Use Outside Air for Compressor Intake

The effect of intake air on compressor performance should not be underestimated. Intake air that is contaminated or hot can impair compressor performance and result in excess energy and maintenance costs. As the average outdoor temperature is usually well below that in the compressor room, it is suggested to provide cool air supply from outdoors. The energy savings potential in lowering the air intake temperature results from the fact that colder air is denser. As a result, mass flow and pressure capability increase with decreasing intake air temperatures, particularly in centrifugal compressors and required pressure increase may be obtained with less reduction of volume of the air. This in turn means that the compressor does not need to work as hard to obtain the desired pressure.

Conversely, as the temperature of intake air increases, the air density decreases, and mass flow and pressure capability decrease. The resulting reduction in capacity is often addressed by operating additional compressors, thus increasing energy consumption. This mass flow increase effect is less pronounced for lubricant-injected, rotary-screw compressors because the incoming air mixes with the higher temperature lubricant. All intake air should be adequately filtered and ducted to the compressor. To prevent adverse effects from intake air quality, it is important to ensure that the location of the entry to the inlet pipe is as free as possible from ambient contaminants, such as rain, dirt, and discharge from a cooling tower. Understanding the savings estimation for this recommendation and detailed information.