Compressor is a machine used to compressed air or gas to a final pressure exceeding 241.25 KPa gage.

TYPES OF COMPRESSORS
Centrifugal Compressors - For low pressure and high capacity application
Rotary Compressors - For medium pressure and low capacity application
Reciprocating Compressors - For high pressure and low capacity application
USES OF COMPRESSED AIR
Operation of small engines
Pneumatic tools
Air hoists
Industrial cleaning by air blast
Tire inflation
Paint Spraying
Air lifting of liquids
Manufacture of plastics and other industrial products
To supply air in mine tunnels
Other specialized industrial applications
ANALYSIS OF CENTRIFUGAL AND ROTARY TYPE
W
2
1
Q
Assuming: KE = 0; and PE = 0
Q = h + KE + PE + W (Steady state - steady flow equation)
Q = h + W
For a compressor, work is done on the system; thus
-W = h - Q; Let -W = W (compressor work)
A) Isentropic Compression (PVk = C)
P
2
W = -VdP
PVk = c
dP
V

1
V
For Isentopic compression' Q = 0
W = h ; W = -VdP
W = mCp(T2-T1)
k 1

kmRT P k
1 2
W
1 KW

k - 1 P

Q=0
PV1 = mRT1
P,V, and T relationship
k 1
k

P
2 2
T P
1 1

k 1

V
1
V
2

where
m - mass flow rate of the gas in kg/sec
W - work in KW
P - pressure in KPa
T - temperature in K
R - gas constant in KJ/kg-K
V - volume flow rate in m3/sec
B) Polytropic Compression (PVn = C)
P
2
W = -VdP
PVn =C

dP
V

1
V
For Polytropic compression, Q 0
W = h - Q ; W = -VdP
h = mCp(T2 - T1)
Q = mCn(T2 - T1)
n1

nmRT P n
1 2
W
1 KW
n - 1 P
1

k n
C Cv

n
1 n
P
2 2
T P
1 1

n1
n

V
1
V
2

n1

C) Isothermal Compression (PV = C)

P
2
W = -VdP
PV = C

dP
V

1
V

W = -Q
P
W P V ln 2
1 1 P

P1V1 = mRT1

valves

cylinder

piston

piston-rod
d

HE

P
P2
P1

CE

L
2

CVD

V1

1
V

VD

HE - Head end
CE - Crank end
L - length of stroke, m
VD - Displacement volume, m3/sec
D - diameter of bore, m
d - diameter of piston rod, m
A) For Isentropic Compression and RE-expansion process (PVK = C),no heat
is removed from the gas.
W = h ; W = -VdP
W = mCp(T2-T1)
k 1

kmRT1 P2 k

W
1 KW

k -1 P1

Q=0
PV1' = mRT1
P,V, and T relationship
k 1

k 1

P k V1

V
T1 P1
2
where:
V1' - volume flow rate measured at intake, m3/sec
m - mass flow rate corresponding V1', kg/sec
B) For Polytropic Compression and Re-expansion process (PVn = C), some
amount of heat is removed from the gas.
W = h - Q ; W = -VdP
h = mCp(T2 - T1)
Q = mCn(T2 - T1)
T2

n 1

nmRT1 P2 n

W
1 KW

n -1 P1

P1V1' = mRT1
k n
Cn Cv
KJ/kg-K
1n

n 1

n 1

P n V1

V
T1 P1
2
C) For Isothermal compression and re-expansion process (PV = C), an
amount of heat equivalent to the compression work is removed from the
gas.
W = -Q
P
W P1 V1'ln 2
P1
P1V1' = mRT1
T2

PERCENT CLEARANCE
Clearance Volume
C
Displacement Volume
V
C 3 x 100%
VD
For compressor design, values of percent clearance C ranges from
3 to 10 %.
V3 = CVD
where: V3 - clearance volume
VOLUMETRIC EFFICIENCY
v = Volume flow rate at intake x 100%
Displacement Volume
V
v 1' x 100%
VD
A) For Isentropic Compression (PVk= C)
1/k

P2
v 1 C C x 100%
P

B) For Polytropic Compression (PVn = C)

1/n

P2
v 1 C C x 100%
P

C) For Isothermal Compression (PV = C)

P
v 1 C C 2 x 100%
P

DISPLACEMENT VOLUME
A) For single acting
VD = LD2Nn' m3/sec
4(60)
B) For Double acting without considering the volume of piston rod
VD = 2LD2Nn' m3/sec
4(60)
C) For Double acting considering volume of piston rod
VD = LNn'[2D2 - d2] m3/sec
4(60)
where: L - length of stroke, m
D - diameter of bore, m
d - diameter of piston rod, m
n' - no. of cylinders
ACTUAL VOLUMETRIC EFFICIENCY
V
va a x 100 %
VD
Va - actual volume of air or gas drawn in
MEAN EFFECTIVE PRESSURE
W
Pm
KPa
VD
W in KJ, KJ/kg, KW
VD in m3, m3/kg, m3/sec
PISTON SPEED
PS = 2LN m/min
PS = 2LN m/sec
60
EFFICIENCY
A) COMPRESSION EFFICIENCY
cn = Ideal Work
x 100%
Indicated Work
B) MECHANICAL EFFICIENCY
m = Indicated Work x 100%
Brake Work
C) COMPRESSOR EFFICIENCY
c = cn = m = Ideal Work x 100%
Brake work
MULTISTAGE COMPRESSION
Multi staging is simply the compression of air or gas in two or more cylinders in place of a single cylinder compressor. It is
used in reciprocating compressors when pressure of 300 KPa and above are desired, in order to:
Save power
Limit the gas discharge temperature
Limit the pressure differential per cylinder
Prevent vaporization of lubricating oil and to prevent its ignition if the temperature becomes too high.
It is common practice for multi-staging to cool the air or gas between stages of compression in an intercooler, and it is this
cooling that affects considerable saving in power.

