Since many years, solutions lead the way in the compressor market. The manufacturer seeks to satisfy the challenges of the customer with novel and ever more complex equipment. As a result of this there has to be a real partnership between the manufacturer and the customer. The need to innovate is seen as the way to ensure a high level of compressed air efficiency, reliability and sustainability.

Much effort has been put into meeting the environmental challenges as well as those in the all important quest for improved energy efficiency. On the environmental front the industry seeks to ensure that sustainable development meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs.

As part of the need for improved energy efficiency control solutions maximize the efficiency, save costs and ease operation of a customer’s compressed air equipment.

As the need for compressed air becomes more refined, the solutions used to satisfy the demand have resulted in a broader range of compressor technologies being offered. Where once the reciprocating compressor reigned supreme its position as the mainstream solution has been taken over by the screw compressor to provide the industrial ‘work horse’ for compressed air supply. But the screw compressor has not taken over as an exclusive technology many alternatives have been introduced to fill niche areas including the reciprocating compressor. The customer now has the widest range of options open to meet the challenge and provide the solution.

The industrial landscape that is the market for compressed air has changed not only in the EU member states but also in the EU as a whole. Where there was once heavy industry and mining that in some parts of the EU has given way to light and high technology industry. That brings with it the demand for improved compressed air and more flexibility.

PNEUROP has been instrumental in the development of several international standards together with the Compressed Air andGas Institute (CAGI), for both CEN and ISO.

In recognition that standards should be global and not regional and making good use of the links between PNEUROP and CAGI, compressor and compressed air system standards are being developed to encompass the elements of European and US standards to harmonise the requirements using the best available information from the regional standards. This approach provides a cost benefit to the manufacturer and also to the user who will be able to specify requirements from common standards.

Some existing and under construction standards as example:

• ISO 1217 : Displacement Compressors – Acceptance Tests
• ISO 5389 : Turbocompressors – Performance Test Code
• ISO 18740 : Turbocompressors – Performance Test Code
• etc…

Recently published ISO Standards:

ISO 4376 Cycle energy requirement — Test method

The need for compressed gas usually varies with time. While some types of compressors can adapt to changes in demand by delivering variable amounts of gas all compressors will at some point change from gas delivery to no delivery and back. Such a no delivery mode, called idle mode, usually means the compressor is left running being ready to resume delivery on short notice while still consuming energy.

Until now performance data is typically given and evaluated for a steady state design point. It is also customary to provide data for the idle mode when the delivered amount of gas is zero. What is not provided at present time is the energy consumed in switching from idle mode to delivery and vice versa. Taking together the energy required for these two events combined can be referred to as the “Cycle Energy Requirement” (or, “CER”).

This standard was developed to provide guidance how to determine the cycle energy requirement for all types of compressors.

To purchase a copy of this standard, please enquire to your local National Standards Body (e.g. BSI, DIN, NBN, UNI, etc).

To view the ISO document abstract, click here.

To view the Foreword, Introduction, Scope, Normative References and Terms and Definitions, click here.

ISO 22484 – Displacement and dynamic compressors — Performance test code for electrically driven low-pressure air compressor packages.

This document specifies the performance test method of electrically driven low-pressure air compressor packages, where the compression is performed by positive displacement or dynamic compression. Low-pressure air compressor packages are often referred to as * “blowers”.

The standard closes a gap in the series of test standards for compressors. Existing ones (e.g. ISO 1217, ISO 5389, ISO 18740) for positive displacement compressors and dynamic compressors, do not provide clear and concise means of comparing different technologies.

How can you specify the performance and testing of *”blowers” (= low pressure air compressors) – if different technologies are covered in different testing standards? These standards have started with different intentions and have evolved over the years to treat many things differently.

How do you require the manufacturer to include the whole technical scope for their offering in a way that can be compared with data given by other manufacturers?

One way to answer the above questions is available now in the form of the new testing standard ISO 22484 (“Displacement and dynamic compressors — Performance test code for electric driven low-pressure air compressor packages”). It is a modern standard covering the most popular types of *blowers, both dynamic (centrifugal / turbo) and volumetric (positive displacement) *blowers.

The standard provides clear instructions regarding how to make the test in a way that is both accurate and ensures that the results can be compared, treating different brands, models and even *blowers utilizing different technologies in a fair manner.

The guiding principles are:

measuring the delivered amount of compressed air
considering all electrical power input and
making sure all auxiliaries and ancillaries are properly considered in calculating the energy consumption.
The newly developed ISO 22484 standard gives a potent tool to end-users / operators, consultants / design engineers and contractors that will help them achieve essential goals such as high efficiency, flow and pressure capability and the most advantageous life cycle cost for their *blower project.

*Note the term “blower” is a term in common usage in place of “low pressure compressor” and is considered interchangeable.

The definition for included technology is (extracted directly from the scope of the standard):

This document applies to low-pressure compressors meeting all the following limits:

• Atmospheric inlet air pressure between 0.5 bar and 1.1 bar.

• Discharge vs Inlet pressure differential between 0.1 bar and 2.5 bar.

• Discharge vs Inlet pressure ratio between 1.1 and 3.5.

To purchase a copy of this standard, please enquire to your local National Standards Body (e.g. BSI, DIN, NBN, UNI, etc).

To view the ISO document abstract, click here.

To view the Foreword, Introduction, Scope, Normative References and Terms and Definitions, click here.