STUDY OF COMPRESSOR

An air compressor admits atmospheric air, compresses it and delivers the high
pressure air to a storage vessel from which it is conveyed by a pipeline to wherever the
supply vessel from which it is conveyed by a pipe line to wherever the supply of compressed
air is required. A compressor is driven by a prime mover.
Even though compressors have innumerable applications it is commonly used in the
following purposes:

Operating tools in factories

Excavating
Spray painting
Refrigerators etc.

Compressors are classified as positive displacement type and rotodynamic type.

Positive displacement compressor is again classified as reciprocating type and rotary type,
while rotodynamic type is classified as centrifugal type and axial type compressors. In our
lab, we have reciprocating compressor test rig and so the study is related to reciprocating
compressor.
WORKING OF RECIPROCATING AIR COMPRESSOR
A reciprocating compressor consists of a cylinder, piston, inlet and outlet valves. The
arrangement of compressor is shown in the figure below:

Reciprocating air compressor

During the downward motion of the piston, the pressure inside the cylinder falls
below the atmospheric pressure and the inlet valve is opened due to the pressure difference.
The atmospheric air is admitted into the cylinder until the piston reaches bottom dead centre
position. As the piston starts moving upwards, the inlet valve closes and the pressure starts
increasing continuously until the pressure inside the cylinder is above the pressure of the
delivery side which is connected to the receiver. Then the delivery valve opens and the high
pressure air is delivered to the receiver during the remaining upward motion of the piston. At
the end of the delivery stroke, a small volume of high pressure air is entrapped in the
clearance space. The high pressure air left in the clearance space expands as the piston starts
moving downwards in the next cycle and its pressure falls until it is just below the
atmospheric pressure. Then the inlet valve opens and the air from outside is taken in and the
cycle is repeated. The suction, compression and delivery of the air take place within two
strokes of the piston or one revolution of the crank.
AIR COMPRESSOR TERMINOLOGY
Definitions of the following terms are necessary in the study of the operation and
theory of reciprocating compressors.
1) Single acting compressor
In single acting reciprocating compressor, the suction, compression and delivery of the air
take place on one side of the piston only. Such compressor would have one delivery strokes
per revolution of the crankshaft. Also it should have a piston rod, cross head and connecting
rod arrangement.
2) Double acting compressor
In double acting reciprocating compressor, the suction, compression and delivery of the
air take place on both sides of the piston. Such compressor would have two delivery strokes
per revolution of the crankshaft. Also it should have a piston, cross head and connecting rod
arrangement.
3) Single stage compressor
In single stage compressor, the compressor of the air from the initial pressure to the final
pressure is carried out in one cylinder only.
4) Multi stage compressor
When the compression of air from the initial pressure to the final pressure is carried out in
more than one cylinder, then the compressor is known as multi stage compressor.
5) Ratio of compression or pressure ratio
It is the ratio of absolute discharge pressure to absolute inlet pressure.

6) Free air delivered (F.A.D)

The free air delivered is the actual volume of air delivered at the atmospheric pressure
and temperature, and expressed in cubic meter per minute.
7) Displacement of the compressor
The swept volume of the piston in the first cylinder is known as displacement of the
compressor.
8) Actual capacity of the compressor
The actual free air delivered by the cylinder per cycle or per minute is known as actual
capacity of the compressor.
9) Volumetric efficiency
The ratio of actual free air delivered by the compressor per stroke to the displacement of
the compressor is known as the volumetric efficiency.
10) Isothermal efficiency
The work required to run the compressor becomes minimum if the compressor follows
isothermal compression process. Isothermal efficiency of the compressor is the ratio of
isothermal work to the actual work.
The following practical methods are used to achieve nearly isothermal compression for
high speed compressors.
1. Spray injection- injecting water into compressor cylinder at the end of compression
stroke with objective of cooling
2. Water jacketing- water is circulated through the annular space around the cylinder
3. Inter cooling- Inter cooling is used in addition to the water jacketing, by dividing the
compression process into two or more stages. The air compressed in first stage is
cooled to its original temperature in a heat exchanger known as inter cooler before it
is taken to the second stage.
4. External fins- Effective cooling can be achieved for small capacity air compressor by
providing fins on the external surface of the cylinder.
MULTI STAGE COMPRESSION
The volumetric efficiency of a reciprocating compressor is a function of clearance
ratio, pressure ratio and index of expansion. Therefore the maximum pressure ratio attainable
with a single stage reciprocating compressor is limited by the clearance volume. But there is
practical limitation for the reduction of the clearance volume. Therefore to get high pressure
air, it becomes necessary to use multi stage compression. In multi stage compression, cooling
of the air after it leaves each stage is possible. In the two stage compressor with intercooler,
the air is first taken into the low pressure (LP) cylinder. After compression 2 some desired

