Horizontal vs Vertical Compressor and Tank

Boswell

Boswell

Hobby Machinist since 2010
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I have decided to replace my 1950's Curtis 80gal air tank. I will keep the compressor, because it is working great but I don't trust the tank anymore. The current tank is a vertical tank. My question is if there is any advantage to vertical vs horizontal air tanks with compressors mounted on them? I have the room in my shop for the horizontal and it would be much easier to access the compressor to have it lower to the ground.

Thoughts, advise, jokes?
 
Well, since you asked, one type is tall and the other type takes up more floor space. There's nothing that I can think of in physics that makes the experience different for the air in the tank, or the compressor's work to fill it. I don't like wrestling my topheavy (emphasis on heavy) vertical tank compressor around, and often wish for a horizontal setup when doing so. Lower center of gravity and all. I am considering getting a horizontal unit next year as I set up my new shop building because it would be easier to manage and work on, I think.
 
I have both and the vertical takes up much less floor space. That's only the real difference. I do have mine off the floor, up on shelves. For servicing a forklift is required.
 
Vertical tank is much easier to drain thoroughly. I would be reluctant to get rid of a 1950's tank, it will be MUCH better than one you will buy today, and will have been tested to double the working pressure, as opposed to the modern WP+50% test (UK) My tank was made in 1947, and is still as good as the day it was made, from 3/8 rolled plate.. If you have doubts about your tank, get yourself a pressure testing pump, fill it with water, and pump it up to WP X 2 and see if it leaks. Water is incompressible, so there is no stored energy, and performing this test is very safe, and proves the goodness and integrity of the tank
 
May be it's just me but the ones that seem to blow up are the horizontal tanks for some reason. Or as I said may be it's only my observation.
 
Get it tested and run it if you are worried about it. My tank is from the 50's and I have it mounted on pallet racking so I have some floor space left. Older is better in this situation IMHO. Tim
 
stioc said:
May be it's just me but the ones that seem to blow up are the horizontal tanks for some reason. Or as I said may be it's only my observation.
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I think you are correct and i think the cause is do to water sitting on a weaker part of the tank in the horizontal position.
 
I guess step one will be to test the tank. then decide how to proceed.

thx
 
OH boy--this one could really go into the stratosphere-- I'm gonna grab popcorn and tea for this one. I've been around the various arguments regarding...and although some of them do have valid points...yes, even the physics that's involved internally but at the end of the day, I'd elect for the vertical simply because it took up less space in my already small working footprint.

Regarding the observation of more horizontal tanks exploding than vertical-- I'd probably argue that was simply because the tank of choice inside manufacturing plants and smaller, yet highly productive light industrial facilities is the horizontal tank. It's simply a probabilities scenario. Greater chance of exploding than your component, when you're being used everyday and with great demand bearing down on you and there's more of you out there. That's just my thoughts. Who am I? :blues:

Without getting into the physics of air, I would say my thoughts about removing water from the two. I do feel like one could drain more water out of a vertical tank than a horizontal and here's my thoughts.
- given the cohesion of water molecules on a vertical wall, I feel like once the lower molecules are tugged on by the pooling of water in the bottom, that chain of molecules will -with the assistance of gravity and the lower friction -- flow much more easier down the vertical walls towards the bottom. -- the radius of the horizontal tank lying on it's side as such, presents a radius into the equation, in this flow trail. The water molecules aren't as vertical and have more of a concave seating underneath them....or do they, considering the size of the arch compared to that of an individual molecule? I don't know 100%, without some experimentation but that's the way I see it at this point anyway.
--also, the horizontal tanks don't have a sloped bottom towards the drain plug, it's flat on both sides of the drain and for quite some distance. I'd argue that there is always water left in those horizontals, whereas the drain for a vertical tank is sitting at the bottom of a concave surface.
 
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