Heat and Fluied Engineering

Lecturer
Mr. Bangar S.K.
Air Compressor
Air compressor is a device which is used to increase the pressure of gas from low
pressure to high pressure.

Classification compressors
According to number of stages:
 Single stage compressor
· Multi stage compressor

According to number of cylinders:

 Single cylinder compressor
· Multi cylinder compressor

According to method of cooling:

 Air cooled compressor
· Water cooled compressor

According to working:
 Reciprocating compressor
 Rotary compressor
positive displacement compressors
Positive displacement compressor is one in which air is compressed
diabatically. The air is entrapped in between two sets of engaging surfaces.
The pressure rise is either by back flow of air (as in roots blower) or both by
variation in the flow and back flow (as in vane blower).

non-positive displacement compressors

In non-positive displacement compressor, air is not trapped in specific
boundaries but it flows continuously and steadily through the machine (as in
centrifugal compressor and axial flow compressor).
Isothermal efficiency
Isothermal efficiency of the compressor is defined as the ratio of isothermal work input
to actual work input during compression.
isentropic efficiency
Isentropic efficiency of the compressor is defined as the ratio of isentropic work input
to the actual work input.
theoretical & actual indicator diagram for reciprocating air compressor

a.Theoretical indicator diagram

b. Actual indicator diagram
FAD
Free air delivered (FAD) means the actual volume of air delivered by the compressor
under normal temperature and pressure.

Influence of pressure ratio on the volumetric efficiency

The volumetric efficiency of the compressor also depends on the compressor ratio. If the
difference between the suction and the discharge pressure is higher, the compressed air
will remain trapped inside the clearance volume for longer time and prevent the opening
of the suction valve. Thus as the compression ratio of the compressor and the discharge
pressure is increases, its volumetric efficiency and the capacity reduces.
(i) To reduce the temperature of compression from each stage.
(ii) To increase compressor efficiency.
(iii) To condensate from air.

Slip factor
Slip factor is the ratio of whirl velocity of static pressure to tip velocity

pressure coefficient
Pressure coefficient is the ratio of isentropic work of the compressor to the Euler work
 Various factors affecting the delivery pressure of the reciprocating
compressor?
The size of the cylinder will be too large for very high pressure. Due to compression,
there will be a rise in the temperature of the air. So the delivery pressure is limited, so
that rise in temperature of air is not going beyond limit and size of cylinder is not too
large.

Volumetric efficiency of the compressor and How its reduces?

Volumetric efficiency of an air compressor is the ratio of free air delivered to the
displacement of the compressor. Volumetric efficiency = Free air delivered / Displacement
volume As the piston moves downwards the high-pressure gas in the clearance volume
reduces due to expansion, and only when the pressure reaches a certain level does the
suction-valve open. Therefore, this gas used in the piston’s suction stroke goes unused and
reduces the volumetric efficiency of the compressor.

Intercooler, perfect intercooling and its purpose

An intercooler is any mechanical device used to cool a fluid, including liquids or gases,
between stages of a multi-stage heating process, typically a heat exchanger that removes
waste heat in a gas compressor. When temperature of the air leaving the intercooler is
equal to the original temperature of atmospheric air temperature, then the intercooling is
known as perfect intercooling.
Merits of multistage compression?
(i) For each stage, pressures during suction and delivery remain constant.
(ii) The index (n) in polytropic law is same in each stage of compression.
(iii) Intercooling in each stage is done at constant pressure.
(iv) Low pressure and high pressure cylinder handle same mass of air.
(v) There is no inter-stage pressure drop