Compressed Air Filtration requires Minimum Volume Flow
In many compressed air systems, a cyclone separator follows directly behind the compressor to separate large quantities of water. A minimum volume flow is a prerequisite for the full functionality of such a unit. If the cyclone separator fails, the other components of the compressed air treatment system are overtaxed with the water separation.
Downtimes cause oil in the filter medium to thicken, and because of the clogged filter pores, the differential pressure can rise so much that cracks appear and the material bursts open. The filter cartridges should be checked and, if necessary, replaced before restarting.
In addition, the filters have significantly less separation efficiency at low loads. If the volume flow is too low, filters of inferior quality may even fail completely. High-quality filters achieve their performance already from 20% of the nominal volume flow.
Longer downtimes of the compressed air system also create ideal conditions for bacteria and germs, which are carried along uncontrollably from the filters during start-up. Here, online sterilisation of the affected plant sections is recommended, for which no removal of components is necessary. Alternatively, contaminated filter elements can be re-sterilized in an autoclave.