Air Driven Gas Boosters

Gas Boosters

WHY USE AIR DRIVEN GAS BOOSTERS?

GAS PURITY: Most gases used in industry and life support must be clean and dry. Otherwise, the end use is severely compromised. Gases needing purity include argon (Ar), carbon dioxide (CO2), helium (He), hydrogen(H2), neon(Ne), nitrogen(N2), nitrous oxide(N2O), oxygen(O2) and breathing air. If gas purity is needed, all devices used to transfer gas or increase gas pressure must be completely dry and free of any lubricants. Hydraulics International, Inc.’s (HII’s) air driven gas boosters satisfy this requirement. No hydrocarbon lubrication is needed in the gas sections because the high-pressure pistons slide on inert PTFE dynamic seals. And because gas barrel temperature is controlled with the cold drive air exhaust, long seal life is ensured.

PUMPS, Air Driven Gas Boosters

Single Acting Gas Boosters

HIGH PRESSURE OUTLET: Most mechanically driven gas compressors can only handle 5,000- to 6,000-PSI requirements. Mechanically driven units that can handle over 6,000 PSI are rare and costly. If gas purity is required, most of these higher-PSI units need high-pressure and high-maintenance purifiers installed—to compensate for hydrocarbon carryover created by oil-lubricated pistons.1Air driven gas boosters do not suffer from these shortcomings and are therefore better suited for higher-PSI applications. HII’s standard air driven models are hydrocarbon free and available in 50- to 25,000-PSI capacities.

Double Acting Gas Boosters

BOOST DIRECTLY FROM HIGH PRESSURE GAS CYLINDERS: A mechanical compressor cannot inhale common industrial gas cylinder pressure. The inlet pressure must be reduced, usually close to 0 PSI. This is a costly waste of energy. Air driven gas boosters have no such limitation, greatly enhancing the efficiency and simplicity of high-pressure gas applications where the gas source is typically supplied from portable DOT cylinders.

When are compressors better than air driven gas boosters?

Two Stages Gas Boosters

LOW-PRESSURE GAS SUPPLY: Compressor design typically provides piston speeds 10 to 20 times faster than air driven gas boosters. The output of the compressor at 0 PSI inlet is therefore 10 to 20 times higher than the gas booster’s. For the gas booster to compete, the gas supply inlet pressure should be 10 to 20 times higher (10 to 20 ATM, i.e., 150 PSI or better).

GAS PURITY UNIMPORTANT: Lubricated compressors are already designed to handle the contamination of their own lubrication. If the supply gas is also not clean, the compressor probably is not bothered. But the air driven gas booster is designed to depend on a pure, oil-free, water-free gas supply.

When can air driven gas boosters and mechanically driven compressors work together?

USE A MECHANICAL COMPRESSOR FROM LOW PRESSURE TO MEDIUM PRESSURE (e.g., 3,000 PSI). THEN PURIFY. THEN BOOST TO HIGH PRESSURE WITH A GAS BOOSTER. This classic setup uses the attributes of each machine to complement the other. It has, for example, become the accepted combination for high pressure breathing air fill systems worldwide:

SCBA – (Self Contained Breathing Apparatus) and

SCUBA – (Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus).