How Do Rotary Screw Air Compressors Operate?

Executive Summary About Compressor Rotary By Mike Selvon

The most common type of compressors used in industrial settings are the rotary screw air compressors. There are many weird ideas surrounding these rotary screw compressors.

Some rotary screw air compressors have thermal or bypass valves in the oil cooling system. This helps protect the compressor parts during startup in cold weather.

Cold weather sometimes causes condensation to buildup in the air lines of the rotary screw air compressors. If not properly drained before the compressor is shut down, this can damage some of the compressor parts and expensive components.

Rotary Screw Compressor Selection

Executive Summary About Compressor Rotary By Scot Desiderio

The rotary screw belongs to the positive displacement compressor family. The Rotary screw compressor is composed of two intermeshing helical rotors contained in a housing. In the case of an oil injected machine, the female rotor is driven by the male rotor through a thin film of oil. As the rotor diameter increases, so does the air pumps capacity; As the length of the rotor increases, so does the pumps final pressure.

When the male rotor enters the interlobe space it begins to convey and compress the gas towards the discharge port. Continued rotation causes the gas volume to reduce to the stated design pressure. Proper gas analysis is critical in oil selection as during initial start up, gas will dilute the viscosity of the oil.

Please read the articles about air filtration, pneumatic air tools