Which is better, oil-free vortex air compressor or screw air compressor? Let’s first take a look at the disadvantages and then take a look at the advantages:
1、 Disadvantages of oil-free vortex air compressor:
(1) The surface of its moving parts is mostly curved, and the processing and inspection of these curved surfaces are relatively complex, some of which require specialized equipment, resulting in high manufacturing costs;
(2) The sealing between moving parts or between moving parts and fixed parts is often achieved by maintaining a certain movement gap, and gas leakage will inevitably occur through the gap. This limits the difficulty of achieving a high compression ratio for rotary compressors, so they are often used under air conditioning conditions;
(3) The screw air compressor is also a rotary displacement type machine, and the compression of air is achieved by the volume change of the teeth slots of the male and female rotors installed in parallel mesh within the casing.
2、 Advantages of oil-free vortex air compressor:
(1) The oil-free vortex air compressor belongs to volumetric rotary machinery, which utilizes the meshing of the vortex rotor and the vortex stator to form multiple compression chambers;
(2) There is no reciprocating motion mechanism, so the structure is simple, the volume is small, the weight is light, the parts are few (especially the vulnerable parts are few), and the reliability is high;
(3) Small torque variation, high balance, low vibration, smooth operation, making operation simple and easy to achieve automation;
(4) It has high efficiency within its applicable refrigeration capacity range;
(5) Low noise.
3、 Disadvantages of screw air compressors:
(1) The tooth surface of the rotor is a spatial curved surface that needs to be processed using specially designed cutting tools on expensive equipment. The machining accuracy of the body components also has high requirements, and high-precision equipment must be used.
(2) Due to the periodic connection between the volume between the teeth and the suction and exhaust ports, the compressor noise is relatively high.
(3) Due to limitations such as rotor stiffness and bearing life, the compressor can only rely on clearance sealing internally, so screw compressors can only be used in the medium and low pressure range and cannot be used in high-pressure situations.
(4) Due to the large amount of fuel injection and the complexity of the oil treatment system, there are many auxiliary equipment for the unit.
(5) Screw compressors rely on gap sealing gas seals and do not have superior performance in small volume ranges.
4、 Advantages of screw air compressor:
(1) The screw compressor is the same as the oil-free scroll air compressor, and both belong to the positive displacement compressor;
(2) High reliability: The screw compressor has fewer components and no vulnerable parts, so it operates reliably and has a long service life. The overhaul interval can reach 40000 to 80000 hours;
(3) Easy operation and maintenance: The screw compressor has a high degree of automation, and operators do not need to undergo long-term professional training to achieve unmanned operation;
(4) Good power balance: The screw compressor has no unbalanced inertia force, and the machine can work smoothly at high speed, achieving groundless operation. Especially suitable for mobile compressors, with small volume, light weight, and small footprint;
(5) Strong adaptability: Screw compressors have the characteristic of forced gas transmission, and the volumetric flow rate is almost unaffected by the exhaust pressure. It can maintain high efficiency within a wide range and is suitable for various working conditions without any changes to the compressor structure.