Environmentally friendly air compressor
15 Jan 2000
When fitted to one of Ingersoll-Rand's portable compressors, the company's new IQ System technology removes any need to collect and treat oil and water condensate. It achieves this environmentally-friendly end through a patented, built-in condensate flash system.
As well as being environmentally advanced, the IQ System compressors are also designed with an on-board aftercooler and filtration system to deliver instrument-quality air for a wide range of industrial, process, service and construction operations.
According to Ingersoll-Rand, this offers a very cost-effective alternative to the use of portable oil-free compressors for such applications.
In tests against equivalent oil-free compressors, the IQ recorded total hydrocarbon carryover of less than 1 ppm by weight, compared with a count of 70-100 ppm for air from the oil-free compressors.
The tests were conducted at a location where the ambient air had a normal hydrocarbon content of 70-120 ppm.
On the IQ range of compressors, a simple valve system allows the user to operate the unit either as a standard rotary screw compressor, or in the IQ mode when instrument-quality air is required.
