Triplex Reciprocating Instrument Air Package
Central Air Equipment (CAE) engineered a turnkey instrument air package for an industrial facility requiring increased compressed air capacity while retaining reciprocating compressor technology. By developing a triplex compressor configuration instead of sourcing specialized 40 HP equipment, CAE identified approximately $115,000 CAD in potential project savings.
Project Specifications
Application: Industrial Instrument Air
Compressor Configuration: Three 30 HP Reciprocating Compressors
Compressor Operating Pressure: 145 PSIG
Air Quality: -40°C Pressure Dew Point
Dry Air Storage: 400 USG Receiver
Additional Air Storage: 1,060 USG Low-MDMT Receiver
Configuration: Turnkey Building Package with Triplex Compressors
The Challenge
The facility required a higher instrument air capacity than CAE’s standard duplex 25 HP reciprocating compressor package was designed to provide.
Meeting the revised requirements with a duplex system would have required two 40 HP reciprocating compressors, which were difficult to source commercially. Switching to rotary screw compressors was not preferred because the facility wanted to retain reciprocating technology for its intermittent air demand and maintenance requirements.
The available specialty 40 HP compressors would have increased the package cost by approximately $140,000 compared with CAE’s standard design.
CAE’s Solution
Rather than using costly specialty compressors, CAE proposed a triplex package featuring three commercially available 30 HP reciprocating compressors.
The configuration maintained the customer’s preferred reciprocating compressor technology while providing the required capacity and redundancy. The triplex design allows one compressor to operate at 100% capacity and a second to contribute an additional 33% when needed to meet site demands.
Accommodating the third compressor required a wider equipment building, additional service access, piping modifications, and an upsized heater.
Despite these modifications, the revised design added approximately $25,000 to the standard package cost, resulting in an estimated $115,000 CAD in savings compared with the specialty 40 HP compressor alternative.
Equipment & System Configuration
The turnkey package included:
- Air Compressors: Three Champion BPL-30, 30 HP pressure-lubricated reciprocating compressors.
- Wet Air Storage: One 240 USG receiver with corrosion allowance, sized for dryer purge air demand.
- Air Treatment: Walker PD0220-DMC modular heatless desiccant air dryer with dew point control, designed for the triplex compressor configuration at 145 PSIG and delivering a -40°C pressure dew point, with pre-filtration and after-filtration.
- Dry Air Storage: One 400 USG receiver with corrosion allowance, installed inside the building.
- Additional Air Storage: One 1,060 USG custom low-MDMT starter air receiver, supplied separately for outdoor installation.
- Condensate Management: One Nano oil-water condensate separator sized for the compressor system.
The Result
CAE developed a higher-capacity instrument air package that maintained the facility’s preferred reciprocating compressor technology while meeting the revised system requirements.
By rethinking the compressor configuration instead of relying on specialized equipment, CAE provided a practical turnkey solution with the required redundancy and approximately $115,000 CAD in estimated project savings.
Need a Custom Instrument Air System?
From reciprocating compressor packages to fully engineered instrument air systems, CAE can help evaluate your operating requirements and develop a solution that balances performance, reliability, and project costs.