I.

TERMINOLOGIES: AIR COMPRESSOR

1.

Aftercooler - A heat exchanger used for cooling air discharged from a compressor. Resulting condensate may be removed by a moisture separator following the aftercooler. Atmospheric Pressure - The measured ambient pressure for a specific location and altitude in PSI (pounds per square inch). Automatic Sequencer - A device which operates compressors in sequence according to a programmed schedule. Capacity - The amount of air flow delivered under specific conditions, usually expressed in cubic feet per minute (CFM). Check Valve - A valve which permits flow in only one direction. Compression Ratio - The ratio of the discharge pressure to the inlet pressure. Constant Speed Control - A system in which the compressor is run continuously and matches air supply to air demand by varying compressor load. Cut-In/Cut-Out Pressure - Respectively, the minimum and maximum discharge pressures at which the compressor will switch from unload to load operation (cut in) or from load to unload (cut out). Cycle - The series of steps that a compressor with unloading performs; 1) fully loaded, 2) modulating (for compressors with modulating control), 3) unloaded, 4) idle. Time - Amount of time for a compressor to complete one cycle.

2.

3.

4.

5. 6.

7.

8.

9.

10. Cycle

11. Desiccant

- A material having a large proportion of surface pores, capable of attracting and removing water vapor from the air. Point - The temperature at which moisture in the air will begin to condense if the air is cooled at constant pressure. At this point the relative humidity is 100%.

12. Dew

13. Demand

- Flow of air at specific conditions required at a point or by the overall facility. Temperature - The temperature at the discharge flange of the compressor. - Devices for separating and removing particulate matter, moisture or entrained lubricant from air. - Air compressor operation at full speed with a fully open inlet and discharge delivering maximum air flow. Pressure - The pressure determined by most instruments and gauges, usually expressed in psig. Barometric pressure must be considered to obtain true or absolute pressure (PSIG). Brake - Horsepower delivered to the output shaft of a motor or engine, or the horsepower required at the compressor shaft to perform work. Relative - The relative humidity of a gas (or air) vapor mixture is the ratio of the partial pressure of the vapor to the vapor saturation pressure at the dry bulb temperature of the mixture. - The removal of heat from air or gas between compressor stages.

14. Discharge

15. Filters

16. Full-Load

17. Gauge

18. Horsepower,

19. Humidity,

20. Intercooling

21. Leak 22. Load

- An unintended loss of compressed air to ambient conditions. Time - Time period from when a compressor loads until it unloads.

23. Load/Unload

Control - Control method that allows the compressor to run at full-load or at no load while the driver remains at a constant speed. Control - System which adapts to varying demand by throttling the compressor inlet proportionally to the demand. Compressors - Compressors having two or more stages operating in series. Displacement - The volume swept by the piston; for multistage compressors, the piston displacement of the first stage is the overall piston displacement of the entire unit. Dew Point - For a given pressure, the temperature at which water will begin to condense out of air.

24. Modulating

25. Multi-Stage

26. Piston

27. Pressure

28. Pressure

Drop - Loss of pressure in a compressed air system or component due to friction or restriction. Range - Difference between minimum and maximum pressures for an air compressor. Also called cut in-cut out or load-no load pressure range. - A vessel or tank used for storage of gas under pressure. In a large compressed air system there may be primary and secondary receivers. Compressor - Compressor in which the compressing element is a piston having a reciprocating motion in a cylinder. - The speed of a compressor refers to the number of revolutions per minute (rpm) of the compressor drive shaft or rotor shaft. - (No load) Compressor operation in which no air is delivered due to the intake being closed or modified not to allow inlet air to be trapped. - Devices with passages for directing flow into alternate paths or to prevent flow.

29. Pressure

30. Receiver

31. Reciprocating

32. Speed

33. Unload

34. Valves

II.

AIR COMPRESSOR
An air compressor is a machine that uses an electric motor or gas engine to power a device that sucks in successive volumes of air from the atmosphere, compresses (squeezes) each volume of air in a confined place to increase its pressure by making the volume smaller, and then transfers the high-pressure air to a receiver tank. The high-pressure air is drawn off from the receiver tank to power equipment.

III. HISTORY
Von Guericke's Invention In 1650, a physicist and engineer from Germany named Otto Von Guericke invented a vacuum pump and experimented with air pressure and how it was utilized to achieve different means. Guerickes air pump demonstrated how air worked with combustion. His experiments led the way for further studies of the use of compressed air. Early Air Compressors The "blowing cylinder" compressor was the first to be invented. Created in 1762, it could produce 14.5 pounds per square inch (99.9 kPa) In 1829, a compound air compressor was patented. A little more than 40 years later, in 1872, the compressor was improved with the use of water jets that cooled the cylinders. This invention emphasized the importance of controlling the temperature and moisture of the air that is being compressed for higher efficiency of tools.

IV.

