PC ME 402

By
Dr. Abhishek Samanta
Associate Professor
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
HIT, Haldia
 Gas compressor

• A gas compressor is a mechanical device that

increases the pressure of a gas by reducing its
volume.
• Compressors are similar to pumps: both increase
the pressure on a fluid and both can transport the
fluid through a pipe. As gases are compressible,
the compressor also reduces the volume of a gas.
• Liquids are relatively incompressible, while some
can be compressed, the main action of a pump is
to pressurize and transport liquids.
 Hermetically sealed, open, or semi-hermetic
• Compressors are often described as being either open, hermetic, or semi-
hermetic, to describe how the compressor and motor drive is situated in
relation to the gas or vapour being compressed.
• In hermetic and most semi-hermetic compressors, the compressor and
motor driving the compressor are integrated, and operate within the
pressurized gas envelope of the system.
• The motor is designed to operate and be cooled by the gas or vapour being
compressed.
• The difference between the hermetic and semi-hermetic, is that the
hermetic uses a one-piece welded steel casing that cannot be opened for
repair; if the hermetic fails it is simply replaced with an entire new unit.
• A semi-hermetic uses a large cast metal shell with gasketed covers that can
be opened to replace motor and pump components.
• The primary advantage of a hermetic and semi-hermetic is that there is no
route for the gas to leak out of the system. Open compressors rely on either
natural leather or synthetic rubber seals to retain the internal pressure, and
these seals require a lubricant such as oil to retain their sealing properties.
 Centrifugal compressors

• Centrifugal compressors use a rotating disk or impeller

in a shaped housing to force the gas to the rim of the
impeller, increasing the velocity of the gas.
• A diffuser (divergent duct) section converts the velocity
energy to pressure energy.
• They are primarily used for continuous, stationary
service in industries such as oil refineries, chemical and
petrochemical plants and natural gas processing plants.
• Their application can be from 100 horsepower (75 kW)
to thousands of horsepower.
• With multiple staging, they can achieve extremely high
output pressures greater than 10000 psi (69 MPa).
 Diagonal or mixed-flow compressors

• Diagonal or mixed-flow compressors are

similar to centrifugal compressors, but have a
radial and axial velocity
component at the exit from the rotor.
• The diffuser is often used to turn diagonal flow
to an axial rather than radial
direction.
 Axial-flow compressors

• Axial-flow compressors are dynamic rotating compressors that use arrays

of fan-like airfoils to progressively compress the working fluid.
• They are used where there is a requirement for a high flow rate or a
compact design.
• The arrays of airfoils are set in rows, usually as pairs: one rotating and one
stationary.
• The rotating airfoils, also known as blades or rotors, accelerate the fluid.
The stationary airfoils, also known as stators or vanes, decelerate and
redirect the flow direction of the fluid, preparing it for the rotor blades of
the next stage.
• Axial compressors are almost always multi-staged, with the cross-sectional
area of the gas passage diminishing along the compressor to maintain an
optimum axial Mach number. Beyond about 5 stages or a 4:1 design
pressure ratio, variable geometry is normally used to improve operation.
 Reciprocating compressors
• Reciprocating compressors use pistons driven by a crankshaft. They can be
either stationary or portable, can be single or multi-staged, and can be
driven by electric motors or internal combustion engines.
• Small reciprocating compressors from 5 to 30 horsepower (hp) are
commonly seen in automotive applications and are typically for
intermittent duty. Larger reciprocating compressors well over 1000 hp (750
kW) are commonly found in large industrial and petroleum applications.
• Discharge pressures can range from low pressure to very high pressure
(>18000 psi or 180 MPa). In certain applications, such as air compression,
multi-stage double-acting compressors are said to be the most efficient
compressors available, and are typically larger, and more costly than
comparable rotary units.
• Another type of reciprocating compressor is the swash plate compressor,
which uses pistons which are moved by a swash plate mounted on a shaft -
see Axial Piston Pump.
• Household, home workshop, and smaller job site compressors are typically
reciprocating compressors 1½ hp or less with an attached receiver tank.
 Rotary screw compressors

