New Era University

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING & ARCHITECTURE

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

Compressed Air System

IP LAB : F: 4:00pm-7:00pm
Group #3
Cabacang,Dimson B.
Contado, Amiel
Soriano, John Joshua.

Submitted to:
ENGR. ERWIN T. STA. MARIA
Instructor
Components of Compressed Air System

Most compressed air systems consist of following three major sub systems:

1. Compressors with drives and controls, inter-cooling, compressor cooling, waste heat
recovery, and air inlet filtration;
2. Conditioning equipment consisting of aftercoolers, receivers, separators. Traps,
filters and air dryers;
3. Air distribution subsystems. Including main trunk lines. Drops to specific usage,
valving. Additional filters and traps, air hoses, possible supplementary air
conditioning equipment, connectors, and often pressure regulators and lubricators.

Inlet Filler
Removes particles from the air entering the compressor.
Compressor
Machines designed for compressing air or other gases from an initial intake pressure to
a higher discharge pressure. Compresses air to a smaller volume, increasing the pressure.
Motor
Drives the compressor.
Compress Controller
Directs the compressor’s output. It may be microprocessor, electromechanical or
pneumatically based. Advanced controllers include machine protection and information
management.
Aftercooler
Heat exchangers for cooling air or gas discharged from compressors. They provide the
most effective means of removing moisture from compressed air and gases.
Separator
Removes liquids from the compressed air. These are generally installed in compressor
after the aftercooler.
Air Receiver
Receiver is tanks used for the storage of air discharged from compressors. They serve
also to damp discharge line pulsations.
Air line filter
Removes solids and liquids from the compressed air stream. Filters can be placed
throughout the system.
Refrigerated Air Dryer
An integral part of the compressed air system that removes the heat of the compressed
air and also removes the moisture from the air due to the heat loss. Helps to eliminate any
remaining moisture in the compressed air by using either a refrigerated condenser or a
desiccant. Refrigerated condensers cool the air to condense water vapor into a liquid that is
then drained from the system. Desiccants are powders or gels that remove water by absorbing
it.
Condensate Trap
Collects and discharges liquid that condenses out of the air stream. Integral part of after
coolers, dryers and separators
Distribution Piping
Collects and discharges liquid that condenses out of the air stream. Integral part of after
coolers, dryers and separators
Pressure regulator
Controls air pressure and flow at individual points of use.
Inter-Coolers
These are heat exchangers for removing the heat of compression between stages of a
compressor. They usually condense and remove a considerable amount of moisture as well.
Filters
Are devices for separating and removing dust and dirt from air before it enters a
compressor.
Valve
Valves are used primarily for isolating a branch or section of the distribution network,
they are also used for flow or pressure control.
Ball valves are recommended because they cause almost zero pressure drop when fully
open. This is because the throat diameter of the valve is equal to the pipe bore. The quick
action handle clearly indicates if the valve is open or closed.
Gate valves are often used due to their low purchase price. But, because their throat
diameter is smaller than the pipe bore, they present a constriction and cause pressure drop. In
addition, when set fully open, the sealing surfaces can erode over time, making it impossible to
obtain an airtight seal. Gate valves are often left partially open due to the number of turns
required to go from fully closed to fully open. The glands are often a source of leaks.
EQUATIONS/FORMULA

Recovered Energy in kWh/Year

W= [(K1 x Q1) + (K2 x Q2)] x TR

ep
Savings per year: (€) = W x
n
TR = Time of recovered energy demand (hrs/year)
K1 = Part of TR with loaded compressor (hrs/year)
K2 = Part of TR with off-loaded compressor (hrs/year
Q1 = Available coolant power with loaded compressor (kW)
Q2 = Available coolant power with off-loaded compressor (kW)
ep = Energy price level (€/kWh)
η = Normal heat source efficiency (%)

Quantity of Ventilation Air

Pv
qv = 1.21 x ∆ T

qv = quantity of ventilation air (m3 /s)

Pv = heat flow (kW)
∆T = permitted temperature rise (°C)

The longest permitted length in the pipe network for a specific pressure drop

∆ p x d5 x p
l = 450 x q 1.85
c
l = overall pipe length (m)
∆p= permitted pressure drop in the network (bar)
p = absolute inlet pressure (bar(a))
qc = compressor Free Air Delivery, FAD (l/s)
d = internal pipe diameter (mm)

The air receiver is always dimensioned on the basis of the largest compressor when a system
contains several compressors.

0.25 x qc x p1 x T 0
V= f max x ( pu− p1 ) x T 1
V = air receiver volume (l)
qc = Compressor FAD (l/s)
p1 = Compressor inlet pressure (bar(a))
 T1 = Compressor maximum inlet temperature (K)
T0 = Compressor air temperature in receiver (K)
(pu -pL ) = set pressure difference between Load and Unload
fmax = maximum loading frequency (1 cycle every 30 seconds applies to Atlas Copco
compressors)

The compressor is dimensioned to satisfy mean consumption.

qxt L
V= p 1 − p2 = p 1 − p2
V = air receiver volume (l)
q = air flow during emptying phase (l/s)
t = length of the emptying phase (s)
p1 = normal working pressure in the network (bar)
p2 = minimum pressure for the consumer’s function (bar)
L = filling phase air requirement (1/work cycle)

Pressure Drops

qc 1.85 x l
∆p = 450 x 5
d xp
∆p= pressure drop (bar)
qc = air flow, FAD (l/s)
d = internal pipe diameter (mm)
l = length of the pipe (m)
p = absolute initial pressure bar(a)

Sound Power Level (dB)

2
p p
Lw =10 x log ( )
p0
=20 x log
p0 ( )
Lp = sound pressure level (dB)
p = actual sound pressure (Pa)
p0 = reference sound pressure (20 x 10-6 Pa)

Room Constant

Axα
K = 1−α
total absorption
α= total surface area
A 1 α 1 + A 2 α 2 +… ..
α= A 1+ A 2
K = Room Constant
 α = average absorption factor of the room
A = total room surface area (m2 ) A1 , A2 etc. are the individual room surfaces that have
absorption factors α1 , α2 etc.

The average absorption factor for the room

0.163 x V
α= T
V = volume of the room (m3 )
T = reverberation time (s)

Free Air Delivery (l/s)

q N x ( 273+T FAD ) x 1013

q FAD =
273 x p FAD

qFAD = Free Air Delivery (l/s)

qN = Normal volume rate of flow (Nl/s)
TFAD = maximum inlet temperature (30°C)
TN = Normal reference temperature (0°C)
pFAD = standard inlet pressure (1.00 bar(a))
pN = Normal reference pressure (1.013 bar(a))

Condensation quantity calculation

f1 = relative humidity x the amount of water (g/liter) that the air can carry at the maximum
ambient temperature 30°C x air flow.
f2 = amount of air remaining in the compressed air after drying (saturated condition at +6°C).

The total condensation flow from the installation f3

f3 = f1 - f2
The formula for the ventilation mass flow

P
m= C p x ∆T kg/s
∆T= the maximum allowed ventilation air temperature increase (say, 10 K)
cp = 1.006 kJ/kg x K (at 1 bar and 20°C)
P = (roughly 94% of the supplied shaft power to the compressor + the difference
between the supplied total power to the compressor package and the supplied shaft power to
the compressor + the stated heat flow from the refrigerant dryer) = (0.94 x 162) + (175 - 162) +
14.1 ≈ 180 kW