Compressor air/oil separator

How Oil separator filter Works

The air compressed from the main engine head of the compressor entrains oil droplets of different sizes. The large oil droplets are easily separated through the oil separation tank, while the small oil droplets (suspended) must pass through the micron glass fiber filter of the air/oil separation filter element. material is filtered. Correct selection of glass fiber diameter and thickness is an important factor to ensure the filtering effect. After the oil mist is intercepted, diffused and polymerized by the filter material, the small oil droplets quickly aggregate into large oil droplets, which pass through the filter layer under the action of aerodynamics and gravity and settle at the bottom of the filter element. These oils are continuously returned to the lubrication system through the inlet of the oil return pipe at the bottom of the filter element, so that the compressor discharges relatively pure, high-quality compressed air.

Air/oil separator filters oil from compressed air

The necessity of using an air/oil separator

Installing an oil-air separator in an air compressor has numerous benefits. It separates the oil entering the engine from the compressed air, as the air needs to be expelled from the compressor while the oil needs to stay in the compressor for lubrication.
The oil-air separator can reduce the loss of lubricating oil. The oil-air separator keeps the lubricating oil in the compressed air in the machine and collects it at the bottom. The oil guide pipe will return the lubricating oil to the oil tank.
The air/oil separator ensures the purity of the compressed air. The filter element traps the oil molecules in the compressed air in the machine, and can filter out most of the small particles in the air, and the air discharged from the compressor becomes cleaner.

Basic technical parameters

Oil content of air after separation: ≤3ppm
Working temperature: ≤120℃
Initial differential pressure: ≤0.02Mpa
Service life: ≥4000 hours
Installation method: vertical, horizontal
Intake direction: external intake, internal intake

Four running methods of air/oil separator

1. Surface interception:
Particles larger than the filter media are deposited on the surface of the media. Knitted media basically belong to this type.
2. Deep interception:
This is a follow-up process to the first mechanism. Those smaller particles, as they travel through the medium pores, encounter the throat of the micropores and are intercepted. This mechanism mostly occurs in felt media.
3. Deep filtering:
As the particles pass through the pores of the medium, they deposit on the inner walls of the pore channels, even if the pore size is large. This is mostly due to the action of adsorption, static electricity, etc., caused by inertial force.
4. filter cake filtration:
As a subsequent step, once a layer of filter cake is formed, it is transferred to the filter cake for filtration. The resistance mainly depends on the thickness of the filter cake, and the particle size of the hindered particles is mostly larger than the pore size of the medium.
It can be seen from the above that the filter medium of air/oil separater filter can often capture particles much smaller than the pore size of the medium, depending on the nature of the medium. At the same time, the above mechanisms can coexist.

Air/oil separator maintenance

When to replace the oil and gas separation core
1. Replace it after the actual use time reaches the design life time. The service life of air/oil separator core gauge is usually 4000-8000 hours, and it must be replaced after expiration.
2. Replace it immediately after the blockage alarm within the designed service life. The set value of the blockage alarm of the air/oil separator core is usually 0.8-1.0bar.

Hazards of air/oil separator core overtime use

Poor separation efficiency leads to high oil consumption and compressed air oil content, which affects the operation of back-end purification equipment and the failure of gas-consuming equipment to work properly; after blockage, the piezoresistance increases, resulting in an increase in the actual exhaust pressure of the unit and an increase in the energy consumption of the unit; After the failure, the glass fiber filter separation material falls off into the oil, resulting in shortened life of the oil filter element and abnormal wear of the main engine.

How to replace the separator filter

Make sure the new filter is the same size as the old filter, if it is longer or shorter, be sure to adjust the length of the scavenging tube.
Be sure to use the gaskets provided, as these contain metal conductors, which prevents static buildup in the separator, which could cause sparks, which could also cause the separator vessel to explode.

Choose the right air/oil separator filter

The air/oil separator filter is a necessary part of the air compressor, and it is very important for the function of the air compressor, provided that the correct filter element is used. The temperature of the air mixed with oil discharged from the head of the compressor is very high. If the filter element material is not good, it will be easily damaged by high temperature. It is also very important to choose the correct filter precision. When the filtration precision is low, the impurities in the air cannot be filtered out, and the discharged air will be seriously polluted. When the filtration precision is too high, the filter element will be easily blocked and damaged by high pressure. Contact Xxfil today to find the right filter for you.