Thread Content
As equipment for refrigeration and gas compression and transportation, screw compressors are widely used. As early as the last century, they were applied in the industrial sector and achieved remarkable results. Thanks to their small size, light weight, and ease of maintenance, they have become one of the fastest-developing types among refrigeration compressors. Currently, screw compressors can be divided into screw air compressors and industrial screw compressors, depending on their use in refrigeration, gas compression, synthesis, and transportation. Industrial screw compressors are primarily used in industries such as petroleum, petrochemicals, chemicals, synthetic rubber production, fertilizer manufacturing, textile production using chemical fibers, compression of process gases, pharmaceutical synthesis, electronics factories, and chemical plants. Next, Gonglenghui will explain the applications of industrial screw compressors in various industrial fields. I. Applications of industrial screw compressors in the petrochemical industry: Taking the synthesis of polymers as an example, industrial screw compressors can be used to compress and synthesize gases, which is why screw compressors are essential in petrochemical production. The specific working principle of a screw compressor is that a higher pressure is required when compressing gases; this is especially true when combining two different types of gases such as nitrogen and hydrogen. If the pressure during compression is too low, combination is not possible, and it is only possible to achieve gas combination using a screw compressor with a higher pressure. II. Compression of process gases using industrial screw compressors – Taking hydrogen as an example, hydrogen is widely used in the production processes of oil refining and petrochemical industries. Typically, hydrogen is produced mainly by pressure swing adsorption, membrane separation, or electrolysis. The hydrogen produced by the above method is usually at atmospheric pressure, and it generally needs to be pressurized to 30 bar (gauge pressure) using a compressor. Due to the low molecular weight of hydrogen and the need for high pressure, centrifugal and screw air compressors are rarely used in such systems; since screw compressors can achieve higher pressures, they are widely employed for compressing process gases. III. Advantages of industrial screw compressors The advantages of industrial screw compressors are mainly reflected in two aspects: structure and performance. Structurally, industrial screw compressors offer advantages such as long operating cycles, high gas delivery capacity, high pressure, compact size, and ease of maintenance, but they require high precision in the rotors. Of course, this does not contribute to the efficient operation of screw compressors; the greater strength of the rotors allows them to operate at the same critical speed. Moreover, the gaps between the rotors and between the rotors and the compressor casing ensure that the rotors do not come into contact or rub against each other within these specified gaps. As a result, industrial screw compressors have a lower failure rate compared to other types of compressors. In terms of performance, industrial screw compressors are highly versatile; they are not sensitive to gases containing liquid, and they do not contaminate the gases being transported. Unlike traditional compressors, they do not cause sticking of pistons and valves, which would affect compressor performance and reduce its efficiency. IV. Maintenance of industrial screw compressors Industrial screw compressors are mechanical devices, and over time they are bound to develop faults that affect their cooling and compression efficiency. Common faults in industrial screw compressors include shaft seizure, cylinder scoring, liquid slugging, surging, failure of the alarm system to function properly, abnormal readings of suction and discharge pressures, fluctuations in oil pressure, cooling temperatures that do not meet specifications, overload conditions, and motor burnout. Effective ways to prevent these faults are through regular maintenance of the screw compressors. If you have any issues or questions regarding the maintenance of industrial screw compressors, you can find solutions at Baisou Gonglenghui.