What Are The Impacts of Rising Ambient Temperatures in Summer on The Operation of Compressors?

What are the impacts of rising ambient temperatures in summer on the operation of compressors?

1. Impact on lubrication system

1.1 Decreased viscosity of lubricating oil: The viscosity of lubricating oil will decrease with the increase of temperature. In high temperature environments, lubricating oil becomes thin and its lubrication performance decreases, making it difficult to form a sufficiently thick oil film on the surface of the moving parts of the compressor. This will lead to increased friction between moving parts, thereby increasing wear and shortening the service life of the equipment. For example, insufficient lubrication between the crankshaft and bearings may cause overheating or even damage to the bearings.

1.2. Accelerated oxidation and deterioration of lubricating oil: High temperature can accelerate the oxidation reaction of lubricating oil, causing changes in the composition of lubricating oil and producing harmful oxidation products such as sludge and paint film. These substances will adhere to the surface of the internal parts of the compressor, affecting its normal heat dissipation and lubrication effect, and may also block the oil circuit, leading to insufficient lubricating oil supply and further exacerbating the risk of equipment failure.

2.Impact on cooling system

2.1. Decreased cooling efficiency: Reciprocating compressors generate a large amount of heat during operation, which needs to be dissipated through a cooling system. When the ambient temperature rises, the temperature of the cooling medium (such as cooling water, air, etc.) will also increase accordingly, which will reduce the temperature difference between the cooling system and the compressor, thereby reducing the cooling efficiency. For example, for air-cooled compressors, high temperature environments can increase the temperature of the surrounding air, reduce the heat carried away by the air, and lead to an increase in the exhaust temperature of the compressor.

2.2. Increased cooling water temperature: If the compressor adopts a water-cooled system, the temperature of the cooling water will also increase in high-temperature environments. This will reduce the heat carried away by the cooling water, causing the temperature of the compressor's cylinders, valves, and other components to rise, affecting their normal operation. Meanwhile, excessively high cooling water temperature may also lead to the precipitation of dissolved oxygen in the cooling water, causing corrosion to the cooling system and affecting its service life.

3.The impact on compressor performance

3.1. Decreased exhaust volume: An increase in ambient temperature can lead to a decrease in gas density. At the same suction pressure and speed, the mass of gas sucked in by the compressor decreases, resulting in a decrease in displacement. This will affect the working efficiency of the compressor and cannot meet the requirements for gas flow rate in the production process.

3.2. Increased power consumption: Due to the decrease in gas density, the compressor needs to do more work to achieve the same exhaust pressure when compressing gas. Therefore, the increase in ambient temperature will lead to an increase in the power consumption of the compressor, resulting in an increase in the load on the motor, an increase in energy consumption, and an increase in operating costs.

3.3. Increased failure rate of gas valves: In high temperature environments, components such as springs and sealing elements of gas valves are easily affected by thermal expansion, leading to a decrease in the sealing performance of gas valves. At the same time, high temperature can weaken the elasticity of the spring of the air valve, reduce the strength of the valve plate, and easily cause faults such as air valve leakage and valve plate fracture, which affects the working performance and reliability of the compressor.

4.Impact on device safety

1. Component thermal expansion: Components of reciprocating compressors undergo thermal expansion at high temperatures. If the expansion is uneven, it may cause changes in the fit clearance between components, and even lead to jamming, affecting the normal operation of the equipment. For example, if the gap between the piston and the cylinder is too small, it may cause collision between the piston and the cylinder, damaging the equipment.

2. Equipment overheating: Due to reduced cooling efficiency and increased power consumption, the temperature of the compressor will rise. If the equipment is in an overheated state for a long time, it may cause damage to its components, such as motor burnout, cylinder deformation, and even lead to safety accidents such as fires.