Will a loss of instrument air have an impact on the reciprocating compressor?
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Will a loss of instrument air have an impact on the reciprocating compressor? It’s a compressor with a unloader
Does the compressor run at no load once the instrument air is interrupted?
The control valve is affected and cannot operate.
In terms of the process flow, operations such as inlet, outlet, reflux, venting, and safety valve release are all controlled by pneumatic actuators to operate the valves, with instrument air serving as the power source.
The unloader is installed on the cylinder; it has nothing to do with instrument air.
Before startup, the intake and exhaust ball valves cannot be opened without a pilot valve serving as a power source, which would prevent the system from starting properly; therefore, bypasses were installed on these two valves to avoid this issue； During normal operation, since there is no instrument air available as a power source, the automatic drain valve of the liquid separation tank cannot function when a high-level alarm is triggered; the return valve also does not work properly, as do the safety valve and the vent valve. Manual ball valves must be used instead, and obviously manual operation is less sensitive, accurate, and safe than automatic operation.
It has no impact on the machine itself; however, the pressure at the inlet and outlet of the compressor may change due to a disruption in the instrument air supply, which in turn can affect the compressor.
When the control valve used in the compressor loses pressurized air, it will operate on its own depending on whether the valve is in a closed or open position.
Do unloaders also come in types with wind-on and wind-off functions?
Isn’t the unloader powered by instrument air?