Air/oil separator elements – for clean compressed air
Air/oil separator elements are installed in oil-flooded screw compressors. During the compression process, the air is typically compressed to 7, 10 or 13 bar, whereby around 5 kg of oil is injected into the compressor per kg of air. The oil creates a seal between the rotors significantly cools the compressed air.
The air/oil mixture then usually flows tangentially into the vessel, whereby >99% of the oil is removed due to the centrifugal force. The remaining 1 – 10 g of oil/m³ of air is then removed under pressure inside the air/oil separator element, which reduces the oil content to 3 mg/m³. Depending on the air velocity, the glass-fiber windings inside the air/oil separator elements generate a flow resistance of up to 250 mbar in the initial state.
During operation, dirt accumulates inside the extremely fine glass-fiber windings, which further increases the flow resistance to 800 – 1000 mbar. Depending on the manufacturer’s instructions, the air/oil separator element may then need to be replaced. Air deoilers achieve a constant oil removal rate throughout the period of operation.
Since clean compressed air is critical in modern compressed-air systems, the chosen air/oil separator elements must be of the highest quality.
Where are air/oil separator elements used?
Compressed air plays a key role in virtually every modern industrial plant. Compressors and vacuum pumps are used in every kind of industrial facility and in the food and pharmaceutical sectors.
How do air/oil separator elements work?
Air/oil separator elements work according to the principle of coalescence, i.e., multiple glass-fiber layers trap many small oil droplets, which coalesce into fewer, larger droplets. These are then transported downwards via a post-separation fleece under gravity before being collected in a reservoir and extracted via a drainage pipe.
Which filter media are available?
Glass-fiber layers are almost exclusively used as the coalescence media. In some cases, sintered media are also used.
Service life
Air/oil separator elements are wear-free and their oil separation performance remains consistent throughout their service life. Purely due to the increased flow resistance, an air/oil separator element must be replaced in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions – usually after one year or max. 4,000 operating hours.
In particular, the quality of the air filter element is a critical factor that will determine the service life of an air deoiler. Virtually no dirt particles are generated during the compression process – most of the contamination is introduced via the air-intake filter. Therefore, the air filter element will have a major impact on the service life of the air deoiler.
Design of the air/oil separator element
The air/oil separator element or the wound-glass-fiber package functions in a speed-dependent manner. The glass-fiber package inside the air deoiler must be dimensioned according to the system pressure and the intake flow of the compressor. In the case of speed-controlled compressors, which operate at variable pressures and with variable flow rates, it is critical that the air/oil separator element is precisely matched to the corresponding system.
At excessively high or low speeds, the principle of coalescence no longer functions optimally, causing the residual oil content in the compressed clean air to increase. To achieve a residual oil content of less than 3 mg/m³, it is essential to choose the right air/oil separator element in advance!
Different types of air deoilers can be designed and used depending on the available space and/or the required service life and residual oil content. The best-known types are standard filters, depth filters, and star-pleated separators.
NO CUSTOMER ACCOUNT?
Request now to benefit from numerous advantages.
- Individual prices - Machine lists - And much more!
