Air chamber

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Two  screw compressors as compressed air compressors with integrated refrigeration dryer and 3000 liter air chamber (also called compressed air storage) on the right in the picture
Air chamber in the pumping station of Nymphenburg Palace , in operation since 1803

An air chamber is a pressure vessel in pump and compressed air systems that is used to store energy or a fluid and to compensate for pressure fluctuations. It is preferably installed directly after the pressure generator.

A similar device is the water lock .

Gas-filled air vessels that are connected to liquid-filled systems are also known as hydrophores . If they are used to absorb the temperature-related changes in volume of the liquid, they are called expansion vessels.

tasks

  • Compensation of pressure fluctuations, including the pressure surges of the compressor , which can overload the pipe network , pumps and fittings ; thereby supplying the consumer with as constant an operating pressure as possible .
  • Storage of compressed air for the connected network and provision of compressed air in the immediate vicinity of consumers with large, sudden air consumption.
  • Pre-separation of any condensate from the compressed air, which is already in liquid form or is produced by cooling the compressed air.

Applications

In the case of the central drinking water supply , air tanks are used on the supply lines to compensate for pressure fluctuations if there are no other water reservoirs such as underground water tanks or water towers after the pumping station .

In domestic water systems , when the pump starts up, water enters the air-filled container so that a certain water supply is available in the pressure line even after the pump has been switched off and pressure surges can be avoided. Since gases can be gradually absorbed by liquids , both media are often blocked by an elastic membrane , e.g. B. a rubber bubble, separately. Corresponding expansion vessels are used in heating systems and in connection with hot water storage tanks .

Air vessels are also part of the plunger pump and the hydraulic ram .

Pressure accumulators in hydraulic systems have small volumes, but can withstand a pressure of 100 to 1000 bar thanks to thick steel  walls. The filling consists of nitrogen to prevent oxidation by oxygen. It is usually preloaded and separated from the hydraulic fluid by an elastomer bladder. Inert gas can be admitted and discharged at an overhead valve to determine the pressure working range.

literature

  • Anton Gramberg: Mode of operation and calculation of the air chambers of piston pumps. Springer Verlag, Berlin / Heidelberg 1912.
  • Albrecht Kottmann: Determination of pressure surges in the water supply. Vulkan Verlag, Essen 1992, ISBN 3-8027-5500-6 .
  • Konrad Hartmann, J. Oskar Knoke: The pumps. Second edition, Springer Verlag, Berlin / Heidelberg 1897.
  • FMA / Pokorny (ed.): Pocket book for compressed air operation. Seventh edition, Springer Verlag, Berlin / Heidelberg 1954.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ limited preview in the Google book search