compressor:

• An air compressor is a device that converts power (using an

electric motor, diesel or gasoline engine, etc.) into potential
energy stored in pressurized air.
• By one of several methods, an air compressor forces more
and more air into a storage tank, increasing the pressure.
• When tank pressure reaches its upper limit the air
compressor shuts off.
• The compressed air, then, is held in the tank until called into
use. The energy contained in the compressed air can be used
for a variety of applications, utilizing the kinetic energy of the
air as it is released and the tank depressurizes. When tank
pressure reaches its lower limit, the air compressor turns on
again and re-pressurizes the tank.
There are numerous methods of air compression, divided into
either positive-displacement or dynamic types.
 Screw compressor
• A rotary screw compressor is a type of gas compressor which uses a rotary
type positive displacement mechanism. They are commonly used to replace
piston compressors where large volumes of high pressure air are needed,
either for large industrial applications.
 Oil-free rotary screw compressors
 Oil-injected rotary screw compressors
The compressor unit
 compressor rooms
• 5 Compressors.
• Capacity for one 23.9
• 4 Refrigerant compressed air
• Total (max) capacity 119.5
dryers.
• 4 Air tanks (wet) .

• 725
• 715
• 4 Compressors.
• Capacity for one 23.9
• 3 Refrigerant compressed air
• Total (max) capacity 95.6
dryers.
• 3 Air tanks (wet) .
 This room provide compressed air to:
• The bag filters in the crushers area, raw mill area, and kiln
• 725 area
• Plasters of the cooler & kiln feed.
• RO filters.
• Some pneumatic valves.
 This room provide compressed air to:
• The bag filters in the cement mill area, packing area
• 715 • Plasters of the packing machines.
• Some pneumatic valves.
 Oil-injected rotary screw compressors

• The screw element works like a pump and it compressed the air.
• During this process, oil is injected in the element. The oil is there to:
 cool the air, as the air gets very hot during compression.
 It’s also there for lubrication and sealing off the clearances between the
screws.
 compressor screw element.

• When the inlet/unloader valve is open, the air enters the compressor screw
element.
• The screw element works like a pump and it compressed the air. During this
process, oil is injected in the element. The oil is there to cool the air, as the
air gets very hot during compression. It’s also there for lubrication and
sealing off the clearances between the screws.
• Now we have a mixture of compressed air and compressor oil.
 The oil separator

• Now we need to separate the oil and the air.

• This is done in the separator tank. Most of the oil is separated from the
compressed air by centrifugal force (just like what happens in a clothes tumble
dryer). The remaining oil (mostly small droplets and oil mist) is separated by the
separator element which looks like a big filter.
• The air with oil flows through the separator element. The element separates the
oil from the compressed air. The separated oil is collected at the bottom of the
separator and is removed by the scavenge line. It sucks the collected oil back to
the compressor element.
• The now clean compressed air is almost ready to leave the compressor. But first is
passed the minimum pressure valve and the after cooler.
 Cooling system

• The after cooler

• The compressed air is still very hot at this point, about 80 degrees Celsius. The
compressed air is now cooled by the after cooler before it leaves the
compressor. The air temperature after the cooler is around 25 – 40 degrees
Celsius.
• Because of the cooling down of the air, a lot of water vapor has condensed
against the inside of the after cooler. This water is carried with the
compressed air towards the air outlet of the compressor
 Oil Flow
• But what about the oil? Remember the compressed air/oil mixture was
separated by the separator?
• The separated oil is hot. Is absorbed the heat of the compression and can be
as hot as 120 degrees Celsius (anything more and the compressor will shut
down).
• The oil is cooled by the oil cooler. The amount of cooling is controlled by a
thermostatic valve. If the oil is still cold, the oil cooler is completely by-
passed. If the oil is very hot, all the oil is led through the oil cooler. The
thermostatic valve regulates the oil temperature.
Inlet:
Compressor
Oil
Cooling
separatorelement:
system
•• Pressure
max workingdifference over
10.9 Below
bar 0.8 bar
•• Air Temp
Compressor limit From (0 ºC – 46
oil separator. outlet
pressure
25 ºC
temperature, water- ºC)
•• Oil separator
Compressor temperature 120 ºC
cooled Packelement Between
•• outlet temperature
Air filter:
Cooling water temperature
(55ºC-
Below 50 ºC
100ºC)
Pressure drop Air = below 0.05 bar
•filter
shut-down warning at 105 ºC
• level
Cooling water inlet 20ºC
at 115 ºC
temperaturelevel)
• (shut-down
shut-down warning 0.08 bar
• shut-down
at Maximum
Motor shaft cooling
at speed water178060rpmºC
outlet temperature0.085bar
(recirculating systems)
• MaximumWork
cooling water 3.6 L/s
flow
Principle
• Minimum cooling water 1.1 L/s
flow
 Compressor element:

Inlet: • max working pressure 10.9 bar

• Compressor element outlet Between

• Air Temp limit From (0 ºC – 46 temperature (55ºC-100ºC)
ºC)
• shut-down warning level at 105 ºC
• Air filter: • (shut-down level) at 115 ºC

Pressure drop Air filter = below 0.05 bar • Motor shaft speed 1780 rpm

shut-down warning at shut- 0.08 bar

down at 0.085bar
Cooling system

• Compressor outlet 25 ºC
temperature, water-
cooled Pack
• Cooling water temperature Below 50 ºC Oil separator
• Pressure difference over Below 0.8 bar
• Cooling water inlet 20 ºC oil separator.
temperature • Oil separator temperature 120 ºC
• Maximum cooling water 60 ºC
outlet temperature
(recirculating systems)
• Maximum cooling water 3.6 L/s
flow
• Minimum cooling water 1.1 L/s
flow
Air tanks
 Dryer

• A refrigerated compressed air dryer is a type of compressed air dryer,

used to dry compressed air. Compressed air always contains water,
coming from the air that is sucked in by the compressor.
• To protect your piping, tools and equipment, it’s best to use a
compressed air dryer to dry the air.
 How does it work?

• As the name implies, a refrigerated air dryer works by cooling down

the air (like a refrigerator). The warm wet air enters the dryer, where it
is cooled down to about 10ºC. All water vapor that was in the air
condenses into water. Much like your window does on a cold day. The
liquid water is then removed from the compressed air by a water-trap.
• After that, the cold air is re-heated to room temperature. Since a lot of
water has condensed into water, the air is now much dryer.
Preventive maintenance schedule
Period Running hours Operation
Daily 8 Check readings on display.
Daily 8 Check that condensate is discharged during loading.
Daily 8 Check oil level. Before starting, the level should be in the middle of the sight-glass.
Weekly 50 On compressors equipped with an OSD, check the oil level in the oil collectors. If
necessary, empty the collectors and take the oil to the local collection service. Keep
the covers of the vessels in place to prevent possible evaporation.
3-Monthly -- On compressors equipped with an OSD, remove, dismantle and clean the float valve
of the condensate traps.
3-Monthly -- Clean compressor.
3-Monthly -- Check for possible leaks.
3-Monthly 500 Check the coolers; clean them if necessary. See the section Coolers.
3-Monthly -- Remove air filter elements and inspect
Yearly -- Have safety valve tested
Yearly -- Have all flexibles inspected

Period Running hours Operation

Yearly 4000 Replace oil filters

Yearly 8000 If Roto-Xtend Duty Fluid is used, change oil

2-Yearly 8000 Have oil separator element replaced

When displayed -- Carry out service action according to the displayed service plans.