What Do Air Amplifiers Amplify, and Why Is It Important?

The word “amplifier” can mean some very different things, depending on the context in which it’s used. A musician may plug an instrument into an amplifier to increase the sound power being put out by said instrument. Folks who work with electronic or electrical systems use devices to amplify voltage (at the cost of current) or current (at the cost of voltage.)

In pneumatics and fluid power, there are even two very different devices called an ‘air amplifier.’ One is made to amplify the downstream pressure by using air flow and are commonly known as pressure boosters (we don’t have those), and the other amplifies the flow, proportionally to the supply pressure (THOSE are ours).

So that, dear reader, handles the question of what they amplify – now let’s cover why it’s important:

• Lower cost of operation: Like the picture above says, Air Amplifiers use a small amount of compressed air, but make a tremendous amount of total developed air flow. This is a feature of our entire line of air blowing products – they’re ALL designed to consume as little compressed air as possible, and develop as much flow as possible. The less you use, the less it costs to operate…use the calculator on our website if you want to find out how much you can save.
• Sound reduction: The discharge of compressed air into the open creates a LOT of noise, but the air entrained by our Air Amplifiers (and Air Knives & Air Nozzles) creates a low velocity boundary layer around the primary high velocity, laminar air flow. This boundary layer serves as an insulating shield, of sorts, and it results in dramatically quieter operation.
• High ventilation rate: Because they entrain so much air from the surrounding environment, they can be used for rapid removal of fumes, smoke, airborne dust, etc. from spaces. And they’re going to do it quicker than standard Venturi or ejector devices.

Model 120024 4″ Super Air Amplifiers are commonly used to exhaust welding smoke and fumes.

That’s it for the “what they do” and “why it’s important” – if you’d like to find out how valuable an Air Amplifier can be, give me a call.

Russ Bowman, CCASS

Application Engineer