Minimum Speed of screw air compressor for proper lubrication?

[dkmc1]

What are the consequences of operating a screw air compressor BELOW it's minimum
RPM as stated by the OEM?
We have an IR screw compressor that has an operating range of 1400-2500 RPM
It was operated at a lower RPM....possibly in the 800-1000 rpm range for
less than 5 minutes. At one point it stopped turning. After setting, it now turns
freely again.

Question: Will lower than recommended RPM cause inadequate oiling?



Dan K
Kliegel Machine Co
Big Flats, NY

 

[zdas04]

It really depends on where your oil gets its motive force. If the oil is driven by the dP across the machine then you need to be more concerned about minimum dP than minimum speed. If you have an oil pump and it is driven off a pony shaft, then low speed can cause under-oiling both of the bearings and the compression process.

[bold]David Simpson, PE[/bold]
MuleShoe Engineering

In questions of science, the authority of a thousand is not worth the humble reasoning of a single individual. Galileo Galilei, Italian Physicist