Air Driven Air Amplifiers, AAD-5 & AAD-5-C • OM-11J
2
Introduction
This operation and maintenance manual has been prepared to assist in the installation, operation and
general maintenance of Haskel Air Amplifier model AAD-5 and AAD-5-C. This Haskel amplifier is a
double acting pump. It provides a means of boosting plant air to higher pressure and relatively low flow
requirements. It is a bootstrap ratio pump that employs the energy of compressed air to raise the
pressure of part of the air supply.
The ratio of the air drive piston vs. the pump air piston is 4:1. A model AAD-5 will create an output
pressure of 4 times the regulated drive air pressure, plus the unregulated inlet air pressure, automatically
stalling when the desired pressure has been reached, and starting up again when the pressure in the
output line drops a small amount.
The amplifier is not intended to replace a high pressure compressor where the demand of the high
pressure air is of a large constant nature, but is rather a simple expedient means of obtaining high
pressure air when the demand is infrequent, and the cost and size of a high pressure air compressor is
not warranted. The use of an air volume storage tank at the booster output with air regulator on the tank
output may be useful in providing momentary high flow rates of boosted air for pneumatic tools, etc. (See
Figure 1, note B.)
Description
The amplifier may be mounted in any position. Both the lower cap and the upper cap have mounting clips
drilled to provide for 3/8” bolts. The exhaust muffler has been positioned at assembly to blow cold air
across the pump section. Do not change the position of the muffler. The amplifier is an automatic cycllng
device cycled by a nondetented unbalanced spool that is alternately pressurized and vented by the pilot
system. It is not necessary nor desirable to use an air line lubricator. Air valve spool and drive air barrel
have been pre-lubricated at the factory.
Air System
The air drive inlet connection is located in the lower cap. This connection is a 1/2” NPS (female straight
pipe swivel connector). The exhaust connection is also in the lower cap and on all models includes an
exhaust muffler.
Model AAD-5-C includes an air inlet filter, regulator, gauge and speed control valve. These components
are pre-plumbed per figure 1 to provide inlet air to the drive inlet and also the pump section inlet. No other
plumbing connections are required.
Pump Section
Model AAD-5 has pre-plumbed manifolded inlet and outlet connections to the pump section. These
connections are 37° male flare tee for 1/2” O.D. tube. With model AAD-5-C, the air drive port and air inlet
port to the pump section are interconnected to 1/2” NPT (air filter).
Operation
With model AAD-5, if the air drive section and the pump section both are fed with unregulated air, the
amplifier will automatically stop when outlet pressure reaches an amount equal to 5 times the input
pressure. Thus, with an input pressure of 100 psi, the amplifier will automatically stop when outlet
pressure reaches approximately 500 psi.
In some applications, it may be more practical to control maximum output pressure with a Haskel result
regulator or air pilot switch. Consult distributor or factory.
On model AAD-5-C, unregulated air pressure is fed to the pump section and regulated air to the air drive
section. The amplifier will boost the air pressure by an amount equal to the unregulated air pressure plus
4 times the regulated pressure. Thus, with unregulated air pressure of 100 psi and regulated pressure of
50 psi, the amplifier will automatically stop when the outlet pressure reaches approximately 300 psi. Refer
to figure 1.
