When most people think of an air air compressor, a piston air compressor also known as a reciprocating air compressor, comes to mind. These machines work by compressing air by pushing it into a smaller space.
Rotary screw air compressors are an improved version of a compressor that has many benefits over traditional models. Here is what you need to know about how they work, the different types, advantages and disadvantages and what are the different things you need to consider when purchasing one.
WHAT ARE ROTARY SCREW AIR COMPRESSORS?
A rotary screw air compressor operates by using two mashed rotors, which trap air and reduces its volume as it passes through the rotors. When the air is compressed to a lower volume, it can be used for various purposes like inflating tires and powering air tools.
DIFFERENT TYPES OF ROTARY SCREW AIR COMPRESSORS
A rotary screw air compressor can either be oil injected or oil-free. In addition, they can also be air cooled or water cooled. Oil-injected rotary screw air compressors make use of oil for sealing and lubricating the rotors. On the other hand, oil-free compressors are used in production, medical and industrial applications where oil can’t contact the airflow.
Cooler rotary switch create heat during operation, so they require cooling. 80% of rotary screw air compressors are air-cooled, where a radiator/fan combination does the job. The other 20% are water-cooled where a tuber exchange is used.
MAIN COMPONENTS OF ROTARY SCREW AIR COMPRESSORS
Here are the main component of rotary screw air compressors.
AIR ENDS: The air end is the main component of a air compressor. It is the compressed air system that has an inlet valve on one end and an outlet valve on the other
AIR FILTER: An air filter is mounted remotely or directly to the compressor and is mainly used to clean the compressor’s air
PRIMARY SEPARATOR TANK: The oil injected compressors needs a primary separator tank to separate air and oil at various stages of the process
SECONDARY SEPARATION FILTER: This filter will remove any oil residue in the air that leaves the primary separation tank and puts the oil back in the system.
OIL FILTER: An oil filter will collect any loose particles in the oil and prevent it from entering the air compressor.
HOSES: Hoses are needed to move air and oil between the various air compressor components.
CONTROLS: A rotary compressor requires electrical or mechanical controls in the form of switches, levers or buttons for operations.
HOW ROTARY SCREW AIR COMPRESSORS WORK?
The various components described above work in tandem to create compressed air that can be used for different purposes. Inside the compressors are a pair of female and male rotors which are not alike so air gets trapped between them when they are rotated together.
The female rotor has concave cavities and the male rotor has convex lobes. When the two work together without coming in contact with one another, it creates a compressive action. Moreover, the female rotor has additional lobes than the male rotor so it rotates at a slower pace and is driven by the male rotor.
When the compressor is turned on, gas is pulled into the compressor and the two rotors then begin to rotate due to which the air gets isolated and trapped between both the rotors. The air chamber then reduces in size and moves away from the opening valve. The pressure inside the chamber goes up as the volume decreases.
Once the pressure reaches a certain level, the compressor’s discharged valve opens and allows the pressurized air to enter a receiver or holding tank. Elcom International is among the pioneering Electrical and electronic component manufacturers in India.
