So there are locations in your compressed air system that the pressure just seems to fluctuate? With the maze of pipes, you have to consider pressure drop for certain areas. Most clients compensate for low or fluctuating pressures with a common fix: Raise the compressor output pressure. While this will usually solve the low pressure problem it rarely solves fluctuation and in addition it also increases your cost of power to produce higher pressure air. The input power for a compressor increases 1% for every 2 PSIG in pressure elevation! So what’s a plant to do?
Pressure/Flow Controllers
Pressure/Flow Controllers (P/FC) are system pressure controls that can be used in conjunction with the individual and multiple compressors. A P/FC does not directly control a compressor and is generally not part of compressor package. A P/FC is a device that serves to separate the supply side of a compressor system from the demand side, and requires the use of storage. Controlled storage can be used to address intermittent loads, which can affect system pressure and reliability. The goal is to deliver compressed air at the lowest stable pressure to the main plant distribution system and to support transient events as much as possible with stored compressed air. In general, a highly variable demand load will require a more sophisticated control strategy to maintain stable system pressure than a consistent, steady demand load.
“Credit to the US DOE for the preceding paragraph”
Contact a compressed air professional to discuss your particular low or fluctuating pressure concerns.
