Tag: venturi air movers

Intelligent Compressed Air: Two Different Products Called “Air Amplifiers”

Published on by Russ BowmanLeave a comment
A 2psi change in compressor discharge pressure equates to a 1% change in compressor power consumption.

They say that necessity is the mother of invention, so it’s no coincidence that mechanical means of compressing air came about in the early days of the Industrial Revolution, eventually becoming known as the “4th Utility” along with electricity, water, and gas. For most of the 20th Century, compressed air system pressure was commonly generated in the neighborhood of 100psig, although many modern industrial air compressors can be operated at 160 to 200psig. Operating an air compressor at higher discharge pressure increases the cost of operation, though, so it’s in EVERYONE ‘S best interests to run compressed air systems at the lowest pressure possible, that still gets the job done for all the air-operated gear in the facility.

So, what if most of your compressed air loads operate at 80-100psig, but one (or a handful) needs 120psig? Or 160psig? Or even higher? Increasing your compressor discharge pressure from 100psig to 160psig means you’re using 30% more power to run the compressor. That’s a LOT for one (or a handful) of operations.

Good news: the laws of physics say that pressure is the amount force applied to a specific area…as in pounds(force) per square inch, or psi. So, if we apply a certain pressure to a large diameter piston, and attach that with a shaft to another smaller diameter piston, the amount of force doesn’t change, but the area does, so the pressure on the other side of the smaller piston HAS to:

Let’s say the primary pressure (P1) is 100psi, and the primary piston (D1) is 4″ in diameter, with a surface area of 12.56 in2. That means the force applied to the primary piston (D1) is : 100 lbf/in2 x 12.56 in2 = 1,256 lbf.
This is the same force applied to the air on the other side of the secondary piston (D2), which has a diameter of 2″ and a surface area of 3.14 in2. Since pressure is force divided by area, that 1,256 lbf applied to 3.14 in2 results in a secondary pressure (P2) of 400psi.

This is the basic theory behind how air (pressure) amplifiers – also known as booster regulators – work. Essentially, you’re trading compressed air flow (into the larger cylinder) for pressure. Now, if EVERYTHING you operate needs higher pressure, the best way to do that is to increase the compressor discharge pressure. But if you only have one, or a few, loads that need higher pressure, the increase in air consumption for those loads is likely less costly than compressing the air to a higher pressure than is needed for the majority of your loads.

The other type of air amplifier is the one that EXAIR manufactures – it’s an air FLOW amplifier, and here’s how it works:

In this case, we’re trading pressure for flow, and getting a much higher total developed air flow rate than just the amount of compressed air it uses. Not only does the entrained air make them incredibly efficient, it also develops a low-velocity boundary layer that attenuates the sound level of the total air flow. They can be used for cooling, drying, cleaning, ventilation, fume exhaust, and even material conveying, especially if the material to be conveyed is very light, or already airborne.

With (16) models to choose from, EXAIR Air Amplifiers are a quick and easy way to provide a tremendous amount of cooling air flow from a compact, lightweight product.

EXAIR Air Amplifiers come in a range of sizes, from 3/4″ to 8″. Super Air Amplifiers are lightweight, durable aluminum, and Adjustable Air Amplifiers are available in aluminum or 303SS. If you’d like to find out more about them, give me a call.

Russ Bowman, CCASS

Application Engineer
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Finding the Right Intelligent Compressed Air Product

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I had the pleasure of talking with a customer who had purchased a Model 6063 1-1/2″ Stainless Steel Line Vac the other day. They were building chemical processing machinery, and needed to move vapor into a condenser for reclamation of the fluid. The Line Vac was doing exactly what they needed it to do, and with a supply pressure regulated down to 12psig, at that. Their question was, how do they quantify the flow rate?

Because the Line Vac generates a moderate level of vacuum head with a moderate vacuum flow, they’re ideal for drawing in bulk solid material and conveying it from one place to another. They’ll do the same with airborne dust, vapors, and gases, but…

Because they’re made for conveying bulk solids, our published performance data for the Line Vacs doesn’t address total developed airflow. However, because our Air Amplifiers are made for moving air (and anything that might be suspended in the air or already airborne), we DO publish airflow performance data for them. And it provides a GREAT segue for situations like this, when the only thing that can do a better job than one EXAIR product is another EXAIR product!

…Air Amplifiers, while similar in function to the Line Vacs, generate a high vacuum flow with a low vacuum head. This makes them the better choice for moving air & airborne dust, vapors, gases, etc.

In this case, the machine designer replaced the 1-1/2″ Stainless Steel Line Vac with a Model 6040 3/4″ Stainless Steel Adjustable Air Amplifier. It’s got a 1-1/2″ OD inlet plenum, so it was a ‘drop-in’ replacement for the 1-1/2″ Line Vac, which was plumbed in with a 1-1/2″ ID hose. When they regulated the supply pressure to 25psig, they were able to replicate the vapor carryover to the condenser at the specified rate, and even cut the already low compressed air consumption from 9.3 SCFM @12psig (for the Line Vac) to 3.7 SCFM @25psig (for the Air Amplifier).

