Air Receiver Sizing

on . Posted in Instrumentation & Controls

This calculation uses the air consumption rate of the instruments and determines the size of an air receiver based on the time required to meet a minimum pressure. The minimum pressure is generally the low pressure set point of a compressor. The initial pressure is the design pressure the receiver. The calculation is displayed symbolically as:

If the compressor only runs when the low level pressure is met, then the Flowin would equal zero.

 

Air Receiver Sizing Formula

\(\large{ AR =  \frac{ p_{atm} \: t \; \left(Q_{out} \;-\; Q_{in} \right)  }{p_i \;-\; p_f }  }\)
Symbol English Metric
\(\large{ AR }\) = air receiver size \(\large{gal}\)  \(\large{L}\) 
\(\large{ Q_{in} }\) = flow in \(\large{\frac{ft^3}{sec}}\) \(\large{\frac{m^3}{s}}\)
\(\large{ Q_{out} }\) = flow out \(\large{\frac{ft^3}{sec}}\) \(\large{\frac{m^3}{s}}\)
\(\large{ p_{atm} }\) = atmospheric pressure \(\large{\frac{lbf}{in^2}}\) \(\large{Pa}\)
\(\large{ p_f }\) = final pressure \(\large{\frac{lbf}{in^2}}\) \(\large{Pa}\)
\(\large{ p_i }\) = initial pressure \(\large{\frac{lbf}{in^2}}\) \(\large{Pa}\)
\(\large{ t }\) = time \(\large{sec}\) \(\large{s}\)

 

 

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Tags: Air Equations Petroleum Equations