Author: John Ball

People of Interest: Henri Coanda 1886 – 1972

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In each of these EXAIR engineered compressed air products, the primary air stream following the curved surface causes entrainment. And efficiency.

Being in the compressed air industry for over 35 years, you come across many interesting people from the past that have created laws that we are still using today.  Henri Coanda is one of those people. 

Henri Coanda was a prominent Romanian inventor and aerodynamics pioneer.   In 1910, Henri and his Italian counterpart, Gianni Caproni, began a partnership to construct an experimental aircraft which was later called the Coanda-1910. The Coanda-1910 was unlike any other aircraft of its time as it had no propeller; instead, it sported an oddly shaped front end with built-in rotary blades arranged in a swirl pattern. These blades were driven by an internal turbine screw that would suck air in through the turbine while exhausting the gases out of the rear, propelling the plane forward. This initial jet engine was quite impressive for the time, but sadly nobody believed it would ever fly, and it is believed that it never did achieve flight. Coanda is not credited with the invention of the jet engine, but his technology spurred the future of aviation into the future.

Henri spent his time developing the turbo-propeller drive system of his 1910 Biplane during World War 2.  After it ended, Henri began furthering his research on the Coanda Effect which would become the basis for several investigations into entrained and augmented flow of fluids.  It states that a fluid adheres to and follows a contour which creates low pressure.  Later, in 1969, Henri would spend the last of his days in Romania serving as Director of the Institute for Scientific and Technical Creation.  Henri died on November 25, 1972, in his hometown of Bucharest.

Henri Coanda passed away on November 25, 1972, in his hometown of Bucharest.  Here at EXAIR, we have used the Coanda Effect to apply it to several of our products.  This helps to amplify total airflow by using less compressed air.  Thus, saving you money.  The most notable products are our Air Amplifiers, Air Wipes, Standard Air Knives, and Full-Flow Air Knives, which are some of the most efficient products of their kind.  If you would like to speak more about how EXAIR can benefit your pneumatic system, one of our Application Engineers can help you determine the best solution.

John Ball
Application Engineer
Email: johnball@exair.com
Twitter: @EXAIR_jb

EXAIR High Lift Reversible Drum Vac™ System: Overview

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30, 55 and 110 Gallon High Lift Reversible Drum Vac Systems

Not all liquid vacuums are the same.  Have you seen motor burnout, loud noises, single directional flow, and potential electrical hazards?  EXAIR manufactures a pneumatic venturi pump to remove all those issues, the High Lift Reversible Drum Vac System.  It does not have any moving parts to wear; a two-way action to fill or expel liquid from standard drums; and is quiet.  They only use compressed air to generate a powerful vacuum to lift liquid into a drum; and with a simple twist of the knob, it will push the liquid out.  And by using compressed air, no electricity is required, making it safe to use.  They work great for fluid transfers or liquid spills, and the High Lift Reversible Drum Vac can fill a 55-gallon (208L) drum in 85 seconds from 15 feet of lift.  And with the powerful vacuum pressure, it can move thick liquid with viscosity up to 1400 centipoise through 20 feet (6m) of hose.  How can this product be useful for you?  If you work with liquids in a cistern, underground tanks, higher viscous fluids, or pits, EXAIR has a product for you; the High Lift Reversible Drum Vac System.  They are reliable and simple to use, and that is why it was awarded the 2015 Product of the Year by Plant Engineering.  In this blog, I will go over the specifications and packages that EXAIR offers.

The High Lift Reversible Drum Vac has stainless steel construction for corrosion resistance.  It comes with a built-in safety relief valve to avoid over pressurizing and an internal float to stop any over-filling of the drum.  The air consumption is only 43 SCFM (1,218 SLPM) at 80 PSIG (5.5 Bar), and it has a quiet noise level of only 83 dBA.  Systems are available in 30-, 55- and 110-gallon capacities (114L, 208L, and 418L respectively) in different packages.

The standard package will include the two-way pump assembly, shutoff valve, 20′ (6m) vacuum hose, a 90° quick release elbow, a standpipe, and an aluminum chip wand.  The standpipe is cut to length for the properly sized drum (the drum is not included in this option).  The standpipe extends inside the drum to remove as much liquid as possible when emptying. 

The Deluxe package will include all the items shown above in the Standard package and adds a drum dolly, ABS spill recovery kit, (2) extension wands, crevice tool, skimmer tool and a magnetic toolholder.

The Premium package will include all the items in the Standard package and adds the drum with lock ring and lid, drum dolly, ABS spill recovery kit, (2) different lengths of aluminum crevice tools, skimmer tool, a magnetic toolholder and a 20′ (6m) compressed air hose.

