The IngersollRand compressors are almost fully restored !

We are truly passionate about what we do. For this reason, we celebrate every step forward in the restoration of the Wielemans-Ceuppens machines. So, you can imagine how happy we are to announce that the restoration of two of them has almost been completed! Indeed, two Ingersoll Rand compressors have been cleaned and have received the special anti-rust coating (two layers have already been put on the horizontal one and we still have to apply the second and last layer on the vertical one).

The Ingersoll Rand compressors

The two Ingersoll Rand compressors : a vertical one

and an horizontal one

were built in the USA by the same company that fabricated the hammers and drills that dug the Panama Canal in 1904. Among other technologies developed, the company is also behind the compressors and boiler-feed pumps equipping the world’s first atomic-powered submarine, built in 1954.

As explained in our 01/29/2016 post, both compressors were brought to the engines room by the time the brewery was shifting its source of power from steam to electricity, but we cannot specify exactly when this happened or when they were built. However, according to research carried out by Guido Vanderhulst, it is most likely that they were built during the early inter-war period.

Both compressors were driven by asynchronous motors (also known as induction motors) built at the Ateliers de Constructions Electriques de Charleroi (ACEC).

Together with the new group of pipes, this machinery thus constitute the third generation of compression systems acquired by the brewery for the production of cold (refrigeration).

The restoration of the compressors

Rehabilitating the Ingersoll Rand compressors was a possibility examined during the restoration study. However, since there are many missing parts and their ACEC electric motors are severely damaged, they will not be set in motion again.

Thank you for following our blog! Next week we'll be back with more information about the progress of the restoration of the Wielemans-Ceuppens machines.