AIR (GAS)

COMPRESSOR
ME LABORATORY 2
GAS (AIR) COMPRESSORS
▪It is a mechanical device that increases the pressure of a gas
by reducing its volume.
▪Compressors are similar to pumps: both increase the pressure
on a fluid and both can transport the fluid through a pipe.

“As gases are compressible, the compressor also reduces

the volume of a gas. Liquids are relatively incompressible;
while some can be compressed, the main action of a
pump is to pressurize and transport liquids.”

▪Work required for increasing pressure of air is available from

the prime mover driving the compressor.
GAS (AIR) COMPRESSORS
▪It is also similar to fans and blowers but differ in terms of
pressure ratios.
▪Fans have pressure ratio up to 1.1
▪Blowers have pressure ratio between 1.1 to 4
▪compressors have pressure ratios more than 4
USES OF COMPRESSED AIR
▪Driving and starting air engines (Diesel and Gas Turbines)
▪Driving pneumatic tools (hammer and drills)
▪Spray painting
▪Cleaning by air blast
▪Operating by air hoist

▪Pump water by air lift

▪Air supply for mine tunnel
▪Food processing
▪Liquefying gases
▪Conveying materials
Industrial Compressed Air System
CLASSIFICATIONS
CLASSIFICATION Dynamic Type

1.Centrifugal compressors
▪Uses a rotating disk or impeller in a shaped housing
to force the gas to the rim of the impeller, increasing
the velocity of the gas.
▪A diffuser (divergent duct) section converts the
velocity energy to pressure energy.
▪ Their application can be from 100 horsepower
(75 kW) to thousands of horsepower.

▪Used in snowmaking operations, in internal

combustion engines as superchargers and
turbochargers, and in small gas turbine engines or
as the final compression stage of medium-sized
gas turbines.
CLASSIFICATION Dynamic Type

2.Diagonal or Mixed Flow Compressor

▪Are similar to centrifugal compressors, but have a radial
and axial velocity component at the exit from the rotor.
▪The diffuser is often used to turn diagonal flow to an axial
rather than radial direction.

3.Axial Flow Compressor

▪ Use arrays of fan-like airfoils to continuously compress gases
▪ arrays of airfoils which are set in rows, usually as pairs:
rotating airfoils and stationary airfoils
Rotating airfoils/ rotor blades - accelerate the fluid
Stationary airfoils/stator vanes - decelerate and redirect the
flow direction of the fluid, preparing it for the rotor blades of
the next stage
CLASSIFICATION Positive Displacement Type

1.Reciprocating compressors
▪ Use pistons driven by a crankshaft.
▪ Can be either stationary or portable,
can be single or multi-
staged, and can be driven by electric motors or internal
combustion engines.
▪ Another type of reciprocating compressor is the swash plate
compressor, which uses pistons moved by a swash plate
mounted on a shaft.
CLASSIFICATION Positive Displacement Type

2.Rotary compressors
a. Rotary screw compressors
▪ Uses two meshed rotating positive-displacement
helical screws to force the gas into a smaller space
b. Rotary vane compressors
▪ Consist of a rotor with a number of blades inserted in
radial slots in the rotor.
▪ Can have mechanical efficiencies of about 90%
CLASSIFICATION Positive Displacement Type

2.Rotary compressors
c. Rotary lobe (Roots) compressors
▪ Operates by trapping gases in pockets surrounded by a
pair of meshing lobes and carried from the intake side to
the exhaust

d. Rotary scroll compressors

▪ Consist of a disc-shaped displacer with identical fixed scrolls
interleaved with one another.
▪ Rather than rotating, the displacer is driven in an orbital
motion to create a pumping action between the pairs of
scrolls.
▪ Scrolls are shaped so the gap slowly decreases in size as it
moves to the center, thereby compressing the air.
CLASSIFICATION Positive Displacement Type

2.Rotary compressors
e. Rotary liquid ring compressors
▪ Theliquid-ring pump compresses gas by rotating a vaned
impeller and located eccentrically within a cylindrical
casing.
▪ This liquid ring creates a series of seals in the space between
the impeller vanes, which form compression chambers.

▪ The eccentricity between the impeller's axis of rotation and

the casing geometric axis results in a cyclic variation of the
volume enclosed by the vanes and the ring.
Single-Stage Air Compressor Diagram & Parts
Single-Stage Air Compressor Parts

• Wheels, Handle & Fixed Foot

The wheels, handle & fixed foot on this single-

stage compressor are there for the
compressor’s portability. The handle allows
you to lift the air compressor and then pull it,
moving it to a different location with the help
of the wheels. When you decide where you
want to place the compressor, you lower it to
the ground so that the fixed foot is rested on
the floor, helping it remain in place.
Single-Stage Air Compressor Parts

• Tank Receiver / Air Bottle

A compressed air receiver tank, or otherwise

referred to as an air tank or a compressed air
storage tank. A tank that receives
compressed air and stores it after it exits the
air compressor chamber. This, therefore,
provides you with an extra load of
compressed air that you can draw upon
without having to run your air compressor.
Single-Stage Air Compressor Parts

• Output Ports

The output ports, sometimes referred to as

the discharge couplers, on this compressor are
where you can connect your air hose or begin
your piping system to lead towards and
provide compressed air to your pneumatic
tools.
Single-Stage Air Compressor Parts

• Control Panel

The control panel will typically consist of the

air compressor on/off switch, along with a
pressure gauge, and pressure switch
adjustment. It is absolutely mandatory to
monitor pressures within a compressed air
system. These indicators can be critical for
gauging the performance of your compressor
and your applications.
Single-Stage Air Compressor Parts

