The drainage cycle of the air compressor storage tank shall be dynamically adjusted according to the environmental conditions, operating conditions and equipment configuration. The specific suggestions are as follows:
impact of 1. environmental conditions
- high humidity environment
- plum rainy season or wet area: Drain 1-2 times a day to prevent the condensate from flowing back to rust the host. For example, in rainy weather in the south, the accumulation of water in gas tanks may reach dangerous levels within 24 hours.
- Normal humidity environment: If the environmental water vapor content is moderate, it can be drained every 2-3 days or once a week.
- Low temperature environment
- winter or extremely cold areas: After shutdown, it must be thoroughly drained to prevent the pipeline from freezing. For example, the northern winter night shutdown, if not drained may cause the pipeline to freeze and crack.
Influence of 2. operating conditions
- high-frequency use equipment
- continuous operation or high load rate: It is recommended to drain water once a week to avoid water accumulation affecting compression efficiency. For example, the air compressor supporting the factory production line needs high-frequency drainage due to large gas consumption and long running time.
- Low frequency use equipment
- intermittent operation or low load rate: It can be drained every 10-15 days. For example, spare air compressors or equipment that operates only during specific periods of time, the drainage cycle can be extended appropriately.
3. device configuration impact
- dryer Configuration
- before dryer (no drying treatment): It must be drained regularly. Refer to the above environment and working conditions for the drainage cycle.
- After dryer (dried): Basically no sewage, because the dryer has removed most of the water.
- Special models
- dry oil-free air compressor: The drainage frequency needs to be adjusted according to the humidity sensor, and the drainage frequency is doubled when the load is high. For example, an oil-free air compressor used in an electronics manufacturing plant may need to check the humidity and adjust the drain cycle every hour.
4. drainage mode and operation points
- manual drainage
- spring and autumn season: Discharge sewage every 12 hours until it is exhausted.
- Rainy/high temperature weather or air compressor operation interval <30 minutes it is recommended to drain water every 8 hours.
- Operation steps:
- turn off the power supply of the air compressor and ensure that the equipment stops.
- Locate the water drain valve (cock or ball valve) at the bottom of the reservoir.
- Slowly open the valve, let the water flow out, observe the water flow speed to determine whether to continue to drain.
- After the drainage is completed, close the valve, restart the equipment and check for water leakage.
- automatic drainage
- inspection cycle: Regularly check whether the blowdown valve is working properly every half month, and repair or replace it immediately if it is found to be faulty.
- Service life: The life of the automatic drain valve is about 3-5 years, and it needs to be replaced in time when it expires.
- Installation recommendations:
- install a drain valve at the lowest point at the bottom of the receiver to ensure that the drain direction is consistent with the valve body arrow.
- Install a bypass, open the bypass every time check to confirm the water content in the tank.
- Hard pipes are preferred to avoid rust in the sewage from blocking the pipe orifice.
Risk of improper 5. drainage
- high frequency drainage (<5 min/time): May lose 0.5-1m & sup3 per hour; Compressed air, resulting in energy waste.
- Low frequency drainage (>30 minutes/time): The bacterial growth rate increased by 40%, and the backflow of accumulated water in the gas storage tank may cause the rotor to be scrapped.
- Seal failure: Sudden increase in water volume may indicate seal failure, which should be checked and repaired immediately.
