02018 Rotary-screw compressor - Wikipedia
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Rotary-screw compressor
Arotary-serew compressor is a type of gas compressor that uses a rotary-
type positive-displacement mechanism. ‘They are commonly used to replace
piston compressors where lange volumes of high-pressure air are needed, either
for large industrial applications or to operate high-power air tools such as
jackhammers.
‘The gas compression process of a rotary screw is a continuous sweeping, _
motion, so there is very little pulsation or surging of flow, as occurs with The compression action of@ twine
piston compressors screw compressor with a six—lobe
female screw and a fveobe male
‘screw and the compression of one
pair of cavities is highlighted: airs
sucked in though the intake port
Contents compressed (shown by the color
— change from cyan to red) and
Operation released through the outlet port.
Size
Applications
Ore
Oitinjected
Control schemes
Startistop
Load/unload
Modulation
Variable displacement
Variable speed
Superchargers
Comparative advantages
Related terms.
Rotary-screw air compressor intemal
view
See also
References
Operation
Rotary-screw compressors use two meshing helical screws, known as rotors, to compress the gas. In a dry-running rotary-
serew compressor, timing gears ensure that the male and female rotors maintain precise alignment. In an oil-looded
rotary-screw compressor, lubricating oil bridges the space between the rotors, both providing a hydraulic seal and
transferring mechanical energy between the driving and driven rotor. Gas enters at the suction side and moves through
the threads as the screws rotate. ‘The meshing rotors force the gas through the compressor, and the gas exits at the end of
the screws.
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The effectiveness of this mechanism is dependent on precisely fitting
clearances between the helical rotors and between the rotors and the chamber
for sealing of the compression cavities. However, some leakage is inevitable,
and high rotational speeds must be used to minimize the ratio of leakage flow
rate over effective flow rate,
In contrast to Roots blowers, screw compressors are made with different
profiles on the two rotors: the male rotor has convex lobes which mesh with the
Cross-section trough the rotors of
typical screw compressor with a
male rotor having 5 lobes and a
female rotor having 6. For fve
asymmetrical rotors, with the exact rotor designs being the subject of rotations of the female rotor, the
patents.!2! male rotor makes six rotations. Click
hore forthe animated diagram (hp
GF s:/lupload.wikimedia.org/wikipedial«
Size ‘ommons/4/4d/Asymmettic_
LTT empresser Rotor Mesh sve)
concave cavities of the female rotor. Usually the male rotor has fewer lobes
than the female rotor, so that it rotates faster, Originally, screw compressors
were made with symmetrical rotor cavity profiles, but modern versions use
Lc
‘The capacities of rotary-serew compressors are typically rated in horsepower
(HP), Standard Cubic Feet per Minute (SCFM)* and pounds per square inch
(PSL) For units in the g through 3o HP range the physical size of these units
are comparable to a typical two
tage compressor. As horsepower's increase,
there is a substantial economy of scale in favor of the rotary-serew
compressors. As an example, a 250 HP compound compressor is a large piece
of equipment that generally requires a special foundation, building
accommodations and highly trained riggers to place the equipment. On the
other hand, a 250 HP rotary-serew compressor ean be placed on an ordinary
Technical Illustration of Rotary
Screw Compression system
shop floor using a standard forklift. Within industry, a 250 HP rotary-screw
compressor is generally considered to be a compact piece of equipment.
Rotary-screw compressors are commonly available in the 5 through 500 HP range and can produce air lows in excess of
2500 SCFM. While there are high pressure rotary-serew compressors, within the compressed air community, the upper
pressure limit is generally around 125 PSI
Rotary-screw compressors tend to be smooth running with limited vibration, thus not requiring a specialized foundation
or mounting system. Normally, rotary-screw compressors are mounted using standard rubber isolation mounts designed
to absorb high-frequency vibrations. ‘This is especially true in rotary-screw compressors that operate at high rotational
speeds.
"To a less
sxtent, some compressors are rated in Actual Cubic Feet per Minute (ACF). Still others are rated in Cubie
Feet per Minute (CFM). Using CFM to rate a compressor is incorrect because it represents a flow rate that is independent
ofa pressure reference. i.e. 20 CFM at 60 PST.
