Atlas Copco Compressors has extended its innovative range of GA VSD+ oil-injected screw compressors launched in 2013 with the introduction of new models from 18-37 kW. With the expansion of the range up to 37kW, Atlas Copco is now able to offer its breakthrough VSD+ technology which provides industry-leading energy savings of 50% on average, a 13% leap in Free Air Delivery and a canopy less than half the size of traditional fixed speed compressors to 75% of oil-injected screw compressors users worldwide.
The introduction of the GA 7-15 kW VSD+ range in 2013 led to a significant increase in the VSD ratio: the relative number of Variable Speed Drive units on the total number of compressors sold worldwide. With the extension of the GA VSD+ compressor range up to 37kW Atlas Copco expects to raise this ratio even further, benefiting not only customers but also the environment in general thanks to the increased energy savings on offer.
In addition, Atlas Copco has introduced its ‘condensation prevention cycle’ for VSD compressors. Thanks to an algorithm in the Elektronikon controller of the GA VSD+, condensation in the compression oil is prevented in all circumstances even in those where the compressor is oversized for the application and has to deal with extremely low load conditions (where the compressor is operated for less than a minute every hour). This condensation prevention cycle is another important step towards the 80% VSD ratio that Atlas Copco expects to see by 2018 since it allows compressor users to opt for a VSD and save 50% on their compressor’s electricity bill.
Atlas Copco takes pride in the variable speed drive technology they pioneered in 1994. Variable speed driven compressors adapt the speed of the compression element to exactly match the compressed air demand: for a standard VSD compressor, this means an energy saving of 35% on average. The new, in-house developed VSD+ takes that figure even higher: an integrated permanent magnet motor drives the VSD+’s screw elements, realising energy savings of 50% on average, compared to fixed speed models. With 13% more compressed air output (Free Air Delivery) a VSD+ is even more efficient than its fixed speed counterpart even at full load.
To make this innovation accessible to all compressor users it is positioned in the market at the same price level as a standard VSD model. With this strategy Atlas Copco wants to contribute to a more sustainable industry.
