COMPRESSOR

A machine used to increase the pressure of a

Gas by decreasing its volume. Compressors are

Similar to pumps: both increase the pressure on

A fluid and both can transport the fluid through

A pipe. As gases are compressible, the

Compressor also reduces the volume of a gas.

Liquids are relatively incompressible; while

Some can be compressed, the main action of a

Pump is to pressurize and transport liquids.

TYPES OF COMPRESSORS

• Reciprocating Compressors – are compressors

Built in sizes as large as 5000 to 10000 cu. Ft./

Min. piston displacement with pressure range up

To 1000 atm and vacuum down to 0.50 in. Hg

Reciprocating compressors use pistons driven by a

Crankshaft. They can be either stationary or

Portable, can be single or multi-staged, and can be

Driven by electric motors or internal combustion

Engines. Small reciprocating compressors from 5

To 30 horsepower (hp) are commonly seen in

Automotive applications and are typically for

Intermittent duty. Larger reciprocating compressors

Well over 1,000 hp (750 kW) are commonly found in

Large industrial and petroleum applications.

Discharge pressures can range from low pressure

To very high pressure (>18000 psi or 180 MPa).

These are commonly used in vulcanizing shops and

Ice plants

Rotary vane compressors – consist of a rotor with

A number of blades inserted in radial slots in the

Rotor. The rotor is mounted offset in a larger

Housing which can be circular or a more complex

Shape. As the rotor turns, blades slide in and out

Of the slots keeping contact with the outer wall of

The housing.Thus, a series of decreasing volumes

Is created by the rotating blades. Rotary Vane

Compressors are, with piston compressors one of

The oldest of compressor technologies. These are

Commonly used in automobile and air-conditioning system.

Rotary screw compressors – use two meshed

Rotating positive-displacement helical screws to

Force the gas into a smaller space. These are

Usually used for continuous operation in

Commercial and industrial applications and may

Be either stationary or portable. These are also

Used in jet planes. Their application can be from 3

Horsepower (2.2 kW) to over 1,200 horsepower

(890 kW) and from low pressure to moderately

High pressure (>1,200 psi or 8.3 MPa).Rotary

Screw compressors are commercially produced in

Oil Flooded, Water Flooded and Dry type.

Centrifugal compressors – are compressors

Built in capacities of 500 to 100000 cu. Ft/min.

And deliver pressures as high as 150 psi where

10 to 15 stages would be required.

Centrifugal compressors use a rotating disk or impeller in a

Shaped housing to force the gas to the rim of the impeller,

Increasing the velocity of the gas. A diffuser (divergent duct)

Section converts the velocity energy to pressure energy.

They are primarily used for continuous, stationary service in

Industries such as oil refineries,

Chemical and petrochemical plants and natural gas

Processingplants..Their application can be from 100

Horsepower (75 kW) to thousands of horsepower. With

Multiple staging, they can achieve extremely high output

Pressures greater than 10,000 psi (69 MPa).

Many large snowmaking operations (like ski resorts) use this

Type of compressor. They are also used in internal

Combustion engines assuperchargers and turbochargers.

Centrifugal compressors are used in small gas

Turbine engines or as the final compression stage of medium

Sized gas turbines. (low pressure, high capacity)

Axial flow compressors – are compressors

which extended the field of the axial flow fans by

the use of multistaging so that pressures of 75

psi can be developed with a 20 or 25 stage unit.

Capacities range from 2000 to 100000 cu. ft/

Min

Axial-flow compressors are dynamic rotating compressors that use arrays

of fan-like airfoils to progressively compress the working fluid. They are

used where there is a requirement for a high flow rate or a compact design.

The arrays of airfoils are set in rows, usually as pairs: one rotating and one

stationary. The rotating airfoils, also known as blades or rotors, accelerate

the fluid. The stationary airfoils, also known as stators or vanes,

decelerate and redirect the flow direction of the fluid, preparing it for the

rotor blades of the next stage. Axial compressors are almost always multistaged, with the cross-sectional area of the gas passage diminishing
along

the compressor to maintain an optimum axial Mach number. Beyond

about 5 stages or a 4:1 design pressure ratio, variable geometry is

normally used to improve operation.

