Passing the college test

The aeronautics department at Imperial College London carries out a range of testing and research projects funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences' Research Council, the EU and a variety of industrial and government bodies. The department performs research on aerodynamics and aerostructures with the help of complex, sensitive technologies such as a supersonic wind tunnel and an autoclave.

The equipment requires large volumes of highpressure compressed air, up to 28bar, to perform correctly.

and, to help meet this demand, the college selected a Reavell 5236 compressor to provide on-demand air with high reliability.

The university required a compressor with an oil filter and a water separator and dryer to ensure good quality air as, when performing complex research, any contamination could potentially undermine the end result. Reavell's 5236 was fitted with an oil adsorption filter that provides approximately 0.01pp residual oil carryover. Also fitted, is a dryer that provides a dew point of -45°C.

The compressor powers a supersonic wind tunnel, an autoclave and a WASP rig that belongs to the Chemical Engineering Department, all of which require substantial volumes of air. To meet this demand, the 5236 has 6 large air receivers, with total volume of 90m3. It comes online automatically when pressure drops to 350 psi, increasing pressure in the air receiver to 410psi, so that there is always sufficient free air delivery at 400 psi.