Failure Analysis of Screw Air Compressor and Oil Separator

    Failure Analysis of Screw Air Compressor and Oil Separator

There will be some failure in the daily working of oil-injected screw air compressor, and parts of failure are caused by the oil separator, such as high oil-content compressed air, large pressure difference,rupture and burn of the filter. We must find the reasons of the failure while we solve these problems. Filter with quality problem is one of the reasons of the failure, but there are so much failure which has nothing to do with the filter quality. There are some explanations of the other failure reasons as following:

01. High oil-content compressed air

1. Unreasonable design or selection of the oil separator tank

2. Adding too much oil or high oil temperature

3. Large gas consumption, overload working in low pressure or lower the pressure than normal.

4. Blocking in the oil returning system

5. Damage of returning check valve

6. Wrong installation of the oil returning pipe

7. Failure of min pressure valve

8. Using the unqualified oil

9. Using the unmatched oil separators.

02 Reason of large pressure difference

1.Failure of the sensor for the pressure difference or damage of pressure gage

2.The air compressor environment is polluted.

3.Quality problem of the oil filter, air filter and oil.

4.No change of the oil for long time, using the dirty oil.

5.Poor sealing of the pipe between air filter and air inlet.

6.When the air compressor works in low temperature, it makes the moisture retention which results in high resistance of the oil separators.

7.Damp material of the filter for long time storage.

8.Using the wrong models filter or filters with quality problem

03 Reason of rupture filter

1.Wrong way to start the air compressor

2.The supporting net can't afford the high pressure difference

3.Damage of min pressure valve

4.There is barometric pulse when the air compressor works.

5.Unreasonable design of the oil separator tank

04 Reason of burnt filter

1.Failure of the oil system. The lack of oil in the machine results in instantaneous high temperature which can burn the filter media.

2.There are some combustible (such as paper, synthetic fiber, cotton cloth and combustible gas ) in the machine. If the machine is new or repaired just now, the foreign matters enter into the machine and burnt in the compression head and fire the filter in the oil-air tank.

3.Disconnection of the electrostatic conducting system. When the air compressor is working, the electrostatic in the machine can’t be conducted in time results in the fire to burn the filter elements.

4.Oil quality problem. The poor oxidation resistance results in carbon deposition and fat lute on the pipes of the machine. The impurity produces the open flame probably in the air compressor to burn the filter in the oil-air tank.

5.Fire of the circuit or open fire in the environment enters into the machine from the air inlet to burn the filter.