Unit-4

Air compressors
1. What is meant by single stage compressor?
In single stage compressor, the compression of air from the initial pressure
to the final pressure is carried out in one cylinder only.
2. What is meant by multi stage compressor?
In single stage compressor, the compression of air from the initial pressure
to the final pressure is carried out in more than one cylinder.
3. Indicate the application of reciprocating compressors in industry.
The applications of compressed air are as follows:
o
o
o
o
o
o
o

Pneumatic brakes
Pneumatic drills
Pneumatic jacks
Pneumatic lifts
Sprays painting
Shop cleaning
Injecting fuel in diesel engine

4. What are the advantages of multi stage compression with inter cooling over
single stage compression for the same pressure ratio?
o
o
o
o

It improves the volumetric efficiency for the given pressure ratio.

The size of the cylinders (i.e., high pressure and low pressure) may
be adjusted to suit volume and pressure of the air
It reduces the leakage loss considerably
It reduces the cost of the compressor.

5. Define the mechanical efficiency and isothermal efficiency of a reciprocating

air compressor.
Volumetric efficiency is defined as the ratio of volume of free air sucked
into the compressor per cycle to the stroke volume of the cylinder
=

Volume of free air taken per cycle

Stroke volume of the cylinder

6. Why clearance is necessary and what its effect of the performance of
reciprocating compressor?
When the piston reaches top dead centre in the cylinder, there is a dead
space between top and cylinder head. This space is known as clearance space
and the volume occupied by this space is known as clearance volume.

7. Which type of compression is the best in reciprocating compressor?

Isothermal compression
8. What is compression ratio?
Compression ratio is defined as the ratio between total volume and clearance
volume.
Compression ratio = (Total volume)/(clearance volume)
9. What is meant by inter cooler?
An inter cooler is a simple heat heat exchanger. It exchanges the heat of
compressed air from the low-pressure compressor to the circulating water before
the air enters to the high-pressure compressor. The purpose of inter cooling is to
minimize the work of compression.
10. What are the factors that affect the volumetric efficiency of a reciprocating
compressor?
1. Clearance volume
2. Compression ratio
11. Give the example for positive displacement compressor.
Roots blowers, vane blowers, reciprocating compressor
12. Give two merits of rotary compressor over reciprocating compressor.
1. Rotary compressor gives uniform delivery of air when compared to
reciprocating compressor.
2. Rotary compressors are small in size for the same discharge as
compared with reciprocating compressors.
3. Lubricating system is more complicated in reciprocating compressor
where as it is very simple in rotary compressor.
13. What is prefect intercooling?
When the temperature of air leaving the intercooler is equal to the original
atmospheric air temperature, then inter cooling is known as perfect intercooling.
14. Disadvantages of multi-stage compressors
In spite of all these advantages, a multistage compressor with intercoolers
is likely to be more expensive in initial cost than a single-stage compressor of the
same capacity.
15. How to increase the isothermal efficiency?
The following method are used to increase the isothermal efficiency

Spray injection

Water jacketing

Inter-cooling

External fins

By a suitable choice of cylinder proportion

16. What is clearance volume?

The clearance volume is the volume within the cylinder when the piston it
at the end of its inward travel plus the volume within the passages leading to the
valves.
17. What are the uses of air compressor?
o

Driving a compressed air engine

Driving pneumatic tools

Spray painting

Blast furnace and boiler furnace

Pneumatic controls

18. What is the classification of air and gas compressors?

o

Reciprocating compressor

Rotary compressor