Hycomp engineers truly understand gas compression, and more importantly, we know how to engineer gas compressors and boosters that are both safe and reliable.
In 1979 we were chosen to manufacture four units for the Susquehanna Nuclear Power Station. Because of the nuclear incident at Three Mile Island, this was an extremely sensible decision. Pennsylvania Power and Light was very selective and discriminating in its search for a company to provide reliable nitrogen containment compressors. Characteristically, those compressors we provided 34 years ago are still in operation today.
Manufacturing safe and reliable compressors is a job we take very seriously. When compressing gas there are 3 main concerns: Containment, Control, and Contamination.
Containment
No matter what gas is being compressed, from inert gases to hazardous gases, containment is paramount. Gas containment is usually an issue of keeping gas from escaping the compressor to the atmosphere and possibly hazardous surroundings, but it can also be an issue of external gases (i.e., air) contaminating the gas being compressed.
Design
Every gas compressor Hycomp builds is designed, engineered, and manufactured to provide containment you can trust. We utilize 3 levels of containment with our gas packing configurations. In all 3 containment options, the suction gas is plumbed through the plenum chamber, equalizing pressure on, and providing cooling to the pistons and piston rings while rendering balanced piston rod loads.
- The B-Series compressor is designed to compress air or nonhazardous gases.
- The G-Series compressor is designed to compress standard industrial gases.
- The H-Series compressor is designed to compress difficult-to-contain industrial gases.
Control
Hycomp engineers know how to control the factors involved in gas compression. These main factors are: Components (primarily: Rings & Gas Packings), Environment and packaging. Within each of the three gas packing configurations, we offer there are also gas-specific containment features. Hycomp matches the gas to the piston ring and gas packing materials to ensure that the gas or gas mixture is fully contained and/or protected from external contamination.
Components
Hycomp quality means attention to detail. By holding our materials and production methods to a higher standard, we provide you with industrial-duty compressors that outlast and outperform the competition. We match the controls and packaging to our compressor quality and tailor the whole system for your application. Hycomp simply means quality & longevity. For example, our pressure lubricated crankcase allows for 24-a-day operation for nearly 5 years before the main bearings will need to be changed out.
Rings
The proper selection of a piston ring material and design will add years of reliable service to your gas compressor. We stock seven different polymer based piston ring materials to meet today’s varying gas demands. From PTFE to PEEK and PPS, we can provide the right ring material for your application.
Our angle cut design allows for flexing of the ring end to seal the gap better than butt cut designs, yet retains its strength vs. step cut designs. In situations where gap leakage becomes significant, such as low molecular weight gases and small cylinder bores, we use a 2-piece ‘L’ style design that removes the end gap by using an inner and outer ring for sealing.
Gas Packings
Piston rod gas packings perform the critical function of containing the gas in the compressor while providing pressure on the underside of the pistons to balance the rod loads. Our tangentially cut segmented packings are free floating and self-adjusting for long wear life. The design inherently continues to seal as the packing wears. Gas packings are pinned together in pairs at the proper rotational offset to ensure that the leak path created by the cuts is sealed.
Just like our piston rings, we stock seven different packing materials to meet your needs. And unlike chevron-type packings, our segmented packings do not need constant adjustment to ensure a tight seal.
Environment
The surrounding environment is a very important factor when considering compressor packaging. For example, if nitrogen, or any nonflammable gas, is being compressed in an environment where an explosive media is always present, then the compressor and packaging must be packaged to the proper explosion-proof ratings. Conversely, any time an explosive or flammable gas is being compressed, that compressor system must be “explosion proof.”
Packaging
Safety is, once again, of the highest importance for items such as control panels, motors, and VFDs. Whether UL, IEC, ATEX / CE, or other rating systems, Hycomp works with the distributor and end-user to understand what is needed.
Hycomp offers NEMA 7 control panel enclosures to ensure that the electric components inside the control panel are isolated from any dangerous gases. Manufacturing a safe compressor system goes further than just the control panel. All electric and mechanical equipment must also be packaged or enclosed correctly to protect against accidental explosions.
Hycomp has the experience and engineering expertise to handle the packaging and enclosures that your application requires. Our engineers get involved from the outset to provide the proper system packaging for the rating system of your region.
Contamination
Everything Hycomp manufactures is oil-free. Our design incorporates the strengths of the oil-less and oil-flooded reciprocating compressors and none of their weaknesses. To accomplish this, our compressors are both oil-lubricated and oil-free. However, the oil used to lubricate the crankcase never enters compression. CLICK HERE for more information on how Hycomp gas compressors provide all the strengths of oil-less and oil-flooded compressors without any of their weaknesses.
Hycomp safety does not only protect against gas leakage, we also protect your system and end product. Every Hycomp compressor is oil-free. Therefore, your system remains oil-free and your product is kept safe from oil contamination.
Gas compression may appear dangerous and truth be told it truly can be, however, you can trust Hycomp to manufacture a safe compression system that is built to the specifications you application requires. We are compression experts and we have come to understand that gas compression is not something to be feared, it is to be respected. That is why we make sure to investigate the intended application and gas mixture during the quotation phase of the sales process. We want your personnel and property to be kept safe.
If you have never worked with Hycomp concerning gas compressors, call us when you are compressing any gas other than air and we will show you The Hycomp Difference. We will demonstrate that you can trust Hycomp and that you can trust our experience and engineering. Trust… it’s what we build.