Rapid response unit
January 1st 2006

Provision of emergency or temporary oil-free compressed air is crucial to many industries. Whether outages are planned or unplanned, the need to seamlessly maintain air provision is the same. Aggreko's Paul Brickman explains

Compressed air is regarded as the third energy utility after electricity and gas and with good reason - since almost all industrial plants rely on it.

As a consequence, the loss of the air supply can be as significant as the loss of other energy sources. This is why the provision of temporary air compressors - whether it be to support planned shut downs or emergencies due to compressor failure - is vital to all," says Brickman.

Rental compressed air power is the primary solution for both routine and emergency scenarios. It enables the user to continue the safe and profitable operation of the plant without the need to commit capital to extra, but largely unused, compressor generation capacity.

One of the key factors in selecting a provider of temporary compressed air is the ability to take control of the provision.

If the supplier knows the customer's business, it can then be relied upon to not only get the air system running smoothly and quickly, but also overcome any potential pitfalls. This is never more true than when the need is an emergency.

Aggreko has observed that about 40% of all its temporary oil free compressed air installations are used to satisfy unforeseen needs. As a result, Brickman says the company can always deliver - regardless of the tightness of the notice period.

Sourcing high quality, temporary oil free compressed air looks challenging to the renter - because few suppliers have the expertise to deliver it professionally. Where industrial processes use compressed air for instrumentation, control of the actual product, fermentation, breathing and other quality critical applications, the compressed air must be of the very highest quality and therefore 100% oil free.

According to Brickman, the provision of oil free compressed air into the oil refining, petrochemical, pharmaceutical, food/beverage, glass, cement, automotive and nuclear power sectors is where Aggreko stands out: Provision of such inherently clean compressed air need not be a concern to the user if the supplier is experienced and competent.

Brickman says the renter can often overlook certain vital elements - which is where specialist temporary compressed air suppliers prove their worth. He says, Aggreko has encountered almost every imaginable scenario - and as a result has the experience to know exactly how to deal with each.

For example, the first stage in specifying the rented compressor is to assess how much air is required. This can be quickly determined by adopting the same volumes as previously provided by the equipment being taken out of service.

At present, electric compressors are usually favoured. The reasons for this are relatively straightforward - end users are generally more familiar with electric equipment and the system does not require additional fuelling considerations.

In the uncommon event that access to an electrical supply is unavailable, Aggreko can either provide a temporary generator, or install a diesel powered compressor.

Space and access for the equipment is essential, but Brickman claims Aggreko almost always manages to overcome space constraints - however challenging. He says the company also takes careful consideration of factors such as compressed air connections to avoid long hose runs between the compressor and the application. Finally, Aggreko is conscious of ventilation needs, avoiding placing temporary compressors in areas where exhaust emissions could cause a problem.

In short, renters can rely on the temporary air supplier to take care of all details.

Illustrating its ability to respond to both emergency and planned work, Brickman points to Aggreko's fullymanned 24/7 emergency UK call out centre (it also has a dedicated service centre solely for large scale compressed air supply). Regardless of the time of day, Brickman says Aggreko's compressed air team can respond with a range of compressors and ancillaries, along with qualified engineers that are comprehensively experienced in the installation and commissioning of temporary compressors.

Sometimes the use of rental air compressors meets unusual needs, as Brickman explains: In the aircraft industry for example, the company has recently supplied compressors to test the air pressure capabilities of a new fuselage; In the power industry, Aggreko has supplied high pressure machines to test a 4MW gas turbine to simulate a gas start capacity of 5100m3/hr at 16 barg.

While these are just a sample of uncommon applications, their solution lay in the use of rented rather than permanently installed compressed air equipment.

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