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COMPRESSED AIR SYSTEM DESIGN GUIDE

REVISIONS NO. A DATE 14Jun07 DESCRIPTION For Design BY TAR CHKD. APPD. CLIENT

APPROVALS NAME / INITIALS PREPARED BY: CHECKED BY: APPROVED BY: CLIENT APPROVAL: TODD RUMSEY / TAR DATE 14Jun07

INTRODUCTION
A. The following document summarizes compressed air generation equipment. It is written for the type of compressed air we specify for a pharmaceutical facility.

AIR REQUIREMENTS
A. Compressed air is required for instruments, controls, equipment and is used in the process. Therefore, we need to pay particular attention to the moisture and contaminants in the compressed air as it leaves the compressed air generation and filtration system. The following are three requirements for compressed air systems in pharmaceutical plants: 1. Oil Free This item classifies compressors and divides them into two groups: oilfree compressors and lubricated compressors. It is crucial we specify an oil-free compressor. All compressors use some sort of lubrication to cool the compressor much like oil in an automobile engine, however, when we refer to an oil-free compressor we mean the compressor is specially designed so that the compressed air is never in contact with the oil. Moving parts in the oil free compression chamber are lubricated with inert anti-friction coatings on their surfaces rather than with conventional fluid lubricants. Moisture Moisture is present in the intake air as humidity. During the process of compressing the air and subsequently cooling some of the water vapor condenses into water. This water causes corrosion, freeze in outdoor air lines and foul the downstream equipment. We refer to the amount of water in the compressed air as the airs dew point. The dew point is the temperature to which the air would have to be cooled in order for saturation to occur or in other words, water droplets would form in the airline. For pharmaceutical facilities we typically specify the compressed air have a dew point of 40 deg F. Particulates Particulates are brought into the compressed air stream through the intake air and can also be added by improperly operating dessicant dryers (to be discussed later). It is common to have 0.1 micron particulate filter(s) or better just at the discharge of the compressed air system. An intake air filter is used to minimize particulates brought into the compressor.

2.

3.

AIR COMPRESSORS
A. There are essentially three different types of air compressors; reciprocating, rotary and centrifugal. 1. Reciprocating compressors are positive displacement compressors. The reciprocating compressor uses a piston within a cylinder (much like a automobile engine). The following are details of the reciprocating compressor:

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Piston Positions (left picture is pulling in the uncompressed air, right is compressing the air and then the valve opens to discharge the compressed air)

Volume/Pressure Relationship - Reciprocating Compressor a. b. This type of compressor is usually choosen for the smaller flow rates (100 scfm and less). Because they are smaller is size the compressor is typically mounted on top of its receiver and sold as a package. They can be purchased either as a simplex unit (only one compressor mounted on a receiver) or duplex (two compressors mounted on a single, common receiver).

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(Atlas Copco Model SF, from left, compressor with no receiver, simplex mounted on receiver and duplex mounted on a receiver) c. They can be air cooled or water cooled. If it is water cooled, the water could be supplied from the tower water supply (ie from the HVAC system) or from a dedicated cooling water loop. Be careful if you select an air cooled unit because the heat expelled from these units into the surrounding atmosphere can be high. Exhaust air may need to be ducted outside the building. Cooling is required for both the compressor and the compressed air itself. The compressors intercoolers and aftercoolers used for cooling the compressed air. Reciprocating compressors can be noisy. In order to reduce noise levels the compressor can be equipped with a sound reducing enclosure. This will reduce the noise from about 85 dBA to about 70 dBA. See photo below for a compressor with sound reduction equipment.

d.

e.

(Atlas Copco Model LF with sound reduction equipment)

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f.

Reciprocating compressors vibrate due to the motion of the pistons. Ensure the unit is installed on vibration isolators or pads to minimize the vibration. Maximum discharge pressures are typically 150 psig.

g. 2.

Rotary units are positive displacement compressors. The most common is a screw type compressor (but there are others including a scroll and rotary tooth). Refer to the pictures below for the internals of a typical screw and rotary tooth type compressors. Air is introduced into the compressor and compressed between the two screws or teeth as they rotate.

Atlas Copco Screw Compressor

Atlas Copco Rotary Tooth Compressor

3.

Rotary Screw Motion a. b. These types of compressors are for higher flowrates, from 75 to 5,000 scfm and relatively constant air consumption rates or loads. Rotary compressors rotate which leads to a much smoother operation with less vibration concerns as described under reciprocating compressors. However, when selecting a compressor, discuss any vibration issues with the bidder for their recommendations. They can be air cooled or water cooled. If it is water cooled, the water can come from the tower water supply (ie from the HVAC system) or from a dedicated cooling water loop. Be careful if you select an air cooled unit because the heat expelled from these units into the surrounding

c.

