Compressors: Retrofit For Profit

Sept. 1, 2009
Upgrading a centrifugal compressor can yield benefits beyond operating efficiency.

Companies are finding that upgrading compressors can be an effective, low-cost solution to addressing their plant current needs. When the existing air compressor was first purchased, many assumptions had to be made regarding the required flow and pressure requirements. Many of these assumptions resulted in the purchase of a compressor which does not efficiently meet the plant needs of today. Either the compressor is now oversized or undersized. In other cases you may find that the compressor was designed to provide a pressure or flow which is much greater than what is needed today.

Historically, the obvious alternatives were either to purchase a new compressor or to operate the existing compressor inefficiently. Upgrading the existing compressor is a solution that in many cases is more cost efficient and is catching on as a economic solution to many plant compressor problems. A simple change to the compressor can allow you to meet your current plant needs while reducing power consumption and providing a great deal more flexibility.

To read  more of this Plant Services article, visit: http://www.plantservices.com/articles/2009/130.html.