I.

Introduction
➢ What is a compressor?
• A compressor is a machine that give energy to gas in the form of pressure rise to help it overcome the
system resistance.
➢ What are applications of compressors?
• Domestic refrigeration and air conditioning
• Pneumatic power applications
• Natural gas transportation
➢ What are Types of compressors?

Reciprocating screw
Intermittent flow
(Positive
displacement) Rotary
lobe
compressors
compressors

centrifugal vane
Rotodynamic
Axial

➢ Why don’t we have a gear compressor like pumps?

• The main reason is internal leakage: gases have a lower viscosity the gases will escape as gear rotate
➢ what are operating ranges of compressors?

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Note: The operating ranges of the different types change with time depending on compressor material and
manufacturing technologies
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➢ Fans and Blowers
• The wall fan and the cleaning blower are used to pump gas just like the compressor. The fans are found
in air cooled heat exchangers. While the blower is widely used for pumping air in central air conditioning
ducts, because the duct system resistance is high to be overcome by fans. However, the fans and
blowers are not classified as compressors due to the low pressures they can sustain (In fan: rp<1.1 , in
blower: 1.1<rp<1.2 but in compressors: rp>1.2)
• Where; rp is the pressure ratio i.e. the ratio of the delivery to the suction pressures
➢ Compressors vs pump
• both the pump and compressor are almost the same, the difference in properties between gas and liquid
1. Viscosity
𝜇𝑙 ≫ 𝜇𝑔 ∴ 𝐻𝑖𝑔ℎ 𝑔𝑎𝑠 𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑘𝑎𝑔𝑒
A) External leakage: in pump: used mechanical seal or packing seal
‫تسريب الغاز من جوه لبره‬ In compressors: used special seal like: carbon ring seal-dry gas seal - oil lubricated seal
B) Internal leakage: in pump: N ≅ 1500 ∶ 3000
‫تسريب الغاز في الخلوصات‬
in compressors N ≅ 5000 (𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐚𝐠𝐞) (‫)بنلحق الغاز قبل ما يهرب‬

2. Density
𝜌𝑙 ≫ 𝜌𝑔 ∴large volume of gas and light inertia ( ‫)كتلته خفيفه وسهل يتم ضخها‬
A) Machine size: pump <<<< compressor
B) Machine speed: Npump <<<< Ncompressor (‫)الريش بتكون خفيفة فبقدر اوصل لسرعات عالية‬
C) Vanes of impeller: in pump using heavy vanes
But in Compressor using light vanes
3. Compressibility
Liquid is incompressible unlike gases
A) Stage size: in pump is the same
but in compressor as P↑ the volume will decrease
B) Storage: huge storage in liquids
but due to compressibility of gases the volume of tanks is small
Note: On the other hand, if a high-pressure gas-container placed in atmosphere is cracked,
The gas tries to expand several times to its volume at atmospheric pressure.
This expansion process occurs very quickly in the form of an explosion.
Gas tanks should be carefully designed and monitored to prevent accidents
4. Relation between P & T
in liquids P≠ 𝑃ሺ𝑇ሻ
in gases PV=mRT ∴ P= 𝑃ሺ𝑇ሻ
Therefore, both the compressor body and the discharge gas need cooling which is not needed when
pumping liquids.
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➢ Compressed air production line
• Coarse filter: is used to prevent large objects
• Compressor: compresses the gas
• Air oil separator (in some compressors like screw compressors): used to separate oil and air
the oil go to cooler then to filter then to compressor
• Cooler: a cooler is needed to cool the gas after compression
• Air receiver: store the compressed air
It has 3 components:
A) The safety valve: is vital to protect the air receiver from explosion if the pressure-stat failed to
operate (when the pressure increase)
B) Pressure state: starts the electric motor and stops it based on the air receiver pressure.
C) The drain: remove the water that condenses in the air receiver
• Fine filter: removes the very fine particle and dirt from the compressed air
• Dryer: removes the moisture that remains in the compressed air
There are two main types of dryers:
A) the refrigerant dryer: cool air to condense its moisture
B) the desiccant dryer: the silica gel is used to absorb air moisture
• FRL unit: The FRL stands for Filter-Regulator-Lubricator.
A) Filter: to prevent water and dirt
B) Regulator: to regulate the pressure
C) Lubricator: to splash oil in the air to lubricate pneumatic valves

