---
title: "Air receiver / surge tank"
description: "An air receiver (also surge tank, air accumulator) is a pressure vessel installed between the compressed-air compressor and the air-consuming equipment. The receiver stores compressed air at supply pressure, absorbing the instantaneous demand of pulsed equipment without requiring the compressor itself to track the pulse."
canonical_url: "https://sylio.co/glossary/air-receiver-surge-tank"
last_updated: "2026-06-28T02:29:28.298Z"
---

An **air receiver** (also *surge tank*, *air accumulator*) is a pressure vessel installed between the [compressed-air](/glossary/compressed-air) compressor and the air-consuming equipment. The receiver stores compressed air at supply pressure, absorbing the instantaneous demand of pulsed equipment without requiring the compressor itself to track the pulse.

## Why it matters for sonic-horn installations

[Sonic horns](/glossary/sonic-horn) draw their full rated flow only during the brief firing pulse — typically 5–15 seconds out of every 3–15 minutes. Without an adequately-sized receiver, the supply pressure at the horn would sag during the pulse, reducing [SPL](/glossary/sound-pressure-level) by several dB and degrading cleaning effectiveness.

Sizing rule of thumb: the receiver volume should be at least 10× the horn's pulse-volume consumption, with larger margins on multi-horn arrays where simultaneous firing is possible.

## Common installation issues

- Under-sized receiver — horn pressure drops during pulse, SPL falls
- Receiver located too far from horns — pressure drop in piping defeats the buffer
- Shared receiver for sonic horns and other pulse equipment without sufficient margin

## Related terms

- [Compressed air](/glossary/compressed-air)
- [Sonic horn](/glossary/sonic-horn)
- [Solenoid valve](/glossary/solenoid-valve)