COMPRESSORS

Compressors
What is compressor?

What is their types?

What is their applications?

A gas compressor is a mechanical device that increases gas pressure by reducing its volume.

Compressing process may be:

Isothermal gas at final stage of compression is same temperature as at beginning of compression. (ideal process) Adiabatic This assumes that there is no heat transfer into or out of the process, and that all work added is expended in creating a pressure rise. Polytropic This assumes that heat may enter or leave the process, and that work added can appear as both increased pressure (useful work) and increased temperature above adiabatic (losses due to cycle efficiency).

Staged compression
Since compression generates heat, the compressed air is to be cooled between stages making the compression less adiabatic and more isothermal. The inter-stage coolers cause condensation meaning interwater separators with drain valves are present. The compressor flywheel may drive a cooling fan.

Compressor types

Reciprocating

Axial flow

Rotary screw

Scroll

Centrifugal

Vane

Reciprocating Compressor

Reciprocating compressor uses pistons driven by a crankshaft. They are both stationary and portable, can be single or multi-staged. multiSmall reciprocating compressors from 5 to 30 HP. Larger reciprocating compressors up to 1000 HP.

Discharge pressures can Range from low pressure to very high pressure (>5000 psi or 35 MPa). (>5000

Rotary screw

Rotary screw compressor uses two meshed rotating positive-displacement helical screws to force the positivegas into a smaller space. These are usually for continuous, commercial and industrial applications and are both stationary and portable. Their application can be from 5 hp (3.7 kW) to over 500 (3 hp (375 kW) and from low pressure to very high (375 pressure (>1200 psi or 8.3 MPa). (>1200

Vane Compressor

A rotary vane compressor is a positive displacement machine that uses an eccentric rotor placed within a cylinder. The rotor has slots along its length, each slot contains a vane. The vanes are thrown outwards by centrifugal force when the compressor is running and the vanes move in and out of the slot because the rotor is eccentric to the casing. The vanes sweep the cylinder, sucking air in on one side and ejecting it on the other.

Centrifugal Compressor

Centrifugal Compressor a vaned rotating disk or impeller in a shaped housing forces the gas to the rim of impeller increasing the velocity of the gas. A diffuser (divergent duct) section converts the velocity energy to pressure energy. These are used for continuous, heavy industrial uses and are usually stationary. Their application can be from 100 hp (75 kW) to thousands of horsepower. With multiple staging, they can achieve extremely high output pressures greater than 10,000 lbf/in (69 MPa).

Axial flow Compressor

A series of fans spinning on a shaft in a tapered tube draw in gas at one end and, with the aid of interintera series of convergent and divergent )stage stator ducts), compress it and output it at the other end. Usually for very high flow applications. Almost always multimulti-staged. Variable geometry often used to improve handling beyond about 4:1 design pressure ratio.Most common compressor in large gas turbine engines.

Scroll Compressor

Similar to a rotary screw device, this one includes two interleaved spiral shaped scrolls to compress a gas. Rotating the orbiting scroll within the stationary scroll causes a crescent shaped compression cavity. This crescent shaped compression cavity moves around the point of symmetry reducing the cavities size and exhausting the compressed air out the center of the stationary scroll. Its output is more pulsed than the latter and this factor has caused its declining industrial use.

Compressor Parts
1- intake 2-Compressor pump 3-Outlet 4-Drive belt 5-Motor 6-Control switch 7-Relief valve 8-Pressure gauge 9-Manifold 1010-Regulator 1111-Supply line 1212- tank 1313-Water drain

PRIME-MOVERS PRIMEAs known that compressor is a machine that needs energy to accomplish its job. So every compressor must has a prime mover. There are different possible ways.

Gas turbines power the axial and centrifugal flow compressors that are part of jet engines. Steam turbines or water turbines. Electric motors. Diesel engine or petrol engine are very suitable for portable compressors.

APPLICATIONS
-In pressurized aircraft to provide a breathable atmosphere of higher than ambient pressure. -In jet engines to provide the great mass of operating fluid and, at high altitudes, a high enough concentration of oxygen for combustion chambers. -To store purified or manufactured gases in a small volume. -To power pneumatic equipments. -Refrigeration and air conditioning. -To move the gas from the production site to the consumer. -In submarines to store gas for later use as buoyancy. -In turbocharger and supercharger to increase engine performance.