Webinar

Compressed Air Basics

Arif Khan – Product Marketing Manager
 What is Air?

Agenda What is Compressed Air?

Why use Compressed Air?

What is Air
What is Air

• Air is a colorless, odorless and tasteless gas.

It contains:

78.08% N2
20.95% O2
1% Other

• Air pressure on the earth = Atmospheric pressure

‒ The air pressure depends on the relative location from the sea level.
• At sea level: 1 bar
• Above sea level: <1 bar
• Below sea level: >1 bar

• Height ↑ 1000m => pressure ↓0,1 bar (psi)

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What is Compressed Air
What is Compressed Air

Air in a balloon is initially at

atmospheric pressure

Balloon

As the air is gets filled in a balloon,

the balloon expands

Air in a balloon is initially at

atmospheric pressure

Balloon COMPRESSED
AIR

• The energy contained in the compressed When the balloon can no

longer expand, the air in the
balloon gets compressed
air within the balloon is equal to the As the air gets filled in a balloon,
the balloon expands
energy required to inflate it. Air in a balloon is initially at
atmospheric pressure
Balloon

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What is Compressed Air

Energy required to fill the balloon

= Energy dissipated by the balloon
= Work done in moving the pencil
 When controlled, compressed air can be used to perform work.

Remark: there are always some losses during energy transformation.

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What is Compressed Air

• If the volume of a given amount of air

decreases, the pressure will increase.

Volume ↓ => Pressure ↑

Final volume
of the balloon • The pressure in the balloon is increased
Initial Volume due to decrease in the volume.
of the balloon

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What is Compressed Air
Absolute Pressure

Pressure in the ball

Pressure in the Ball Pressure in the ball
= Atmospheric pressure
> Atmospheric pressure
= 0 bar = 1 bar
= 2 bar
i.e. Absolute pressure
= 0 bar (perfect vacuum) i.e. Absolute pressure
i.e. Absolute pressure
= 1 bar
= 2 bar

Atmospheric Atmospheric
Plastic ball pressure 1 bar Plastic ball pressure 1 bar Pump Plastic ball

• Absolute pressure is the total pressure measured from zero (perfect vacuum)

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What is Compressed Air
Effective Pressure

Pressure in the ball = 2 bar

Pressure in the ball

> Atmospheric pressure
= 2 bar

Pressure ( in bar)
Atmospheric
Plastic ball pressure 1 bar

• Absolute pressure is the total pressure measured from zero (perfect vacuum)
• Effective pressure is the total pressure measured from the atmosheric pressure.
The effective pressure is the difference between absolute pressure and atmospheric
pressure
Effective pressure = Absolute pressure – Atmospheric pressure

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What is Compressed Air
Effective Pressure

• The pressure in the ball is equal to the

atmospheric pressure
Absolute pressure = 1 bar 0 bar The effective pressure is 0.
The fan does not rotate
Effective pressure

Atmospheric
Plastic ball pressure 1 bar

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What is Compressed Air
Effective Pressure

• The absolute pressure in the ball is 2 bar

The effective pressure is 1 bar.
Absolute pressure = 1 bar 1 bar
The fan is rotating
Effective pressure

Atmospheric
• The absolute pressure in the ball is 3 bar
Pump Plastic ball pressure 1 bar
The effective pressure is 2 bar.
The fan is rotating even faster

The effective pressure is the pressure available

Absolute pressure = 2 bar 2 bar to deliver work.
Effective pressure

Atmospheric
Pump Plastic ball pressure 1 bar

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What is Compressed Air
Overview Pressure
Actual pressure

Effective pressure
(guage pressure)
{bar} (g) = {bar} (e)

Variable level

Vacuum {bar} (u) Absolute pressure

{bar} (a)

Local atmospheric
pressure (barometric
Normal atmospheric pressure) {bar} (a)
pressure (a)
Absolute pressure
{bar} (a)

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Compressed Air Units
Basic Units
• Compressed Air flow Units:
• FAD – Free Air Delivery
• Nm3/hr – Normal meter cube per hour
• M3/hr – Meter cube per hour
• CFM – Cubic feet per minute
• L/s – Litres per second
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• Compressed Air Pressure Units:
• Bar (g) – Bar gauge
• PSI – Pound per square inch
• kPa – kilo Pascal
• MPa – Mega Pascal
• Kg/cm2 – Kilogram per square centimeter
Why use Compressed Air
Why use Compressed Air

• Because it is the only solution in some applications.

Examples:
‒ Blowing, cleaning, paint spraying, respiration etc.
• Because it is the easiest solution in some applications.
Examples:
‒ Automatization:
• By using pistons: No need of motors and mechanical parts
to make linear movements to press, clasp, throw out,
positioning....
• By using vacuum: No need of complex installations to pick
and place parts.
‒ Transport
• No need of electrical motors and complex transmissions for
converyer belts.

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Why use Compressed Air

• Because it is the safest solution in some applications.

Examples:
‒ No explosion risk by using pneumatic tools.
‒ Easy to notice when pneumatic tool is overloaded.
‒ No damage of tool and sourrounding by overloaded tool.
• Because it is the most compact solution in some applications.
Examples:
‒ Compressed air tools are compact than electric tools. This makes
them lighter and more ergonomic.
‒ Pneumatic parts takes less place in pneumatically operated
machinery.
• Because it is the cheapest solution in many applications.
‒ All the previous benefits makes the use of compressed air the
cheapest solution for many application.

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Applications of Compressed Air
Some typical industries...

Small sized Manufacturing CNC Operations

Woodworking

Clothing Presses

Car wash

Spray painting

Automotive Repair Shops

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Applications of Compressed Air
Some typical industries...
Manufacturing
Automotive Tire shops

General Industry

Pharmaceutical Food & Beverage

Jet Loom Weaving
Applications of Compressed Air
And much more …

Aerations Elevator doors Pneumatic tools

Air curtains Drilling Presses
Antibiotic fermentation Fumigation Process air
Oxygen separation Forging hammers Pulverizing coal
Air separation Gas ovens Sandblasting
Agitation liquids Generator braking Separating papers
Amusement park Grease pumps Snow making
Ash disposal Jet loom weaving Sorting materials
CNC machines Leak testing Spraying solutions
Bottle blowing Loading devices Spraying concrete
Car repair Marine ships Spraying insulation
Conveying materials Metal spraying Spray painting
Cutting machines Molding Machines Stone cutting
Changing tires Grease guns Stuffing sausages
Dehydration Packaging Texturizing fabrics
Dewatering Pelletizing Wind tunnels
Join us on 24th August 2021 for another
exiting Webinar on

How to select the right compressor

 Arif Khan
Product Marketing Manager

Arif.khan@atlascopco.com / +971 50 667 0973

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