Pressure vessels and air receivers 50 l

50 l

The 50 l pressure vessel for air is the largest of the small air receivers. You can choose from five vessels for a working pressure of 11 bar: three painted ones (vertical, horizontal with feet and horizontal without feet for built-in use) and two stainless steel ones, vertical and horizontal, in AISI304 or AISI316L.

Fifty litres serve in a workshop where several tools are used in turn, for a spray gun or as an additional reserve for a compressor with a small tank. A larger reserve means that the compressor starts less often and the tools get more even pressure. You will find volumes from 100 l and other versions in the main category of pressure vessels.

50 l pressure vessels for air at a glance

All five vessels have the same pressure and diameter. The difference is whether they stand or lie, how they are fixed in place and which steel they are made of. You will find the heights, lengths, connections and weights on the vessels’ product pages.

The three horizontal vessels, painted and stainless steel, have the same length. For the stainless steel vessels, you can choose AISI304 or AISI316L steel; the dimensions are the same for both.

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Vertical or horizontal 50-litre vessel

A vertical vessel takes up the least floor space. The painted one stands on taller legs than the 24-litre version, so there is room under the bottom end for a condensate drain valve.

The horizontal 50-litre vessel is much lower but takes up more floor space. All three horizontal vessels have two connections on top, so you can fit both the safety valve and the pressure gauge without branch fittings. The painted vessel without feet is the largest cylinder for built-in use and needs a sturdy mounting in a frame or cabinet.

A compressed air tank in place of the compressor tank?

A 50 l vessel can only replace a rusted-through compressor tank if the compressor unit is not mounted on the tank. The painted vessels have no brackets for a motor or a piston pump; they are stand-alone air receivers. For a compressor with a separate tank, compare the diameter, length and position of the connections with the vessel’s product page.

The compressor’s maximum pressure must not exceed the 11 bar on the vessel’s data plate, so the 50-litre vessels suit compressors with a cut-out pressure of up to 10 bar. Connect the compressor to the vessel with a flexible hose, so that vibration is not transmitted to the threads. You will find compressors with and without a tank in our overview of compressors.

Painted or stainless steel

The painted 50-litre vessel is made of carbon steel with a blue RAL 5015 powder coating on the outside; inside, the steel is bare. It suits dry, heated rooms and is manufactured to Directive 2014/29/EU on simple pressure vessels (SPVD).

The stainless steel vessels are made entirely of AISI304 or AISI316L steel, pickled and passivated, and are manufactured to Directive 2014/68/EU (PED). They are intended for compressed air, nitrogen and air with water and are chosen where air purity matters, for example in food processing, pharmaceuticals or laboratories.

Inspections of the 50-litre vessel are governed by national regulations, which set the intervals according to the vessel’s volume and pressure. How often inspections are carried out and what they involve is discussed in our article on pressure vessel inspections.

Where next: smaller, larger and related vessels

The small vessels end at 50 litres. From 100 l, there is a wider choice, with galvanised and fully equipped vessels, and you will also find the 50 l vessels on the pages by orientation, pressure and directive.

Can a 50 l pressure vessel replace a compressor tank?

Only if the compressor unit is not mounted on the tank; the painted 50-litre vessels have no brackets for it. For a compressor with a separate tank, compare the diameter, length and position of the connections with the vessel’s product page.

Is 50 l enough, or should I take 100 l?

That depends on the compressor output and on how the air demand varies: the more peaks in demand there are, the more it pays to choose a larger vessel. You will find the calculation method in our advice centre on choosing an air receiver.

Does the package include fittings?

No. You need to buy a safety valve set to no more than 11 bar, a pressure gauge and a valve for draining the condensate separately.

Does a 50 l vessel need regular inspections?

That depends on the vessel’s volume and pressure; the types of inspection and their intervals are set by national regulations. The declaration of conformity and the instructions for use and maintenance come with the vessel.

Torn between the 50-litre and the 100-litre vessel? Write and tell us which compressor you have and how many tools run from it, and we will recommend a size.