Atlas Copco sets new industry standard for energy efficiency

“This new range of GA+ oil-injected compressors is the result of continuous investments in product development and it will further strengthen our leadership in compressor technology,” explains Ronnie Leten, President of Atlas Copco’s Compressor Technique Business Area. “The company’s drive for energy efficiency while keeping environmental protection and climate change issues in mind has resulted in a completely new range of compressors in line with Atlas Copco’s vision.”

Atlas Copco has a long history of understanding customers’ main concern: Maximising production in a superior and highly-efficient manner. To meet these needs, Atlas Copco focuses on eliminating production downtime and minimising the cost of each cubic meter of compressed air produced. Full-featured products, integrated Variable Speed Drive (VSD) and the development of customised solutions are only a few examples of innovations that meet or exceed individual requirements for reliability, air quality and energy efficiency.

Energy efficiency in the new GA range is achieved through, among other things, state-of-the-art compression elements based on Atlas Copco’s patented asymmetric rotor profiles, which drastically reduce volumetric losses. Through the optimisation of oil injection, flow and temperature, the compression process is kept at the coolest possible temperature, thereby minimising thermodynamic losses.

“However”, says Paulo Pereira, GA product manager at Atlas Copco, “the most efficient compressor package goes beyond simply having an efficient screw element. For instance, it is also crucial to optimise all the elements around the core component. In the development process of the new GA, we made substantial efforts to reduce all types of losses, whether flow-related, mechanical or electrical. The latest design techniques such as Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis were used to meet these objectives.”

Other design features to further reduce energy consumption include the use of radial fans with VSD regulation, high-efficiency motors and no-loss drains. Extra energy-saving options such as an integrated energy recovery system and/or VSD for the main motor can provide even greater benefits.

In tandem with its new GA compressors and once again as the result of continuous efforts to improve its core products, Atlas Copco has also developed a new range of integrated and stand-alone refrigerant dryers with energy saving features such as “Saver Cycle Control” and highly-efficient heat exchangers with minimal pressure drops.

With all these features, Atlas Copco offers its customers the best-in-class efficiency for their compressed air systems.

Reliability is assured in particular thanks to Atlas Copco’s in-house designed asymmetric screw rotor profiles, which ensure minimum wear, as well as to carefully-selected bearings. Furthermore, the robust and compact design of the new GA ensures continuous operation under the most demanding conditions, such as ambient temperatures of up to 55°C/131°F and in dusty environments. These features dramatically increase component and unit lifetime.

Air quality is provided by two key elements: A highly-efficient oil removal system to give minimum residual oil content in the outlet air and state-of-the-art refrigerant dryers which are available in both integrated and stand-alone versions. Finally, great attention has been paid to integration. All components have been optimally integrated to reduce floor space and simplify connections. The new GA Full Feature with integrated refrigerant dryer and air filter ensures the continuous supply of clean and dry air to extend the life of equipment, enhance system reliability and avoid costly downtime and production delays.

Chris Lybaert, Divisional President, states with confidence: “This new GA series sets the new standards in oil injected compressors and will ensure the company’s pre-eminent position in this field.”