• Equipment Deck

The equipment deck on this air compressor

is attached to the air receiver tank and is
there to safely store the motor and pump.
Single-Stage Air Compressor Parts

• Electric Motor

All air compressors have an engine and motor

component. The motor’s role in the
compression process is to drive the crankshaft
which moves the piston in this single-stage
compressor. This will then produce
compressed air through an intricate
mechanical process in the pump.
Single-Stage Air Compressor Parts

• Belt Guard

The belt guard is there to protect the belt,

pulley, and flywheel components of the motor.
Without the guard, these vital components
may be exposed to contaminants or damage
which will stop the motor from working
effectively if at all, and therefore, the
compressor will no longer be able to produce
compressed air.
Single-Stage Air Compressor Parts

• In-Tank Check Valve

In-tank check valves have the purpose of

preventing backflow through the compressor
pump and are located directly screwed into
the tank – essentially sealing the compressed
air within the tank
Single-Stage Air Compressor Parts

• Unloader Line

The unloader line is typically a small pipe that

leads to the unloader valve. Unloader valves
are an essential part of an air compressor and
the whole pressure maintenance process. They
are a critical function in ensuring that the air
compressor is able to restart and operate
sufficiently.
Single-Stage Air Compressor Parts

• Pump to Tank Interconnect

The pump to tank interconnect is the pipe in

which the compressed air is passed from the
pump to the tank for storage, through the
in-tank check valve.
Single-Stage Air Compressor Parts

• Pump/ Air Compressor Pump

Air compressor pumps are vital components of

the system. Their duty is to suck in atmospheric
air and compress it into smaller volumes
creating greater pressures. The air is then
stored in a storage tank and released through
the discharge port through a hose so that the
kinetic energy of the pressurized air can be
used to power your pneumatic tools and
devices.
Single-Stage Air Compressor Parts

• Air Cleaner

The air compressor air cleaner, or in other

words the intake filter, is a filter at the intake
on the pump designed to block contaminants
like dust and other debris in atmospheric air
from entering the compression chamber in the
pump.
Single-Stage Air Compressor Parts

• Drain Port/Valve

The drain port and drain valve at the bottom

of the tank is there for the purpose of
draining water from the tank to protect the
air compressor system. Atmospheric air
contains a certain level of water, and when
this air is compressed, a natural byproduct is
moisture, due to the increase in temperature
of the air.
Two-Stage Air Compressor Diagram & Parts
Two-Stage Air Compressor Parts

• Bolt-Down Feet

As this is a stationary air compressor, they

typically have feet at the bottom of their
vertical tank to allow you to bolt the feet into
the ground to keep the compressor secure.
Two-Stage Air Compressor Parts
• Safety Valve

A safety valve, otherwise known as a safety

relief valve, is a critical safety device that
must be used on all compression systems.
These valves prevent catastrophic failure of
the essential pressure equipment and
piping.

All receivers must be equipped with a safety

relief valve that is rated to open at a
pressure no higher than the maximum
rating on the receiver’s nameplate.
Two-Stage Air Compressor Parts

• Pressure Switch

Pressure switches are devices that open or

close an electrical switch at a predetermined
setting. These switches can be delivered with
either fixed pressure settings or adjustable
settings. In the case of our air compressor,
the action is to turn on or turn off the
electric motor of the air compressor.
Two-Stage Air Compressor Parts

• Welded Tank Tag/Machine Tag

The tags on the air compressor tank and the

machine will provide all the relevant
information about the system. The tank tag
may include things like the shell and head
thickness, along with the storage capacity in
gallons.
Two-Stage Air Compressor Parts

• Intercooler

An intercooler is a mechanical heat

exchanger used to cool compressed air back
to near ambient temperature to increase its
volumetric efficiency.
Two-Stage Air Compressor Parts

• Compressor Stages (First and Second)

A two-stage air compressor works just like a

single-stage compressor in that air is sucked
into the cylinder and then trapped and
compressed with the piston. But instead of
then pushing the air into the storage tank,
the air is pushed to a second smaller piston
for a second stroke around 175 PSI before
being sent to the storage tank for use with
your attached pneumatic tools.
Two-Stage Air Compressor Parts

• Motor Controller

The motor controller is essentially the motor

starter and will contain all the associated
control circuitry. The motor controller will
automatically shut down the unit when
needed to conserve energy and will restart
automatically when pressure decreases to a
certain point.
Two-Stage Air Compressor Parts

• Isolation Valve

An air compressor isolation valve, otherwise

known as a shut-off valve, is designed to shut
off the airflow quickly if necessary. They
typically consist of a lever that can be turned
to immediately stop the flow of air from the
tank heading down the lines.
Two-Stage Air Compressor Parts

• Master Regulator

The master regulator is used to adjust the

overall primary system pressure. You will set
your tank regulator to a certain pressure and
then utilize the master pressure regulator
after the tank to control the pressure of the
air through the lines and head to your
pneumatic tools.
Two-Stage Air Compressor Parts

• Refrigerated Air Dryer

Refrigerated compressed air dryers are one

of the most commonly used types of air
dryers due to their simple design, the fact
they need very little maintenance, and their
relative cheapness. The other types are
desiccant and deliquescent air dryers.
What are the basic parts of an air compressor?

Where is the unloader valve on an air compressor?

What does an air compressor breather do?

What are the two components of a compressor?

ANALYSIS
Reciprocating compressors