Comparison between Oil Free Dry screw air compressor and oil flooded screw compressor Details Initial

purchase cost Foundation Quality of air Dry screw compressor Very high Oil flooded Screw compressor low Remarks Dry screw compressor will cost appx. 500% more than the cost of oil flooded screw compressor. Any industrial floor is sufficient for anchoring the unit. Customer to decide based on user point application. For instrument air 100% oil free is recommended . If air oil separator fails, oil will be flooded in delivery line and end user points will be contaminated. Since there is no oil sealing within the screw casing, oil free screw compressor will suffer more back pressure and hence volumetric efficiency reduces. It is possible to filter up to 0.1 ppm

Not required Oil free

Not required Oil content min. 10 ppm at compressor outlet No air oil separator Appx. Speed > 3000 RPM.

Air oil separator

To be replaced every 4000 hours Speed of dry screw compressor is 2 to 3 times more than oil flooded compressor Not required

Compressor speed

Down line filters to filter oil at compressor discharge pipes Life of compressor

Air end service

7 to 8 years for air end. Screws will require replacement which is 60% of the cost of the compressor. Not possible at site

To be provided if the user end required oil free machine 5 to 6 years. Air end replacement costs 60% of compressor cost. Not possible at site

In dry screw compressor polymer coating on the screw element will wear out and it is to be coated, which is extremely difficult and very costly. More down time.

Cost of spares Power consumptions Air Dryer

Very high High The air dryer desicant will suffer contamination due to oil presence in air, resulting in low dew point and costly replacements high Is normal

Very high Very high Air dryer will function well as the air is 100% oil free.

Maintenance cost is very high. Power cost is very high. Air filters should be provided with oil removal filters which will add to maint. Cost.

Cost of Bearing replacement Compressor output

Very high Slightly Lower than the oil flooded compressor 103 Db without canopy Discharger temp. is higher than oil flooded screw .

Cost of maint. Is more. Oil free screws will suffer back pressure within the casing Canopy is provided and hence noise level is appx. 85 Db. As there is no oil cooling in case of oil free screw, temp. is very high at discharge.

Noise level Discharge air temperature

95 Db without canopy Appx. 90 Deg C with cooler