How often have you seen a compressed air system functioning at 100% efficiency? Do you have the right accessories to provide a source of clean air at the proper pressure? Even with the right accessories,… More
What’s So Great About Threaded Line Vac Pneumatic Conveyors?
Conveyor systems come in many shapes, sizes, and configurations. They can be run at different speeds, and are made of various materials, depending what they’re carrying, and why they’re carrying it. And sometimes, they’re hilarious:
If you’re looking to move solids, in bulk, through pipe, there’s not a simpler way to do it than with an EXAIR Threaded Line Vac. Like our ‘standard’ Line Vacs, they use compressed air to generate a powerful vacuum flow to get air behind the pieces and carry them along:
But, while the ‘standard’ Line Vacs are made for use with Conveyance Hose, the Threaded Line Vacs have male NPT threads so you can pipe them in line. We have a range of options, depending on the nature of your applications:
- Sizes: 3/8 NPT to 3 NPT.
- Materials: aluminum, 303SS, 316SS, and hardened alloy.
- Performance: aluminum, 303SS and 316SS Threaded Line Vacs are made for standard duty; the hardened alloy Heavy Duty Threaded Line Vacs offer higher vacuum performance as well as superior abrasion resistance.
- Environment: the materials of construction listed above may be important because of the nature of the product being conveyed, but they also have different temperature ratings. Our Stainless Steel Line Vacs also come in a High Temperature design, in case the material – or the environment – is particularly hot:
- Aluminum: 275°F (135°C)
- Heavy Duty Hardened Alloy: 400°F (204°C)
- 303 or 316SS: 400°F (204°C)
- High Temp 303 or 316SS: 900°F (482°C)
If you’ve got a conveyor application you’d like to discuss, give me a call.
Russ Bowman
Application Engineer
EXAIR Corporation
Visit us on the Web
Follow me on Twitter
Like us on Facebook
Vortex Tubes: What is a Cold Fraction?
Have you ever needed a source of cold air but don’t want to invest in a costly chiller? INTRODUCING Vortex Tubes! Vortex Tubes use compressed air and contain no moving parts to create a cold and hot stream of air from either end of the device. Using the valve located on the hot stream a vortex tube can achieve temperatures as low as -50°F (-46°C) and temperatures as high as 260°F (127°C).
When the vortex tube is supplied with compressed air the air flow is directed into the generator that causes spin into a spiraling vortex at around 1,000,000 rpm. This spinning vortex flows down the neck and wall of the hot tube. The control valve located on the end of the hot tube allows a fraction of the hot air to escape and what does not escape reverses direction and travels back down the center of the tube and exhausts out of the cold end. Inside of the low-pressure area of the larger outer warm air vortex, the inner vortex loses heat as it flows back to the cold end of the vortex and as it exits the vortex expels cold air. The absolute temperature drop that occurs during this process is going to be controlled by the cold fraction of the Vortex Tube and the supply pressure.
The cold fraction is defined as the amount of the inlet supply air that will exit out of the cold end of the vortex tube. An example would be if I had 10 SCFM supplied to a vortex tube with 60% cold fraction, then 6 SCFM would be exiting the cold discharge. Cold based on the amount of air you allow out of the hot end of the vortex tube you can control the temperature drop of the cold air. A smaller cold fraction which only allows a small amount of air to exit the cold discharge will result in a larger temperature drop; and vise versa a larger cold fraction will result in a much smaller temperature drop.
Here a EXAIR we have designed our vortex tubes to operate optimally at both a high cold fraction and a low cold fraction. The 32XX series designed to give you the best refrigeration, which means it will work well for cold fractions ~60% – 80%. This will give you a smaller temperature drop with more air flow which allows you to keep things cool much easier. This contrasts with the 34XX series which is designed more optimal performance at lower temperatures; this means the optimal cold fraction would be ~20% to 40%. Cold fractions this low will produce very little air flow but the temperature will be very cold (as low as -50°F). This is useful if you need to get an item down to a very low temperature.
If you have any questions about compressed air systems or want more information on any of EXAIR’s products, give us a call, we have a team of Application Engineers ready to answer your questions and recommend a solution for your applications.
