Industrial compressors: how and where they can be better placed

The efficiency of an industrial compressor can also be improved by its positioning in what is commonly called the “compressor room”. This room, which can however be used for various purposes, must meet certain characteristics in order to house the air compressors.  The best solution for setting up a compressor room is that of centralization, i.e. choosing an area where the entire compressor network can be managed without separate locations. The area designated for this task must be indoors to avoid the risk of freezing of the condensate drains, issues due to atmospheric agents, and dangers coming from dust or external flammable materials. 

How to position compressors in a compressor room 

If we are dealing with big compressors that need very long piping, it is necessary to locate the machines so as to guarantee a correct flow of the distribution system. For this reason, it is recommended to install this system next to machines that can support such a flow, such as pumps and fans.  The space must be large enough to accommodate forklifts and to ensure the possible increase of the number of compressors. Each system must have a drain system on the floor to discharge the compressor condensation and must clearly comply with the relevant municipal regulations.  The base where to install the air compressors must be flat with an adequate capacity, and a plinth can also be used to ensure the absorption of any vibrations.

The compressor area must always be kept clean from any external contaminating agent. In fact, if dirty, it can damage the components of the system. It is therefore good practice to always keep an eye on the air intake of the compressor, which must be positioned in a place that is as clean as possible. The air can also be channeled outside through a separate corrosion-resistant pipe designed to avoid accumulation of snow or rain.  The compressor room must be constantly ventilated. Compressors in fact produce a lot of heat. The amount of ventilation depends on the size of the compressor and its type. In fact, in order to guarantee ventilation, it is necessary to subtract the heat produced which, in the case of an air-cooled compressor, is 100% of the energy consumed, while in the case of a water-cooled compressor it is 10%. 

The cooling air must be taken externally through preferably not very long pipes and positioned in such a way that they cannot be covered by the snow. The air speed must not exceed 4 m/s and to guarantee this result the best fans are those with thermostatic control, to be sized in such a way as to cope with a possible pressure drop.  The temperature of the compressor room must not rise more than 7-10° C (45-50 F.). compared to the external temperature. If this result cannot be guaranteed, the advice is to install water-cooled compressors. 

Riem Italy, a leading company in the industrial compression industry, in addition to selling compressors, and producing and distributing spare parts all over the world, also deals with logistics and room analysis. Our team can provide precise and reliable projects about the installation of compressors and the preparation of the control room.