Compressor Efficiency
31 January 2022, Thursday
Compressor efficiency is a measure of the compressor to fulfil its function in a quality manner. By performing certain tests, the compressor performance is measured. The more efficient the compressor, which is a specific power source, works, the more it has an increasing affect on the performance of the system it supports. Especially power saving constitutes an important factor in compressor efficiency. The instantaneous efficiency status of the compressor is analysed by comparing the actual measurements made according to the ex factory ideal values given by the manufacturers.
Factors Affecting Compressor Efficiency
1. Smooth Functioning: No matter the type of compressor, a long-term operation of a compressor without malfunction is an important factor for the user. A compressor, which breaks down during operation and causes the work to be unfinished, should not be preferred, no matter how powerful it is. For the continuity of the operation, smoothly functioning compressors should be preferred.
2. Ensuring Power Saving: Nowadays, power saving comes into prominence in compressors, as in all electrical appliances. Compressor types that display maximum performance with minimum power consumption are more preferred. These compressors also help prolong the engine life as they wear out the engine less.
3. More Work with Low Cost: The operation of the compressor with low cost also relates to power saving and smooth functioning. In addition to this, the operation cost is calculated by comparing the pressure performance introduced by the high-pressure piston compressors with the power they consume. The compressor with the least cost is considered to have the highest performance in this respect.
4. Conditional Operating Status: Compressors can be used in quite different conditions. Numerous factors such as the outer environment temperature, the amount of load loaded on the compressor, and the density of air entering inside the compressor affect the operating efficiency of the compressor. Depending on the conditions, the wider the range of ideal or near-ideal performance a compressor displays, the higher its efficiency is considered.
5. Suitability of Vibration and Sound Level: Every structure has its natural frequency, and natural frequency is a feature, not a status. Unless natural frequencies are triggered, they do not appear and do not damage the structure. It is considered normal to have a certain level of vibration in compressors that produce compressed air. In this context, the compressors in question are machines that operate at a certain sound level. According to the sound and vibration measurements made by taking into account the applied pressure and the load of the compressor, the optimum operating efficiency of the compressor is determined.
How to Calculate the Efficiency of the Compressor?
Although the factors affecting the compressor efficiency are taken into account individually, they are evaluated together, and the efficiency of the machine is set out. There are two types of tests generally applied to determine the factors affecting the compressor efficiency. These tests applied by the producers appear as operating performance and lifespan. The tests that the compressor is subjected to for the operating performance examine all other factors except from the lifespan. Engine temperature, noise, power saving and other elements are examined in line with the ideal values expected from the compressor. Thus, the seller, the applicator and the end user can see the performance of the machine and prefer the product.
The other tests that the compressors are subjected to are the tests in which the lifespan of the compressor is calculated. In order to calculate the approximate usage time of the machine, the compressor is operated in an environment suitable for natural operating conditions. During the test, the ambient conditions as well as the external factors that the compressor may encounter during active use are simulated. Thus, the reactions that the machine will give in different ambient conditions are seen and the approximate usage time is determined. While the life test made by the producers is presented to the users, an average life of the compressor is determined by specifying the ambient conditions.