An air receiver, sometimes referred to as a compressed air tank, is an integral part of any compressed air system. The main purpose of this is to act as temporary storage to accommodate the peaks of demand from your system and to optimize the running efficiency of your plant.
Your air compressor installation can in theory run without a receiver, but not having one in your air system can increase the loading and unloading cycles on the compressor making the compressor work harder.
It is important to remember that load/unload cycles will depend on the demand fluctuation within your facility. Air receivers, commonly referred to as vessels or tanks are used to store compressed air before it enters into the piping system and or equipment.