Maintaining System Air Quality
"Maintaining the proper air quality level is essential for keeping compressed air energy costs down and to ensure reliable production." Poor air quality can have a negative effect on production equipment and can increase energy consumption and maintenance needs. The quality of air produced should be guided by the quality required by the end-use equipment. The air quality level is a function of the levels of particulate, moisture, and lubricant contaminants that the end uses can tolerate. Such air quality levels should be determined before deciding whether the air needs additional treatment. Compressed air should be treated appropriately but not more than is required for the end-use application. The higher the quality, the more the air usually costs to produce (in terms of initial capital investment in equipment, energy consumption and maintenance). Once the true end-use air quality requirements have been determined, the proper air treatment equipment can be configured. Se...