2025-10-31
Screw air compressors are a common sight on ships. You might be wondering what role they play. In fact, shipboard air compressors are mainly used to assist in starting diesel engines, cleaning tools, and operating the ship's horn and other equipment.
Typically, large ships use medium-to-high-speed diesel engines as their main engines. Ships require a continuous supply of air, and high-pressure-screw-air-compressor compress air to the pressure required by the ship and store it in air cylinders. When needed, the compressed air is released to drive the starting device, which in turn rotates the crankshaft of the diesel engine, thus enabling the diesel engine to run.
Ships carry many tools, such as winches, cranes, cargo hoists, steering gears, winches, anchor winches, and other deck machinery. Some of these have starting components. High-pressure compressed air is typically required to operate them for tasks such as loading and unloading cargo and berthing. Similarly, during navigation, the ship's forward or backward movement is controlled by diesel engines, and high-pressure-screw-air-compressor can provide high-pressure air to these engines to ensure proper reversing and accurate and timely navigation.
When a ship is grounded or underway, it generates a lot of mixed debris and dust. In this situation, the high-pressure screw air compressor acts as a cleaner, removing dust, water, and debris from cargo holds, as well as dust and other impurities from the ship's surface. This keeps the ship clean and dry, which helps prevent equipment malfunctions and corrosion
Typically, ships require maintenance after prolonged use, which necessitates painting. Similarly, painting is also used in the shipbuilding process. High-pressure screw air compressors provide compressed air to the painting equipment, ensuring even application of paint to the hull surface and guaranteeing paint adhesion and quality. This extends the ship's lifespan. Furthermore, the compressed air from the high-pressure screw air compressor can also drive sandblasting guns, propelling sand particles at high speed onto the hull surface to remove rust, old paint, and impurities, preparing the ship for subsequent painting and other maintenance work.

On some specialized vessels, such as liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers, high-pressure screw air compressors compress the vaporized LNG to maintain safe pressure within the cargo holds or for distribution to shore stations. Additionally, high-pressure air can be stored in cylinders for the transport and storage of other gases on board, or for supplying specialized equipment.
Crew members require essential safety measures at sea, such as air conditioning, refrigerators, and sanitary facilities like showers. High-pressure screw air compressors, as the driving force for these systems, ensure the crew's needs are met and provide a comfortable living environment.
Ships require a variety of emergency equipment, such as generators and fire-fighting equipment, to function in emergencies. High-pressure screw air compressors can provide sufficient air supply for these emergency devices, ensuring the ship's safety and emergency response capabilities in such situations.

During ship voyages, from safeguarding navigational safety to protecting marine ecology, from providing support for navigators' lives to driving the operation of various equipment, high-pressure screw air compressors have long been an indispensable helper in ocean voyages.