The effect of system storage on the performance profile of rotary screw air compressors

Air compressors consume energy and deliver compressed air to the header. The compressed air challenge (CAC) specifies that analyzing system dynamics is critical when trying to improve the performance of compressed air systems. [1,2] The CAC emphasizes that the key to a high performance compressed air system is the utilization of controls, storage, and demand management to develop a system that meets peak requirements and also operates efficiently at part-load conditions. [1,2] The CAC specifies that total storage volume can be used to control demand events, specifically being able to cater to peak demand and facilitating the control of system pressure. [1,2] The emphasis of this article will be to analyze the effect of total storage on part-load performance of rotary screw air compressors. This will be illustrated using an example air compressor operating with varying volumes of total storage.