The basics of a starting air compressor for power plants

If you're operating a diesel or gas engine, you may need a starting air compressor to get it running. This is the case for small to medium sized power plants. They need compressed air each time they start an engine.

Additionally, there can be several engines running in parallel that require start-up 4-5 times a day. Readily available high pressure air is needed to make this happen.

In this article, we'll discuss the specifics of starting air and what kind of compressed air setup power plants need. 

As pointed out in the introduction, starting air is high pressure compressed air used to initiate an engine. Typically, it is stored in starting air receivers at 30 bar pressure.

Because a standard compressor cannot deliver this high pressure, power plants typically use a dedicated high-pressure compressor. A starting air compressor relies on piston technology. This is because it's hard to achieve such levels with a rotary screw compressor. 

It can take up to an hour to generate the compressed air necessary for each start. That is why the system includes high pressure tanks that store the air. This way, it is ready for immediate use when needed. Storing the air also allows power plants to install a smaller, more efficient compressor. 

With the above information, it's important to have system redundancy. This ensures there’s always readily available compressed air for your operations. You’ll also want to pay attention to space requirements. With this in mind, a starting air compressor should be compact enough to fit in your facility.

As an alternative, you could consider the combination of a standard compressor with a medium/high pressure booster compressor near the engines. This two-step process is the most energy efficient way of generating high pressure air. Most power plants will have a standard air system for other equipment anyway. With this, a booster is installed close to the engine, and fed from a compressor in a main compressor room.

While classified as a medium pressure equipment, our LT 30 and LT 40 piston air compressor range delivers 30 and 40 bar pressure, respectively. This is useful for power plants. In addition, these machines can fit in most spaces with a compact footprint. This is because the V & W shaped 2 or 3 cylinder blocks come coupled to the motor.

You can learn more about the LT 30 and LT 40 starting air compressors here.

If you're interested in exploring boosters, we also offer those. Of course, the right setup for your facility requires a thorough analysis.

We can help you better understand how to install the most efficient system. Feel free to reach out today, our team is happy to help point you in the right direction.