Cody Biehle
Application Engineer
EXAIR Corporation
Visit us on the Web
Follow me on Twitter
Like us on Facebook
Leaks and Why They Matter
Leaks can be discussed quite frequently around industrial environments. These can be refrigerant leaks, water leaks, gas leaks, even information leaks. All of these leaks have one thing in common, they all cost the company money in the end. I often think about several classic cartoons when I hear about leaks being fixed as they are found. They can become a little overwhelming like the “Squirrel” from the movie Ice Age 2.
When it comes down to it, not many leaks create good results, that is why I want to take a second and educate on the costs your facility may be seeing from compressed air leaks. The leaks within an industrial environment can often account for up to 30% of the total compressed air generated.
So let’s take a look at that, the cost of compressed air is derived from the kWh cost the facility pays to the utility company. Here in the Midwest the average cost is around $0.08 / kWh. The equation to convert this to cost per cubic foot of compressed air is shown below. This formula assumes that the compressor generates four standard cubic feet of compressed air per horsepower of compressor. Again this is an industry acceptable assumption.
The size of a leak will determine how much compressed air is wasted, most of these leaks are not even to the audible range for the human ear which leads them to be undetected for long periods of time. A leak that is equivalent to a 1/16″ diameter orifice can result in an annual loss of more than $836.50 USD. While the scale of this number when compared to the annual revenue of a company may be small, the fact remains that this single leak would more than likely not be the only one. This isn’t the only way leaks will cost money though.
Leaks can also generate false demand which can result in pressure drops on a system. When the pressure on a production line drops this could result in unscheduled shutdowns. Often, when a pressure drop is observed the quick answer is to increase the header pressure which causes even more energy to be utilized and even more compressed air will be pushed out of these leaks. That increase in system pressure comes at a price as well. When increasing a system pressure by 2 psi the compressor will consume an additional percent of total input power. This again will hit the bottom line and result in lower efficiency of operation for the facility.
If you hear that distinct hiss of compressed air leaks when you are walking through your facility, or even if you don’t hear the his and you know that a leak detection action plan is not being practiced and want to find out the best ways to get one in place, contact us. We are always willing to help you determine how to lower the leaks in your facility as well as reduce the system pressure required to keep your lines up and running by implementing engineered solutions at the point of use.
Brian Farno
Application Engineer
BrianFarno@EXAIR.com
@EXAIR_BF
1 – Ice Age 2 – Mission Impossible Scrat – retrieve from YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-HniegbnFs
Super Air Amplifiers Provide Safe Air During Mine Rescue Missions
I have recently had the pleasure of working with a customer developing a method of delivering air to trapped miners during a multi-man mine rescue mission. The federal government mandates that in the event of an explosion, miners must have a safe place to retreat for a minimum of 96 hours. This system will provide them with a supply of air during that period of time. In the initial stages, they had tried using some old venturis left over from a previous project. While this did work, they weren’t as effective or efficient as they needed. Through a little bit of research, they found EXAIR.
Generally, the Super Air Amplifier utilizes a source of compressed air. In this case, instead of using compressed air as the source, they’re using cryogenic liquid air. That air passes through a series of cold plates and heat exchangers and gets to the Super Air Amplifier at about 70°F. This air is then carried into the chamber, giving the miners a source of clean air.
EXAIR Super Air Amplifiers utilize a patented shim design that allows the unit to entrain ambient air at a rate of up to 25:1 from the compressed air supply. This balanced outlet airflow minimizes wind shear, producing sound levels that are typically three times quieter than other air movers. The Super Air Amplifiers are supplied with a .003” slotted air gap and can be adjusted by replacing the shim with a thicker .006” or .009” shim or by regulating the air pressure supplied to it. In addition to making gross adjustments to the airflow by changing the shim thickness, flow can also be dialed in by regulating the air pressure supplied. All Super Air Amplifier Kits come complete with the a properly sized Auto-Drain Filter to keep the air clean and dry, a Pressure Regulator to “dial” in the airflow, and a shim set. When the filter is installed just upstream of the Super Air Amplifier, there is no need to perform any regular maintenance. With no moving parts to wear out, you can expect many years of reliable operation.
Do you have a cooling or drying application that could benefit from a Super Air Amplifier? Contact an Application Engineer today to find out how EXAIR can help you save compressed air in your application!
Tyler Daniel
Application Engineer
E-mail: TylerDaniel@EXAIR.com
Twitter: @EXAIR_TD
