Experiment No.

4
Objective:
Study of Air Compressor

Air Compressor:
An air compressor is a device that converts power (using an electric motor, diesel or gasoline engine, etc.) into
potential energy stored in pressurized air (i.e., compressed air). By one of several methods, an air compressor
forces more and more air into a storage tank, increasing the pressure. When tank pressure reaches its upper limit
the air compressor shuts off. The compressed air, then, is held in the tank until called into use.
The energy contained in the compressed air can be used for a variety of applications, utilizing the kinetic energy
of the air as it is released and the tank depressurizes. When tank pressure reaches its lower limit, the air
compressor turns on again and re-pressurizes the tank.

Compressed Air:
Compressed air is widely used as a power source in industry to power tools in
•many types of conveyors
•manufacturing and converting processes
•filtration, refrigeration, and aeration processes
•vehicle and machine doors.
Compressed air is often manufactured on site (other utilities such as electricity, natural gas, and water are often
purchased from outside).
The function of a Compressor:
The function of a compressor is to take a definite quantity of fluid (usually a gas, often air) and deliver it at a
required pressure.

Reciprocating type – low mass flow rate (kg/s) and high pressure ratio
Rotary type – high mass rate but low pressure ratio.
Cost of its production often unclear
A common perception: it is free.
Actually the cost of using compressed air: 10 times the cost of using another utility such as electricity.
Reasons: in-efficiency of the motor and drive, the compressor itself, leaks in the system, air pressure reductions,
and the inefficiencies of the device or process where the compressed air is applied.
Cooling:
Due to adiabatic heating, air compressors require some method of disposing of waste heat. Generally this is
some form of air- or water-cooling, although some (particularly rotary type) compressors may be cooled by oil
(that is then in turn air- or water-cooled) and the atmospheric changes also considered during cooling of
compressors.
Compressor types:
Like hydraulic pumps, air compressors can be split into positive displacement devices (where a fixed volume of
air is delivered on each rotation of the compressor shaft) and dynamic devices such as centrifugal or axial
blowers. The vast majority of air compressors are of the positive displacement type.
A compressor is selected by the pressure it is required to work at and the volume of gas it is required to deliver.
As explained in the previous section, pressure in the receiver is generally higher than that required at the
operating position, with local pressure regulation being used.
Pressure at the compressor outlet (which for practical purposes will be the same as that in the receiver) is called
the working pressure and is used to specify the compressor. Pressure at the operating point is called, not
surprisingly, the operating pressure and is used to specify valves, actuators and other operating devices.
Piston Compressors:
Piston compressors are by far the most common type of compressor, and a basic single cylinder.As the piston
descends during the inlet stroke (Figure 3.3a), the inlet valve opens and air is drawn into the cylinder. As the
piston passes the bottom of the stroke, the inlet valve closes and the exhaust valve opens allowing air to be
expelled as the piston rises.
The valves are similar to valves in an internal combustion engine. In practice, spring-loaded valves are used,
which open and close under the action of air pressure across them.
One common type uses a 'feather' of spring steel which moves above the inlet or output port.
A single cylinder compressor gives significant pressure pulses at the outlet port. This can be overcome to some
extent by
The use of a large receiver, but more often a multi cylinder compressor is used. These are usually classified as
vertical or horizontal in-line arrangements and the more compact V, Y or W constructions.

A compressor which produces one pulse of air per piston stoke is called a single acting compressor. A more
even air supply can be obtained by the double acting action of the compressor , which uses two sets of valves
and a crosshead to keep the piston rod square at all times. Double-acting compressors can be found in all
configurations described earlier.
Piston compressors described so far go direct from atmospheric to required pressure in a single operation. This
is known as a single stage compressor. The general gas law compression of a gas to be accompanied by a
significant rise in gas temperature. If the exit pressure is above about 5 bar in a single acting compressor, the
compressed air temperature can rise to over 200~ and the motor power needed to drive the compressor rises
accordingly.
For pressures over a few bar it is far more economical to use a multistage compressor with cooling between
stages.
As cooling (undertaken by a device called an intercooler) reduces the volume of the gas to be compressed at the

second stage there is a large energy saving. Normally two stages are used for pneumatic pressures of 10 to 15
bar, but multistage compressors are available for pressures up to around 50 bar.
Multistage compressors can be manufactured with multicylinders or, more compactly, with a single cylinder
and a double diameter piston.

There is contact between pistons and air, in standard piston compressors, which may introduce small amounts of
lubrication oil from the piston walls into the air. This very small contamination may be undesirable in food and
chemical industries.
Screw Compressors:
Piston compressors are used where high pressures (> 20 bar) and relatively low volumes (< 10,000 m 3 hr -1)
are needed, but are mechanically relatively complex with many moving parts. Many applications require only
medium pressure (< 10 bar) and medium flows (around 10,000 m 3 hr-m). For these applications, rotary
compressors have the advantage of simplicity, with fewer moving parts rotating at a constant speed, and a
steady delivery of air without pressure pulses.

