Using Portable Air Compressors as Plant Backup Air

Compressed air is everywhere. Portable diesel air compressors bring compressed air wherever it is needed: plantside, roadside, refineryside and many other jobsites.

This month’s feature application is using portable air compressors as plant backup air.

Many operations at industrial plants are driven by compressed air. At the heart of the plant is a large stationary compressor room driven by electric motors. If the stationary compressor(s) go down, a diesel portable compressor is requested as backup to keep productions running.

In this scenario, electric motors are sized in horsepower. A good metric to know is 1 hp = 4.5 cfm. If the plant has four 100 hp compressors, that’s 400 hp and you will need approximately 1800 cfm on location to support it. Depending on the facility, an oil flooded or oil free portable compressor may be required.

Plant engineers and facility managers should ensure they have a disaster and/or contingency plan in place to minimize downtime and disruptions, should a compressor go down.

Find your authorized Sullair distributor to learn more about this application and which compressor is right for you.