Air Compressor Basics

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.

Air compressor basics. Compressor capacity should be stated at plant conditions which are actual cubic feet per minute acfm. The other type of air compressor is the rotary screw. An air compressor increases the pressure of inlet air by reducing its volume. It is an oil free compressor by design.

Like a small internal. Most of the compressors you ll run across do this job with a reciprocating piston. Most air compressors use either centrifugal impellers left or rotary screws right to compress air. Single stage tops out at about 150 psi.

V belt direct and gear. Also be sure to see m. Before tackling air compressor troubleshooting or maintenance you need to first understand the air compressor basics in this tutorial. This momentum is converted to useful pressure by slowing the air down in a stationary diffuser.

The majority of air compressors have at their core either centrifugal impellers or rotary screws figure 1 that compress the air. The centrifugal air compressor is a dynamic compressor that depends on transfer of energy from a rotating impeller to the air. Piston compressors come in single stage and two stage. A fourth type is a combination of any of the above with a variable speed motor.

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. The rotor accomplishes this by changing the momentum and pressure of the 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. The choice depends on several factors including the speed requirement of the compressor airend and the manufacturer s preference.

Centrifugal air compressor basics key concepts centrifugal compressors are most effective when running at full capacity. Here air pressure is increased by reducing the size of the space that contains the air. A reciprocating compressor uses the piston movement inside a cylinder to compress air. There are three basic types of drives for air compressors.