What is the reason why the outlet temperature of the air compressor is too high?

Fault analysis and troubleshooting of excessive outlet temperature of air compressor

Excessive outlet temperature of an air compressor is a common fault and may be caused by many factors. The following are the possible reasons and detailed analysis:

1. Cooling system problems

1. Cooler efficiency decreases

• Plugging or fouling: Water-cooled coolers may be blocked by scale and impurities; air-cooled cooling fins may be covered with dust and oil, which affects heat dissipation.
• Insufficient cooling medium: Insufficient water in the water-cooling system, too low water pressure or too high water temperature; fan failure in the air-cooling system, insufficient speed or poor environmental ventilation.
• Cooler aging: After long-term use, the interior of the cooler corrodes or scales, resulting in a decrease in heat exchange capacity.

2. Inadequate cooling system design

• The cooler selection is too small to match the power of the air compressor; the unreasonable pipeline layout causes the flow of cooling medium to be blocked.

2. Abnormal lubricating oil system

1. Insufficient oil or oil quality problems

• Too low oil level, blocked oil filter, and leaking oil path will lead to insufficient lubricating oil flow and reduce heat dissipation effect.
• The lubricating oil deteriorates (oxidation, emulsification, excessive impurities) or the viscosity does not meet the requirements, affecting lubrication and cooling performance.

2. Thermostatic valve failure

• The temperature control valve is stuck in a closed state, which prevents high-temperature oil from entering the cooler and returns directly to the head, exacerbating the temperature rise.

3. Abnormal equipment operating status

1. overload operation

• Excessive exhaust pressure, long-term continuous operation or frequent start-up and shutdown may cause equipment to overheat.

2. Increased internal friction

• The main engine bearings are worn, the rotor clearance is too large or the internal leakage increases friction and heat generation.
• Belt is too tight or coupling is poorly aligned, causing additional mechanical friction.

3. environmental factors

• The installation environment is too hot (such as enclosed spaces, poor ventilation) or the intake air temperature is high (such as close to a heat source).

4. Sensor or control system failure

1. Temperature sensor false alarm

• Damaged sensors, poor wiring contact, or improper installation position, resulting in misreading of high temperature signals.

2. Wrong control parameter

• The temperature alarm threshold is set too low, or the PLC/controller program incorrectly triggers a false alarm.

5. Other reasons

1. Gas circuit system problems

• The minimum pressure valve failed, causing the pressure in the oil-gas separator to be too low and the oil circulation speed to decrease.
• The exhaust pipe design is unreasonable (such as too long and too many elbows), which increases the airflow resistance.

2. Insufficient maintenance

• Consumables such as oil filters, air filters, and oil cores are not regularly replaced, resulting in increased system resistance or pollution of the oil circuit.
• The cooler or lubrication system is not cleaned, and long-term fouling affects heat dissipation.

Troubleshooting and processing steps

preliminary examination

• Confirm whether the actual temperature is consistent with the instrument display (verify with an infrared thermometer).
• Check whether the ambient temperature, ventilation conditions and air compressor load are normal.

Cooling system inspection

• Clean the cooler (the water-cooling system needs to be cleaned, and the air-cooling system needs to clean the cooling fins).
• Check for correct cooling water flow/pressure, fan speed and steering.

Lubricating system inspection

• Check the oil level and oil quality, and replace deteriorated lubricating oil and blocked oil filters.
• Test whether the thermostat valve opens normally (touch the valve body by hand, it should gradually become hot after starting).

Adjustment of equipment operating parameters

• Reduce the load or adjust the exhaust pressure to a reasonable range.
• Check whether the main engine bearings and rotor clearances are worn (professional disassembly and inspection is required).

Sensor and control system testing

• Calibrate the temperature sensor and check the parameter settings of the control module.

precautions

• High temperature operation will accelerate the aging of lubricating oil, damage to seals, and even cause the main engine to lock, which needs to be dealt with in time.
• If your own investigation fails, it is recommended to contact professional maintenance personnel to avoid greater losses due to improper operation.

Through the above steps, problems can be systematically located and corresponding measures can be taken to restore the normal operating temperature of the air compressor.