One rotary compressor, known as the dry rotary screw compressor, consists of two intermeshing rotating.
screws with minimal (around 0.05 mm) clearance.

As the screws rotate, air is drawn into the housing, trapped between the screws and carried along to the
discharge port, where it is delivered in a constant pulse-free stream.
Screws in this compressor can be synchronised by external timing gears. Alternatively one screw can be driven,
the second screw rotated by contact with the drive screw. This approach requires oil lubrication to be sprayed
into the inlet air to reduce friction between screws, and is consequently known as a wet rotary screw
compressor. Wet screw construction though, obviously introduces oil contamination into the air which has to be
removed by later oil separation units.

Rotary Compressors:
The vane compressor, operates on similar principles to the hydraulic vane pump, although air compressors tend
to be physically larger than hydraulic pumps.
An unbalanced design is shown, balanced versions can also be constructed. Vanes can be forced out by springs
or, more commonly, by centrifugal force.
A single stage vane compressor can deliver air at up to 3 bar, a much lower pressure than that available with a
screw or piston compressor.
A two-stage vane compressor with large low pressure and smaller high pressure sections linked by an
intercooler allows pressures up to 10 bar to be obtained.

Dynamic Compressors:
A large volume of air (up to 5000 m 3 min -1) is often required for applications such as pneumatic conveying
(where powder is carried in an air stream), ventilation or where air itself is one component of a process (e.g.
combustion air for gas/oil burners). Pressure in these applications is low (at most a few bar) and there is no need
for a positive displacement compressor.
Large volume low pressure air is generally provided by dynamic compressors known as blowers. They can be
subdivided into centrifugal or axial types. Centrifugal blowers draw air in then fling it out by centrifugal force.
A high shaft rotational speed is needed and the volume to input power ratio is lower than any other type of
compressor.
An axial compressor comprises a set of rotating fan blades. These produce very large volumes of air, but at low
pressure (less than one bar). They are primarily used for ventilation, combustion and process air.
Output pressures of both types of dynamic compressor can be lifted by multistage compressors with intercoolers
between stages. Diffuser sections reduce air entry velocity to subsequent stages, thereby converting air kinetic
energy to pressure energy.

Positive displacement compressors use oil to lubricate the close machined parts and to maintain the air seal.
Dynamic compressors have no such need, and consequently deliver very clean air.
Compressor’s power:
Factors used to designate compressor’s power
Motor/drive engine horsepower.
The amount of air the compressor can deliver.
Delivery pressure.

Applications:
The selecting the type of compressor depends largely on size, cost, and reliability requirements:
•Rotary screw compressors in sizes from small (in cars) up to 500-600 hp are very popular because of their high
reliability and low maintenance requirements.
•Centrifugal compressors are often used in sizes ranging from about 150 hp up to over 10,000 hp. The larger
size models are relatively low in cost and small in physical size compared to reciprocating compressors.
•Reciprocating compressors are commonly used today only in sizes up to 25 hp.
These compressors are often used for light-duty applications or in startup industrial enterprises because they are
reliable and low cost.
Air compressors have many uses, including: supplying high-pressure clean air to fill gas cylinders, supplying
moderate-pressure clean air to a submerged surface supplied diver, supplying moderate-pressure clean air for
driving some office and school building pneumatic HVAC control system valves, supplying a large amount of
moderate-pressure air to power pneumatic tools, such as jackhammers, for filling tires, and to produce large
volumes of moderate-pressure air for large-scale industrial processes (such as oxidation for petroleum coking or
cement plant bag house purge systems).
Most air compressors either are reciprocating piston type, rotary vane or rotary screw. Centrifugal compressors
are common in very large applications. There are two main types of air compressor's pumps: oil-lubed and oil-
less. The oil-less system has more technical development, but is more expensive, louder and lasts for less time
than oil-lubed pumps. The oil-less system also delivers air of better quality.

The most common types of air compressors are: electric or gas/diesel powered compressors. The power of a
compressor is measured in HP (Horsepower) and CFM (cubic feet of air per minute). The gallon size of the tank
tells you how much compressed air "in reserve" is available. Gas/diesel powered compressors are widely used
in remote areas with problematic access to electricity. They are noisy and require ventilation for exhaust gases.
Electric powered compressors are widely used in production, workshops and garages with permanent access to
electricity. Common workshop/garage compressors are 110-120 Volt or 230-240 Volt. Compressor tank shapes
are: "pancake", "twin tank", "horizontal", and "vertical". Depending on a size and purpose compressors can be
stationary or portable.