Model GA18-37 VSD+ (GA18 -, GA22-, GA26-, GA30- and GA37 VSD+)
The new revolutionary GA 18-37 VSD+ is packed with innovative features that increase its efficiency, cut its energy consumption, lower its noise levels, and reduce its operating costs. On top of that, it meets or even exceeds all currently applicable standards.
With its innovative vertical design, Atlas Copco’s GA 18-37 VSD+ brings a game-changing revolution in the compressor industry.
It offers Variable Speed Drive+ as standard, a compact motor and footprint thanks to its in-house design and iPM (interior Permanent Magnet) technology.
The GA 18-37 VSD+ reduces energy consumption by 50% on average, with uptimes assured even in the harshest operational conditions. The GA 18-37 VSD+ is the air compressor of the future, designed in-house by Atlas Copco. It will set a new standard for years to come, positioning Atlas Copco as a leader in the compressed air industry.
Key Benefits GA18-37 VSD+:
Efficient:
The GA 18-37 VSD+ has a Specific Energy Requirement (SER) which is on average Significantly lower than the current GA VSD models.
The environmentally friendly VSD+ consumes on average only 50% of the energy the current GA fixed speed models do. In fact, it even consumes less energy than the GA+ compressor range at its optimal working point! On top of that, the GA VSD+ delivers up to 9% more FAD (Free Air Delivery) over the range. This tremendous improvement could be achieved thanks to the major components mentioned below:
- Main (iPM) motor with highest motor efficiency up to 96,8%, outperforming IE3 efficiency levels
- Efficient fan motor (ERP 2015 ready) reducing the electricity consumption but also lowering the noise level: only 67 dB(a)
Proven Reliability:
In the GA 18-37 VSD+, Atlas Copco combines all its experience and expertise with proven technologies and existing components. This results in a smartly designed unit with less components making the remaining parts easily accessible, thus very service friendly.
Thanks to extensive field-testing for over Four years, which involved over 25 endurance units, in different industries, different load profiles and different running conditions, we tested the most extreme conditions. We have units with more than 20.000 running hours and units with more than 100.000 start/stops. By running our test compressors in the harshest running conditions, we can guarantee a very reliable and worry-free unit to all our customers.
Compact:
Atlas Copco has turned the compressed air industry on its head by redesigning the conventional layout of a typical air compressor. Instead of the normal space-hugging horizontal design, the new GA 18-37 VSD+ has an upright, vertical, extremely small footprint layout. This saves valuable floor and work space, eases maintenance access, and reduces the total cost of ownership for all customers.
Inside the innovative GA 18-37 VSD+
The Drive Train
Consists of the 2 main components in our compressor.
1. The interior Permanent Magnet (iPM) Motor (4)
This motor, with its extremely high efficiency (96,8%), exceeds the IE4 efficiency threshold. It is designed in-house in Belgium. It has a design making it very compact with an oil-cooling circuit making the need of cooling air flow obsolete. The oil will also lubricate the bearings, so, no (re)grease(ing) is needed.
This motor is optimized for higher speeds, and has an IP rating of 66, instead of the standard IP55.
2. The element (3)
Is the famous Atlas Copco designed and manufactured compression element featuring asymmetric profile male and female rotors designed for the optimal combination of maximized free air delivery with low power consumption. The design of tis element has been optimized to increase its performance in this application
Direct Drive
The motor drives the male rotor of the element directly making gears or belts and shaft seal redundant. This allows a pressure tight drive train through which the oil flows from the motor to the element. Its vertical setup reduces the footprint by 60%, making it a very compact machine.
Cooling (13)
By using oil, a more efficient cooling medium, on the drive train, no motor cooling fan is needed. This in combination with an already more efficient (less cooling needed) motor allows us to save an extra amount of energy on the cooling needs of the unit which again contributes to an extra saving on the SER!
The fan is designed and manufactured using the latest technologies. Its serrated edge blades ending in winglets, copied from mother nature’s most quiet nocturne hunter, the owl, makes it very energy efficient and even more quiet. This fan is ahead of its time and is already ERP2015 compliant.
Oil separator, Oil filter and consumables (9,7)
The high efficiency 2-step air-oil-separator system for reduced oil consumption ensures low maintenance costs and a good oil separation result in between 2 service intervals.
The oil filter cleans the oil continuously from particles bigger than 25 micron with 99% efficiency in order to protect the lubrication quality and health of the rotating components.
Sentinel valve (2)
The new GA VSD+ houses a completely new system. Simple, yet brilliant. If air is taken in, the valve mechanically opens. If no air is needed, a solenoid detects the stop and sends a pulse of compressed air to the valve to close it again. No compressed air can escape through the air intake filter and the complete system remains under pressure. This means there are no blow off losses. No air escapes. No energy goes to waste. When the compressors starts again, the drive train is completely pressurized. The compressor is up and running in no time. Again, this saves energy.
Electronic Water Drain ED12 (15)
In case of FF unit, two electronic no loss water drains with integrated manual drain included as standard scope of supply to remove 100% condensate. One on the after cooler & one on the dryer heat exchanger for the FF units. In case of a Pack unit, no dryer, there is only one drain on the after cooler.
Control System
The Elektronikon® operating system offers a great variety of control and monitoring features that allow you to increase your compressor’s efficiency and reliability thanks to the many embedded advanced control algorithms.
Condensation Prevention Cycle (CPC): Atlas Copco introduces as first in the market its “condensation prevention cycle” for Variable Speed Drive compressors. Thanks to an algorithm in the Elektronikon® controller of the GA VSD+, condensation in the compression oil is prevented in all circumstances, even in those where the compressor is oversized for the application and has to deal with extremely low load conditions (where the compressor is operated for less than a minute every hour).
Dual pressure set point: Most production processes create fluctuating demands which, in turn, can create energy waste in low use periods. Using the Elektronikon®, you can manually or automatically create two different system pressure bands to optimize energy use and reduce costs.
Week timer: An on-board clock enables timers to be set up to support any working scheme – per day, per week, or completely customizable to your specific situation and needs.
Integrated Saver Cycle
- Fan Saver Cycle reduces the energy consumption by switching off the fan in light load applications.
- Using an ambient sensor to monitor the required dew point suppression, the Elektronikon® starts and stops the dryer, minimizing energy use.
Full Feature
Untreated compressed air contains moisture and aerosols which increase the risk of corrosion and compressed air system leaks. This can result in a damaged air system and contaminated end product. Maintenance costs can far exceed air treatment costs. Our compressors provide dry air that improves your system’s reliability, avoids costly downtime and production delays, and safeguards the quality of your products.
The GA 18-37 VSD+ Full Feature is additionally provided with an air dryer which removes moisture from the compressed air by cooling the air to near freezing point and automatically draining the condensate.
This dryer has a rotary compressor which is 15% more efficient then the previously used piston compressor. In combination with the R410a refrigerant that has a much higher volumetric efficiency, we managed to save on average another 20% of energy on the dryer!
But with this dryer we went the extra mile, we managed to decrease the pressure drop, also known as “the hidden cost”, over the heat exchanger by 20% which represents another substantial saving on Energy.
