Rotary air compressors (RACs) are widely utilized in industrial settings for powering pneumatic tools and providing an uninterrupted supply of compressed air. Often more powerful than their piston counterparts, RACs can deliver higher CFM levels to meet larger projects’ gas consumption demands and may operate for extended periods without needing refilling or recharge.
A rotary screw air compressor (RSAC), on the other hand, works by compressing gasses trapped between two meshed rotors and reducing its volume, a process which is more efficient and durable than piston-type compressors; therefore, making them suitable for wider industrial applications.
To generate compressed gasses, RSACs use intertwined helical shaped screws called rotors that have been manufactured to precise tolerances. As the rotary screw compressor begins to rotate together in unison with all its pieces, they compress air through interlocking chambers that form between them. All of this is done before discharging it through their discharge valve.
Due to their superior efficiency, durability and versatility, industrial heating systems are extremely popular across numerous applications. You’ll often find them powering warehouses, processing facilities and manufacturing plants as well as powering construction equipment or providing air for various other purposes.
Food & Beverage
Food and beverage industries use RSACs in multiple capacities, including powering machinery that automates production lines and filling bottles, containers or bags with product. They can drive and control valves and pneumatic systems as well as be used to blow away excess moisture from products or containers. In addition, specialty food grade compressors power nitrogen gas generators which ensure clean and consistent packaging processes.
Food and beverage industries depend heavily on compressed oxygen quality for equipment operation, so selecting an ideal model depends upon both your equipment needs and application. For instance, companies working with sensitive ingredients may benefit from opting for an oil-free rotary screw compressor as this will ensure no trace amounts of oil end up contaminating products or factory floors.
If your purpose for using your rotary compressor is general production, an oil-flooded model might work better. Oil flooded compressors use potential energy from diesel, electric or gas engines to compress air before cooling it and thus allow tight mechanical tolerances with tight Teflon coating on its rotors to facilitate easy entry into compression chambers and pressurize air pressure levels.
Even with meticulous maintenance of oil-flooded compressors, there remains the risk of oil escaping into downstream products, potentially posing health hazards to consumers and contaminating products with contaminants. Therefore, it is wise to invest in a refrigerated air dryer in order to lower its dew point to 38 degrees Fahrenheit or below.
An advanced fault diagnosis system is another must in a RSAC for use in food and beverage production lines, to detect problems promptly so necessary actions can be taken immediately to resolve them and keep production lines running smoothly, meeting strict food safety standards while meeting consumer expectations.
Construction
Construction industry firms depend heavily on RSACs for powering pneumatic tools seen here. They provide steady and controlled air streams that only vary according to maximum temperatures and machine operating pressures, powering conveyor belts, sprayers and presses among others. These compressors are especially helpful in applications requiring clean compressed air such as food processing plants, pharmaceutical manufacturing operations and metal fabrication facilities.
There are two primary types of RSACs: oil-injected and oil-free. While oil-injected compressors use oil to lubricate their screws and cool compression during compression as well as prevent overheating, some residual oil may remain in compressed air (known as “oil carryover”) which must then be removed using inline filtration systems.
Agriculture
Air compressors play an essential role in agriculture. They supply reliable energy sources that are clean, safe, and provide long-term value, as well as being useful tools in growing crops and livestock as well as maintaining agricultural equipment.
Reciprocating and RSACs are among the most frequently used air compressors for agriculture, while rotary screw compressors tend to be better choices in environments requiring immediate and uninterrupted access to compressed oxygen, due to using positive displacement technology to decrease pressure and volume mechanically rather than piston systems which may prove more unreliable in these settings.
RSACs may have a higher initial capital investment than reciprocating compressors with similar CFM output (https://sciencing.com/how-8542181-calculate-cfm-output.html), but over time will save money through increased energy efficiency and longevity resulting in reduced lifetime costs and floor space savings – an advantage particularly beneficial in manufacturing facilities with limited floor space.
RSACs boast many advantages over their counterparts, including not needing to be lubricated regularly – this eliminates the hassle and expense associated with changing out compressor oil, while they may even use food-grade or PAG (polyalkylene glycol) lubricants that will come into direct contact with food products during use.
Although RACs are typically designed for continuous operation, it should not run at 100% duty cycle. Instead, if your compressed air demand varies throughout the day, adding a variable speed drive motor to your rotary compressor allows it to adjust production levels up or down as required.