Oil Flooded Screw Compressor Test Rig, proven for 4000+ hours uninterrupted duty.

1. Introduction

The Oil Flooded Screw Compressor Test Rig is used to test various lubricating oils regarding their usability in the compressor GA VSD15 from Atlas Copco. It exists to evaluate compressor oil performance under a variety of operating conditions and to predict expected oil service life — work that cannot be done reliably on paper, only on the actual compressor hardware running under controlled, instrumented conditions. The compressor is able to run ISO VG oil grades 32 to 100, giving lubricant engineers and procurement teams a single platform to qualify a wide span of candidate oils.

2. Reliability & Safety Requirements

The compressor is required to have high reliability for uninterrupted operation for at least 4000 hours. To support this, the rig carries sufficient instruments and sensors for monitoring and fault diagnosis, together with appropriate controls and interlocks for safe operation — so that extended endurance runs can proceed unattended without compromising operator safety or data integrity.

3. Four-Part System Architecture

This compressor test rig has four parts for smooth running:

Compressor part

• 15 kW motor with screw-type compressor mounted with an air dish end for the air compressor
• All required sensors and items mounted in this section
• Integrated oil & air cooling and heating system

Power control unit

• VFD control unit with mains power supply for smooth running of the system

Data acquisition system (DAQ)

• Data control through PLC
• Operator screen for generating test reports by date range or part number

Air storage

• Storage of compressed air for testing of outlet pressure, temperature and flow

4. Instrumentation & Air-Line Fittings

The outlet air line and gauge connections use a defined set of adaptors and fittings, each rated to the rig's 13 Bar working pressure and sized for air service:

• Male Adaptor (F1.1–F1.4): 1″ BSPM × 1″ tube OD, brass, rated to 120°C
• Elbow (2.0): 90° elbow, 1″ tube OD × 1″ tube OD, copper
• Reducer (F3.0): 1″ BSPM × 1/2″ BSPM, MS
• Male Adaptor (F4.1–F4.2): 1/2″ BSPM × 1/2″ BSPM, MS
• Male Adaptor (F5.0): 1/2″ BSPM × 1/4″ tube OD, SS
• Gauge Adaptor (F6.0): 1/2″ BSPF × 1/4″ tube OD, SS

5. Key Features & Efficiency Testing

Beyond simple oil compatibility, the rig is built to determine compressor performance under each candidate lubricant: volumetric efficiency, mechanical efficiency, and isothermal efficiency are all measurable on the platform, using the compressor module, gauge adaptors, copper tube instrumentation, and the air storage vessel together.

6. Applications

The Oil Flooded Screw Compressor Test Rig is used across the oil & gas industry and food industry, wherever compressed-air reliability depends on correctly qualified lubricating oil. The same platform supports compressor lubricant qualification and OEM oil approval testing, predictive maintenance and oil service-life studies, and quality assurance for screw compressor manufacturing more broadly.

7. Conclusion

By combining a real Atlas Copco GA VSD15 compressor module with a VFD-driven power control unit, a PLC-based DAQ system, and a dedicated air storage vessel, the Oil Flooded Screw Compressor Test Rig gives lubricant engineers and compressor manufacturers a single, instrumented platform to qualify oils across the ISO VG 32–100 range and predict service life with confidence, before those oils are approved for field use.