Air compressors

• Air compressor is a machine to compress the air to the required

pressure.
• It sucks the air from the atmosphere and then compress it and then
stored under high pressure in a storage tank.
• The compression process some work is to be done on it stop there for a
compressor is a prime over.
• Use of compressed air.
1. Forr operating pneumatic drills, Ravet, brakes, etc
2. For pumping water from deep well.
3. For all types of spray painting works.
4. For driving gear motors and compressed air engines.
5. For producing airblast for blast furnaces.
6. For cleaning purposes- like cleaning spark plug, machine tools, etc.
7. To operate pneumatic lifts, Elevators, grinders, conveyors, hammers, etc.
8. For scavenging and supercharging of internal combustion engines.
9. To operate the gas turbine plant, jet engines and air motors.
10. For spraying fuel into the combustion Chamber of diesel engine.
11. For conveying materials like sand, concrete and powdered fuel along a
pipeline.
12. For cooling of large buildings.
13. For machine mounting.
 classification of air compressors
1. According to the working principle
a) Reciprocating compressor b) Rotary compressor.
2. According to action
a) single acting air compressor b) Double acting air compressor.
3. According to number of stages
a) single stage compressor (pressure upto 4 bar)
b) Double stage compressor (pressure in the range of 4 bar to 15 bar)
c) Multi-stage Compressor (pressure greater than 15 bar)
4. According to the pressure limit
a) Low pressure compressor (pressure is less than 2.5 bar)
b) Medium pressure compressor (pressure in between 2.5 to 8 bar)
c) High pressure compressor (pressure in between 8 to 10 bar)
d) Very high pressure compressor(Pressure is more than 10 bar)
5. According to number of cylinders
a) single cylinder compressor b) Multi-cylinder compressor
6. According to the method of cooling
a) Air cooled compressor b) Water cooled compressor
7. According to installation
a) Portable compressor b) Fixed position compressor
8. According to capacity
a) Low capacity compressor (less than 9 m³/min of compressed air
b) Medium capacity compressor (in between 9 to 30 m³/min of
compressed air)
c) High capacity compressor (more than 30 m³/min of compressed air)
Single acting reciprocating compressor
Single acting reciprocating compressor
Construction
• It consists of a cylinder with piston having to and fro motion and suction and
discharge valves. Here, the rotary motion of the crankshaft is converted into
reciprocating motion by the connecting rod
Working
• During suction stroke, the piston moves down and low pressure is created
inside the cylinder.
• Suction valve get opened and discharge valve is closed position.
• Atmospheric air is drawn into the cylinder.
• During upward motion of piston, both the valves remain closed until the
vapour is compressed to a desired pressure.
• At the end of compression, delivery valve opens and compressed air pushed
out to the storage tank.
P-V diagram of single stage air compressor
without clearance volume
• Three processes are there such as suction, compression & drlivery
1. Compression process
• compression stroke, Piston moves upward, the air pressure increases from p1
to p2.
• Assuming the air is compressed Polytropically. This process is represented by
the curve 1 -2 on PV diagram. Similarly, if the air is compressed isothermally it
is represented by the curve 1 -2’ and if it is compressed adiabatically it is
represented by the curve 1 – 2”.
2. Delivery process
• When the pressure is reaches from p1 to p2, the delivery valve is opened and
the air is delivered out to the receiver tank at constant pressure p2.
• This process is represented by the two 2-3 on PV diagram.
• The delivery process after the isothermal compression and the adiabatic
compression process is represented by the curve 2’-3 and 2”-3 respectively.
3. Suction process
• At the end of the delivery process, piston moves downwards.
• Fresh air at pressure P1 entering into the cylinder.
• This suction process is represented by the curve 4-1 on P-V diagram.
• We know that, the area under the curve on P-V diagram represents
the work done for the process and area enclosed by the cycle is the
total work done.
• So by considering the P-V diagram we can find efficient method of
compression is isothermal. But it is not practical.
Work done by a single stage reciprocating air
compressor
• Consider a single stage air compressor without clearance volume.
Work done to compress a given mass of air under specified conditions
is independent of the clearance volume.
a) Work done during isothermal compression(T=C)
b) Work doneduring polytropic compression (PVⁿ =constant)

c) Work done during adiabatic or isentropic compression.

