Why a ring main compressed air piping design is beneficial

What connects all the industrial applications to the source of compressed air is the piping. Inefficient compressed air distribution systems result in higher energy bills, lower productivity, and an overall reduction in performance of tools or equipment. This article discusses a compressed air piping design solution that maintains efficiency and lowers energy waste.

Compressed air distribution concerns

There are a few challenges to having an efficient

There are a few challenges to having an efficient compressed air distribution in plants and facilities.

A small amount of constant leakage occurs from the piping. Particularly at connectors that don’t quite fit well.
Condensation and moisture build-up can clog nozzles and cause rust. Pipes gradually age.
Pipes might not be the ideal size to maximize pressure and efficiency.
Tight bends and angles in the piping can impede air flow.

You’ll notice that the efficiency issues are related to layout of the compressed air piping, the

There are a few challenges to having an efficient

There are a few challenges to having an efficient compressed air distribution in plants and facilities.

A small amount of constant leakage occurs from the piping. Particularly at connectors that don’t quite fit well.
Condensation and moisture build-up can clog nozzles and cause rust. Pipes gradually age.
Pipes might not be the ideal size to maximize pressure and efficiency.
Tight bends and angles in the piping can impede air flow.

You’ll notice that the efficiency issues are related to layout of the compressed air piping, the

There are a few challenges to having an efficient compressed air distribution in plants and facilities.

A small amount of constant leakage occurs from the piping. Particularly at connectors that don’t quite fit well.
Condensation and moisture build-up can clog nozzles and cause rust. Pipes gradually age.
Pipes might not be the ideal size to maximize pressure and efficiency.
Tight bends and angles in the piping can impede air flow.

You’ll notice that the efficiency issues are related to layout of the compressed air piping, the

There are a few challenges to having an efficient

There are a few challenges to having an efficient compressed air distribution in plants and facilities.

A small amount of constant leakage occurs from the piping. Particularly at connectors that don’t quite fit well.
Condensation and moisture build-up can clog nozzles and cause rust. Pipes gradually age.
Pipes might not be the ideal size to maximize pressure and efficiency.
Tight bends and angles in the piping can impede air flow.

You’ll notice that the efficiency issues are related to layout of the compressed air piping, the

There are a few challenges to having an efficient compressed air distribution in plants and facilities.

A small amount of constant leakage occurs from the piping. Particularly at connectors that don’t quite fit well.
Condensation and moisture build-up can clog nozzles and cause rust. Pipes gradually age.
Pipes might not be the ideal size to maximize pressure and efficiency.
Tight bends and angles in the piping can impede air flow.

You’ll notice that the efficiency issues are related to layout of the compressed air piping, the quality of the pipes, and the fittings used. The result is a ‘Pressure Drop’ between the air compressor and the point of consumption.

Pressure drops naturally happen as compressed air moves through the distribution system around the plant or facility. A well-made compressed air piping system should incur a pressure loss of less than 10 percent of the air compressor’s discharge pressure, when measured from the air compressor discharge outlet to the point of use.

The goal should be to make sure the pressure drop in the pipes does not exceed 0.3 bar between the air compressor discharge point and the furthest point of consumption. Plant managers and engineers would attempt to solve this by increasing the discharge pressure at the Air Compressor end to compensate for the pressure drop.

But they are using more energy than they should. And if demand along the pipes is reduced the pressure drop reduces, and pressure at the point of consumption unexpectedly rises above the allowed level. This isn’t economical, leads to more inefficiency, and raises energy costs.

The right piping layout can mitigate pressure drops

compressed-air-distribution-in-ring-main

Through trial-and-error compressed air engineers have discovered that most plants and facilities benefit from a piping layout called the ring main design. Ring main designs are a closed loop (a ring) of piping around an area where air consumption at high pressure will take place. Ring main layouts are not unique to compressed air systems. You’ll notice a ring main piping layout sometimes used to distribute water at high pressure as well, and the pipes are fixed to the ceiling of the room. Branch pipes are attached to the main ring. Those branch pipes are then run along the ceilings or walls to the points of consumption in the facility. The benefit of the ring main layout is that air at high pressure can circle the area and arrive at the point of use from two sides. This assures all users have stable pressure despite multiple points of consumption adding demand to the distribution system. By avoiding having to raise discharge pressure at the air compressor end the plant benefits. A 1 bar reduction in discharge pressure requirements can equate to a 6-10% reduction in energy consumption. This is direct cost savings.

Get specialized compressed air piping for ring main layouts

Properly sized pipes need to be used to maximize pressure and flow while keeping energy costs as low as possible. Choosing the right size can only be done once your application’s compressed air demand is measured and analyzed.

What the pipe is made of matters too. Pipes are made from aluminum, copper, plastic, and other materials. Each material has its advantages and disadvantages and it's important to consult with someone who understands this.

The future needs of your facility should be included in the design and planning. Making a final decision based solely on present day flow requirements could lead to difficulties and unexpected expenses in the future.