Pulsed Compressed Air?

I've got some LynDoor™Industries Air Slick® samples I'll send you.

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* Results may vary.

Can you post a link to this fairy tale?

Your argument makes sense when you look at it as total work done, but I think the pulse is a form of inertia, which can behave differently.

Maybe it works like a switching voltage regulator versus a linear voltage regulator. When you restrict the flow of air, you are consuming energy. The power loss is equal to the flow rate times the pressure drop. If you cut the flow on and off (and smooth it with a plenum, the equivalence of a capacitor), your air flow is not working against a pressure drop and wasting power.

Such a valve could work theoretically, but misses speed and for sure intelligence to take you to the pressure you want to operate your load.

OK. That makes sense.

Found a short film showing application when air is not needed continuously but is supplied continuously....basically an on/off switch timed to production line speed...I don't see this as being anything new...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=foRho1sMyqQ

For specific applications, there may be a use.

But the general rule of thumb for compressed air is; it takes energy to compress air, and the higher the level of compression, the more energy it takes. Any thing that cuts or reduces pressure before the point of use is wasting some of that energy.

That may be true for single pressure operations, but where the requirement is for differing pressures and volumes at separate locations around a plant, then there is no alternative but to provide the highest pressure required and then regulate down for the lower pressure needs.

Other than that you could well have quite a collection of compressors for specific needs, and while shorter runs can reduce friction and leakage losses, it could easily get out of hand and be far more expensive both in capital costs and running costs in providing stand by compressed air for seldom used equipment.

Yes, often practicality trumps efficiency!!

The idea works in theory and practice, and fine if the pulsed air is suitable for the application. Whether the 'numbers' quoted stack up in terms of 'savings' is another matter. The existence of a ready made device for this purpose eliminates some of the guesswork over the cost of building a diy system to achieve the results.

In terms of theory, a blast of air from an air-gun - say for one second - consumes one cubit foot. It follows that pressing the trigger ten times in one minute will consume ten cubic foot per minute - 30 times a minute will consume 30 cubic foot per minute.

Keeping the trigger pressed will consume sixty cubic foot per minute.

It is fairly easy to see that duration and flow per trigger press will equate to a pulsed output that obviously saves air if the pulses are synchronised with the demand for air.

The PH device seems to provide a ready-made means to do this.

I remember 'scientists' were puzzled by a beetle that could eject a volume of dye much further than it ought to be able, given it's body size. High speed recording showed it was ejecting many smaller amounts in pulses, compressing in a chamber and releasing compressing and releasing.

cnc jim

I am thinking of an amplifier's tank circuit in "other than Class A" conditions -- it works OK (not perfectly -- filters required) with electricity. With compressed air, however, I think that any "gains" would be, at best, dubious. If there was some sort of large ballast on the output, there might some benefit, but...

Remember that AIR LEAKS are the biggest thieves you can get.

Compressed air is one of the most expensive commodities in manufacturing.

Just repairing all the leaks can substantially reduce your compressed air costs, this is one of the many items that maintenance people should do on an ongoing basis at your facilities, if it isn't then your manager should be hung from the yardarm.

It ain't rocket science.

G A to Solar Eagle for a link to the animated pulse valve video.

No longer do the tentacles of the NIH moster torment me in the wee hours.