Reducing Inlet Valve Heat

How is your system configuration like? When its running at unloaded,is the discharge blowing off to the atmosphere or is it recycling back to suction? My air compressor blow off to atmosphere in unlaoded condition.

If you were a member and logged in, I would give you a good answer vote!

Part of the heat generated by compressors is removed by the air moving through the machine. If the air flow is stopped and compressor left running, the moving parts will overheat the air. Either shut off the machine, or "waste" some of the air to atmosphere (prefer outdoors) to carry away the heat of compression.

Yes GURU, I know the cause and the interpretation of the heat generation (it's the friction generated by the air going in and out trough the Inlet Valves-at 7bar(quite dense)1st stage and, at 20bar-2nd stage, inlets).

What I would like to know is: How to reduce the Inlet Valves heating up in a Booster, more or less the construction type is the same for most of the makers.

It's very difficult to remove the heat by the cooling system, so, other solutions:

-to blow to atmosphere,when the booster in Unloaded condition is a big waste(near 150cv from the air compressor 7 bar + 150 kW from this booster)

-to expand from 40bar to 7bar network is also another waste.

- I'm looking for other solutions like: to close the 7bar supply and open simultaneously the suction to athmosphere....

Please give me your comments

regards

Domingos

I re-read the original post and apologize for missing a couple of key points.

The idea of cutting off 7 bar air and using atmosphere for 1st stage inlet during setup and failures sounds like the simplest item to implement now.

I agree you do not want to blow off 40Bar air to atmosphere. In addition to energy waste, the noise would cause horrific working conditions due to noise.

What is the IR model number for the 150KW booster? is there an intercooler between stages? Could a precooler be fitted to inlet air?

The booster in Unloaded condition gives order to pneumatic cylinders, these ones open the Inlet Valves, so, these valves are forced to allow the air 7 bar, going in and out due to the piston movement.

It´s this air movement, in and out, that by friction, heats the valves and unloaders, and, phisically it's very difficult to cool by water the Inlet Valves and Unloaders.

I think that the booster cannot pump any air because the Inlet valves don't close, so, any air is going through the compressor or the atmosphere. Also there is no recycle to suction or to the air network (it's one of the proposals from the maker- I din't agree, it will a strong (>150 kW power) waste of energy.

Thanks for your answer

Domingos