Single

Cylinder Air Compressor Module

Aim: To determine the isothermal and volumetric efficiencies of a single stage air compressor module. Apparatus: The ET Experimental Module Single-Stage Piston Compressor that uses electronic sensors for PC data acquisition facilitates investigations and experiments on a small single cylinder piston compressor. A compressed-air generation system consists essentially of compressor, Drive motor, Compressed air tank, safety valve, pressure switch, pressure gauge, connecting pipes and chassis. The electronic sensors measure pressure, flow rate, speed and temperature. The experimental module was coupled to the HM 365 Universal Drive and Brake Unit. The electric motor in the drive unit drives the compressor via a V-belt. The compressor is a single stage piston with a nominal speed of 980 rpm. Schematic:

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Procedure: The electric motor was started which drove the compressor via a V-belt and the following were measured: Relevant pressures, Speed and torque of the drive motor, Speed of the compressor, Air flow rate, Relevant temperatures.

The experiment was continued for up to 10-bar gauge pressure. Calculations: The mechanical power output of the compressor was calculated using:

Pmech = 2 * * n * M
Where, n is the speed (rpm) and M is the Torque (N-m)
n := 1803 rpm M := 2.68N m
Pmech := 2 n M
Pmech = 3.179 10 W
3

The isothermal power output of the compressor was calculated using:

Pisoth = *V * ln

P2 P1

Where, V is the flow rate (ltr/min), P2 is the gauge pressure (bar) and P1 is the atmospheric pressure, which is 1 bar.

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V := 118.2

L min

P1 := 1bar P2 := 1.7bar

P2 Pisoth := P1 V ln P1
Pisoth = 104.534W

And then isothermic efficiency of the compressor was calculated using:

isoth =
Pisoth isoth := = 0.033 Pmech

Pisoth Pmech

The volumetric efficiency was calculated to be:

L =
L Vm := 118.2 min
Vs := .000152 sec m
3

Vm Vs nc

nc := 820
L := Vm Vs nc = 0.016

The pressure ratio was finally calculated using: Pressure ratio=P2/P1

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P :=

P2 P1

= 1.7

Statistics:
n M (N- (rpm) m) 1803 1785 1782 1792 1788 1789 1782 1785 1790 1790 Pmech (W) P2 (bar) 1.70 2.60 3.40 4.10 4.20 6.20 7.10 8.40 9.50 V (ltr/min) T1 ( C)
0 0

T2( C)

Pisoth (W)

L (%)

L (%)

Pressure ratio 1.7 2.6 3.4 4.1 4.2 6.2 7.1 8.4 9.5 10.5

2.68 505.75 3.32 620.28 3.43 639.75 3.50 656.47 3.64 681.20 3.85 720.91 3.94 734.87 4.10 766.00 4.19 785.01

118.20 19.30 114.80 19.00 109.80 19.40 105.00 20.40

30.80 104.53 20.67 1.581% 61.20 182.82 29.47 1.535% 79.00 223.95 35.01 1.468% 96.30 246.92 37.61 1.404%

101.30 20.70 106.10 242.29 35.57 1.355% 98.50 20.90 115.80 299.53 41.55 1.317% 95.80 21.10 122.00 312.96 42.59 1.281% 91.90 21.90 130.80 325.97 42.56 1.229% 87.40 23.60 140.50 327.94 41.78 1.169% 85.00 24.30 147.30 333.11 42.03 1.137%

4.23 792.50 10.50

Plots:

Isothermal eciency vs Pressure raDo

45.00 40.00 35.00 30.00 L (%) 25.00 20.00 15.00 10.00 5.00 0.00 0 2 4 6 Pressure RaDo 8 10 12

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Volumetric eciency vs Pressure raDo

1.8% 1.6% 1.4% 1.2% L (% 1.0% 0.8% 0.6% 0.4% 0.2% 0.0% 0 2 4 6 Volumetric eciency 8 10 12

Conclusion:
The isothermic efficiency was found to be between 20% and 40% and the volumetric efficiency was found to be around 1.5% however, the results for the volumetric efficiency of between 1.14% and 1.58% seem excessively low. This could be due to several factors, like there could also be human errors on the part of the members recording the values or faults in the experimental apparatus itself. Initially, the isothermal efficiency was low but increased with an increasing pressure ratio with a maximum value of 42.59% at a pressure ratio of 7.1. The volumetric efficiency was 1.58% at a pressure ratio of 1.7 and then dropped off with increasing pressure ratio. This means that the increased pressure difference provides greater resistance to the air entering the compressor and thus reduces efficiency.

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