I have a question regarding the loading of expanders?
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During cold start, how are the expanders loaded? First, load it together with the booster; second, increase the load on the booster and the air compressor first, and then load the expander. I hope everyone can share their opinions and any good ideas – your advice is much appreciated
It depends on how the equipment setup is configured; some air compressors and air boosters can be activated simultaneously, while others require to be filled with air first. Therefore, the air compressor must be used first, and then the booster. Expansion boosters generally fall into the second category you mentioned
Reply to 2# Air Separation Engineering*: Haha, maybe I didn’t explain it clearly. Let me put it this way: before starting the expander, should the pressure of the compressor be raised to the normal operating range, or is it better to increase it gradually along with the speed of the expander?
We’re first increasing the speed, then applying pressure!
Personally, I think there’s no strict requirement for order! When pre-cooling begins, a small amount of air at both high and low pressure enters the tower. As the expander starts operating and the temperature inside the tower drops, the amount of air drawn in gradually increases; as a result, the load on the air compressor and the booster pump also increases slowly.