In some ways, air compressors have certain similarities with humans. For example, during the change of seasons, if people do not pay attention to environmental changes, they are prone to getting sick. Therefore, it is necessary to prevent influenza in spring, heatstroke in summer, and severe cold in winter; When the air compressor changes seasons, if protection is not taken seriously, it is prone to malfunction. Therefore, it is recommended to prevent moisture and dampness before the rainy season, high temperatures before and after the Sanfu period, and frost in winter.
After entering winter, the weather becomes colder and the temperature becomes lower. Most areas in the north need to take certain measures to prevent cold for air compressors. How to make the air compressor stable and safe through the cold winter requires users to master certain skills. This article briefly discusses from three aspects: environment, operation, and maintenance.
Firstly, if conditions permit, it is recommended to place the air compressor indoors or build a temporary tent during winter as much as possible. This can not only prevent the temperature from being too low, but also improve the air quality at the inlet of the air compressor and maintain the temperature in the air compressor room above zero degrees.
Secondly, attention should be paid to keeping the environment clean and tidy, especially to ensure that there is no standing water around the equipment and on the ground of the station building, in order to prevent freezing and slipping, which may cause operators to fall and injure themselves.
Before using the air compressor, we need to open the side cover and observe whether the oil has become thicker or frozen. If so, we must first heat the oil. Even if the oil is not frozen, the viscosity of the lubricating oil in various parts of the unit is relatively high when it is first started up in winter. In addition, some outdoor work sites have relatively low voltage, which can easily make it difficult to start up at the beginning. The general method is to first rotate the unit 2-3 times, jog the air compressor 3-4 times, and then load it after the air compressor runs for a period of time. The current of the air compressor can be measured with a multimeter during normal operation. Under normal circumstances, the rated current of the motor is within 5%. If it exceeds 10% of the normal current, the unit should be shut down for inspection if there is a problem or the voltage is too low. Otherwise, besides the motor being prone to overheating and burning out, it will also waste additional electricity. One important reason for the high current is that the oil is starting to clog.
After the winter shutdown, it is necessary to pay attention to emptying all gases, discharging sewage, draining water, and emptying water, gas, and oil in various pipelines and gas bags. This is because during winter operation, the temperature of the unit is relatively high. After shutdown, due to the low external temperature, a large amount of condensed water will be generated after air cooling, which can cause various hidden dangers such as blockage of control pipelines, intercoolers, and air pockets.
At the same time, when cold air enters the air compressor and encounters high temperatures, it will generate a large amount of water vapor, which will increase the burden of post-treatment on the air compressor. Therefore, it is necessary to frequently discharge the water in the post-treatment equipment.
Compressed air enters the production area through pipelines and is used by users. Some of these pipelines are buried underground, while others are installed in the air through exposed pipes. In cold weather, walking on an open pipe may result in the production of some moisture due to low temperatures, and some may even have an impact on the user's normal use due to the increase in moisture.
For example, in the laser cutting machine industry, if the compressed air contains high oil and water content, it will affect the accuracy of the cutting process. In the mining industry, humid compressed air from air compressors may not affect the normal use of pneumatic tools, but it can affect the strength of pneumatic tool operation.
Therefore, when leaving work or shutting down equipment in winter, it is necessary to fully open the drainage valves of pipelines, gas storage tanks, dryers, etc., drain the condensed water completely, and then close the valves.
