Other Applications

The following applications can be accommodated by GCL, but are not our core business:

CNG (Compressed Natural Gas)

A fuel gas is compressed to very high pressure, for storage in vehicle fuel tank. These type of compressors are manufactured as standard products, and are cheaply available on short delivery times from various manufacturers. GCL can quote for large units outside range of standard products, but will not get involved in normal sized units.

Process Vacuum

Many industrial processes call for the removal of contaminated air or gas: this could take the form, for example, of solvents from metal cleaning or dust particles from a painting line.

In automated production lines, vacuum is often used to hold items while they are worked upon, and also to transfer them from place to place.

Many glass containers such as bottles and glasses are manufactured by being drawn over a mould by vacuum. Lower than atmospheric suction conditions are also found in landfill gas extraction, natural gas extraction and the extraction of dissolved gases from liquids.

Aeration of Liquids and Slurries

The processing of aqueous waste streams and some industrial operations, calls for the introduction of air into various sludges or slurries, in order to maximise the oxygen transfer into the system.

When air is injected into the bottom of a tank, the pressure required is directly proportional to the depth of the liquid, and a further factor is the viscosity of the liquid.

For many municipal sewage aeration projects, the injection pressure does not exceed 1 bar/15 psi, and so we offer positive displacement or centrifugal blowers.

Where deep tank aeration is preferred, and along with it higher pressures, rotary vane compressors are the preferred technology.

Pneumatic Conveying

Bulk powdered or granulated solids such as cement, plastics and feedstuffs can be easily and cheaply moved or unloaded by pneumatic conveying. This is where dry solid particles are entrained in a gas stream, which is normally air.

Lean phase pneumatic conveying is where a comparatively small volume of solid is entrained into large volumes of low pressure air. Typical equipment used for this type of process would be rotary lobe or centrifugal blowers discharging at up to 1 bar/15 psi. This is the preferred solution for larger granulated solids such as corn or polyethylene granules.

Conversely dense phase pneumatic conveying is where a comparatively large volume of solid is entrained into smaller volumes of higher pressure air. Typical equipment used for this type of process would be screw blowers or rotary vane compressors discharging at up to 3 bar/45 psi. This is the preferred solution for powdered solids such as cement or chalk.

The positioning of the blower or compressor at either the source end of the line or the receiving end, makes the difference between whether the powder is sucked by vacuum or thrust by pressure. Cyclone separators are used to dis-entrain the powder or granulate on arrival at its destination. Care must be taken when sucking the product, to ensure that no solid is carried over into the blower or compressor, as this will damage it.

Compressed Air

GCL can design and build air compressors for special applications, such as engine drive, high pressure, offshore installation or hazardous area. We do not supply standard air compressors.