EXAIR’s High Lift RDV makes cleaning out pits up to 15′ deep easy and fast.

As I mentioned above, not all liquid vacuums are the same.  The EXAIR High Lift Reversible Drum Vac System is maintenance-free for long-lasting use in industrial environments.  We offer a 30-day unconditional guarantee for U.S. customers if you wish to try them out.  And from now until May 31, 2026, EXAIR is having a promotion.  With the purchase of one of our Industrial Housekeeping Products, you will receive a Vac-u-Gun with a vacuum bag, a $174.00 value, for free with qualified purchases.   If you have any questions about the High Lift Reversible Drum Vac System or any of our other Industrial Housekeeping Products, you can contact an Application Engineer at EXAIR.  We will be happy to help you.

John Ball
Application Engineer
Email: johnball@exair.com
Twitter: @EXAIR_jb

Adjustable Air Amplifiers: Product Overview

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Adjustable Air Amplifier

EXAIR manufactures two types of Air Amplifiers: Super Air Amplifier™ and Adjustable Air Amplifier™.  The Air Amplifiers can be used to cool, dry, clean, ventilate, exhaust and many other uses.  In this blog, I will focus on the features and benefits of the Adjustable Air Amplifiers.

The main difference between the Super Air Amplifier and the Adjustable Air Amplifier is the fact the Super Air Amplifier has a shim inside of it that sets the gap for the air flow.  Force and flow for the Adjustable Air Amplifier is changed by turning the exhaust plug with a pin wrench.  This will open or close the gap inside, changing the amount of vacuum and air flow.  When the desired performance has been found, we have a knurled lock ring to hold the flow at the desired level. This is great for changing environments where needs are regulated to different conditions.

The Adjustable Air Amplifiers come in either 303 Stainless Steel or Aluminum and are sized from ¾” to 4”.  We offer them in a kit which will add a filter separator and a pressure regulator to the mix.  The filter will clean the compressed air, and the regulator will control the amount of pressure to enable you to “dial it in”, so to say.  We also have a deluxe kit which will add another item, Electronic Flow Control, or EFC.  This unit has a photo-electric eye to control a timing circuit to turn on and off the Adjustable Air Amplifier.  This helps to save on compressed air usage. 

The maximum temperature rating for the Aluminum Adjustable Air Amplifier is 275oF (135oC) while the stainless-steel version is rated up to a maximum of 400oF (204oC).  The stainless steel version is also used for chemical resistance and food applications. 

They do not have any moving parts, so they will last a long time and require no maintenance. Since they do not employ a motor, they create a laminar airstream which makes them effective and quiet.  They use a Coanda profile to generate a low pressure on one side to entrain a large volume of ambient air along with the primary, compressed air flow.  The Air Amplifiers amplify the exhaust air up to 24:1, making them very efficient for the compressed air used to create the output flow.  They are designed to have hoses attached to the discharge or suction side if you wish to move the air to or from another location. 

EXAIR has many uses worldwide where our Air Amplifiers are being used.  If you have any questions or would like to discuss your application, you can contact the Application Engineers at EXAIR.  We would be happy to help. 

John Ball                                                                                     

Application Engineer

Email: johnball@exair.com

Twitter: @EXAIR_jb

Air Compressors: Rotary Type

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What is an air compressor? In simple terms, it is a machine that increases fluid pressure.  It works by either changing the volume of air, positive displacement, or by changing the velocity of the air dynamics.  Many industries use air compressors to operate pneumatic equipment.  In this blog, I wish to cover the Rotary Compressor.

The Rotary Screw Compressor is a very common type of air compressor. This compressor uses dual rotors with meshing lobes that trap air while rotating. The rotation continues to push air toward a discharge port while decreasing the space the air takes up, thus increasing pressure. The rotary type of air compressor has five different sub-categories, reference image above.  This style of air compressor has some clear advantages and disadvantages:

Advantages:

  • Quiet Operations
  • Durability and Low Maintenance
  • High Efficiency
  • Continuous duty Cycle

Disadvantages:

  • High initial cost
  • Specialized maintenance

No matter the type of air compressor you use, they are very costly to operate.  To help you use them efficiently and safely, EXAIR offers a range of products that can clean, cool, blow, conserve, and convey.  This would include our Super Air Knives, Super Air Nozzles, Safety Air Guns, Cabinet Coolers, and much more.  If you want to save energy, increase safety, and cut costs no matter what size air compressor you have, you can contact an Application Engineer at EXAIR.  We will be happy to help. 

John Ball
Application Engineer
Email: johnball@exair.com
Twitter: @EXAIR_jb

Images Courtesy of the Compressed Air Challenge