Screw Compressor shared oil skids ? good / bad concept
Screw Compressor shared oil skids ? good / bad concept
(OP)
Dear all,
I am working on a project using screw compressors. I have been recommended for 2 or 3 compressors to use only one oil skid.
I think this is a really bad idea due to reliability - lose one skid and all compressors shutdown.. but i want to validate my perspective v industry best practice.
In my experience i've never seen this but what are others..
our unit size is too big to have one compressor..and we are reusing older ones as well in our configuration..
I am working on a project using screw compressors. I have been recommended for 2 or 3 compressors to use only one oil skid.
I think this is a really bad idea due to reliability - lose one skid and all compressors shutdown.. but i want to validate my perspective v industry best practice.
In my experience i've never seen this but what are others..
our unit size is too big to have one compressor..and we are reusing older ones as well in our configuration..





RE: Screw Compressor shared oil skids ? good / bad concept
I assume you are referring to a common lube oil system rather than a flood oil system on flooded screw machines. We have some flooded screws with common flood oil and there are some other particular issues with those systems that I am probably not qualified to address.
Johnny Pellin
RE: Screw Compressor shared oil skids ? good / bad concept
The oil is hydrophillic and managing its temperature is critical to successful operations (oil contaminated with water has a different coalescing diameter, different lubricity, and different viscosity, you have to cook the water out of the oil for long-term, trouble-free operation). This seems to be more difficult with longer piping to the filter.
I wouldn't do it on a bet.
David
RE: Screw Compressor shared oil skids ? good / bad concept
But using a single oil pump/single filtration/single pressure management arrangement for multiple machines is much riskier as both parties indicate.
What are you compressing and what does your duty cycle look like?
RE: Screw Compressor shared oil skids ? good / bad concept
David
RE: Screw Compressor shared oil skids ? good / bad concept
(Personnaly i think it is a bad idea) but i professional need to evaluate it fairly. Therefore has anyone used a shared oil lubircation system on screw compressors to save money.