Compressed Air technology
Centrifugal
Large-scale, oil-free base load.
Schematic section, not to scale
How it works
Centrifugal compressors accelerate air with high-speed impellers and convert that velocity to pressure. They are typically used for large, steady base loads.
Air is drawn into a rotating impeller, accelerated, then slowed in a diffuser to raise its pressure, often across multiple stages with intercoolers.
Performance range
Typically several hundred to many thousands of cfm
Typical industry range. Exact capability is model specific, see each model’s curve.
In the catalogue · 54 models from 9 manufacturers
- Motor power
- 120 – 2,300 kW · 52 models
- Free air delivery
- 1,200 – 32,000 m³/h · 41 models
- Max. pressure
- 3 – 31 bar · 39 models
- Weight
- 1,320 – 10,000 kg · 8 models
- Noise level
- 70 – 73 dB(A) · 2 models
Spread of each model’s own rated figure, as published by its manufacturer.
Advantages & tradeoffs
- Oil-free compression
- High efficiency at design point
- Low vibration
- Limited turndown
- Sensitive to inlet conditions
- High capital cost
Best applications
Common in Automotive, Metalworking, Oil + Gas, Power Generation, Water + Wastewater, Mining.
Maintenance
Intercooler cleaning, oil system for bearings and gears, vibration monitoring.
Energy characteristics
Specific-energy comparisons (kW per unit of flow at your operating point) appear here as sourced performance curves are added. Until then, compare models directly on the Performance Map.
Open the Performance Map