What is the purpose and use scenario of explosion-proof air compressor

Explosion-proof air compressor is a kind of special equipment specially designed for the hazardous environment with explosive gas, dust or combustible substances. Its core function is to prevent electric spark or high temperature in compression process through explosion-proof design (such as explosion-proof motor, explosion-proof electrical components, sealing structure, etc.), so as to avoid explosion accident. The following is its detailed use and usage scenario analysis:

the core use of 1. explosion-proof air compressor

1. provide safe air supply
   • in flammable and explosive environments, ordinary air compressors may cause explosions due to electrical sparks, mechanical friction, high temperature or static electricity, and explosion-proof air compressors eliminate these risks through special designs (such as flameproof, increased safety, and intrinsically safe). Ensure the safe supply of compressed air.
2. Meet industry compliance requirements
   • compliance ATEX (EU Explosion Protection Directive), IECEx (International Electrotechnical Commission standard for explosion protection), GB 3836 (China explosion-proof standard) such as international/domestic certification to ensure that the equipment is legally used in hazardous locations.
3. Support for critical processes
   • provide power for pneumatic tools, control valves, instrument purging, material conveying and other processes, while avoiding production accidents caused by gas source pollution or interruption.

2. typical usage scenarios

1. Petrochemical industry

• scene: Refineries, chemical plants, natural gas processing plants, etc.
• Demand:
  • compressed air is used for instrument control, valve actuation, equipment purging, etc.
  • Existence in the environment hydrogen, Ethylene, Methane such as flammable gases, explosion-proof equipment is required to prevent sparks from causing explosions.
• Case: An oil refinery uses an explosion-proof screw air compressor to provide a gas source for the catalytic cracking device to ensure the safe operation of the device.

2. Coal and metal mines

• scene: underground operation, mine ventilation, dust environment.
• Demand:
  • exist in underground coal mine methane (gas) and coal dust, metal mines may have combustible dust (such as sulfur dust).
  • Explosion-proof air compressor is used to drive pneumatic picks, pneumatic rock drills and other tools, while avoiding gas explosion caused by equipment failure.
• Case explosion-proof piston air compressor is used in a coal mine to provide power for underground support equipment and reduce the risk of gas explosion.

3. Pharmaceutical and Food Industry

• scene sterile pharmaceutical production, food processing, dust treatment.
• Demand:
  • pharmaceutical workshop may exist ethanol, acetone such as organic solvent vapor, food workshop may exist flour, powdered sugar such as combustible dust.
  • The explosion-proof air compressor shall meet the requirements at the same time. Oil-free, dust-free requirements, to avoid contaminating the product or causing an explosion.
• Case A pharmaceutical company uses an explosion-proof oil-free scroll air compressor to provide air source for the liquid preparation filling line to ensure the safety of the production environment.

4. Military and Aerospace

• scene: Ammunition production, rocket fuel handling, dangerous goods testing.
• Demand:
  • existence in the environment gunpowder, propellant for highly explosive substances, absolutely prevent static electricity or sparks.
  • Explosion-proof air compressor is used for pneumatic testing, equipment purging, etc. to ensure safe operation.
• Case an aerospace enterprise adopts explosion-proof water-lubricated screw air compressor to provide air source for rocket fuel filling system to avoid explosion risk.

5. Textile and wood processing

• scene: Textile mills, sawmills, dust collection systems.
• Demand:
  • textile workshop exists cotton dust, chemical fiber dust wood processing workshop exists sawdust dust it is a combustible dust.
  • Explosion-proof air compressor is used for pneumatic conveying and dust removal system to prevent dust explosion.
• Case A textile factory uses an explosion-proof piston air compressor to provide air source for the cleaning machine and reduce the hidden danger of dust explosion.

Technical characteristics of 3. explosion-proof air compressor

1. explosion-proof design
   • motor: Use flameproof (Ex d) or increased safety (Ex e) motors to prevent internal spark leakage.
   • Electrical components: Use explosion-proof junction boxes, explosion-proof buttons, explosion-proof sensors, etc. to ensure the safety of the electrical system.
   • Structure: The sealing design prevents combustible substances from entering the inside of the equipment, and the mechanical parts use low-friction materials to reduce the risk of high temperature.
2. Material and surface treatment
   • parts in contact with compressed air (such as cylinders and pipelines) are used. Stainless steel or anti-static material to avoid metal friction sparks.
   • Equipment surface coating anti-static coating reduce static buildup.
3. Safety protection device
   • equipped temperature sensor, pressure switch, leakage protection and other devices, real-time monitoring of operating status, abnormal automatic shutdown.
   • Some models support remote monitoring to facilitate timely handling of faults.

4. selection considerations

1. explosion-proof grade matching
   • select the explosion-proof level (e. g. Ex d IIB T4, Ex e IIC T6) according to the degree of environmental hazard to ensure that the equipment meets the site requirements.
   • Reference GB 3836 or IEC 60079 standard, specify the category, level and temperature group of explosive gas/dust.
2. Gas volume and pressure demand
   • select the model with appropriate displacement (such as 0.5-100m & sup3;/min) and pressure (such as 0.7-1.3MPa) according to the process requirements.
   • Consider future expansion needs and set aside a margin.
3. Post-processing system
   • collocation freeze dryer, adsorption dryer, precision filter ensure that the compressed air is dry, oil-free and dust-free.
   • In high humidity or corrosive environment, need to strengthen the anti-corrosion treatment.
4. Maintenance and Cost
   • priority should be given to models with simple structure and easy maintenance (such as oil-free explosion-proof air compressor) to reduce maintenance frequency and cost.
   • Consider domestic cost-effective brands (such as Deria, Jaguar, etc.), the price is usually 60%-80% of imported models, and spare parts supply is more convenient.