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 II. Reciprocating compressor
This type of compressor is for very high pressure and low
flowrate applications

➢ Theory of operation
4-1 : suction stroke (P=const)
1-2 : compression stroke(at “2” DV open)
2-3 : delivery stroke (P=const)
3-4 : expansion stroke (at “4” SV open )
Note: The piston retracts but the suction
valve remains closed as the pressure inside cylinder in
the clearance volume is still higher than the suction
pipe pressure
➢ Why in reciprocating compressors need to make expansion
stroke?
Due to the pressure of clearance volume so after delivering
there is a volume at “pd“so we need to reduce the pressure of Vact
Vloss
this volume to “ps”
Vstroke = Vactual+ Vloss
Vact
Ƞvol = Vstroke

‫ بار ؟‬3 ‫ بار ايه اللي يحصل لو وصلته بـ تانك الضغط جواه‬10 ‫➢ لو انا عندي كومبريسور بيدري لغاية‬
:‫الكومبريسور بيدي ضغط علي حسب السيستم اللي قدامه‬ •
‫ بار المكبس حيفضل يتقدم لغاية ميوصل‬3 ‫• فلو وصلته بتانك الضغط فيه‬
‫ بار و فالف الـدليفري حيفتح بعتها‬3 ‫لضغط ال‬
‫ بار المكبس حيتحرك قدام اكتر لغاية ميوصل‬5 ‫• ولو وصلته بتانك الضغط فيه‬
‫ بار و فالف الـدليفري حيفتح بعتها‬5 ‫لضغط ال‬
‫ بار‬10 ‫• كذلك لحد موصل لغاية‬

➢ Notes
1- Compressor is a consuming power device
2- No spark plugs and no cam shaft
3- The valves open due to pressure difference
➢ The reciprocating compressor is used in wide applications including the following:
• Refrigeration and air conditioning cycles.
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• Automobile repair shops for tire filling and other services.

• Pneumatic power
• Gas transportation 4
➢ reciprocating compressors is available in :

Trunk(Automobile) Crosshead

Simple, cheap, small

Single acting only Single or double acting
Lubricated by splashing Good gas seal (suitable for high pressures +
dangerous gases)
Difficult oil carryover (for food and pharmaceutical
industries)

Refrigeration and small air compressor For industrial process

➢ Types of reciprocating compressors
Separable gas compressor Integral gas compressor

Low speed
high speed
Driver is engine

diver is engine or motor

Driver is engine

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➢ Construction
1- Cylinder:
A. Single acting
B. double acting

2- Cooling:
A. air cooled (small compressor) using fins
B. Water cooled (huge compressors) using water jackets

3- Liner
• A liner is a cylindrical layer placed inside the cylinder to protect it from
wear due to piston rubbing.
• Liners are usually used in large compressors only.
• A secondary function of liners is to provide a means to change cylinder
capacity by changing the liner thickness and piston diameter
4- Piston
• used to compress gas
• to reduce vibration, it can be aluminum or not solid
5- Piston rings
it consists two types of rings
A. Piston ring: to prevent leakage
B. Rider ring (wear band): prevent piston wear
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 6- The distance pieces
the compressor section from the cylinder end to the crank case. The existence of this section prevents the
part of the piston rod subjected to lubricating
oil from entering the cylinder (oil carryover).
Sometimes the distance piece is divided into
two compartments; the one beside the
cylinder collects the gas leak where a stream
of inert gas is used to scavenge it and the
other compartment beside the crank case
collects the oil carryover.

