Questions regarding compressor loading and unloading
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What exactly does loading and unloading of compressors in air separation mean? What actions? What is the difference from starting and stopping (shutting down)?
Loading means that the inlet vanes of the compressor and the relief valve operate according to pressure or flow settings. Unloading refers to the situation where the relief valve is fully open and the inlet vanes are fully closed (with a minimum opening angle); at this time, the motor continues to rotate. When the compressor starts, the motor rotates first, and once all monitoring parameters are satisfactory, loading is permitted. As for shutting down, it happens in the reverse order: unloading takes place first, followed by stopping the motor. A shutdown due to an emergency may be caused by unloading (as another device stopping operation triggers an interlock that causes the compressor to unload), or it may be due to a power loss, such as a blackout~~
After the compressor starts up, it operates without any load (with the inlet control valve at its minimum opening and the outlet vent valve fully open). Then, loading begins based on the set pressure (the inlet control valve is gradually opened to reach the desired flow rate, while the outlet vent valve is gradually closed), until the set pressure is achieved. If it is in shutdown mode, the inlet control valve is set to its minimum opening position, and the outlet vent valve is fully open.
It’s the switch for the inlet guide vanes, as well as the pressure adjustment for air defense