Rotary screw air compressors are rotary positive displacement machines capable of high-speed operation over a wide range of operating pressures and flow rates at high efficiencies. In screw air compressors, there are no valves or other mechanical forces that can cause imbalance. This allows a compressor to operate at high speeds while combining a large flow rate with small exterior dimensions. The main advantage of using a rotary compressor is that it can supply compressed air continuously with minimum fluctuation in delivery pressure and generate less heat than other types of air compressors, which increases energy efficiency. Other advantages of using rotary screw air compressors include

The Screw air compressor uses a rotary-type positive-displacement mechanism. The screw element consists of two rotors similar to a helix, each with a different shape and number of grooves/ teeth. Atmospheric air moves into the screw element, and as the air progresses along with the rotors, it gets compressed. The main characteristic of the screw compressor is a male and female rotor element that traps the air and compresses it as the volume reduces inside the airend gradually. The compressed air is released at the delivery end.

The basic principle of a rotary-type screw air compressor is that the male and female rotors spin in opposite directions. The prime mover turns the rotor of the airend in a rotary screw air compressor. This develops a vacuum, which results in surrounding air being driven into the airends through the air filter. As the rotors turn progressively, air gets trapped in the spaces between the two screws (rotors).

Air is taken from the atmosphere and pumped into the rotary screw compressor through the air intake system. First, it passes through a filter that helps remove suspended particles from it. Next, the filtered air goes into the airend, which is the heart of the rotary screw air compressor. Here, the air is trapped within the spaces between the two rotors, with lobes that mesh with each other. As the rotors turn, they progressively compress the trapped pockets of air, discharging the compressed air at the outlet of the airend.

ELGi’s EN & EG series are good examples of best-in-class rotary screw electric air compressor technology.

Industries like food, beverage, and textile use rotary screw air compressors for their operations. The rotary screw air compressors are used in various applications like food processing plants, breweries, etc. Food and beverage companies rely on rotary air compressors to keep their finished products fresh. Textile companies make use of these industrial screw air compressors for drying and dyeing purposes.