7- Sealing
A. Rod packing: placed at the end of the cylinder to prevent gas escape from the cylinder
B. oil wiper packing: is used to prevent oil carryover from the crank case.
C. intermediate packing: to prevent gas escape from first compartment

intermediate packing
Rod packing Oil wiper packing [Date]

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8- Lubrication:
A. The crank shaft is lubricated by a lubricating circuit.
B. The rod packing is lubricated by oil injection.
C. The piston rings are lubricated by oil injection in the cylinder.
D. The valves may be lubricated by oil atomized in the inlet gas.
E. Some compressors are non-lubricated. In this time the valves, piston and other rubbing elements are
made of self-lubricating materials (graphite and PTFE).

9- valves

Poppet valve Ring valve

Plate valve

10- Pulsation damper

• to reduce the effect of pulsation of flow

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➢ Capacity control
1- Start and stop method
For small size unit as too, many starts and stop make crankshaft failure

2- Valve unloader
The suction valve unloader is a mechanism used to lock the
suction valve in the open position. If
the suction valve of a cylinder is kept open in both strokes, the
valve sucks gas in the suction
stroke and returns it back to the suction line in the
compression stroke
The suction valve always open → Q = 0
Disadvantages.
For single acting one cylinder → Q = 0
For double acting → Q = 50% etc.
∴ 𝑓𝑖𝑥𝑒𝑑 𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑝 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑙

Power loss and overheating due to friction

Used
In starting rec compressor to protect motor from overload

Valve unloader actuated

Manually, pneumatically or electrically

Types
Finger type
Plug type

3- Hydro com system (step system control )

‫هنا بقدر اتحكم في فتحة الفالف مقدارها اد ايه عكس اللي فات يا الفالف فاتح يا قافل ال هنا بقا بقدر اتحكم في مقدار فتحة الفالف‬
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4- Clearance pocket
From the compression cycle it can be seen that
at the end of the discharge stroke some amount
of the gas remains in the clearance volume at
high pressure. This amount of gas needs to be
expanded first to the suction pressure before the
suction valve can open, which delays the start of
the intake process and hence decreases the
actual suction stroke

Clearance pocket Used to increase the clearance

volume
∴ 𝑄 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑑𝑒𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑒

)‫(بتتقفل وتتفتح بالهوا او كهربا يعني مالخر اتوماتيك‬unbalance ‫ محدش بيغير فيها عشان لو التغير مكنش مظبوط بيحصل‬:Note

)%75-25( ‫ نعرف ان الكوبريسور دا‬clearance pocket ‫اول ما تشوف الطارة بتاعت ال‬

5- External by passing

6- Suction throttling

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7- Variable speed
➢ N↑→𝑄 ↑ 10
➢ Some Basics of compressible flow
➢ Absolute & Gage
• Actual pressure → Absolute pressure
• Gage reading → Gage pressure
• Pabs = Pg + Patm (1.013 bar)
• Liquid calculations → gage pressure
• Gas calculations → absolute pressure
• Bar and Psi
• 1 bar = 14.5 psi
➢ Celsius & Kelvin (absolute)
• T(K) = T(C) + 273
• All calculations in Kelvin
➢ Fahrenheit & Rankin (absolute)
• T(R) = T(F) + 460
• T(F) = T(C) × 9/5 +32
• T(F) ≈ 2 × T(C)
➢ Ideal flow
P.V=m.R.T ÷Time

P.Q= m”,R.T

mሶ .R.T
Q=
𝑃 [Date]