• Diagram of a rotary screw compressor Rotary screw

compressors use two meshed rotating positive-displacement
helical screws to force the gas into a smaller space.
• These are usually used for continuous operation in
commercial and industrial applications and may be either
stationary or portable.
• Their application can be from 3 horsepower (2.2 kW) to
over
• 1200 horsepower (890 kW) and from low pressure to
moderately high pressure (>1200 psi or 8.3 MPa).
• Rotary screw compressors are commercially produced in
Oil Flooded, Water Flooded and Dry type.
Reciprocating Compressor
• The primary components of a typical reciprocating
compressor system can be seen in Figures.
• The compression cylinders, also known as stages, of
which a particular design may have from one to six or
more, provide confinement for the process gas during
compression.
• A piston is driven in a reciprocating action to compress
the gas.
• Arrangements may be of single-or dual-acting design.
(In the dual-acting design, compression occurs on both
sides of the piston during both the advancing and
retreating stroke.)
• Some dual-acting cylinders in high-pressure
applications will have a piston rod on both sides of the
piston to provide equal surface area and balance loads.
• Tandem cylinder arrangements help minimize
dynamic loads by locating cylinders in pairs,
connected to a common crankshaft, so that the
movements of the pistons oppose each other.
• Gas pressure is sealed and wear of expensive
components is minimized through the use of
disposable piston rings and rider bands
respectively.
• These are formed from comparatively soft metals
relative to piston and cylinder/liner metallurgy or
materials such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE).
Q1) A reciprocating air compressor has cylinder with 24 cm bore
and 36 cm stroke. Compressor admits air at 1 bar, 17°C and
compresses it up to 6 bar. Compressor runs at 120 rpm.
Considering compressor to be single acting and single stage
determine mean effective pressure and the horse power required
to run compressor when it compresses following the isothermal
process and polytropic process with index of 1.3. Also find
isothermal efficiency when compression is of polytropic and
adiabatic type.
Q2) A single stage single acting reciprocating air compressor has
air entering at 1 bar, 20°C and compression occurs following
polytropic process with index 1.2 upto the delivery pressure of 12
bar. The compressor runs at the speed of 240 rpm and has L/D
ratio of 1.8. The compressor has mechanical efficiency of 0.88.
Determine the isothermal efficiency and cylinder dimensions.
Also find out the rating of drive required to run the compressor
which admits 1 m3 of air per minute.
Q3) A reciprocating compressor of single stage and double acting type is
running at 200 rpm with mechanical efficiency of 85%. Air flows into
compressor at the rate of 5 m3/min measured at atmospheric condition of 1.02
bar, 27°C. Compressor has compressed air leaving at 8 bar with compression
following polytropic process with index of 1.3. Compressor has clearance
volume of 5% of stroke volume. During suction of air from atmosphere into
compressor its temperature rises by 10°C. There occurs pressure loss of 0.03
bar during suction and pressure loss of 0.05 bar during discharge passage
through valves. Determine the dimensions of cylinder, volumetric efficiency
and power input required to drive the compressor if stroke to bore ratio is 1.5.
Q4) A reciprocating air compressor has four stage compression with 2 m3 /min
of air being delivered at 150 bar when initial pressure and temperature are 1
bar, 27°C. Compression occur polytropically following polytropic index of
1.25 in four stages with perfect intercooling between stages. For the optimum
intercooling conditions determine the intermediate pressures and the work
required for driving compressor.
Q5) In a two stage reciprocating air compressor running at 200
rpm the air is admitted at 1 bar, 17°C and discharged at 25 bar. At
low pressure stage suction conditions the rate of air flow is 4
kg/minute. The low pressure cylinder and high pressure cylinders
have clearance volumes of 4% and 5% of respective cylinder
stroke volumes. The index for compression and expansion
processes in two stages are same as 1.25. Considering an
optimum and perfect intercooling in between two stages
determine the power required, isothermal efficiency, free air
delivered, heat transferred in each cylinder and the cylinder
volumes.
Q6) A two stage double acting reciprocating air compressor running at 200
rpm has air entering at 1 bar, 25°C. The low pressure stage discharges air at
optimum intercooling pressure into intercooler after which it enters at 2.9 bar,
25°C into high pressure stage. Compressed air leaves HP stage at 9 bar. The LP
cylinder and HP cylinder have same stroke lengths and equal clearance
volumes of 5% of respective cylinder swept volumes. Bore of LP cylinder is
30 cm and stroke is 40 cm. Index of compression for both stages may be taken
as 1.2. Determine, (i) the heat rejected in intercooler, (ii) the bore of HP
cylinder, (iii) the hp required to drive the HP cylinder.
Q7) During an experiment on reciprocating air compressor the
following observations are being taken; Barometer reading = 75.6
cm Hg, Manometer reading across orifice = 13 cm Hg.
Atmospheric temperature = 25°C. Diameter of orifice = 15 mm.
Coefficient of discharge across the orifice = 0.65 Take density of
Hg = 0.0135951 kg/cm 3 Determine the volume of free air
handled by compressor in m 3 /min.
Q8) In a triple stage reciprocating compressor of single acting type the air
enters at 1 bar, 27°C. The compressor has low pressure cylinder with bore of
30 cm and stroke of 20 cm. Clearance volume of LP cylinder is 4% of the
swept volume. The final discharge from compressor takes place at 20 bar. The
expansion and compression index may be taken uniformly as 1.25 for all the
stages. The intercooling between the stages may be considered to be at
optimum intercooling pressure and perfect intercooling. Determine, the
interstage pressures, effective swept volume of low pressure cylinder,
temperature and volume of air delivered in each stroke and the work done per
kg of air.
Q9) A two stage reciprocating air compressor has air being admitted at 1 bar,
27°C and delivered at 30 bar, 150°C with interstage pressure of 6 bar and
intercooling up to 35°C. Compressor delivers at the rate of 2 kg/s. Clearance
volumes of LP and HP cylinders are 5% and 7% of stroke volume respectively.
The index of compression and expansion are same throughout. Determine the
swept volume of both cylinders in m3/min, amount of cooling required in
intercooler and total power required. Also estimate the amount of cooling
required in each cylinder.