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.