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atmosphere can be high. Exhaust air may need to be ducted outside the building. d. Cooling is required for both the compressor and the compressed air itself. The intercoolers and aftercoolers used for cooling the compressed air are usually sized and provided by the compressor vendor as part of the package. Rotary type compressors are typically provided with sound reducing enclosures similar to the reciprocating compressors. See picture below for rotary compressor with enclosure.

e.

Atlas Copco model ZR55 f. 4. Maximum working pressures are typically 125 psig. The centrifugal compressor is similar to a centrifugal pump, as it has an impeller which produces the compressed air. This type of compressor is used for very large flowrates, 2,000 scfm and up. Most of the pharmaceutical plants we design do not require these higher flowrates and therefore we will not discuss the centrifugal compressors in detail. There is no true answer for the number of compressors required for a facility. It depends on several factors including the peak, average, minimum flows and how much redundancy is required for your system (in other words, if one compressor fails, do you want to still supply 100% of the plant demand, or 50% or less). The following are some of possible scenarios: a. b. c. One compressor at 100% (if it fails, operations will cease) Two compressors at 100% each (if one fails, no loss in compressed air) Two compressors at 67% or less (if one fails, there will be a shortage during high demandsmay have to curtail some activities until the compressor is fixed) Three compressors at 50% each (if one fails, the other two will be able to keep up with peak demands). An advantage of this system is you can use only one compressor during periods of minimum or average use. The second compressor will turn on when the one compressor will not keep up with the facilities air demand. The third compressor is therefore a complete

B.

Redundancy 1.

d.

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standby unit, and can usually be repaired or maintained during normal plant operations. 2. If more than one compressor is selected for your facility note the following: a. b. Specify the compressors control system to operate all compressors as one unit. If you have two compressors at 100% each, you will not run only one compressor the entire time. Both machines will operate at different times, one may run for 12 hours shut off and the other will then run for 12 hours, cycling through the compressors. This method of operation distributes wear evenly on the two machines.

C.

Air Intake 1. Attention should be given to the location of the compressors air intake. If possible, it should not be withdrawn from the inside of the mechanical room where boiler and other dirty utilities are located. If it is withdrawn from the outside, it should not be located near a parking lot. Air intake should be equipped with intake filter/silencer.

2.

RECEIVER
A. A receiver is located at the downstream of the air compressors. The receiver is a carbon steel pressure vessel, positioned either horizontally or vertically, which acts as storage reservoir, essentially the same as a WFI or USP storage tank. The compressors load and fill the receiver with air to a determined pressure and unload when that pressure is met (compressors typically do not turn on and completely off, they load and unloadload means the compressor is filling the receiver, unload means the compressors motor is on, but it is not discharging air, much like an automobile idling at a traffic light). When the users consume the air, the pressure in the receiver decreases. When the pressure in the receiver decreases to a particular point (this is the minimum acceptable pressure required by the users), the compressors will load and pump air till the receiver is brought back the systems set pressure. The advantages of the receiver is as follows: 1. As described above the receiver acts much like a storage vessel, and prevents the compressors from rapidly loading and unloading. This so-called shortcycling is undesirable because it can be abusive to the equipment. The filters and dryers, located downstream of the receiver, will see a relatively steady pressure as it leaves the receiver. If the filters and dryers were located between the compressor and receiver, they would see high swings in flowrates as the compressor loads and unloads. The receiver is uninsulated and due to its relatively large surface area, dissipates some of the compressed airs heat to the room, cooling the stored air a bit. When the air temperature drops some of the moisture will tend to fall out and drop to the bottom of the receiver due to reaching its thermodynamic dew point. There is an automatic float operated drain valve on the bottom of the receiver that opens when the water build ups and closes once the water drops to a minimum volume. These automatic drain valves are notorious for failing and do require periodic inspection and maintenance.

2.

3.

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B.

A rule of thumb for applications 90 to 120 psig is to provide one gallon of receiver capacity for every standard cubic foot per minute of compressor flow. Manufacturers typically have standard sizes of receiver, so they will probably provide a larger size than is specified (30, 60, 80, 120 gallons and higher). An oversized receiver will handle larger surges or peak variations in air usage, and may be beneficial in maintaining a more steady system pressure. Receivers are defined as pressure vessels and shall be constructed in accordance to the requirements of the ASME Boiler & Pressure Vessel Code, Section VIII, Division 1, and stamped with the ASME U or UM symbol and registered with the National Board. The receivers shall be provided with a relief valve. The relief valve is typically supplied with the receiver. Receivers are typically provided with a pressure gauge and manual drain valve (in addition to the automatic drain valve as described above). The receiver is typically constructed of carbon steel. The interior of the vessel has an epoxy coating on the interior. The coating will extend the life of the vessel and prevent corroded material from entering the air stream.

C.

D. E.

FILTRATION

A.

