Air Compressors

UNIT-3

Dr. Devendra Kumar Patel

School of Mechanical and Building Sciences

VIT Vellore
Indicated Work For a Single Acting Compressor

Delivery
P2 3 2
n Indicated Work = area under (4–>1) -
Polytropic (PV =C)
area under (1–>2) - area under (2–>3)
n
sio
es
pr
m

area under (4–>1) = P1 V1

Co

P1 4 1
area under (1–>2) =
Suction

Z2 Z2
C
= P dV = dV as PV n = C
V2 V1 V Vn
1 1

Note: (1) In this diagram the clearance area under (2–>3) = P2 V2

volume is not considered.
(2) The area under the PV diagram (i.e.
41234) will be known as indicated work.
Indicated Work For a Single Acting Compressor

Delivery
P2 3 2
n
Polytropic (PV =C)
n
Indicated Work (W)
sio
es
pr
m
(µ ¶ n −1 )
Co

n P2 n
W= P1 V1 −1
n−1 P1
P1 4
(µ ¶ n −1 )
Suction 1 n P2 n
W= mRT1 −1
n−1 P1

V2 V1 V Where P1 V1n = P2 V2n = C and P1 V1 =

mRT1
Note: (1) In this diagram the clearance
volume is not considered.
(2) The area under the PV diagram (i.e.
41234) will be known as indicated work.
Minimizing The Compressor Work

P
 
γ µ P ¶ γ−γ 1 
2
Wadiabatic = P1 V1 −1
γ−1  P1 
P2 3 2 2 2
IsoThermal (PV=C)
n
Polytropic (PV =C)
γ
(µ ¶ n −1 )
Adiabatic (PV =C) n P2 n
Wpolytropic = mRT1 −1
n−1 P1

P2
µ ¶
Wisothermal = P1 V1 ln
P1 4 1 P1

V2 V1 V Wadiabatic > Wpolytropic > Wisothermal

(1) Minimize the irreversibility.

Note: (1) In this diagram the clearance
(2) Keeping the specific volume of gas as
volume is not considered.
small as possible during compression by
cooling the compressor.
Methods of Minimizing The Compressor Work

Methods for improving isothermal efficiency or minimizing the

compressor work
Water spray injection (to cool down)
Water jacketing (to cool down)
External fins (to cool down) – for small capacity capacity compressor
Intercooler (to cool down)
By suitable cylinder proportions – choosing cylinder with large bore
Indicated Work For a Single Acting Compressor

6 3 2
P2 Indicated Work (W) The area under the
n PV diagram (i.e. 41234) will be known as
Polytropic (PV =C)
indicated work.

(µ ¶ n −1 )
n P2 n
W= P1 V1 −1
n−1 P1
5 4
(µ ¶ n −1 )
P1 1 n P2 n
− P4 V4 −1
V3 V4 V1 n−1 P1
Effective Swept
Volume = V 1 − V4 (µ ¶ n −1 )
Clearance Volume = V 3 = Vc n P2 n
W= P1 (V1 − V4 ) −1
n−1 P1
Swept Volume = V 1 − V3 = Vs
Effects of clearance volume: Volume of
Total Volume = V 1 air taken in per stroke is less (volumet-
ric efficiency decreases). The maximum
compression pressure is controlled by
Note: (1) In this diagram the clearance clearance volume
volume is considered.
Air Compressor Terminology

Work Done: is the amount of energy required to compress the air from
initial pressure to final pressure.
Swept Volume (Vs ) is volume of air drawn by the compressor during the
suction stroke. Vs = πD 2 L/4 = V1 − V3 . Where, D = Cylinder
Bore in m and L = Stroke length in m
Clearance Ratio (k ) is the ratio between clearance volume and swept
volume.
Clearance volume V3 Vc
k= = =
Swept volume V1 − V3 Vs
Pressure Ratio: ratio of absolute discharge pressure to absolute inlet
pressure (P2/P1 ).
Free air Delivered: actual volume of air delivered by compressor at NTP.
Capacity of the Compressor: is the volume of air delivered by the
compressor in m3/min at atm conditions (at NTP).
Air Compressor Terminology

Isothermal Efficiency: is the ratio of actual isothermal work done to the

actual work done.

