Designing the Compressed Air System

Most facilities have a number of air compressors that can be operated in combinations to satisfy the demand for compressed air at any time. Large units are needed for periods of high demand, and smaller units are needed to supply reduced amounts of compressed air during weekends or periods of slack production. A centralized air compressor facility together with a common-header and a computer control system for managing the load should provide efficient, cost-effective operation for most plants. In some cases there are large distances between parts of a facility that need compressed air. In those cases it might be more efficient to provide a small compressor at each location to minimize the energy lost in transmitting the compressed air through long pipelines.

Air compressors operate most efficiently when the use cool oar for the intake. One of the factores that should be considered in designing the compressed air system is the access to cool intake air. Air compressor are often located in parts of a facility which are quite warm, and the air intakes use this warm air. In these cases, an outside air intake vent should be installed to allow the compressors to use cooler air.