Air Compressor Basics

A reciprocating compressor uses the piston movement inside a cylinder to compress air.

Air compressor basics.

Piston compressors come in single stage and two stage. Single stage tops out at about 150 psi. V belt direct and gear. The rotor accomplishes this by changing the momentum and pressure of the air.

The majority of air compressors have at their core either centrifugal impellers or rotary screws figure 1 that compress the air. Centrifugal air compressor basics key concepts centrifugal compressors are most effective when running at full capacity. The centrifugal air compressor is a dynamic compressor that depends on transfer of energy from a rotating impeller to the air. This momentum is converted to useful pressure by slowing the air down in a stationary diffuser.

The other type of air compressor is the rotary screw. By one of several methods an air compressor forces more and more air into a storage tank increasing the pressure. As the piston moves downward the exhaust valve closes and a vacuum is created inside the cylinder forcing the intake valve to open and suck air into the cylinder. Most air compressors use either centrifugal impellers left or rotary screws right to compress air.

An air compressor increases the pressure of inlet air by reducing its volume. Air compressors operate by storing compressed air in a steel tank and releasing it in a controlled manner to operate a variety of tool attachments from air wrenches to sanding and grinding equipment to air nailers to painting tools. Before tackling air compressor troubleshooting or maintenance you need to first understand the air compressor basics in this tutorial. It is an oil free compressor by design.

Like a small internal. An air compressoris a device that converts power using an electric motor diesel or gasoline engine etc into potential energystored in pressurized air i e compressed air. These are designed for continuous use and are often used with tools that run for several seconds or minutes at a time such as impact wrenches and jackhammers and in industrial applications. Most of the compressors you ll run across do this job with a reciprocating piston.

There are three basic types of drives for air compressors. A fourth type is a combination of any of the above with a variable speed motor. Compressor capacity should be stated at plant conditions which are actual cubic feet per minute acfm. Also be sure to see m.