Help with Porter Cable Air Compressor

[Kevin Gregoire]

i have a 60 gallon Porter Cable upright air compressor and got it all hooked up and went to break it in (run it with air bleed wide open) and i wanted to know is the top of the tank supposed to get hot? the motor is hot from running but i was surprised the top of the tank gets hot too?

please let me know if thats normal if something is wrong?
thanks

[Bill Dufour]

The discharge air is hot so the tank will heat up. The tank will act as a radiator and the air out of the tank will not be as hot. My Quincy 5HP two stage compressor output air is about 140F. This includes about 18" of copper finned interstage tube that cools it down. Simple physics is as a gas is compressed it heat up. when allowed to expand it will cool down. They make chilled air dryers fo folks who need dry air. Harbour freight actually makes a good one.
You probably do not need that much just a run of copper pipe will act as a radiator and make it extra big to gain surface area and storage volume. More serious approach is an oil cooler between the pump and the tank and run the air through that.
Bil lD