Centrifugal Air Compressor Maintenance - Everything You Need to Know

Centrifugal air compressors do not have a complicated internal structure which minimizes the need for frequent repair and maintenance.

Only two parts need major maintenance: the cooler components and the rotors.

Regular maintenance will help you ensure optimum performance of your air compressor and avoid any unexpected shutdowns. A preventive approach will help you handle issues and minimize chances of long-term damage or failures.

You won’t need frequent servicing or fixes with regular maintenance. 

The air filter is changed every year. This period may be less if the atmospheric conditions are dusty.

The process of control panel checkout is designed to know if the control panel is fully functional. Make sure that you are regularly checking the control panel.

The instruction manual that comes along with the centrifugal compressor includes the instructions to help you with the adjustments. 

You need to monitor the vibrations on the shaft on both the side by using a vibration analyzer.

If the vibration level is more than 2 mils on 3000-3600 RPM and 2.5 mils on 1500-1800 RPM drivers. And in case you are using a non-contacting prob, consider an additional 0.5 mils as the recommended value.

However, read the instructions on the manual to know exact values for your model. 

In order to inspect the discharge check valve, you need to remove it from the compressed air system.

Make sure that you look for any signs of broke strings, corrosion, freedom of movement, and damaged seals.

Immediately have the affected part repaired or replaced as needed. 

Oil filters have filter elements that must be replaced every year. If the pressure has exceeded 8 PSI from the pressure limits when the filter was new, it is also time to replace the filters.

Discard the filter elements when you are replacing the oil filter.

Clean all other parts properly and then lubricate the rubber seals that will come with the new filters. 

In order to inspect the oil coolers, you will have to remove the bonnets.

Check the zinc anode and look for signs of oxide deposits and erosion. But don’t want for it to be completely eroded. Change it while it is eroded for more than half. And to clean the shell side of the oil cooler, flush a stream of water at high velocity through the cooler. 

Check for any signs of irregular discharge every now and then to ensure that everything related to the condensate traps is fine.

A fully-functional condensate trap should have either a semi-continuous discharge, intermittent discharge, or a constant discharge.

In case you don’t find any discharge, you need to open the condensate bypass valve to find out the issue. If there is a large deposit of condensate discharge, then it is time for an immediate repair or replacement. 

Here is what you need to do every six months for a fully-functional centrifugal air compressor:

• Lubricate the main driver coupling
• Test the air coolers for any signs of leakage
• Check the control system
• Change the oil filters
• Change the driver bearing lubrication
• Check the bypass valve calibration
• Check the inlet

And here is what you need to do every day:

• Check the levels of compressor reservoir oil
• Check the levels of main driver oil
• Record the compressor’s oil temperature and oil supply pressure
• Check and blow the condensate traps
• Record the air intake filter differential pressure
• Drain the condensate from the inlet air line drip leg and from the discharge header to bypass the air line drip legs
• Look for any signs of oil leakage

Atlas Copco provides robust centrifugal turbocompressor solutions that are capable of handling pressures up to 205 bar and volume flows up to 560,000 m3/h.
All our centrifugal turbocompressors are powered by integral gear or single shaft technology.

Get in touch with our centrifugal turbocompressor experts at Atlas Copco to further discuss about improving the performance and lifespan of your centrifugal air compressor.