In which industries are large air compressors used?

Application of large air compressors in various industries

Large air compressors (displacement ≥100m³/min, power>500kW) are important equipment in the industrial field and are widely used in many industries, promoting efficient operation in various industries. The following is an analysis of applications in different fields:

1. Energy and chemical industry (accounting for 32%)

Typical scenario:

• natural gas gathering: It is used to handle natural gas pressurization at a pressure of 15-25MPa and complies with API 618 standard.
• coal chemical: The gasifier is supplied with 6.5MPa process air and requires a sulfur-resistant 316L stainless steel cylinder body.
• refining catalysis: The regenerator uses a 4.0MPa back-blowing system and is equipped with a waste heat recovery device.

Technical requirements:

• Comply with ASME B31.3 Process Piping Specifications
• Continuous running time> 8000 hours/year
• Isotropic efficiency ≥ 82%

Market Data:

• In 2023, the global air compressor market in the oil and gas sector will reach US$7.8 billion, with China accounting for 28%, with an annual growth rate of 6.8%.

2. Metallurgical industry (accounting for 24%)

Core applications:

• blast furnace blast: The 4000 m ³ blast furnace needs to be equipped with a 90000 Nm ³/h centrifugal unit.
• secondary cooling: 0.6-0.8MPa atomized water system, equipped with cold drying machine (pressure dew point ≤3℃).
• rolling pneumatic: The finishing mill is supported by an air cushion of 0.7MPa, and the pressure fluctuation is ≤±0.5%.

Special needs:

• High temperature resistant design (intake air temperature 50℃ working condition)
• Anti-dust filtration system (filtration accuracy 0.3μm)
• Frequency conversion control accuracy ±0.2Hz

Energy consumption comparison:

• After the transformation of a steel enterprise, the 2500kW unit saves electricity by 3.8 million kWh per year, which is equivalent to reducing emissions of 3000 tons of CO ˇ.

3. Automobile manufacturing (accounting for 18%)

Key processes:

• painting workshop: 0.8MPa oil-free air supply (ISO 8573-1 Class 0).
• final assembly pneumatic: 0.6-1.0MPa assembly tool gas supply, need to be equipped with an energy storage tank (volume ratio 1:3).
• testing equipment: 1.5MPa leak detection air source, pressure stability ±0.1%.

Technical standards:

• IATF 16949 system certification
• 24-hour dew point monitoring system
• Noise control ≤85dB(A)

Industry trends:

• New energy vehicle factories generally use magnetic levitation compressors (25% energy saving than traditional models), and Tesla’s Shanghai factory is equipped with 12 350kW units.

4. Shipbuilding and ocean engineering (accounting for 12%)

Special applications:

• hull painting: 0.7MPa oil-free air (meets DNV GL specifications).
• underwater operation: 30MPa high-pressure cylinder filling system.
• platform dynamic: Explosion-proof compressor (ATEX 94/9/EC certification).

Technical difficulties:

• Salt spray corrosion resistance (5000 hours salt spray test)
• Anti-rolling design (tilt 15° for continuous operation)
• Dual power source configuration (diesel + electric)

Typical case:

• An LNG carrier is equipped with a 450kW unit, which reduces the weight of the gas supply system by 40%, and saves deck space by 15㎡.

5. Power industry (accounting for 8%)

Core requirements:

• thermal power plant: Instrument air system (water content ≤50mg/Nm³).
• nuclear power plant: Safety compressed air system (meets NQA-1 standards).
• Wind power operation and maintenance: 32MPa blade detection air source.

Safety requirements:

• SIL3 Safety Integrity Level
• Seismic design (SSE 0.3g working condition)
• Redundant control system (1+1 hot standby)

Energy Efficiency Data:

• After the renovation of a million-kilowatt unit, the energy consumption of the instrument air system was reduced by 18%, and the annual electricity bill was saved by 2.6 million yuan.

6. Other key areas

• mining industry: Underground ventilation system (MA certified explosion-proof unit), drilling equipment power (1.2MPa percussion drill gas supply).
• Environmental Protection engineering: Sewage treatment aeration (oxygen transfer efficiency ≥35%), hazardous waste incineration air supply (special material with temperature resistance of 400℃).
• food and medicine: Aseptic packaging (Class 0 oil-free certification), fermentation oxygen supply (online sterilization system).
• infrastructure construction: Shield machine drive (pressure fluctuation compensation system), subsea tunnel immersed tube ballast (30MPa high-pressure system).

VII. Technological development trends

Intelligent:

• Digital twin system (predictive maintenance accuracy>90%)
• 5G remote monitoring (data sampling rate 1ms)

Energy Saving:

• Two-stage compression permanent magnet motor (30% power saving compared to ordinary models)
• Waste heat recovery (thermal efficiency increased by 40%)

Specialization:

• Titanium alloy compressor for deep sea operations (withstand pressure 60MPa)
• Low temperature start under polar conditions (-50℃ cold start)

conclusion

The application of large air compressors covers many fields, from energy and chemical industry to metallurgy, automobile manufacturing and other industries to require high efficiency and low energy consumption. With the continuous advancement of technology and continuous innovation of the industry, large compressors will expand more application scenarios in the future, especially in emerging fields such as new energy and carbon capture, and will surely usher in broader development space.