General

The compressed air system must be controlled, regulated, and sized to ensure that an adequate volume of air, at a pressure and purity necessary to satisfy user requirements, is delivered at any outlet during the period of heaviest use. The design process is an iterative one because the performance of one or several components may have an effect on the performance of other equipment. Therefore, various adjustments will be necessary as the design progresses.

The entire system will be separated into three individual systems:

1. Air compressor, including regulation, intake, and receiver

2. Compressed air conditioning equipment

3. Piping distribution network

Design Sequence

1. Locate and identify each process, workstation, or piece of equipment using compressed air. These components should be located on a plan, and a complete list should be made to simplify record keeping.

2. Determine the volume of air to be used at each location.

3. Determine the pressure range required at each location.

4. Determine the conditioning requirements for each item, such as the allowable moisture content, particulate size, and oil content.

5. Establish how much time the individual tool or process will be in actual use for a 1-min period of time. This is referred to as the duty cycle.

6. Establish the maximum number of locations that may be used simultaneously on each branch and main and for the project as a whole. This is known as the use factor.

7. Establish the extent of allowable...