TYPES OF COMPRESSORS:
A. POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT is a type of compressor that causes gases to move by trapping a fixed amount of it then displacing tha trapped volume into the discharge pie. The periodic gases displacement results in a direct increase in pressure. B. DYNAMIC gases is compressed by rotating vanes which converts kinetic energy to potential energy.

V.

CLASSIFICATION OF AIR COMPRESSORS

A. RECIPROCATING COMPRESSORS
high pressure, low capacity. A reciprocating compressor uses the reciprocating action of a piston inside a cylinder to compress refrigerant. As the piston moves downward, a vacuum is created inside the cylinder. Because the pressure above the intake valve is greater than the pressure below it, the intake valve is forced open and refrigerant is sucked into the cylinder. After the piston reaches its bottom position it begins to move upward. The intake valve closes, trapping the refrigerant inside the cylinder. As the piston continues to move upward it compresses the refrigerant, increasing its pressure. At a certain point the pressure exerted by the refrigerant forces the exhaust valve to open and the compressed refrigerant flows out of the cylinder. Once the piston reaches it top-most position, it starts moving downward again and the cycle is repeated.

1. COMPONETS:
a. Cylinder: In small compressors the cylinder is made by directly boring into the main body of the compressor, which is usually made up of cast iron. In case of the large multi-cylinder compressors, the cylinder is made separately and it is fitted into the main body of the compressor. This type of cylinder is also called as the liner or sleeve. In such compressors if any of the cylinders gets worn out or damaged, it can be replaced easily by the new liner, without having to replace the whole compressor. b. Piston: The piston performs upwards and downwards motion inside the cylinder, which is also called as the reciprocating motion. During its motion the piston enables suction and compression of the refrigerant. The piston is made of cast iron or aluminum. During its motion inside the cylinder the refrigerant should not leak through the gap between the cylinder walls and the piston to the crankcase, hence piston is covered with the piston rings. The piston rings are not required in the smaller compressors. The gap

between the piston and the cylinder is also filled with the lubricating oil, which also prevents the leakage of the compressed refrigerant to the crankcase. c. Connecting Rod: The connecting rod is the connecting link between the piston and the crankshaft. On one side the connecting rod is connected to the piston by piston pin and on the other side it is connected to the crankshaft by connecting rod cap. Both these connections of the connecting rod enable converting the rotary motion of the crankshaft into the reciprocating motion of the piston inside the cylinder. The connecting rod is usually made up of carbon steel forging. d. Suction Valve and Discharge Valve: Through the suction valve the low pressure refrigerant is sucked inside the cylinder and through the discharge valve the compressed high pressure refrigerant is discharged to the discharge line, from where the refrigerant goes to the condenser. The operation of the suction valve is such that is opens when the piston moves downwards and closes when the refrigerant is being discharged. The discharge valve opens only when piston reaches to certain level inside the cylinder and refrigerant has reached to the desired level of pressure. When the refrigerant is delivered from the cylinder, the discharge valve closes. e. Suction and Discharge Pipelines: Through the suction piping the low pressure refrigerant is taken inside the cylinder via suction valve. The high pressure compressed refrigerant is delivered though the discharge line. f. Wobble Plate: In that the pistons press down on the plate in sequence, forcing it to sway around its center g. Cam Rotor: A disk or cylinder having an irregular form such that its moti on, usually rotary, gives to apart or parts in contact with it a specifi c rocking or reciprocating motion.

h. Clutch assembly: Is a mechanical device that provides for the transmission of power (and therefore usually motion) from one component (the driving member) to another (the driven member) when engaged, but can be disengaged.

2. ADVANTAGES
Simple design Lower initial cost Easy to install Two stage models offer the highest efficiency No oil carry over Large range of horsepower Special machine can reach extremely high pressures

3. DISADVANTAGES
higher maintenance cost many moving parts potential of vibration problems foundation may be required depending on size many are not designed to run at full capacity 100% of the time

4. USES
The majority of applications for reciprocating compressors are in the oil and gas industries. Oil refineries use these compressors for processes that require high pressure delivery of essential gases. The natural gas industry also utilizes reciprocating compressors to transport gas via cross country pipelines. These compressors can also be found in chemical plants, refrigeration plants, air compressors for tooling, etc.

Gas transmission pipelines, petrochemical plants, refineries

B. ROTARY COMPRESSORS medium pressure, low capacity

ROTARY VANE COMPRESSORS

In a rotary compressor the refrigerant is compressed by the rotating action of a roller inside a cylinder. The roller rotates eccentrically (off-centre) around a shaft so that part of the roller is always in contact with the inside wall of the cylinder. A spring-mounted blade is always rubbing against the roller. The two points of contact create two sealed areas of continuously variable volume inside the cylinder. At a certain point in the rotation of the roller, the intake port is exposed and a quantity of refrigerant is sucked into the cylinder, filling one of the sealed areas. As the roller continues to rotate the volume of the area the refrigerant occupies is reduced and the refrigerant is compressed. When the exhaust valve is exposed, the high-pressure refrigerant forces the exhaust valve to open and the refrigerant is released. Rotary compressors are very efficient because the actions of taking in refrigerant and compressing refrigerant occur simultaneously.

