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Kaishan USA | January 10, 2024 | Uncategorized
Kaishan’s proposed portable electric air compressor can handle any environment and will support outdoor uses like power washing.
Many companies are finding that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Tier 4 standards are making it more difficult to justify using diesel-driven portable air compressors. And not just because of their emissions, but also because of the cost of diesel fuel and maintenance.
Indeed, portable diesels are an important, flexible alternative for emergency replacements, short-term needs and point-of-use applications. They’re invaluable in mining, rock drilling, sandblasting and construction. You can, after all, move a portable around to service uses like nail guns, impact wrenches, tire inflators, paint sprayers, pressure washers and cutting tools. And they are an obvious choice for outside applications.
Any number of outdoor applications like hand and power tools will be able to use our new portable electric air compressor.
But portable diesels have many drawbacks. Depending on the fuel price, diesel compressors cost at least four times more to operate. Plus, they produce many emissions, and the air is of lower quality because they do not have aftercoolers, so they send wet air to the dryer, making it work harder. And have smaller, less efficient separators (due to size constraints).
There are also significant maintenance costs. A portable diesel compressor will need oil and filters every 250 hours. If you’re operating 24/7, that could mean they need maintenance every ten days. And then there’s a problem of supplying the unit with diesel fuel every 12 hours.
Electric air compressors, on the other hand, can offer the same level of flexibility with significant energy savings. Plus, their maintenance is much less of an issue. They will need regular maintenance every three months or 2,000 operating hours.
But what about those applications where you truly need portability? The solutions are coming.
The Emerging Landscape in Portable Electric Air Compressors
Kaishan already has customers who rent portable electrics, which, right now, are traditional stationary compressors that they move around.
But we are developing a portable electric featuring a standard compressor on a heavy-duty, rigid skid. You can place it with a forklift or even drag it around. You can get it on a trailer. Or move it around with a crane, using its built-in lifting hook.
Weatherized
One big difference is that it will be designed to handle all environments, including rain, snow or sleet. And all temperature extremes—high temperatures to sub-freezing.
With appropriately sized cooling and temperature rating on the liquid-cooled motor, heat tracing and sump heaters for cold temps, it’s a superhero when it comes to environmental conditions.
Next-Gen VSD Air Compressors
Our new portable will also be equipped with a variable speed drive rated for outdoor use. If you’re unfamiliar with VSDs, here’s a little background on fixed- and variable-speed drives.
While a fixed-speed compressor operates at the same speed continuously, a VSD air compressor is equipped with an electronic device, a variable frequency drive or inverter, that adjusts the compressor’s motor speed. The VSD allows you to vary the speed of the airend to adjust capacity (CFM) and pressure (PSIG), giving it the versatility to meet multiple customer demands with a single unit.
When the demand drops, the inverter dials back the motor operation to a lower speed (and lower CFM). It thus consumes proportionately less energy (and money), creating a relatively linear output-to-input efficiency curve. And it is a highly energy-efficient way to address rapid cycling.
And, because it’s water-cooled, our new next-gen VSD air compressor can handle the toughest environments.
Our proposed portable electric air compressor is equipped with a next-gen VSD that, unlike traditional devices, can work in a welding operation.
Water-Cooled
Both the electric motor and the variable-speed drive of our new portable unit are water-cooled.
So, while a traditional VSD air compressor can overheat when dust, dirt and airborne contaminants clog its heat sink, our new water-cooled compressor will quickly remove the heat with its water-cooling system.
There is still a heat exchanger that can get clogged, of course. But it is much easier to clean. So rather than having a heat exchanger on the electronics board that needs to be pressure washed, the new unit has an intermediary cooling fluid that circulates through a traditional heat exchanger, making it safe to wash or clean.
Versatile
Our new portable will be versatile and much less expensive to operate than a diesel unit. A 100-HP unit can run at 75 HP, if that’s all you need (or all your electrical service can handle). It won't require a completely different unit.
And if you need 150 PSIG, rather than 100 PSIG, you simply change the speed setting. Once again, no need to get an entirely different unit.
You simply speed it up or slow it down by restricting the kilowatts you need into it. Â We have four different frames to meet almost every need from 200 to 1500 CFM.
Plug-In Power
Some competitors have developed battery-operated air compressors that address many of the issues of diesels and can work outside your building.
But battery technology can only offer a few hours of service at best.
Kaishan’s proposed portable electric air compressor will use traditional 460-volt, three-phase electrical power.
As a result, we designed our new portable to operate on traditional 460-volt, three-phase electrical current. Most users already have service pods or electrical power available for outside use and thus will find the new compressor to be a cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternative to diesels.
Many facilities have outdoor electrical outlets or service pods where our new portable electric air compressor would easily be able to plug in.
Unprecedented Flexibility
Best of all, VSD capabilities give our new portable incredible flexibility. You can easily adjust pressure (PSIG) and flow (CFM) to match your needs without sacrificing energy efficiency. So, one compressor may well be able to meet many different needs.
Local Help
Our new portable electric air compressor is a huge new opportunity for equipment rental companies, who can now offer their customers a portable electric air compressor that will meet a wide range of needs with efficiency and flexibility. Standing up to weather extremes and avoiding the environmental impact of diesels. A welcome replacement for an aging workhorse.  Â
Whether you’re looking to rent a portable electric air compressor, or you’re a rental company looking to phase out some diesel dinosaurs, our nationwide network of independent distributors can help you make the transition. They’ll provide the on-site help and consultation you need to make a solid business decision. Plus, they have skilled staff members who can help you with any compressed air needs, from picking the right size and type of compressor to setting up a maintenance program.
Key Takeaways
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- Many companies are finding that the EPA’s Tier 4 standards make it more and more difficult to justify using diesel air compressors.
- Diesel compressors cost more to operate, produce a lot of emissions and produce air of lower quality.
- Kaishan is developing a true portable electric designed to handle all environments.
- The new portable will be equipped with a variable speed drive rated for outdoor use.
- The compressor’s electric motor and VSD will both be water-cooled.
- It will not be battery-operated but will use traditional three-phase electric current.
- Your local air compressor professional can help you decide if your operation will benefit from our new portable electric air compressor.
Let Us Help
New portable electrics give rental companies a welcome opportunity to refresh their fleet and offer customers a versatile, environmentally friendly way to harness compressed air almost on the fly. If you need help determining if you would benefit by transitioning to portable electric air compressors, get in touch with the experts at Kaishan. Contact us today.