A) 2 - Stage Compression without pressure drop in the intercooler

1

suction

Qx

discharge

Intercooler

1stStage

2nd Stage

For an ideal multistage compression, with perfect inter-cooling and minimum work, the cylinder were properly designed so
that:
the work at each stage are equal
the air in the intercooler is cooled back to the initial temperature
no pressure drop occurs in the intercooler
the pressure at each stage are equal
W1 = W2 ;
T1 = T3 ; P2 = P3 = Px
where: W1 - work of the LP cylinder (1st stage)
W2 - work of the HP cylinder (2nd stage)
Px = ideal intercooler pressure, optimum pressure
Assuming polytropic compression and expansion processes:
P
P4
Px
P1

4
6 7

3 2
8

W1 = W2
T1 = T3
P2 = P3 = P x
W = W1 + W2
Px - the ideal intercooler pressure or optimum pressure
Work 1st Stage:
n 1

nmRT P n
1 2
W
1 KW
1
n - 1 P
1

Work 2nd Stage:

n 1

nmRT P n
3 4
W
1 KW
2
n - 1 P
3

PVn = C
1

Pressure Ratio:
P2 P4

P1 P3
but P2 = P3 = Px
Px P4

P1 Px
then
Px P1P4

Since W1 =W2, the total work W is;

n1

2nmRT1 P2 n

W
1

n -1 P1

KW

substituting Px to W, it follows that

n1

2nmRT1 P4 2n

W
1
KW

n -1 P1

By performing an energy balance on the inter-cooler

Qx = mCP(T3 - T2)
T-S Diagram:
T
P4
T2 = T4
T1 = T3

Px

P1
Qx

S
B) 2 stage compressor with pressure drop in the intercooler For 2 stage compression with pressure drop in the intercooler,
P2 P3.The air in the intercooler may or may not be cooled to the initial temperature, and the work at each stage may
or may not be equal, thus the work W = W1 + W2
Work 1st Stage:
n 1

nmRT1 P2 n

W1
1 KW

n -1 P1

Work 2nd Stage:

n 1

nmRT3 P4 n

W2
1 KW

n -1 P3

The total work W is;

W = W1 + W2
The pressure, P2 P3, but the 1st stage may compress the air or gas to the optimum intercooler pressure P x, but a
pressure drop will occur in the inter-cooler.
P
5
4
P4
P2
P3

P1

Heat Rejected in the inter-cooler

Qx = mCp(T3 - T2)
C. Three-Stage compressor without pressure drop in the intercooler
Qx
Qy
suction

LP Intercooler

1st Stage

discharge

HP Inercooler

2nd stage

3rd stage

Considering Polytropic compression and expansion processes and with perfect inter-cooling;
Work of 1st stage cylinder:
n 1

nmRT1 P2 n

W1
1 KW

n -1 P1

Work of the 2nd stage cylinder:

n 1

nmRT3 P4 n

W2
1 KW

n -1 P3

Work of the 3rd stage cylinder:

n 1

nmRT5 P6 n

W3
1 KW

n - 1 P5

For perfect inter-cooling:

W1 = W2 = W3
T1 = T3 = T5

and

P2
P1
But
Thus

P4
P3

P6
P5

P2 = P3 = Px (Ideal LP Intercooler pressure)

P4 = P5 = Py (Ideal HP Intercooler pressure)
Px
P1

Py
Px

P6
Py

By expressing Px and Py in terms of P1 & P6:

2

Px 3 P1 P6
Py 3 P1P6

The total compressor work is equal to:

W = W1 + W2 + W3
but: W1 = W2 = W3 ;therefore
W = 3W1
n 1

3nmRT1 P2 n

W
1 KW

n -1 P1

then substituting Px andPy then simplify, the result is:

n 1

3nmRT1 P6 3n

W
1 KW

n -1 P1

For multistage compression with minimum work and perfect inter-cooling and no pressure drop in the inter-coolers
between stages, the following conditions apply:
1. the work at each stage are equal
2. the pressure ratio between stages are equal
3. the air temperature in the inter-coolers are cooled to the
original temperature T1
4. the total work W is equal to

n 1

SnmRT1 P2S Sn

W
1 KW

n -1 P1

where S - number of stages

Example
An ideal 3-stage air compressor with intercoolers handles air at the rate of 2 kg/min. The suction pressure is 101 Kpa,
suction temperature is 21C, delivery pressure is 5000 KPa. Assuming perfect inter-cooling and minimum work,
calculate total power required if compressor efficiency is 60% and both compression and expansion processes are
PVn=C, where n = 1.2. (21 KW)
Given

m 2 kg / min
P1 101 KPa

T1 21 273 294 K
P6 5000KPa
ec 0.60

PV n C
n 1 .2
3nmRT1
W
n -1

P n 13n

1
P1

KW

1. 2 1

3(1.2)(2)(0.287)(294) 5000 3(1.2)

W
1

60(1.2 - 1)
101

W 20.41 KW