Ship-shape compressed air solution for Adix

The installation of a Boge CL 5 screw compressor aboard the Adix, the most recognisable yacht in the world, has improved system reliability and efficiency compared to the previous vane compressor

A super yacht may not seem the most obvious location for an industrial compressor, yet most will indeed have a compressor aboard which performs many important functions.

Aboard the Adix - one of the largest sailing yachts to have been built since the 1930s - compressed air is used to power air tools, open and close some of the through hull valves, power the fog horn and even operates the dumb waiter.

When the yacht was refurbished some 6 years ago, a vane compressor was installed to serve these purposes.

However as the vane aged so did its reliability.

With a reasonably long stopover in Europe on the horizon, Chief Engineer, Clinton Skelton, called upon their long standing Cornish compressed air supplier AddAir, for advice on improving the reliability of their compressed air system.

Andrew Geake, the Managing Director of AddAir, proposed replacing the ageing vane compressor with a compact, quiet and reliable solution - the Boge CL 5 screw compressor.

"The CL series from Boge has a small footprint and is a very quiet screw compressor so ideally suited for smaller air volumes where space is at a premium - vitally important features for a compressor used on a super yacht.

Critically, we have introduced a number of Boge compressors into dockside installations in the past where the machines have proven capable of handling the harsh salt-laden environments".

The compressor was readily available and so AddAir made the necessary shipping arrangements for CL 5 to be delivered to Spain within the week.

The compact design of the CL series ensures a small footprint.

Aboard the Adix this proved to be the ideal space saving solution with the CL 5 fitting compactly into the available space.

Equally important all service components are easily accessible from one point to allow future maintenance work to be carried out in a hassle-free manner.

The CL series is also noted for its very low sound pressure levels.

High performance damping and lamellar graphite casting ensure highly effective silencing producing sound levels as low as 59 dB(A), making it ideal for use in the confined environment aboard a luxury yacht.

Clinton Skelton says: "We chose the Boge CL 5 on the recommendation of AddAir coupled with the fact that I have great faith in German engineered products.

The CL 5 has proven to be a more efficient system, handling double the number of air tools, than the previous compressor was capable of, along with being much quieter in operation, and very reliable".

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