Question

Intake filters are provided in compressors primarily to _____ from the suction air.

1. remove dirt and moisture
2. remove dirt and regulate the temperature
3. remove dirt as well as reduce the pressure
4. remove only dirt

Answer 1

Correct Answer - Option 4 : remove only dirt

Explanation:

The essential air compressor accessories:

(i) Filters:

• Filters remove atmospheric contaminants from the air at the intake to keep your compressed air system clean, and the air output pure.
• Cleaner machines work more efficiently, keep components from degrading, and reduce the frequency of maintenance required.
• As filters do their jobs, they accrue particulars matter naturally, so they need to be cleaned and replaced regularly depending on the operating environment.
• It's critically important to have the right filter for your particular application. Some applications will require specialized oil removing filters, and others will require dust and pre-filters. 

(ii) Regulators:

• If your air compressor operates at a higher pressure than you require, then you're wasting energy and wasted energy is money down the drain.
• But you're also putting needless pressure on the hoses, fittings, and tools, causing undue wear, and shortening the lifespan of your system components.
• If a tool is rated for 120 psi, then that's the pressure at which it's meant to function best, so if you're feeding it 150 psi, you can expect suboptimal performance.
• That's where regulators come in. Regulators adjust air pressure levels from the machine to match the tool's requirements.
• Almost every compressed air application will use tools with disparate pressure ratings, so regulators are a must-have in a majority of cases.
• But there's also the regulation of the entire system to consider. Advanced air compressors will have intelligent monitoring systems that read and react to air distribution pressure and air demand, using on/off controls, modulation, and variable rotational speed control in order to achieve a maximum efficiency relationship between air demand and energy consumption.

(iii) Hoses:

• Hoses are the veins that connect your compressed air system's heart (the compressor) to its organs (tools).
• Hoses can wear over time, bending, kinking, and developing leaks, so they should be checked often and replaced when needed. 

(iv) Tool attachments:

• The final link in the chain, and the reason for compressed air in the first place. If you don't have well-maintained tools or the right tools, it doesn't matter how well-designed your compressed air system is.
• Nail guns, blowguns, paint sprayers, drills, sanders, grinders, air knives, and food filling machines there's a veritable smorgasbord of tools out there both for generic and highly specific applications (see: chocolate pan-coating sprayer). 

(v)Aftercoolers and air dryers:

• The process of air compression naturally creates vapor content.
• Aftercoolers and air dryers are needed to eliminate moisture from compressed air before it reaches the tooltip.
• Air dryers like desiccant dryers use silica gel, activated alumina, or molecular sieves to de-vaporize air.
• Aftercoolers, on the other hand, use temperature control to remove water content from the air.
• Cooler air is also denser (more pressurized) air, so aftercoolers serve the additional function of increasing efficiency.
• Water content in your compressed air system can cause contaminated air piping, sticking air cylinders, stuck air valves, plugged orifices, corroded transmitters, and contaminated processes. So any initial benefits derived from not investing in the proper air treatment equipment for the air compressor will be offset by the excessive maintenance, repairs, and damage that wet, dirty compressed air can weak on a facility.