Applications
Rotary-screw compressors are generally used to supply compressed air for larger industrial applications. They are best
applied in applications that have a continuous air demand such as food packaging plants and automated manufacturing
systems. In larger facilities, that may have only intermittent applications, the average usage among the many work
stations will place a continuous demand on the compressor. In addition to fixed units, rotary-screw compressors are
commonly mounted on tow-behind trailers and powered with small diesel engines. These portable compression systems
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are typically referred to as construction compressors, Construction compressors are used to provide compressed air to jack
hammers, riveting tools, pneumatic pumps, sand blasting operations and industrial paint systems. They are commonly
seen at construction sites and on duty with road repair crews throughout the world.
free
In an oil-free compressor, the air is compressed entirely through the action of the screws, without the assistance of an oil
seal. They usually have lower maximal discharge pressure capability as a resull. However, multi-stage oil-free
compressors, where the air is compressed by several sets of screws, can achieve pressures of over 150 psi (to atm) and
output volume of over 2,000 cubic feet per minute (57 m3/min).
Cil-free compressors are used in applications where entrained oil carry-over is not acceptable, such as medical research
and semiconductor manufacturing. However, this does not preclude the need for filtration, as hydrocarbons and other
contaminants ingested from the ambient air must also be removed prior to the point of use. Subsequently, air treatment
identical to that used for an oil-flooded screw compressor is frequently still required to ensure a given quality of
compressed air.
injected
In an oil-injected rotary-screw compressor, oil is injected into the compression
cavities to aid sealing and provide cooling sink for the gas charge. ‘The oil is
separated from the discharge stream, then cooled, filtered and recycled. The oil
captures non-polar particulates from the incoming air, effectively reducing the
particle loading of compressed-air particulate filtration. It is usual for some
entrained compressor oil to carry over into the compressed-gas_ stream
downstream of the compressor. In many applications, this is rectificd by
is rectified by the use of Diagram of a rotary-scrow
compressor
coalescer/filter vessels.] In other applications, this
receiver tanks that reduce the local velocity of compressed air, allowing oil to
condense and drop out of the air stream to be removed from the compress:
airsystem by condensate-management equipment,
Control schemes
Among rotary-screw compressors, there are multiple control schemes, each with differing advantages and disadvantages,
Start/stop
Ina start/stop control scheme, compressor controls actuate relays to apply and remove power to the motor according to
compressed air needs.
Load/unload
Compressed Air In a load/unload control scheme, the compressor remains continuously powered. However, when the
demand for compressed air is satisfied or reduced, instead of disconnecting power to the compressor, a device known as a
slide valve is activated. This device uncovers part of the rotor and proportionately reduces capacity of the machine down
to typically 25% of the compressor's capability, thereby unloading the compressor. This reduces the number of start/stop
cycles for electric motors over a start/stop control scheme in clectrically-driven compressors, improving equipment service
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life with a mini
‘al change in operating cost. This scheme is utilised by nearly all
industrial air-compressor
manufacturers. When a load/unload control scheme is combined with a timer to stop the compressor after a
predetermined period of continuously unloaded operation, it is known as a dual-control or auto-dual scheme.
Modulation
Instead of starting and stopping the compressor, a slide valve as described
above modulates capacity to the demand. While this yields a consistent
discharge pressure over a wide range of demand, overall power consumption
may be higher than with a load/unload scheme, resulting in approximately
70% of full-load power consumption when the compressor is at a zero-load
condition,
Due to the limited adjustment in compressor power consumption relative to
compressed-air output capacity, modulation is a generally inefficient method
Rotary-screw air compressor in a
of control when compared to variable-speed drives. However, for applications
P peed pe housing for sound attenuation
where it is not readily possible to frequently cease and resume operation of the
compressor (such as when a compressor is driven by an intemnal-combustion
engine and operated without the presence of a compressed-air receiver), modulation is suitable.
Variable displacement
Utilized by compressor companies Quincy Compressor, Kobelco, Gardner Denver, and Sullair, variable displacement
alters the percentage of the screw compressor rotors working to compress air by allowing air flow to bypass portions of the
serews, While this does reduce power consumption when compared to modulation control scheme, a load/unload
system can be more effective with large amounts of storage (10 gallons per CFM). If a large amount of storage is not
practical, a variable-displacement system can he very effective, especially at greaterthan 70% of fall load.f41
One way that variable displacement may be accomplished is by using multiple lifting valves on the suction side of the
compressor, each plumbed to a corresponding location on the discharge, In automotive superchargers, this is analogous
to the operation of a bypass valve.
