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APPLIED THERMODYNAMICS

Engr. Ans Ahmed Memon

Lecturer
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
MUET, Jamshoro
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LECTURE CONTENTS

Air Compressor

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 WHAT IS AIR COMPRESSOR ?
• An Air Compressor , as name indicates, is a machine
which is used to compress the fluid (air, gas) to a
desired pressure.
• Since compression of fluid requires some work input,
therefore, a prime mover / motor is used to run the
compressor.
• The most efficient machine is one which will
accomplish compression with the minimum work
input.
• The compressed air has wide applications in different
industries, like:
Chemical, Fertilizer, Refrigeration, Cold Storage & etc.
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AIR COMPRESSOR

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 CLASSIFICATION OF AIR COMPRESSOR
General Classification of Air Compressor is:
1. Positive Displacement OR Reciprocating Compressor
2. Dynamic OR Centrifugal Compressor
Positive Displacement OR Reciprocating Compressor:
• Positive Displacement or Reciprocating Type compressors
are those compressors in which, air is entrapped
between the boundaries of compressor (Piston-Cylinder).
• Positive displacement compressors generally provide the
most economic solution for systems, requiring relatively
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high pressures.
 CLASSIFICATION OF AIR COMPRESSOR
• The main disadvantage of positive displacement
compressor is that the displacing mechanism provides
lower mass flow rates than the non-positive
displacement compressors.
Dynamic OR Centrifugal Compressor:
• Dynamic type are those compressors in which air is not
trapped in the specified boundaries, but flow is
continuously and steadily through the compressor by an
action of centrifugal forces. (Impeller/Wheel) 8
CLASSIFICATION OF AIR COMPRESSOR

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 PARTS OF RECIPROCATING AIR COMPRESSOR

Out let (delivery) valve

Inlet (suction)
valve
Cooling
Cylinder Jackets
Piston

Connecting
rod

Crank Shaft

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 WORKING OF RECIPROCATING AIR COMPRESSOR
• Working of a Reciprocating Air Compressor depends
upon three strokes;
i. Suction stroke
ii. Compression stroke
iii. Delivery stroke
• The suction, compression and delivery of the air takes
place within two strokes of the piston and one
revolution of crank shaft.
• Compression Ratio (Pressure Ratio): It is the ratio of
discharge pressure to the inlet pressure . Since the
discharge pressure is always more than inlet pressure,
therefore compression ratio is always greater than unity.
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 SINGLE STAGE, SINGLE CYLINDER
RECIPROCATING AIR COMPRESSOR

V.C

T.D.C

B.D.C

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SINGLE STAGE, TWO CYLINDER AIR COMPRESSOR

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TWO STAGE, TWO CYLINDER AIR COMPRESSOR

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 MINIMIZING THE COMPRESSOR WORK INPUT
• The work input to a compressor is minimized when the
compression process is executed in an internally reversible
manner.
• One way of minimizing the compressor work is to approximate
an internally reversible process as much as possible by
minimizing the irreversibilities, such as friction, turbulence, etc.
• A way of reducing the compressor work is to keep the specific
volume of the gas as small as possible during the compression
process.
• This is done by maintaining the temperature of the gas as low as
possible during compression, since the specific volume of a gas
is proportional to temperature. (according to Charle’s Law)
• Therefore, reducing the work input to a compressor requires
that the gas is to be cooled as it is compressed.
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MINIMIZING THE COMPRESSOR WORK INPUT

