How to Prevent Burning of Air Compressor Oil Separator Elements
The oil separator element is one of the key components of screw air compressors. It separates lubricating oil from compressed air: the oil flows back into the compressor for circulation, while clean compressed air is delivered to users. Meanwhile, the oil separator element is a consumable part that must be replaced in a timely manner upon reaching the service life.
Various faults may occur during operation, and burning of the oil separator element is a typical failure. Fundamentally, this fault means the oil separator element is ignited. Below are effective preventive measures:
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Before restarting an air compressor that has been out of service for a period of time, or when ambient temperature is low in winter, add a small amount of lubricating oil into the airend. This ensures sufficient lubrication and cooling during startup.
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Monitor the exhaust temperature of the air compressor during daily operation. If the unit runs under persistently excessive exhaust temperature, identify and resolve the root cause immediately. Operate the compressor within the normal exhaust temperature range. Long-term overheating may trigger failures in the oil circuit system and even lead to fire hazards.
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Open flame caused by electrostatic discharge can burn the oil separator element. Check whether the air compressor grounding is reliable, and verify electrical continuity between the oil-gas tank and the unit ground wire. During installation of the oil separator element, inspect the mating surface of the oil-gas tank contacting the asbestos gasket. Foreign substances such as rust layers, residual sealant or other contaminants will break the conductive path between the oil separator element and ground.
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Check the electrical control box for fibers, foam and other combustible materials. Prevent electric arcs generated by internal components from igniting these materials, which may cause fire and severe equipment damage.
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If an air compressor equipped with a temperature control valve encounters overheating problems, address the fault fundamentally. Replace a faulty temperature control valve as required; do not arbitrarily short-circuit the valve.
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Oil-injected rotary air compressors generally do not suffer carbon deposition issues thanks to relatively low exhaust temperature. Nevertheless, the circulating lubricating oil must feature excellent oxidation resistance to guarantee adequate service life. Oil-injected rotary air compressors require dedicated compressor oil or circulating oil with superior anti-emulsification performance. Antioxidants shall have sufficiently low volatility under normal compressor operating temperatures so that lubricating oil maintains stable performance until the scheduled oil change interval.