Power required to drive single stage
compressor
• We have, power required to drive the compressor is the work done by the
compressor per cycle or work done on the air per cycle in unit time.
• Let
 Multistage compression
• we know that, isothermal compression requires minimum work, but in actual
practice it is not possible to compress to high pressure isothermally.
• So if we require a high delivery pressure,Then the compression is carried out in
stages provided with intercooler between the stages.
Advantages of multistage compression
1. It improves volumetric efficiency for the given pressure ratio
2. Saving in work is obtained as compared to single stage compression for the same
delivery pressure.
3. The strength and size of the cylinders can be adjusted to suit the volume and
pressure of air.
4. Cheaper materials may be used for the construction as the operating
temperatures are lower.
5. Effective lubrication due to lower working temperature.
6. The leakage loss is reduced considerably.
7. It reduces the cost of the compressor.
8. Maintenance cost is reduced.
9. It has better mechanical balance and good cooling during compression.
10. With reasonable volumetric efficiency, higher delivery pressure can be
obtained.
11. Power can be saved for given pressure ratio.
Disadvantages of multi-stage compression.
12. More cylinders are required.
13. An intercooler is required.
14. The unity is more complicated in construction.
15. Initial investment is high.
Inter-coolers
• The cooling water entersa heat exchanger in which heat is removed from air after it has
been compressed and its temperature increased.
• It is placed between two successive compressions to cool the air.
• The coolent may be water or any other fluid passes through the tubes secured between
two end plates and the air circulated over the tubes through a system of baffles.
• The baffles are provided for ensure maximum contact between the tube and air.
• The air from L. P cylinder is admitted into the intercooler.
• The heat of compressed air is exchanged through the circulating water then the
compressed air is cooled.
• The cooled high pressure air passes to the HP cylinder.
• The cooling water enters at one end of the shell and flows through tubes and reaches
the other end of the shell.
• The water then rise up and flows in opposite direction through the upper half of the
tubes and finally leaves through the outlet.
Two stage reciprocating air compressor
Two stage reciprocating air compressor
Construction
• It consists of two piston cylinder arrangements (one is low pressure
cylinder and second one is high pressure cylinder) with an intercooler
Working
• Fresh air from atmosphere is drawn into the low pressure cylinder(L.P)
during suction stroke at a pressure P1 and temperature T1.
• This suction process is represented by the curve 6-1.
• The air is then compressed polytropically to rise the pressure to p2 and
temperature T2.This compression process is represented by 1-2’.
• The air in the L.P cylinder is then delivered into intercooler at pressure p2
and temperature T2.
Working( cont.)
• The air is cooled in the intercooler by the the circulating water at constant
pressure p2, temperature decreased from T2 to T3.
• If the Intercooling is complete, the temperature T3 of air leaving the
intercooler will be equal to the initial temperature T1. If the intercooling
is incomplete, T3 will be more than T1 but less than T2.
• While cooling, the volume of air is reduced from V2‘ to V2. This constant
pressure intercooling process is shown by the curve 2’-2on p-V diagram.
• The cold air at pressure p2 is now drawn into the higher pressure cylinder.
• Then the air is compressed polytropically to the final pressure P3 along
the line 2-3 and delivered to the receiver at constant pressure P3
• This is represented by 3-4 in the p-V diagram.
Complete or perfect intercooling
• When air is cooled to intake temperature in the intercooler(T3=T1), then the
intercooling is known as complete or perfect intercooling
• The reduction in work done due to perfect intercooling is the area 2-3-3’-2’
• Incomplete Or imperfect intercooling
• When the air is not cooled back to intake temperature in the intercooler, the
intercooling is known as incomplete Or imperfect.
• The temperature of air leaving the intercooler(T3) will be more than that of
original atmospheric temperature (T1).
• In this case the point 2 will not lie in the isothermal line 1-3”. It will lie on 2o as
shown in figure
• Then the compression in the H. P cylinder will follow the line 2o-3o.
• The reduction in the work done due to imperfect intercooling is the area 2o-3o-
3’-2’.
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Rotary air Compressors
• These are used to supply large volume of air(upto 3000m³/minute) at low
pressure(upto 10 bar).
• The compression will be polytropic.
• It can run at very high speed (upto 40000rpm).
• They are compact in design and directly coupled to motor Or turbines.
• In rotary air compressors, air is entrapped between two sets of engaging
surface and pressure is increased by squeezing action Or backflow of air at
low pressure.
• Rotary compressors which rises pressure less than 0.1kPa are usually called
a fans.
• Rotary compressors which rises pressure about 0.25kPa are usually called a
blower.
Classification of rotary compressors
1. Positive displacement compressors.
a) Roots blowers
b) Vane blowers
c) Screw compressors
2. Non-positive displacement compressors
a) Radial Or centrifugal compressors
b) Axial flow compressors