There are typically two types of filters we use on a compressed air system, coalescing and particulate. The purpose of a coalescing filter is to remove water and the particulate filter is to remove dust and resin fines introduced from the dessicant dryer. Coalescing filters (located upstream of the dryer) and particulate filters (located down stream of the dryer) sets are typically installed in pairs parallel to one another, each with 100% required capacity. This allows us to replace a filter cartridge without shutting down the entire compressed air system. The cost of the redundant filter is inexpensive compared to shutting down the entire plants compressed air system to replace a filter. Coalescing filters are provided with an automatic drain valve (similar to the valve provided on the bottom of the receiver) to remove the water in the bottom of the coalescing housing. Particulate filters do not require an automatic drain valve because all of the water will have been removed by the time it reaches the particulate

B.

C.

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filter (the particulate filter is the last piece of equipment the air passes before it leaves the compressed air system). D. Pressure gauges are typically provided both upstream and downstream of the filters. This will allow the operators to determine when the filters elements are required to be replaced (as the filter collects debris, it restricts flow and causes a pressure drop). Some filters can be supplied with differential pressure gauges as shown in the picture above. It is the small gauge located on top of the filter housing. Shut off valves, located upstream and downstream of each of the filters, are required to isolate the filters when maintaining the cartridges. Coalescing filters only remove condensed water. It will not remove water vapors that have not been condensed.

E. F.

AIR DRYERS
A. As mentioned above, coalescing filters only remove condensed water, not water vapor. In order to remove the water vapor to the specified dewpoint, a dryer is used. There are two types of commonly used dryers, refrigerated and dessicant. Refrigerated Dryers 1. A refrigerated dryer removes the moisture by reducing the temperature of the air. By utilizing a refrigeration cycle similar to a household air conditioner, the refrigerated air dryer lowers the temperature of the compressed air stream to just above the freezing point of the water. Most of the water vapor contained in the air condenses at the low temperature and the water is collected and removed from the air stream by a moisture separator. This type of dryer will remove 90% of the moisture present in the air stream.

B.

Atlas Copco FD Series Refrigerated Dryers C. Dessicant Dryer 1. As described above refrigerated dryer remove 90% of the water vapor. In order to remove even greater amount of water vapor we use dessicant dryers instead

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of refrigerated types. These dryers typically remove approximately 99% of the water vapor and lower the dew point of the exiting air to 40 deg F. This is the type of dryer we typically use in a pharmaceutical plant as it removes a higher level of water vapor than the refrigerated dryers. The pictures below show the typical arrangement of a dessicant dryer. There are two categories of dessicant dryers, heatless and heat reactivated. Description of these dryers are below.

Atlas Copco CD Heatless Dessicant Dryer 2. As you can see that this type of dryer uses two identical chambers. Both of the chambers are filled with the same type of dessicant resin beads. These beads are similar to the small packet of beads you find in the bottom of the shoebox when you purchase a new pair of shoes. They perform the same function by removing water vapor from the surrounding air. In the case of the dessicant dryer, air passes through one of the towers at a time. As the wet air passes through the tower, the moisture is attracted to the dessicant resin. There is a water vapor detector on the discharge of the tower and when the level of moisture reaches a high point the resin has reached its saturation point and loses its ability to remove water vapor. At this point the air flow is then diverted to the second dryer which has dry dessicant resin and the air passes through this chamber till the resin is saturated. Once a chamber is saturated with water, the water must be removed from the resin. Moisture removal is performed by a process called regeneration and occurs the same time as wet air is being dried in the operating chamber. To achieve regeneration in a heatless type dryer some of the dry air (between 15 to 18% of the total flow), which is leaving the second chamber, is rerouted to the inlet side of the wet chamber. As the dry air passes through the wet resin, it takes the moisture with it and the wet air is discharge into the atmosphere resulting in resin that is dry by the end of the regeneration process. At any given time, one chamber or tower is actively drying the airstream, while the other is automatically taken out of service to be

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regenerated and ready for the next changeover cycle. In a heat reactivated dryer the dessicant bed is reactivated by a separate heat source.

Atlas Copco Desicant Resin 3. It is very important to remember that when using a heatless dessicant dryer that 15 to 18% of the air coming from the compressors is used for dryer regeneration and cannot be used in the process. Therefore, when sizing the compressor(s) this loss of air must be taken into account. As discussed earlier, a particulate filter is required downstream of the dessicant dryer because some of the resins will shed particles. The same philosophy regarding redundancy should be used for dryers as was mentioned for compressors. A common mistake is to assume that a dessicant dryer has two chambers and therefore has 100% back up. As described above, as one chamber is drying the air, the other is regenerating. If two dryers are used in parallel and each is sized at 100% capacity, they will be cycled much like the air compressors. Occasionally, required maintenance or repair can be carried out on the standby dryer unit without taking the active dryer unit out of service.

4. 5.

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TYPICAL COMPRESSED AIR SYSTEM SCHEMATIC

END OF DOCUMENT

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