Regarding the oil issue with the Ingersoll Rand M350Kw instrument air compressor
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I would like to ask if anyone has used the above-model instrument air compressors. The compressors in our unit often experience the following problems: 1. The inlet filter frequently triggers an alarm indicating a high inlet pressure difference, forcing us to replace the inlet filter element. 2. The oil filter in the oil system has a high pressure difference, and its filter element needs to be replaced. 3. Moreover, during operation, the oil quickly turned black, and it wasn’t long before there were issues related to a high pressure difference in the oil separator, requiring prompt replacement. I wonder how people maintain this model of air compressor and what kind of problems they encounter
Equipment maintenance is generally similar in all cases; efforts should be made to create a favorable operating environment for the units, keeping them in good condition. The oil turning black and the high pressure difference in the oil separator are likely due to the presence of debris inside the unit. It is recommended to disassemble the unit to take a look; many problems can actually be resolved by doing so.
A high inlet pressure difference may be caused by factors such as many impurities in the working environment and air humidity. The issue mentioned later is related to lubricant; the Ingersoll Rand compressor used by the original poster might be using mineral oil, which can lead to carbon buildup and coking, as well as difficulties in separating oil from gas. If you want to learn more about how to address this problem, you can contact me at QQ981007707. Regarding the selection of lubricants for compressors…
A high pressure difference across the inlet filter is likely due to an excessive amount of impurities in the ambient air, or to an inappropriate selection of the filter element – its high density resulting in a high pressure difference. This situation with lubricating oil is rather special ； I haven’t encountered it. However, based on the observed phenomena, it is possible that the compressor has mechanical wear, such as wear in components like shafts and bearing shells; the metal particles resulting from this wear can clog the filters and cause the lubricating oil to change color. In such cases, a comprehensive chemical analysis of the lubricant can be carried out to determine whether there are metal particles in it and what type of metals they are. Based on the analysis results, it is possible to make an initial assessment of the likely cause of the fault. I have no experience with this type of compressor; if there are any mistakes, I hope fellow sailors can help clarify them.