Compressors are a broad class of mechanical devices used to compress and pressurize gases. Within the compressor, you will find a spring valve, which is one of the most important aspect of compressors.
Valuable within numerous industry applications, spring valves and compressors can be used in order to facilitate storage or transportation of gases, similar to fluid pumps.
Pressurized gases are useful in certain manufacturing processes, internal combustion and more, conveying heat and power in industrial and commercial devices.
Industries That Use a Spring Valve & Compressor
Springs an extremely important aspect of compressors. Due to the fact that compressors are constantly moving, the springs are consistently at work.
Many industrial devices rely heavily on spring valve compressors.
Air compressors are a subset of these, though compressors exist for other kinds of gases as well across industries from energy and refrigeration to automobiles and aerospace.
Gas compressors besides those used for pneumatic purposes are vital in several applications among these industries.
Here are the four most common industries that require the use of these compressors.
1. Oil and Natural Gas
Few industries have benefited as broadly or as deeply from advances in compressor technology as the petroleum and natural gas industries.
Every stage of the process in natural gas production relies on some form of compressor.
Driven by new environmental regulations that mandate more efficient production and reduction of waste byproducts, the spring compressor manufacturing industry has been tested extensively to keep up with demands in new technology.
Most prominently, compressors feature in the transport of natural gas via pipelines from production site to power plants and consumers.
The compressor is frequently powered by the natural gas being transported. This, in turn, removes the need for an external power source in the process.
Specialized compressors may be utilized for cases where there is a high content of hydrogen sulfide in the gas, in order to better purify it.
In addition, the liquefaction of natural gas, typically methane, requires pressurization as well as cooling.
Liquefied natural gas is used for refinement into high-grade fuels or for long-distance transport without pipelines.
Spring valve compressors also feature in the production and refinement stages.
Gas injection is often used to increase production at oil and natural gas wells; a secondary gas is pressurized and piped into the formation when the pressure necessary for extraction drops, allowing a boost in production in the later stages of the formation.
At the processing end of the supply chain, high pressures better promote the necessary catalytic reactions to convert petroleum into desirable products.
2. Refrigeration and Air Conditioning
A variety of mechanisms for refrigeration and heat transfer are employed in industrial, commercial and consumer applications depending on the degree of refrigeration necessary and safety considerations regarding what is being refrigerated.
The vapor-compression refrigeration cycle represents the most common form of refrigeration used for air conditioning in buildings and vehicles. It’s also used in refrigerators and cold storage in commercial and industrial settings. Speaking of cold storage units, the cooling intensity can be greatly influenced by the type of doors used on them. Usually, storage units tend to be equipped with metal doors, which might be able to withstand extreme temperatures. However, it might be advisable to consider using stainless steel doors for such units, which can be effective in maintaining the cold temperature inside. This in turn can also consume less power.
In vapor-compression refrigeration, the refrigerant – a fluid that conveys heat away from the space being refrigerated and expels it elsewhere – undergoes phase changes from liquid to gas and vice versa.
These systems typically employ a spring valve compressor to enable this.
The compressor takes in refrigerant as it leaves the evaporator in the form of a saturated vapor – a near-boiling mix of liquid and gas. It then compresses it further so that it takes on a higher temperature still.
The excess heat is then rejected into water or air flowing over the refrigerant tubes. This causes it to condense and flow back towards the refrigerated area.
Vapor-compression refrigeration is relied upon within this industry as it is relatively inexpensive and considered to be a mature technology that is well-understood.
The system can also be driven by mechanical energy as effectively as electrical energy.
Air-conditioning and cold storage for food processing are major industrial applications.
Refrigerated transportation also predominately uses vapor-compression. Large-scale computing and server networks rely on it for effective cooling to mitigate the risks of electronic damage from overheating.
3. Aerospace
Aerospace engineering and industry is a broad field in both applications and required technologies.
High altitude conditions present harsh environments, and compressors prove valuable in managing much of the potential dangers that arise.
This makes them vital for consideration in aerospace design, whether for commercial aircraft, low-orbit spacecraft, defense and military applications and more.
Cabin pressurization is the most noticeable application of gas compressors in aerospace to most people, experienced during any flight.
This is far from the extent of compression technology’s role in aerospace industries, though.
Some forms of jet engines rely on spring valve compressors for fuel combustion. The fuel itself, especially for rockets, is often produced by compression. This is because liquefied natural gas is a precursor to refined rocket fuel.
Storing this fuel, as well, requires high compression so that the aircraft can carry it without complications.
Potable water storage is made possible with heavy-duty compressors, benefiting both commercial aircraft and low Earth orbit spacecraft.
For manned spacecraft and space stations, transportation of fluid supplies – air, water, fuel and beyond – is carefully balanced by way of compression storage.
In addition, internal atmosphere must be sustained and filtered.
So, overall, these seemingly small devices form an integral part of the aerospace supply chain, serving some very important purposes as seen above.
4. Medical Technology
Many medical devices feature gas compressors and pumps in their operation, ranging from minor clinical check-ups to emergency situations.
Medical monitors may employ pneumatics for measuring blood pressure, for instance. Some forms of medication are also administered via inhalation, facilitated by nebulizers using compressed gas to break up fluid solutions into aerosol form.
Medical gas supply systems are also set up in hospitals to administer gases like oxygen or anesthetics as needed to given facilities. These gases are also stored via spring valve compression beforehand.
Within medical settings, maintaining a safe and gentle environment for patients in recovery or undergoing intensive care is paramount.
Compressors and pumps also factor into the pharmaceutical industry.
Manufacturing pills and tablets and packaging pharmaceutical products both directly involve pneumatics. For example, spray-on coatings for tablets, bottles and blister packaging, measuring dosage, and so on.
Purified, sterile air is especially significant, so oil-free compressors are predominately used.
Conclusion
From manufacturing and engineering to storage, transportation and application of fluids, spring valve compressors see significant use overtly or behind the scenes in industrial environments.
Energy, aerospace, food and medical industries are just some of the fields that see use of this technology. Further more, all of them continue to expand to meet growing needs from society.
In turn, manufacturers of spring compressors and their components continue to push the boundaries of technology in their products and manufacturing facilities. This plays a key role in serving businesses and consumers worldwide.