Learn All about The Usage of Air Compressors for Steel Plants
The atmosphere at a steel mill is tense, thus the equipment must be strong and long-lasting. There is no room or time for sensitive maintenance procedures, but there is a definite demand for trouble-free, dependable, and high-performance gear.
In this article, we will try to cover what industrial air compressors are and also understand their major uses in the steel industry.
Industrial air compressors
Air compressors and blowers are in a wide range of technologies today – Rotary Screw or Centrifugal, single stage or multi-stage depending on the application and are usually driven by an electric motor to generate desired air pressures. The components used to build these compressors are robust and reliable to withstand the industry demanding environment and guarantee continuous operation in all conditions.
The importance of durability, and overall cost-effectiveness of industrial air compressors are well recognized for any industry today, in particular steel where production happens 24x7 continuously in heavy duty conditions. An air compressor is usually stationary electric for large volumes of air needed for both service and instrument applications. Oil-free Centrifugal compressors are the common technology found in these plants as the demand for compressed air is generally stable and in high volumes.
Like any production plant also in steel factories, compressed air is a common utility and critical to operate vital instruments on the production floor.
In steel or metal factories compressed air is also essential to run processes like blast furnaces, coke production or dust collection systems in addition to Waste Water Treatment. As you see the demand for compressed air is quite high due to the nature of this industrial application and having high quality oil and moisture free continuous supply of compressed air is necessary.
Use of air compressors in the steel industry
Aside from instrumentation air, which is fully dry and devoid of impurities, the primary applications of compressed air in a steel mill are as follows.
- To run blowers widely used to supply cold blast air to a blast furnace. Steel manufacturers commonly use centralized compressed air system to meet the demand of all plant processes using a central sequencer to balance running hours, equal wear-and-tear as well as ensure readily available backup.
- When measured in terms of per unit of energy provided, compressed air is a costly utility. The usage of compressed air has the benefit of being conveniently stored in air receivers and quickly available for brief peak demand periods. Applications like Atomizing air for spray treatment or various mill shop usages can have sudden peak demands.
- At a steel plant, pneumatic cylinders control a wide range of manufacturing equipment. This category includes chucks, clamp automatic feed devices, presses, irregular motion devices, and several other items that run on continuous energy supply of compressed air.
The capacity rating of an air compressor is frequently stated in terms of 'free air,' which refers to ambient pressure, temperature, and relative humidity rather than the pressure, temperature, and relative humidity required to run all production equipment and various processes. Most modern air compressors include an aftercooler fitted right after the compressor to remove water and some oil vapor as a standard fitting and reduce the final discharge temperature to 10-15 degrees above ambient (for air-cooled units). However, Air Dryers need to be downstream on your compressors to ensure high quality moisture free air to protect your pneumatic system as well as instruments. Desiccant dryers with PDP up to -70degree C and be achieved while Refrigerant dryers can deliver +3degree C PDP.
Air compressors are offered as single stage or multistage compression. When using Centrifugal Oil-free technology with pressures up to 4 barg, a 2-stage unit works efficiently to meet the requirement, however when delivering higher pressures of 10barg as an example, 3 stage compressor is utilized. Because air must be cooled between inter stages and moisture removed before further compression to higher pressures, an intercooled and aftercooler is mounted on the compressors and for maximum reliability stainless-steel coolers guarantee maximum reliability for long term.
Choosing an industrial air compressor requires careful consideration of several criteria such as internal component design for easier maintenance like – horizontal split gearbox or AGMA Q13 gears for easier maintenance and IGVs (Inlet Guide Vanes) for maximum turndown on centrifugal machines.
Remember that each compression technology has its own set of advantages and limitations in terms of adaptability, maintenance, and even long-term performance. Choosing the correct compression technology depends on your application needs and compressed air demand profile.
Consider those elements in relation to your company's unique requirements, and you'll get a good value out of your air compressor.
Conclusion:
The broad range of industrial air compressor applications indicates their importance. As a result, purchasing an air compressor is a sound investment for both small and large-scale businesses.
We hope this article helped you with a better understanding of your air compressor needs.