intermediate pressure, the air from the LP cylinder is passed through the intercooler. The
temperature of air leaving the intercooler will be reduced to a great extent. It is possible to
cool the air in the intercooler up to initial temperature, by properly regulating the supply of
cooling water in the intercooler. Finally, the air is compressed in the high pressure (H.P)
cylinder and is discharged to the cylinder. Both HP and LP cylinders are mounted on the
same shaft, and are driven by the same prime mover.
Advantages of multi stage compressors with intercooler are:

Work done per kg of air is reduced

Higher volumetric efficiency
Effective lubrication due to low temperature
Loss of air due leakage is less

Two stage compressor with intercooler

EXPT NO:

NAME:

DATE:

ROLL NO:
EXPERIMENT ON TWO STAGE AIR COMPRESSOR

AIM
To conduct experiment on two stage air compressor and to find out
(a) Volumetric efficiency
(b) Isothermal efficiency and to plot the following graphs:1. Volumetric efficiency vs delivery pressure
2. Isothermal efficiency vs delivery pressure
APPARATUS
Manometer, Digital rpm indicator, stops watch
SPECIFICATION
Diameter of piston, D= 0.07 m
Stroke length, L= 0.085 m
Energy meter constant, Ec= 1600 rev/ kwh
Orifice diameter = 15mm= 0.015 m
PRINCIPLE
1. Volumetric efficiency
vol = (actual volume of air intake/ theoretical volume) 100
2. Isothermal efficiency
iso = (Isothermal power/ Input power to compressor) 100
PROCEDURE
1. The water present if any in the receiver is drained out using the drainage cock.
2. The outlet valve of the receiver is kept open to facilitate starting and then the
motor is switched on.
3. When the compressor reaches its normal speed the outlet valve of the receiver is
closed and the compressor is allowed to build the required pressure.

4. When the pressure reaches the desired valve, the outlet valve is adjusted so that
the delivery pressure remains constant at that pressure. At this point manometer
reading, speed of the motor and energy meter readings is noted down.
5. The experiment is repeated for different values of pressures and the above set of
reading are noted down.
After completing the experiment, switch of the motor and release the air from the
receiver.

TABULAR COLUMN

SAMPLE CALCULATION FOR SET NO:__________

1) Inlet pressure, P1=Atmospheric pressure=1.01325x105N/m2
2) Total pressure, P2 =Gauge pressure (Pg) + Atmospheric pressure N/m2
(Where, Gauge pressure = Pressure gauge reading in Kgf/cm2)
Pg =

Kgf/cm2 =

P2 =

N/m2

3) Manometric Head, Ha= h (w

N/m2

air)

/ air

m of air

Where h = manometer difference in m of water=

air= Density of air at RTP (RTP-Room Temperature and Pressure) in Kg/m3

w = Density of water =1000kg/m3
Density of air at NTP= 1.293 kg/m3
Density of air at RTP =air

t = ambient temperature =

Manometric Head, Ha=___________

=
0

m of air

4) Actual volume of air intake per second at RTP, Va in m3/s

Va = Cd A

=
=

m3/s

Where, Cd = Coefficient of discharge of the orifice meter=0.62

A = area of orifice in m2= d2/4 =
d=diameter of orifice in m = 0.015 m
g=Acceleration due to gravity in m/s2 =9.81m/s2

m2

kg/m3

5) Swept volume, Vs in m3/s

2

Vs = (d x L x Nc)/ (4 x 60)
=

m3/s

Where, D =Diameter of piston in m = 0.07m

L = Stroke length in m = 0.085 m
Nc = Speed of the Compressor in rpm (925 rpm constant at all load condition)
=

rpm

6) Volumetric efficiency (%)

vol = (Va / Vs) x 100 %

=

7) Input to the compressor (KW)

Input power = (3600

x n)/ (Ec x t) kW

t = time required for` n` pulses in sec

n=
t=

sec

Ec = Energy meter constant=

8) Isothermal power (KW)

Piso = P1Va loge (P2/ P1) /1000 =

=
P1 = Atmospheric pressure=1.01325x105 N/m2
Va = Actual volume intake in m3/s
P2=

N/m2

KW

kW

9) Isothermal Efficiency (%)

iso= (Isothermal power / input to the compressor) 100

=

RESULT
1. Maximum volumetric efficiency =--------------2. Maximum Isothermal efficiency =---------------

INFERENCE