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HowtheAirCompressorWorksTypesofAirCompressors

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MAR 18, 2015

How It Works: The Air Compressor

More than a tool for inflating tires, it's an alternative power source
for your shop.
By Thomas Klenck

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Yearsago,itwascommonforshopstohaveacentralpowersourcethatdroveallthetools
throughasystemofbelts,wheelsanddriveshafts.Thepowerwasroutedaroundthework
spacebymechanicalmeans.Whilethebeltsandshaftsmaybegone,manyshopsstillusea
mechanicalsystemtomovepoweraroundtheshop.It'sbasedontheenergystoredinair
that'sunderpressure,andtheheartofthesystemistheaircompressor.
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You'llfindaircompressorsusedinawiderangeofsituationsfromcornergasstationsto
majormanufacturingplants.And,moreandmore,aircompressorsarefindingtheirwayinto
homeworkshops,basementsandgarages.Modelssizedtohandleeveryjob,frominflating
pooltoystopoweringtoolssuchasnailguns,sanders,drills,impactwrenches,staplersand
spraygunsarenowavailablethroughlocalhomecenters,tooldealersandmailorder
catalogs.
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Thebigadvantageofairpoweristhateachtooldoesn'tneeditsownbulkymotor.Instead,a
singlemotoronthecompressorconvertstheelectricalenergyintokineticenergy.Thismakes
forlight,compact,easytohandletoolsthatrunquietlyandhavefewerpartsthatwearout.
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Aircompressortypes
Whiletherearecompressorsthatuserotatingimpellerstogenerateairpressure,positive
displacementcompressorsaremorecommonandincludethemodelsusedbyhomeowners,
woodworkers,mechanicsandcontractors.Here,airpressureisincreasedbyreducingthe
sizeofthespacethatcontainstheair.Mostofthecompressorsyou'llrunacrossdothisjob
withareciprocatingpiston.
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Likeasmallinternalcombustionengine,aconventionalpistoncompressorhasacrankshaft,
aconnectingrodandpiston,acylinderandavalvehead.Thecrankshaftisdrivenbyeither
anelectricmotororagasengine.Whiletherearesmallmodelsthatarecomprisedofjustthe
pumpandmotor,mostcompressorshaveanairtanktoholdaquantityofairwithinapreset
pressurerange.Thecompressedairinthetankdrivestheairtools,andthemotorcycleson
andofftoautomaticallymaintainpressureinthetank.
Atthetopofthecylinder,you'llfindavalveheadthatholdstheinletanddischargevalves.
Botharesimplythinmetalflapsonemountedunderneathandonemountedontopofthe
valveplate.Asthepistonmovesdown,avacuumiscreatedaboveit.Thisallowsoutsideair
atatmosphericpressuretopushopentheinletvalveandfilltheareaabovethepiston.Asthe
pistonmovesup,theairaboveitcompresses,holdstheinletvalveshutandpushesthe
dischargevalveopen.Theairmovesfromthedischargeporttothetank.Witheachstroke,
moreairentersthetankandthepressurerises.
Typicalcompressorscomein1or2cylinderversionstosuittherequirementsofthetools
theypower.Onthehomeowner/contractorlevel,mostofthe2cylindermodelsoperatejust
likesinglecylinderversions,exceptthattherearetwostrokesperrevolutioninsteadofone.
Somecommercial2cylindercompressorsare2stagecompressorsonepistonpumpsair
intoasecondcylinderthatfurtherincreasespressure.
Compressorsuseapressureswitchtostopthemotorwhentankpressurereachesapreset
limitabout125psiformanysinglestagemodels.Mostofthetime,though,youdon'tneed
thatmuchpressure.Therefore,theairlinewillincludearegulatorthatyousettomatchthe
pressurerequirementsofthetoolyou'reusing.Agaugebeforetheregulatormonitorstank
pressureandagaugeaftertheregulatormonitorsairlinepressure.Inaddition,thetankhas
asafetyvalvethatopensifthepressureswitchmalfunctions.Thepressureswitchmayalso
incorporateanunloadervalvethatreducestankpressurewhenthecompressoristurnedoff.
Manyarticulatedpistoncompressorsareoillubricated.Thatis,theyhaveanoilbaththat
splashlubricatesthebearingsandcylinderwallsasthecrankrotates.Thepistonshaverings
thathelpkeepthecompressedairontopofthepistonandkeepthelubricatingoilawayfrom
theair.Rings,though,arenotcompletelyeffective,sosomeoilwillenterthecompressedair
inaerosolform.
Havingoilintheairisn'tnecessarilyaproblem.Manyairtoolsrequireoiling,andinlineoilers
areoftenaddedtoincreaseauniformsupplytothetool.Onthedownside,thesemodels
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requireregularoilchecks,periodicoilchangesandtheymustbeoperatedonalevelsurface.
Mostofall,therearesometoolsandsituationsthatrequireoilfreeair.Spraypaintingwithoil
intheairstreamwillcausefinishproblems.Andmanynewwoodworkingairtoolssuchas
nailersandsandersaredesignedtobeoilfreesothere'snochanceoffoulingwoodsurfaces
withoil.Whilesolutionstotheairborneoilproblemincludeusinganoilseparatororfilterin
theairline,abetterideaistouseanoilfreecompressorthatusespermanentlylubricated
bearingsinplaceoftheoilbath.
Avariationontheautomotivetypepistoncompressorisamodelthatusesaonepiece
piston/connectingrod.Becausethereisnowristpin,thepistonleansfromsidetosideasthe
eccentricjournalontheshaftmovesitupanddown.Asealaroundthepistonmaintains
contactwiththecylinderwallsandpreventsairleakage.
Whereairrequirementsaremodest,adiaphragmcompressorcanbeeffective.Inthisdesign,
amembranebetweenthepistonandthecompressionchambersealsofftheairandprevents
leakage.

Compressorpower
Oneofthefactorsusedtodesignatecompressorpowerismotorhorsepower.However,this
isn'tthebestindicator.Youreallyneedtoknowtheamountofairthecompressorcandeliver
ataspecificpressure.
Therateatwhichacompressorcandeliveravolumeofairisnotedincubicfeetperminute
(cfm).Becauseatmosphericpressureplaysaroleinhowfastairmovesintothecylinder,cfm
willvarywithatmosphericpressure.Italsovarieswiththetemperatureandhumidityoftheair.
Tosetanevenplayingfield,makerscalculatestandardcubicfeetperminute(scfm)ascfmat
sealevelwith68degreesFairat36%relativehumidity.Scfmratingsaregivenataspecific
pressure3.0scfmat90psi,forexample.Ifyoureducepressure,scfmgoesup,andvice
versa.
Youalsomayrunacrossaratingcalleddisplacementcfm.Thisfigureistheproductof
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cylinderdisplacementandmotorrpm.Incomparisonwithscfm,itprovidesanindexof
compressorpumpefficiency.
Thecfmandpsiratingsareimportantbecausetheyindicatethetoolsthataparticular
compressorcandrive.Whenchoosingacompressor,makesureitcansupplytheamountof
airandthepressurethatyourtoolsneed.

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