Axial compressors can have high efficiencies; around 90% polytropic at

their design conditions. However, they are relatively expensive, requiring a

large number of components, tight tolerances and high quality materials.

Axial-flow compressors can be found in medium to large gas

turbine engines, in natural gas pumping stations, and within certain

chemical plants.

Hydraulic jet compressors – are primarily

employed for vacuum pump service requiring 1

to in. Hg abs. pressure and capacities of 1000

cu. ft. at suction conditions

Vapor jet compressors – are used for both

exhauster and blower service with steam as the

usual actuating fluid.

AIR COMPRESSORS

• Industrial plants with its various processes

requires gases at pressures above or below

atmospheric. The most widely used of these

gases is the compressed air in operating air

engines, drive pneumatic tools such as

pneumatic hammers and drills, cleaning by air

blast in operating air hoists, spraying paints,

pumping water by air-lift, manufacture of

plastics and other industrial products and host of

other jobs.

An air compressor is a device that converts

power (usually from an electric motor, a diesel

engine or a gasoline engine) into kinetic energy by

compressing and pressurizing air, which, on

command, can be released in quick bursts. There

are numerous methods of air compression,

divided into either positive-displacement or

negative-displacement types.

Positive-displacement air compressors work by forcing

air into a chamber whose volume is reduced to effect

the compression. Piston-type air compressors use this

principle by pumping air into an air chamber through

the use of the constant motion of pistons. They use

unidirectional valves to guide air into a chamber, where

the air is compressed. Rotary screw compressors also

use positive-displacement compression by matching

two helical screws that, when turned, guide air into a

chamber, the volume of which is reduced as the screws

turn. Vane compressors use a slotted rotor with varied

blade placement to guide air into a chamber and

compress the volume.

Negative-displacement air compressors include

centrifugal compressors. These devices use centrifugal

force generated by a spinning impeller to accelerate

and then decelerate captured air, which pressurizes it.

Conventional air compressors are used in

several different applications:

- To supply high-pressure clean air to fill gas cylinders

- To supply moderate-pressure clean air to a

submerged surface supplied diver

- To suppy moderate-pressure clean air for driving some

office and school building pneumatic HVAC control

system valves

- To supply a large amount of moderate-pressure air to

power pneumatic tools

- For filling tires

- To produce large volumes of moderate-pressure air for

- macroscopic industrial processes (such as oxidation

for petroleum coking or cement plant bag house purge

systems).

1. Pressure, Volume and Temperature Relations

on the

Processes Involved

where:

n is a polytrophic exponent

k = 1.4, if isentropic compression

n = 1, if isothermal compression

2. Piston Displacement

It is the volume displaced by the piston as it moves

From top dead center to bottom dead center

3. Volumetric Efficiency

The ratio of the actual gas drawn-in at intake

condition to the displacement volume (piston

displacement).

4. Compressor Capacity

The actual volume of gas delivered as measured

at intake pressure and temperature.

5. Actual Volumetric Efficiency

It is usually less than the clearance volumetric

efficiency because of the number of factors

such as

pressure drop at the valves, heat transfer

7. Compressor Efficiency

It is the ratio of the compressor power to the

brake power.

ec = Compressor power/Brake power

8.Piston Speed

It is the total distance a piston travels in a given

Time. It is dependent on the length of stroke and

The Angular speed.

9. Ideal Indicated Power (Pi)

It is the product of the mean effective pressure

and displacement volume.

10. Adiabatic Compressor Efficiency

It is the ratio of the isentropic work to the actual

fluid work

ec(adiabatic) = Isentropic work/Actual fluid work

B. TWO STAGE COMPRESSOR

The performance of two stage compressor

involves the computations of compressor work,

intercooler pressure, heat rejected in intercooler,

and

heat absorbed by cooling water

1. Compressor Work

2. Intercooler pressure

3. Heat rejected in intercooler

Q = mCp (Tx– T1) , Cp = 1.0 KJ/kg-K

where:

4. Heat absorbed by cooling water

Q = mwCpwΔTw