A compressor is a device that is used to squeeze and then transport any gaseous substance under pressure. These units are used in industrial production.
Basically, they do not use compressors themselves, but compressor installations, which directly include the compressor itself, the drive and other devices that increase its efficiency, for example , gas cooler.
There are a number of classifications of compressor units. They are different:
- by pressure value at the initial stage of the process and the final one;
- by the composition of the gaseous substance used in the installation;
- by external factors, where the compressor unit is located;
- for the intended purpose (for which kind of industry).
Depending on the task, the compressor units can be stationary and located in the production area; as well as a mobile compressor unit has a wheelbase or moves in a vehicle trailer.
Compressor installations are of the type: volumetric and dynamic. The basic principle of a positive displacement compressor is to change the volume of the working chamber, which causes compression. And the principle of operation of dynamic compressors is as follows: gas compression occurs as a result of the supply of mechanical energy from the shaft, after which the working substance interacts with the blades.
Positive displacement compressors can be classified into the following three main and frequently used types:
- Reciprocating, during the operation of which the gas is compressed and moved due to the robotic piston of the compressor. This compressor is used in both industrial and domestic refrigeration units, namely, in air conditioners - refrigerators, etc.
- Compressor units operating on the basis of a rotating element called a rotor. From here comes their name rotary. They, in turn, are also subdivided into several subspecies.
- Compressor installations of the most promising direction are screw. Due to their structural parameters and high transportability, they are among the most economically viable. And it is widely used now in refrigeration agglomerates.
There are several more types of positive displacement compressors, but their use is limited in industry due to their low use.
In the section of dynamic compressor units, the most noteworthy are vane compressors with a centrifugal mechanism, which are widely used in the automotive industry, due to their simple design and at the same time high efficiency.