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 MINIMIZING THE COMPRESSOR WORK INPUT
• The work input requirement for the
polytropic case (Pvn = constant) is
between these two and decreases as
the polytropic exponent n is
decreased, by increasing the heat
rejection during the compression
process. If sufficient heat is removed,
the value of n approaches unity and
the process becomes isothermal.
• One common way of cooling the gas
during compression is to use cooling
jackets around the casing of the
compressors.
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MULTISTAGE COMPRESSION WITH INTERCOOLING
• It is not possible to have adequate cooling through
the casing of the compressor, and it becomes
necessary to use other techniques to achieve
effective cooling.
• One such technique is multistage compression
with intercooling, where the gas is compressed in
stages and cooled between each stage by passing
it through a heat exchanger called an intercooler.
• Ideally, the cooling process takes place at constant
pressure, and the gas is cooled to the initial
temperature T1 at each intercooler. Multistage….…
=>(Next Slide) 18
MULTISTAGE COMPRESSION WITH INTERCOOLING

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RECIPROCATING AIR COMPRESSOR

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DYNAMIC OR CENTRIFUGAL AIR COMPRESSOR

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DYNAMIC OR CENTRIFUGAL AIR COMPRESSOR

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CENTRIFUGAL AIR COMPRESSOR

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CENTRIFUGAL AIR COMPRESSOR

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 COMPARISON BETWEEN RECIPROCATING AND
CENTRIFUGAL COMPRESSORS
Reciprocating Compressor Centrifugal Compressor
i. Reciprocating compressors i. Centrifugal compressors have
have poor mechanical better mechanical efficiency
efficiency due to large sliding due to absence of sliding
parts. parts.
ii. Installation cost for setting up ii. Installation cost for setting up
reciprocating compressors is centrifugal compressors is
higher. lower.
iii. Reciprocating compressors iii. Centrifugal compressors have
produce greater noise and comparatively silent operation
vibrations.
iv. Pressure ratio up to 4.
iv. Pressure ratio up to 5 to 8.
v. Less maintenance is required.
v. More maintenance is
required. 25
 COMPARISON BETWEEN RECIPROCATING AND
CENTRIFUGAL COMPRESSORS
Reciprocating Compressor
vi. Less amount of volume is
handled.
vii. Reciprocating compressor
  operates at low speed.
viii. Suitable for low discharge
and high pressure ratio.
ix. It runs intermittently and
delivers pulsating air.
x. Higher pressure ratio up to
500 atmosphere or above is
possible with multistage of
compressor.
Centrifugal Compressor
vi. Large amount of volume is
handled.
vii. Centrifugal compressors
operates at high speed.
viii. Suitable for high discharge
and low pressure ratio.
ix. It runs continuously and
delivers steady and pulsating free
air.
x. It is not suitable for multistage
compression.
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ISENTROPIC EFFICIENCY OF RECIPROCATING
AIR COMPRESSORS

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 VOLUMETRIC EFFICIENCY OF RECIPROCATING
AIR COMPRESSOR
• The ratio of indicated power to the shaft power or brake
power of motor or engine, required to drive the compressor
is known as Mechanical Efficiency of Air Compressor.
• The ratio of actual Volume Swept per Cycle to the Swept
Volume is called as Volumetric Efficiency of Air Compressor.
• Volumetric efficiency always less than the 100 % or unity,
because of the Clearance Volume.

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 APPLICATIONS OF AIR COMPRESSOR
Watch Videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9eFYGIsaB4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJlu
UxA7aaY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S08sj8pfJJs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVsKQVRkODk
It is also plays a vital role in following systems:
• Power Generations / Gas Turbine Engine
• Jet Engine Submarines
• Oil & Gas Refinery / Productions
• Starting and Supercharging of I.C Engines
• Pneumatic Tools (drills, hammer, riveters etc.)
• Spray Paint Gun CNG Stations, & etc.
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Numerical
A single stage reciprocating compressor takes 1
m3 of air per minute at 1.013 bar (101.325 kPa)
& 15 oC, and delivers it at 7 bar (700 kPa).
Assuming that the law of compression is
(PV1.35= constant), and that clearance (volume)
is negligible. Take friction power is 2.58 kW. If
the efficiency of motor and drive is 0.65.
Calculate (a) the indicated power, (b) Shaft
Power (c) mechanical efficiency (d) Input power
required for motor.

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Any Question….???

THANK YOU…!

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