Isothermal work done

Isothermal Efficiency =
Actual work done
Volumetric Efficiency: is the ratio of effective swept volume to the swept
volume.

Effective swept volume

Volumetric Efficiency =
Swept volume
V1 − V4
=
V1 − V3
P2 /n
¶1
V4 V1
µ ¶ µ ¶ µ
= 1+k −k = 1+k −k = 1+k −k
V3 V2 P1
Mean Effective Pressure: is the ratio between the work done by the stroke
volume.
Multistage Reciprocating Compressors

Single Stage Reciprocating Compressors: its use is limited where the low
delivery pressure is required.
Multistage Reciprocating Compressors: A multistage compression is
more efficient and mostly employed for high delivery
pressure.

A two stage compressor with inter-cooler

Advantages of Multistage Compression

It provides a facility to install an intercooler between the stages.

Less power is required to deliver the same quantity of air at same
delivery pressure.
Better lubrication due to lower temperature.
Better mechanical balance.
Reduce loss due to air leakage.
Improve volumetric efficiency.
Multistage Compression

2 2
P2 3 P2 3 Work Saved
PV n=C

Stage 2 Intercooling
PIntermediate
PV n=C

Stage 1
1 1
P1 4 P1 4

V1 V1

Single Stage Multistage

Work Done in Multistage Compression

P3 9 3 5
(delivery 6 Work Saved (µ ¶ n −1 )
pressure) n P4 n
Perfect W= P1 V1 −1
Stage 2 Intercooling n−1 P1
P2 PV n=C (µ ¶ n −1 )
(intermediate) 7 2 4 n P3 n
+ P2 V2 −1 (1)
PV=C n−1 P2
Stage 1

P1 1 Here
8
(intake
pressure)
P1 = P8 , P2 = P4 = P7 ,
V1 P5 = P3 = P9 = P6 (2)

Work done by multistage compressor = As the position 1 and 2 are in the line
Work required in stage 1 + Work required of isothermal process (PV = C) we can
in stage 2 write
P1 V1 = P2 V2 (3)
Work Done in Multistage Compression

From Eq. (1), (2) and (3)

P3 9 3 5
(delivery 6 Work Saved
n
pressure) W= P V
Stage 2
Perfect
Intercooling
n−1 1 1
(µ ¶ n −1 ¶ n −1 )
P2 P3
µ
P2 PV n=C n n
2 + −2 (4)
(intermediate) 7 4 P1 P2
PV=C
Stage 1
The value of intermediate pressure to
P1 1
8 achieve the minimum work (W), can be
(intake
pressure) obtained as

V1 ½³ ´ n −1 ³ ´ n −1 ¾
P2 n P n
d P1 + P3 −2
Work done by multistage compressor = dW 2
= =0
Work required in stage 1 + Work required dP2 dP2
in stage 2 q P2 P3
P2 = P1 P3 =⇒ = (5)
P1 P2
Work Done in Multistage Compression

P3 9 3 5
(delivery 6 Work Saved
pressure) So the minimum work required for two
Perfect stage compression with perfect inter-
Stage 2 Intercooling
cooling will be
P2 PV n=C
(intermediate) 7 2 4 (µ ¶ n −1 )
PV=C 2n P3 2n
Stage 1 W= P V −1
n−1 1 1 P1
P1 1
8
(intake Similarlty minimum work required for
pressure)
three stage compression with perfect
inter-cooling will be
V1
(µ ¶ n −1 )
3n P3 3n
Work done by multistage compressor = W= P V −1
Work required in stage 1 + Work required n−1 1 1 P1
in stage 2
Work Done in Multistage Compression

P3 9 3 5
(delivery 6 Work Saved
pressure)
Perfect
Stage 2 Intercooling

P2 PV n=C
2
The minimum work required for x -stage
(intermediate) 7 4
PV=C compression with perfect inter-cooling
Stage 1 will be
P1 1
8
(intake  
pressure)  P ¶ nxn
−1
xn
µ 
delivery
W= P1 V1 −1
V1
n−1  Pintake 

Work done by multistage compressor =

Work required in stage 1 + Work required
in stage 2