Start from demand, not from the compressor
Most oversized systems are built from a single number: the sum of the nameplate consumption of every tool in the plant. That number is almost never the real demand, because tools are not all running at once. Measure or estimate the simultaneous peak, then add a margin for growth, and you have the flow the system must actually deliver.
The four decisions
- Flow - peak simultaneous demand in m3/min, corrected for altitude and inlet temperature.
- Pressure - the highest pressure any consumer needs, plus line losses. Raising system pressure to solve a local problem costs energy everywhere.
- Dew point - set by the most moisture-sensitive process on the line. This decision picks refrigerated or adsorption drying.
- Storage - set by how spiky the demand is, not by average flow.
Matching the components
Each component has to be rated at the conditions it will actually see. A dryer selected at its nameplate flow but installed in a 40 degrees C room is effectively undersized. A filter selected at line pressure but running at a lower pressure drops more than its curve suggests. A receiver rated at 8 bar on a system that will later be raised to 10 bar is a safety issue, not a margin question.
| Step | What to specify |
|---|---|
| Compressor | Type (fixed speed, PM VSD, two stage, oil-free), flow at working pressure, voltage |
| Dryer | Refrigerated for 2 to 10 degrees C dew point, adsorption where a lower dew point is required |
| Receiver | Volume sized to demand swings, pressure rating above the system maximum |
| Filters | Q to P to S chain matched to the process cleanliness class |
What we ask before quoting
Working pressure, required flow, site voltage and frequency, ambient temperature, and the most moisture-sensitive process on the line. With those five answers we can propose a package where the compressor, dryer, tank and filters are rated for the same duty rather than assembled from separate catalogue pages.
Tell us your working pressure, required flow and site voltage, and we will match a configuration. Send an enquiry.