As an EXAIR Application Engineer and a Certified Compressed Air Systems Specialist, I’m here to make sure you get the most out of your compressed air system. If that involves using a product other than the EXAIR Intelligent Compressed Air Product that you may have initially selected, I’m not going to be shy about telling you that. But, there’s a good chance that the more ideal solution is going to be another EXAIR Intelligent Compressed Air Product. If you want to talk about compressed air…so do I! Give me a call.

Russ Bowman, CCASS

Application Engineer
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Infinitely Adjustable Force and Flow w/ EXAIR’s Adjustable Air Amplifiers

Published on by Tyler DanielLeave a comment

When working with a cooling application, many customers will immediately look to the Vortex Tube and Spot Cooling product lines. While this may be the best solution for some applications, cold air is not always the best method that we have available for cooling. EXAIR’s Air Amplifiers are very effective at reducing the temperature of a part without requiring cold air. Due to their ability to draw in large volumes of ambient air, we can move a lot of air across the surface of the part and quickly lower the temperature. The key to success, is remembering that the word “cooling” is relative. So long as we have a reasonable Delta between ambient temperature and the starting temperature, cooling can occur.

I like to compare this to blowing on a hot cup of coffee just as it’s been brewed. The temperature of the air coming from your mouth is around 98.6°F, the same as your body temperature. Coffee can be as hot as 185°F when fresh. Due to the temperature differential between your breath and the hot coffee, we’re able to achieve a reasonable amount of cooling just by simply blowing across the surface. Typically, when the target temperature of the part or material needs to be around ambient temperature or higher, the best solution for cooling is going to be an Air Amplifier (or sometimes an Air Knife!).

EXAIR’s Adjustable Air Amplifiers are available in both Stainless Steel and Aluminum from sizes ranging from ¾”-4” on the air outlet. The outlet can be ducted , or it can be used as-is. The air gap of the Adjustable Air Amplifier is infinitely adjustable, allowing you to regulate both the air consumption and outlet flow from a “breeze” to a “blast”. In addition to the standard Adjustable Air Amplifiers, we also have a High Temperature Air Amplifier available that is capable of withstanding temperatures as high as 700°F.

Air Amplifiers can be used in a variety of different applications. Not only can they be used in applications requiring cooling, but the air entrainment properties of the amplifier can be used to exhaust smoke as discussed in this application at a foundry. An Adjustable Amplifier can also be used for drying or cleaning parts as well as for conveying light materials.

If you’re using fans for process cooling, speed things up with an EXAIR Air Amplifier. They’re on the shelf, in-stock, and ready to ship today with an order received by 2:00 ET.

Tyler Daniel, CCASS

Application Engineer

E-mail: TylerDaniel@EXAIR.com

X: @EXAIR_TD

What Do Air Amplifiers Amplify, and Why Is It Important?

Published on by Russ BowmanLeave a comment

The word “amplifier” can mean some very different things, depending on the context in which it’s used. A musician may plug an instrument into an amplifier to increase the sound power being put out by said instrument. Folks who work with electronic or electrical systems use devices to amplify voltage (at the cost of current) or current (at the cost of voltage.)

In pneumatics and fluid power, there are even two very different devices called an ‘air amplifier.’ One is made to amplify the downstream pressure by using air flow and are commonly known as pressure boosters (we don’t have those), and the other amplifies the flow, proportionally to the supply pressure (THOSE are ours).

EXAIR Air Amplifiers use a small amount of compressed air to create a tremendous amount of air flow.

So that, dear reader, handles the question of what they amplify – now let’s cover why it’s important:

  • Lower cost of operation: Like the picture above says, Air Amplifiers use a small amount of compressed air, but make a tremendous amount of total developed air flow. This is a feature of our entire line of air blowing products – they’re ALL designed to consume as little compressed air as possible, and develop as much flow as possible. The less you use, the less it costs to operate…use the calculator on our website if you want to find out how much you can save.
  • Sound reduction: The discharge of compressed air into the open creates a LOT of noise, but the air entrained by our Air Amplifiers (and Air Knives & Air Nozzles) creates a low velocity boundary layer around the primary high velocity, laminar air flow. This boundary layer serves as an insulating shield, of sorts, and it results in dramatically quieter operation.
  • High ventilation rate: Because they entrain so much air from the surrounding environment, they can be used for rapid removal of fumes, smoke, airborne dust, etc. from spaces. And they’re going to do it quicker than standard Venturi or ejector devices.
Model 120024 4″ Super Air Amplifiers are commonly used to exhaust welding smoke and fumes.

That’s it for the “what they do” and “why it’s important” – if you’d like to find out how valuable an Air Amplifier can be, give me a call.

Russ Bowman, CCASS

Application Engineer
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