Variable speed
While an air compressor powered by a variable-speed drive can offer the lowest operating-energy cost without any
appreciable reduction in service life over a properly maintained load/unload compressor, the variable-frequency power
inverter of a variable-speed drive typically adds significant cost to the design of such a compressor, negating its economic
benefits if there are limited variations in demand. However, a variable-speed drive provides for a linear relationship
between compressor power consumption and free air detivery. In harsh environments (hot, humid or dusty), variable
speed drives may not be suitable duc to the sensitivity of the equipment.!®]
Superchargers
‘The twin-screw type supercharger is a positive displacement type device that operates by pushing air through a pair of
meshing close-tolerance screws similar to a set of worm gears. Twin-screw superchargers are also known as Lysholm
superchargers (or compressors) after their inventor, Alf Lysholm.!®1 Each rotor is radially symmetrical, but laterally
asymmetric, By comparison, conventional "Roots" type blowers have either identical rotors (with straight rotors) or
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age rotors (with helixed rotors). The Whipple-manufactured male
rotor has three lobes, the female five lobes. ‘The Kenne-Bell male rotor has four
lobes, the female six lobes. Females in some earlier designs had four. By
comparison, Roots blowers always have the same number of lobes on both
rotors, typically 2, 3 or 4. ‘The working area is the interslobe volume between
the male and female rotors. It's larger at the intake end, and decreases along
the length of the rotors until the exhaust port. This change in volume is the
compression. ‘The intake charge is drawn in at the end of the rotors in the large
clearance between the male and female lobes. At the intake end the male lobe is
much smaller than its female counterpart, but the relative sizes reverse
proportions along the lengths of both rotors (the male becomes larger and the
female smaller) until (tangential to the discharge port) the clearance space Lysholm screws, Note the complex
between each pair of lobes is much smaller. This reduction in volume causes __ Shape of each screw, The screws
run at high speed and with closely
engineered tolerances
compression of the charge before being presented to the output manifold.
Comparative advantages
‘The rotary screw compressor has low leakage levels and low parasitic losses vs. Roots type. The supercharger is typically
driven direetly from the engine's crankshaft via a belt or gear drive, Unlike the Roots type supercharger, the twin-serew
exhibits intemal compression which is the ability of the device to compress air within the housing as it is moved through
the device instead of relying upon resistance to flow downstream of the discharge to establish an increase of pressure.”
‘The requirement of high-precision computer-controlled manufacturing techniques makes the serew type supercharger
‘more expensive alternative to other forms of available foreed induction, With later technology, manufacturing cost has
been lowered while performance increased,
All supercharger types benefit from the use of an intercooler to reduce heat produced during pumping and compression.
A dear example of the technology applied by the twin-screw in companies like Ford, Mazda, Mercedes and Mercury
Marine can also demonstrate the effectiveness of the twin screw. While some centrifugal superchargers are consistent and
reliable, they typically do not produce full boost until near peak engine rpm, while positive displacement superchargers
such as Roots type superchangers and twin-screw types offer more immediate boost.
Related terms
‘The term "blower" is commonly used to define a device placed on engines with a functional need for additional airflow,
ake pressure is needed to” or clear spent exhaust gasses from
such as a 2-stroke Diesel engine, where positive i avenge
the cylinder and force a fresh intake charge into the cylinder before the compression stroke. The term "blower" is applied to
rotary screw, roots-type, and centrifugal compressors when utilized as part of an automotive forced induction system.
See also
= Gas compressor
= Guided-rotor compressor
= Reciprocating compressor
= Vapor-comprossian reftiger
= Variable-speed air compressor
= White-Westinghouse
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References
1, Fundamentals of natural gas processing (https://books.google.com/books ?id=IcLXk90zD WoC &pg=PA75&dq
crewitv=onepage&q=rolary%20screw&f=false)
ary+s
2, Stosic, Nikola; Smith, lan K; Kovacevic, Ahmed; Mujc, Elvedin, “Geometry of screw compressor rotors and their
tools" (hitp:/imww. staff. city. a¢.uk/~ra601/xiantt pdf) (POF), Centre for Positive Displacement Compressors, City
University London, Retrieved 8 July 2016,
3. Technical Centre (http://www.domnickhunter.com/technicalcentre/3.3.3) Discusses ol-/looded screw compressors
including a complete system flow diagram
http://www .compressedairchallenge.org/liorary/sourcebook/compressed_ait_sourcebook.paf
http://www plantservices. com/articles/2006/288, him!
hitp://www airends. comiLysholmArticle. htm
‘Twin Screw vs. Roots supercharging (hitp://kennebell. nev KBWebsite/Common/pafs/twinscrew-vs-roots-fromcatalog. pd
f, Kenne Bell
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