Marine air compressors are essential to your vessel's smooth operation. This machinery has become the most popular machinery nowadays in marine industry as well as some other industries because of its various uses and excellent performance. The air volume is reduced and its energy potential is increased by a marine air compressor, adding more power for other onboard duties. The major function of a ship's air compressor is to keep the ship running smoothly.
They can be used for a variety of jobs, from simple ones like cleaning the filters to bigger, more important ones like starting the primary and secondary engines. Air compressor is widely employed in tankers, aboard boats, and other marine vessels. Different kinds of air compressors are used in the ships for various purposes. In this article, we are going to discuss different types of marine air compressors.
What Are the Different Varieties of Air Compressors You May Use in Your Vessel?
Air compressors always play a very essential role in the marine industry. It produces compressed air that is essential to the operation of several equipment on a ship. This compressed air is used for a variety of tasks, including offshore drilling, nitrogen production, air filtering, and so on. You should use a variety of air compressors in your vessel if you care about it and want best performance from your vessel.
By reducing the air volume and thus raising its pressure, an air compressor creates pressured air. Depending on the application, various kinds of air compressors are employed in various ships. Mainly 4 types of air compressors are available in the market such as reciprocating air compressor, the centrifugal compressor, the rotary vane compressor, and the rotary screw compressor. Let’s now talk about various kinds of air compressors in detail. This guide will help you to choose the ideal air compressor for your vessel.
1. Reciprocating Air Compressor
The most popular and widely used marine air compressor is the reciprocating air compressor. This is also the most efficient air compressor rather than other air compressors. Because it is a positive displacement compressor, the air is compressed by reducing the capacity of the container it is in. Reciprocating air compressors come in two primary varieties such as single stage and two stage.
A crankshaft is used in the single stage to handle piston displacement. The inlet valve allows the air to enter through it when the piston retracts, expanding the air container's volume. The container's volume then shrinks as the piston pushes upward, compressing the air inside. The air has been blasted out and is stored in bottles and prepared for usage. The working principle of two stage reciprocating pumps is also similar to the single. stage. However, the two stage costs more than the single stage since it has more stages. As a result, one stage is typically utilized for modest jobs while two stages are employed for larger ones.
2. Centrifugal Air Compressor
The centrifugal air compressor is different from other compressors and its working principle is also different from other compressors. It does not utilize positive displacement for compressing the air, in contrast to the reciprocating air compressors. Centrifugal air compressor uses dynamic displacement, which quickens the air's speed before slowing it down to boost pressure.
The air accelerates as it passes through the casing and reaches the diffuser. Pressure increases as a result of the diffuser's restriction on the rapid air's ability to travel. The compressed air is now prepared to be bottled. For large-scale activities, this particular air compressor is primarily employed.
3. Rotary Screw Compressor
The rotary screw compressor is the most convenient air compressor among all types of air compressors. This compressor can be maintained very easily because it includes an internal cooling function that does not need any upkeep. Typically, these are massive industrial-sized equipment that may either work with oil or also without oil.
The two internal counter-rotating rotors that are present in rotary screw air compressors, provide energy. Between these rotors, air becomes trapped and creates pressure inside the housing. These air compressors have both low and high power ranges from 5 to 350 horsepower. They are made for continuous usage because of their inbuilt cooling system.
4. Rotary Vane Compressor
Rotary vane compressor is also one of the most useful air compressors that is quite similar to the rotary screw compressor. Only the main difference between rotary screw and rotary vane compressor is that it does not use screws and operates by employing vanes such as wide, revolving blades.
After passing through the input valve, the air becomes trapped between the vanes. Because the vanes' centre point is off-center and their blade lengths are irregular, the air that flows with blades is compressed. As it is quite the same as rotary screw compressor, this is also an easy-to-use air compressor and it is also very simple to maintain.
Pick the Best Air Compressor for Your Vessel from Ababil Marine
We believe that this article will surely assist you in deciding which one can be the most appropriate air compressor for your boat or ship. Think about the particular purpose of the air compressor before choosing it for your vessel.
Need a sturdy and efficient air compressor for your ship? Then Ababil Marine is the right place for you. It is one of the most renowned manufacturing firms of air compressors in India that supplies all kinds of Marine engine spare parts for several industries, especially marine industry. You will be able to collect the finest-quality and most efficient air compressors for your vessel at cheaper costs.