Compressor oil leveling...

You would need a pump with more than 100 psi pressure to get it into the system, but it could be done. You obviously could not just pour it in... It would be much easier to stop briefly and fill properly. You would also have to be very careful about how much you put in, and where you put it in, with the windage there is a chance of blowing it around the oil separator. There are usually baffles in the separators to prevent foaming, so you would want to fill on the lower side of such a baffle. You don't want to over fill.. Where is the oil going? Down stream into the process piping I take it?

Hello,

We have the same problem on our movie projectors. I also, have a drive in movie theatre and operate, 1934 model Regular Simplex Projectors, that have factory RCA transmissions , with a sight glass piped on the drive side. Through out the movie, we can monitor the sight glass, for the oil level , as we know where the mark should hit, both running and not running, so its known, if we need to add any oil, without stopping the movie.

Side note 1934 model Regular Simplex Projectors leak through the running , & I worry - as parts are few today.

Maybe an oil sight glass , would work on your compressor (s) too ?

Best Regards,

Joe Woodall, Managing Partner

Georgia Adobe Rammed Earth & Renewable Energy

2395 Bowman Hwy. NW.

Dewy Rose GA 30634

www.georgiaadobe.com

He has a sight glass, but the pressure inside the oil separator is 100 psi, where as your projector oil resevoir operates at atmospheric pressure.

He mentioned a couple of ball valves, sort of an "air" lock. Open top valve, add oil. Close top valve, open bottom valve. Oil enters compressor sump.

Here's a solution if you want to try it. You'll need to shut it off for a little bit to get it set up. Take the fill cap off, install a small reservoir/cylinder in line with the fill cap with an inlet and outlet valve. Then you can close the outlet valve, bleed the pressure off of the reservoir, fill it with oil, close the oil fill valve, open the outlet valve, once the reservoir/cylinder is pressurized, the oil will run down into the sump/receiver. Sort of like the reverse of the low point drain of a dry sprinkler system charged with air, this drains the condensate out without bleeding air pressure off of the system.

this can be done with a hand pump with a ball valve, like a grease gun concept. They usually also have a valve you can open and close to add oil. The hand pump is usually a lever with a repeated action that pumps in an ounce or so of oil each stroke.

The sump on a screw compressor is under pressure. The pressure is what ever the output pressure is. In working on screw compressors I have found it usually does not need oil between separator filter changes. If it does need oil then best to determine where its gone and correct that.

If it is an air compressor you could drip feed the oil into the air intake.

The real problem is knowing when you have reached the correct level.

Hi,

Any machinery oil level check is to be done when it stopped and oil drained from all moving parts. It is essential as this is the only way one can tell if the amount of oil is correct. Oil is not only lubricating but also is taking heat from moving parts and then transfers heat away through cooling fins on a sump or a heat exchanger, etc.

Operating level is critical parameter and you have to strictly follow manufacturer recommendation on that. Or costly repair and loss due to down time will follow.

Cheers.

HI,

It is very seldom we top up the oil in screw compressor unless otherwise you have a huge amount of oil carry over from the outlet. If that is the case then the process of oil separtion not taking place properly and for that you have to rectify the problem of scavenging line and functioning of the oil separator.

It is not a good engineering practise to top up the oil during running condition for following reason.

1. you will not get the correct oil level since oil is in circulation.

2. In screw compressor oil circulation takes place along with comprseed air( there is no separate pumping sytem) and hence pressure inside separator/oil chamberr sometimes more than the compressor oulet pressure and tempreture almost equal to element outlet temprature.

3.while filling the oil with high pressuure ( pressure higher than the system pressure) there will be turbulence (due to centrigugal force which already exist in the separator as a part of three phase separation system) which may create foaming and flooding and lead to other problem causing the compressor shutdown

Therefore my advice is to find out the actual reason for oil carry over and rectify the same instead of taking the risk of total shutdown.

What is stated in operation manual about it?