1. COMPONENTS

Oil injection

Piston

Air inlet

rotor cylinder Displacement chamber Vanes compressed air outlet

2. ADVANTAGES:
Simple design Easy to install Low to medium cost Low maintenance cost Field serviceable airends Long life airend Low rotational speeds Very few moving parts Forgiving to dirty environment

3. DISADVANTAGES
Oil injected designs have oil carryover Single-stage designs have lower efficiency Difficulty with high pressures (over 20psi) Oil-free designs are unavailable

4. USES:
A rotary compressor, or rotary vane compressor, is a device used for moving a fluid through a system. Rotary compressors are used for compressing air, powering vacuum pumps, moving steering fluid inside a car and numerous other uses. Sometimes, several rotary vane compressors are combined together into a multi-stage compressor that can create more pressure.

ROTARY SCREW COMPRESSORS

Screw compressors use a pair of helical rotorsAs the rotors rotate they intermesh, alternately exposing and closing off interlobe spaces at the ends of the rotors. When an interlobe space at the intake end opens up, refrigerant is sucked into it. As the rotors continue to rotate the refrigerant becomes trapped inside the interlobe space and is forced along the length of the rotors. The volume of the interlobe space decreases and the refrigerant is compressed. The compressed refrigerant exists when the interlobe space reaches the other end. (male and female) inside a sealed chamber.

1. COMPONENTS:
Twin-screw compressors are constructed with the following three major components; the compressor compartment, the hermetic motor compartment and the oil separator compartment. a. The compressor compartment includes twin-screw helical rotors, bearings and components for capacity control system. b. The hermetic motor compartment includes the motor stator, motor rotor, six terminal plugs for electric power connections, an internal thermostat inserted into the stator coil toprotect the motor from burning out, two terminal plugs for the thermostat, and a suction gas strainer.

c. The oil separator compartment consists of demister and chambers to serve as an oil separator and an oil reservoir. The rotor of the hermetic motor is connected directly at the suction end of the male rotor shaft and drives the rotor shaft at rated speed of 2,950 rpm at 50 Hz and 3,550 rpm at 60 Hz respectively.

2. ADVANTAGES:
Simple design Low to medium initial cost Two stage designs provide good efficiency Easy to install Few moving parts Most popular compressor design in plants

C. DISADVANTAGES
limited air end life air ends are not field serviceable high rotational speed shorter life expectancy than other designs oil injected designs have oil carryover single-stage designs have lower efficiency two-stage, oil-free designs have higher initial cost difficulty with dirty environment

D. USES:
These types of compressors are used in large industrial application where high-pressure compressed air systems are required. Screw compressors can be broadly divided into two categories. The functioning of the oil free compressors relies entirely on the rotating screws without any involvement of oil seals. The second type is the oil flooded screw compressor that requires compressor oil to be injected inside the compression cavities for the purpose of sealing.

C. CENTRIFUGAL COMPRESSOR
- low pressure, high capacity. - Centrifugal compressors use the rotating action of an impeller wheel to exert centrifugal force on refrigerant inside a round chamber (volute). Refrigerant is sucked into the impeller wheel through a large circular intake and flows between the impellers. The impellers force the refrigerant outward, exerting centrifugal force on the refrigerant. The refrigerant is pressurized as it is forced against the sides of the volute. Centrifugal compressors are well suited to compressing large volumes of refrigerant to relatively low pressures. The compressive force generated by an impeller wheel is small, so chillers that use centrifugal compressors usually employ more than one impeller wheel, arranged in series. Centrifugal compressors are desirable for their simple design and few moving parts.

1. COMPONENTS:
Centrifugal compressors operate by taking in outside air near their hub and rotating it by means of an impeller. The impeller, which is usually an aluminum alloy, guides the air toward the outer circumference of the compressor, building up the velocity of the air by means of high rotational speed of the impeller. The compressor consists of three main parts: a. Impeller

b. Diffuser c. Compressor Manifold

2. ADVANTAGES:
high efficiencies approaching two-stage reciprocating compressors can reach pressures up to 1200psi completely packaged for plant or instrument air up through 500hp relative first cost improves as size increases designed to give lubricant free air does not require special foundations

3. DISADVANTAGES:
high initial cost complicated monitoring and control systems limited capacity, control modulation, requiring unloading for reduced capacities high rotational speed require and sophisticated vibration and clearance monitoring specialized maintenance consideration

4. USES:
A centrifugal compressor is a type of compressor that utilizes rotating vanes or impellers to compress a gas instead of a piston. This design is used in high-end air compressors as well as on refrigeration units and air conditioners. This type of compressor is able to be used in stages to create ultra-high compression of gasses or air. This type of compressor has fewer moving parts and operates more smoothly than a piston-type compressor.