subject: What You Should Know About An Air Amplifier And Its Functions [print this page] An air amplifier (air booster) is a compact and light weight device that uses available plant air, and releases it at an elevated pressure level according to your specific requirements. Air amplifiers can be purchased as standard or custom application units for operations including but not limited to blow-off, cooling, drying, moving fumes or conveying light weight objects. You can use air amplifiers for generating pressure in the range of 30PSI to 4,350PSI. A notable feature of these point-of-use air solutions is that they do not run on electricity; they are driven by the surrounding plant air.
The working mechanism of an air booster is simple, where the surrounding plant air is incorporated into a pressure chamber through an inlet valve, on the suction stroke. The air is forced out of the chamber through an outlet valve at the discharge stroke. The reciprocating movement of the air drive section, connected directly to the high pressure section, creates a positive displacement of air through the inlet and outlet check valves.
Following are the two types of commonly used air boosters:
Single acting: These units are designed to boost and displace air once per full cycle.
Double acting: As the name suggests, these units are designed to displace air twice per full cycle (or at every stroke). If you need a higher and more consistent airflow, the double acting air amplifier is recommended.
As for the installation of air amplifiers, they can be mounted either horizontally or vertically to complement your specific application. However, experts opine that vertical mounting allows you to harness the full potential of the air booster and ensures a much longer seal life.
Maximator produces the most renowned and rugged air amplifiers available today. These can be purchased as standard or customized units. The Maximator air amplifier range features PTFE seals that offer you an extended service life. They also feature a Stall function when target pressure is achieved. And, they automatically restart after a drop of 1% from the target pressure. In addition, they also comprise an unregulated pilot air port for easy restart and better control (this feature is available on all DLA, SPLV2 and GPLV2 models (1/8" FNPT)). Valves used in these units are made from high quality stainless steel to endure high pressures. The output of these air boosters can be controlled to meet exacting specifications.
An air amplifier does not feature moving parts, thus allowing you ease of maintenance and use. This also eliminates the risk of flame or explosion. To sum it up, air boosters are a smarter and better alternative to conventionally used fans and blower systems.
