Compressor keeps the beer flowing

On-site air compressor solves the problem of cylinder gas storage in the light of the continued discharge of CO2 and new CO2 legislation governing bar cellars.

Compressor manufacturer Jun-Air believes that an on-site air compressor provides the ideal solution to the problem of cylinder gas storage in the light of the continued discharge of CO2 and new CO2 legislation governing bar cellars.

Current Health and Safety issues regarding the use of CO2 in the cellar, particularly for driving pumps, are a real concern.

Together with environmental concern over CO2 discharge into the atmosphere, this has led to a significant increase in the demand for compressed air to replace CO2 in beverage dispensing systems.

Carlsberg, for example, has installed over 200 beer-dispense systems throughout Europe using Jun-Air compressors and, as the brewer's Technical Manager Ole Schmeltzer said, reliability is crucial.

"As beer dispense systems are always in demand, we had to find a compressor that was completely reliable as well as being able to produce clean, oil-free compressed air to pressurise the beer in the tanks", he said.

"Jun-Air compressors meet the specification and are easy to install in cellars".

"There are also health and safety and environmental issues to take into account".

"Using compressed air takes away the need for employees to handle heavy and potentially dangerous gas canisters, which in the case of CO2 contains a harmful gas".

"In the past 12 months alone, two men have died in a German brewery due to a CO2 leak".

"Environmentally, the use of compressed air to run beer pumps also reduces the amount of greenhouse gases escaping into the atmosphere".

"Finally, and this is important for landlords or pub chains, beer dispense systems and the compressors are usually supplied by the breweries, which means that the outlets' requirements for costly gas canisters will reduce significantly".

Besides reducing the number of gas cylinders that need to be stored in the cellar, an on-site air compressor can be used to: dispense draught beer (from traditional kegs up to the 500 to 1000 litre pressurized beer tanks seen in many European installations); pump beer and syrup; and operate bag-in-box installations for the dispensing of soft drinks.

Traditionally CO2 has been used to operate beer and soft drinks syrup pumps but, due to environmental concerns, many bars are introducing compressors for larger installations, resulting in a reduction in CO2 use.

For soft drinks applications, the syrup is mixed with water and CO2 at the dispense tap and the compressor provides the air pressure of 4-5bar into the syrup pumps to ensure that the drink is properly mixed and has the correct consistency.

Even the smallest compressor should be able to supply enough compressed air to operate several syrup pumps.

The use of air compressors is also especially suited to the latest draught beer dispense systems installed in large pubs and restaurants, amusement parks, football stadiums and other places where considerable quantities of beer are consumed in a very short time.

In a high volume dispense system, the beer is stored in protective bags inside 1000 litre tanks that are delivered to site by truck.

The cavity between the bag and the tank wall is filled with air at 3bar, which moves the beer out or up to the dispense taps.

When a drink is drawn, air from the on-site compressor fills the tank to maintain the pressure at a constant 3bar.

Suitable for these high volume dispense systems are the latest oil-less compressor models, which are designed to supply clean, oil-less compressed air for food and beverage, medical, laboratory and healthcare applications.

To ensure that the air is in optimum condition for the environment, the compressors have internally coated receivers that guarantee a clean and hygienic compressed air supply.

They are also rated for continuous operation and are constructed with fewer moving parts to reduce wear and tear and ensure a long working life with reliability and low maintenance.

Warranties covering 5000 hours or five years are normally provided for these models.

In all cellar installations, the CO2 used for the pumps is piped together in a manifold arrangement and then piped outside.

As CO2 is an asphyxiant, any leaks in the system could be potentially dangerous to the workplace.

Compressed air is a safe alternative and an emergency changeover valve is usually fitted to the system to allow continuous supply and operation in the event of failure.

Oil-less compressors can be supplied as separate units or as complete systems.

Models can be fitted in any plane and feature several outlet ports, adjustable feet and multiple mounting positions, making them suitable for custom-designed applications to meet the design requirements of OEMs, for example for N2 generators for mixing gas (CO2/N2) to pressurise the beer keg to create the perfect blend and taste.

All Jun-Air compressors can be supplied with a range of optional equipment including filters, auto drains on receivers, and hours-run counters and they are designed for floor or wall mounting.

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