➢ Vip note Compressor capacity → suction (inlet) flow rate

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‫‪➢ Standard flow rate‬‬
‫‪mሶ .R.Ts‬‬
‫= ‪Qs‬‬
‫𝑠𝑃‬
‫‪Ts = 25 c , Ps= 1.013 bar‬‬
‫اثناء التصدير الغاز الخطوط وهيه ماشية ال ‪ friction‬بيزيد فالضغط يقل‬
‫فالحجم يزيد فبقوا محتارين يوصفوا ال ‪ Q‬باللي خارج من مكان التصدير‬
‫وال باللي وصل للمكان ؟!!‬
‫فعشان كده بقا فيه مصطلح ال ‪Qs‬‬

‫‪➢ Compression process‬‬

‫𝑊𝑃 𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑜𝑒‪𝑇ℎ‬‬ ‫‪ℎ2𝑠 − ℎ1‬‬

‫= 𝑒𝑠𝑖𝜂 =‬
‫𝑊𝑃 𝑙𝑎𝑢𝑡𝑐𝐴‬ ‫‪ℎ2 − ℎ1‬‬

‫𝑇 ∙ 𝑝𝑐 = ‪ℎ‬‬

‫‪𝑇2𝑠 − 𝑇1‬‬
‫= 𝑒𝑠𝑖𝜂‬
‫‪𝑇2 − 𝑇1‬‬
‫‪T2‬‬
‫‪𝛾−1‬‬
‫𝑠‪𝑇2‬‬ ‫‪𝑃2‬‬ ‫𝛾‬
‫‪=ቆ ቇ‬‬
‫‪𝑇1‬‬ ‫‪𝑃1‬‬

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 III. Screw compressor
The screw compressor provides a vibration-free, valve-free, simple construction and light weight. It replaces
the reciprocating compressor in the applications requiring moderate pressures and flow rates. It is used in
pneumatic and refrigeration applications

➢ Theory of operation
The screw compressor consists of two mating screws (male and female) that rotate together inside a tight
clearance casing

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➢ Off design condition
• Unlike the reciprocating, the screw compressor is designed to withstand a fixed pressure ratio (design or
built-in pressure ratio) which depends on the design of the compressor (place of the discharge port)

Over-compression
•When the screw compressor is subjected to a lower
pressure ratio than its own built-in pressure ratio, the
gas is expelled in the discharge pipe in the form of
high pressure pulses. The compressor wastes part of
the energy in compressing the gas much more than
the system pressure
Under-compression
•If the screw compressor is subjected to a higher-
pressure ratio than its built-in pressure ratio, some of
the gas in the discharge pipe flows back to the
compressor. The screws then have to compresses
both the original charge and the back flow to the
discharge pipe pressure. This problem is known as
“under compression” and causes power loss because
the screws have to compress the same gas twice.

➢ Applications
• Refrigeration and air conditioning cycles.
• Automobile Supercharger
• Pneumatic power
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➢ Types of screw compressors
1. Dry screw compressor
• Timing gears are used to ensure
synchronization between screws.
• Needs cooling by water jackets.
• The high discharge temperature
limits the pressure ratio to 5.
• Should be operated at high speeds
(8000 rpm) to minimize gas leakage
through teeth clearances.
• Produces high frequency pulsations
which may cause vibrations to the
piping.

2. Flooded screw compressor

• Oil lubrication: one screw drives the other no need for timing gears.
• Oil cooling: can reach as high-pressure ratios as 15.
• No need for water jackets.
• Oil sealing: higher volumetric efficiency + can operate at low speeds (3000 rpm).
• Dampens pulsations and suppresses noise.
• Although most of the injected oil can be separated from the discharge gas, the flooded screw
compressor can’t be used for food and pharmaceutical industries.
• Oil compatibility with the process gas should be confirmed.

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➢ Capacity control
1. Suction or discharge throttling
2. External bypassing
3. Speed control
4. Slide valve

The figure compares the power saving at part load for the
different methods of capacity control

➢ Sliding valve
if we can control the point along the screw where the compression starts (suction port covered) and the
point where the compression ends (discharge port uncovered), then we can control the pressure ratio and
the suction capacity of the compressor.

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