In this article, I will share with you the functions, requirements and maintenance of an air receiver.
The Air receiver is one of the compressor accessories that is used for the storage of pressurized air.
The compressed air is usually stored in this vessel so that it can be used when needed thus aiding in saving the energy used in the compression of air.
Air receivers can be designed in different shapes depending on the pressure they can handle.
Rectangular air receivers are for handling compressed air of lower pressure while cylindrical air receivers with doom-shaped like on both ends are used to handle compressed air of very high pressure.
Without forgetting the air receivers that are spherical, these are used to handle air with extremely high pressure.
The mobile compressor units usually use the rectangular type of air receiver since they handle air of lower pressure.
The main function of the air receiver is to provide a storage unit for the compressed air, as it provides the storage of the compressed air from the compressor it also aids in the cooling of the compressed air, filters the compressed air by removing oil from it, acts as a pulsation damper and also removes moisture off from the compressed air.
These are some of the components of an air receiver;
The components of the air receiver are essential when it comes to its safe operation of it.
These are the components of the air receiver;
A pressure gauge; is used to read the pressure value of air in the air receiver.
An adjustable safety valve; it’s used to control the pressure of the compressed air within the air receiver.
If the pressure is too high than the expected value the safety valve is opened to reduce the pressure in the air receiver.
A drain c*ck; it’s used to drain the water from the air receiver that is removed from the compressed air.
The main pressure vessel; it’s used to hold the compressed air from the compressor.
Requirements of an air receiver;
The requirements of an air receiver are there to enhance the safety and ease of operation of the air receiver.
They also ensure the efficiency of the air receiver.
An air receiver should have the following requirements;
Inlet and outlet valve; the inlet and outlet of the air receiver should be placed between the receiver walls as this minimizes the risk of tapping out moisture.
The stop valve of the air receiver; should be placed at the exit end of the air receiver to facilitate the ease of stopping the compressed air flowing out of the pressure vessel.
Safety valve; the air receiver should be fitted with a safety valve to prevent it from bursting due to extremely higher pressure.
Draining plug; an air receiver is required to be fitted with a suitable drain plug which can either be automatically or manually operated to remove the trapped moisture.
Man-hole; it’s required on the air receiver to ensure ease of inspection and maintenance.
A pressure gauge; is required to be fitted with a pressure gauge that will be used to measure the amount of pressure in the air receiver.
Maintenance of an air receiver;
Cleaning of the air filters; the filters should be cleaned regularly since they are usually clogged by the dust from the environment and if they are worn out they should be replaced.
There should be frequent checks of the filters to ensure that they are in good working condition.
Air dryers; the air dryers should be cleaned if they are plugged with contaminants, inspect and replaced if they are worn out.
Regenerative air dryers should be properly fitted with oil filter removal on their inlet to prevent the oil from coming in contact with the desiccant.
The temperature of the deliquescent dryers should be kept below 1000F to prevent excessive consumption of the desiccant material.
The desiccant material used in dryers should be replenished every 3-4 months depending on the rate of depletion.
Some will need to be replenished earlier than that due to the rate of consumption.
So, this means the dryers should be regularly checked to ensure that they are in the right working condition.
Condensate traps; the manual-operated condensate traps systems should be opened to drain any liquid that is accumulated in them and closed after that.
The automatic traps should be regularly checked to ensure they aren’t leaking and are in good working condition.
Regular checking of the safety valve; the safety valve should be regularly checked by popping it to ensure it’s in good working condition.
The safety valve should be repaired or replaced when it’s not working in the required way.
The pressure gauge; should be checked frequently to ensure that it has no faults or any malfunction.
Clean the air receiver; the manhole cover should be removed to clean the inside and remove any traces of oil and sludge.
The pressure vessel; should be checked for cracks, wear and corrosion. if the pressure vessel is corroding it should be repainted internally and externally.
Stop valve; if the valve is worn out it should be replaced. It should also be checked to ensure that it does not allow any compressed air leakages.
Thanks for reading, if you have any questions you should leave your comment. See you in my next article.
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