What is a compressor?
A compressor is a device used for reducing the volume and compressing air. It is also known as a compressed air system or an air compressor. Essentially, the compressor uses initial energy from mechanical sources to quickly and powerfully draw in and compress air, which is a combination of gases, with a high suction force, and then with embedded systems and designed programs within it, reduces and compresses the air through a process of volume reduction. During this process, the gas temperature increases significantly. As a result, the initial gas is converted to high-pressure gas, which has many applications in various industries. However, to utilize this high-pressure gas, which has high temperature, it must first be cooled down to a useable level. Therefore, in compressor devices, cooling pipes are attached in the gas output path. Compressor gas output provides the necessary energy for a variety of industries. Compressors come in different types that differ in terms of capacity, power, dimensions, internal components, such as the number of cylinders used, the way energy is transferred, and the ability to use them for a long or short time, lubricated or non-lubricated, etc. Compressor energy consumption is very high, making them the highest energy consumers in the industry after pumps. A compressor is not the only type of device in use. It has various types, each with its own specific application.
Compressor components
Compressors have many components and spare parts, each responsible for a different task in the gas compression process. For example, the cylinder or air compressor is the most important member of this set and is actually responsible for the main operation of compression. It is said that the number of cylinders varies in different compressors. Any sound or vibration in the compressor is related to its cylinder, and repairing or replacing the cylinder is necessary to fix these faults.
Another component of compressors is the dynamo or electric motor. The task of the dynamo is to provide the primary energy necessary for the compressor to work – mechanical energy. The quality of the dynamo also has a significant impact on the compressor’s performance. Some compressors also use turbines to provide the primary power. The use of an electric motor or a turbine depends on the power of the compressor.
In fact, by using primary energy of mechanical nature, compressors can quickly and strongly draw air, which is a mixture of gases, into themselves with a large initial volume and high suction power. Through the embedded systems and programs designed inside them, they compress and compact it by reducing the volume of air in a process, which also increases the gas temperature significantly. As a result, the primary gas is converted into a high-pressure gas, which has many uses in various industries. However, to use this high-pressure gas with a high temperature, it is necessary to first reduce its temperature to a usable level, for which cooling pipes are installed in the gas outlet path of the compressor.
The gas outlet provides the necessary energy for various industries. Compressors have different types that differ in terms of capacity and power, as well as other aspects such as device dimensions, internal components such as cylinder numbers used, energy transfer methods, and the possibility of short or long-term use of them, with or without oil, and more. The energy consumption of compressors is very high, to the extent that they are the largest energy consumers in industries after pumps. Compressors are not just one type; they have different types, each with a special application.
In general, compressors have both industrial and non-industrial applications. Some examples of household uses for this tool include blowing up balls, air mattresses, and adjusting tire pressure. In industry, compressors have countless uses since air is an energy source, and compressors are considered one of the pneumatic equipment. This tool provides the necessary air for various industries such as mining, automotive, woodworking and furniture, medicine, and more. Some examples of its uses include cooling parts during their production, creating compressed air with high pressure to fill gas cylinders, providing necessary air for diving, transferring parts and fluids, using air compressors in medicine for surgical drills or cutting devices, using air compressors to separate excess materials such as sandblasting, and applying air compressors in the aviation industry to feed compressed air to the turbine engine. Other essential parts of compressors include air tanks with compressed air, whose volume varies in different compressors, as well as filters that remove impurities such as oil from the air. The quality of the filter affects the compressor’s performance, and other parts of the compressor include the piston, bearing, electrical panel, belt, wheel, shaft, and more.
