1/25/2015

Howdoesanaircompressorworkonboardships?

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AirCompressorParts
Compressor
VesselShips
Compressor ShipsBoat OnBoardIt ShipEngine

Navy Air/Gas Compressors

Quality, durable shipboard air compressors & nitrogen generators

AirCompressorBasicsRoleandFunctionson

Leaveacomment

BoardShips
writtenby:Rickyeditedby:LamarStonecypherupdated:5/8/2009
Aircompressorsareusedeverywherefromthesmallestworkshoponlandtothegiganticshipssailingacrossthe
oceans.Justlearnthebasicsofaircompressorsinthisarticle

Introduction
Anaircompressorisaveryusefulmachineandis
notonlyusedextensivelyinindustryonlandbuton
alltypesofshipsaswell.Onashipanair
compressorisusedtocompressairandstoreitin
tanksforvarioususes.Theseusethesecould
rangefromsimpleprocessessuchascleaningand
dryingoffilterstotaskssuchasstartingtheauxiliary
enginesandthemainenginesoftheship.

Advanced Radial
Air
Air Motors and compressors
worlds most efficient air motors

Howdoesanaircompressorwork?

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Howdoesanaircompressorworkonboardships?

Howdoesanaircompressorwork?
Inthissectionwewilltrytounderstandhowanair
compressorworks.Firstofallandletmeexplain
whatcompressionmeans.Itsimplyreferstothe
processofreducingthevolumeofgassoastoraise
itspressureandthecompressedgasisstoredina
solidcontainerortankusuallyhavingapressure
gaugeandthesafetymechanism.JustnoticethatI
haveusedthewordgaswhichisobvioussincethe
solidsandliquidsareincompressible.
Compressorscanbeofseveraltypessuchasa
rotating,reciprocating,centrifugal,screwtypeand
soforthbutwewillfocusmainlyonthe
reciprocatingandrotarycompressorsinthisarticle.
Thebasicconstructionofareciprocating
compressorissimilartothatofaninternalcombustionengine.Itconsistsofthefamiliarpistonandcylinder
arrangement,havinginletandoutletvalvesfortheentryofnormalairandtheexitofcompressedairrespectively.
Theothercomponentispresentinthebiggerenginessuchastheconnectingrodandthecrankshaftarealso
theirinthereciprocatingcompressor.Thisarrangementisdepictedclearlyinthediagramshownalongsideand
youcanseethevariouspartswhichhavebeendescribedhere.Themorethepowerrequiredfromthe
compressor,thegreaterthenumberofcylindersinit.
Theotherdiagram
showsthevarious
partsofareciprocating
compressorlying
openedup.Canyou
identifythevarious
partsIhavelisted
above?
Thecompressoris
drivenbyanexternal
powersourcewhichis

Navy Air/Gas
Compressors
Quality, durable shipboard air
compressors & nitrogen
generators

normallyanelectric
motor.Theimage
belowshowsanair
compressorwhichis
verysmallinsize.Italsoshowsthevariouscomponentssuchasthecompressedairtankandtheelectricmotor.

SmallCompressorUnit

RotaryCompressors
Nowwewilltakeaverybrieflookatonemoretypeofcompressorsnamelyrotarycompressors.Asthename
itselfsuggests,andthesecompressorshavetherotarymotioninsteadofreciprocatingmotionoftheinternal
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1/25/2015

Howdoesanaircompressorworkonboardships?

partsresponsibleforcompressingtheair.Shownbelowisthecutoutofatwinloberotarycompressorwhich
consistsoftwolobesorimpellerswhichrotateinunisonbutinoppositedirections.Theairwhichgetstrapped
insidegetsreducedinvolumehencecompletingthecompressionprocess.
Normallyrotarycompressorsconsumelessenergyformotivepowerbutreciprocatingcompressorsaremore
powerfulandhenceusedforheavydutypurposes.

MultistageCompression
Incasethecompressionrequiredismore,thecompressorscomeinmorethanonestages.Sinceitisalawof
thermodynamicsthatwhensuddencompressiontakesplace,temperaturerises.Thegraphofpressureagainst
volumeforareciprocatingcompressorisshownbelow.
Hencetheairneedstobecooledbeforebeingpassedontothenextstageandthis
isdoneusingintercoolers.Ofcoursethereisalsoanaftercoolerwhichisusedto
cooltheairbeforeitispassedontothestoragetank.
Thereareseveraladvantagestousemultistagecompressioninsteadofasingle
largecompressorincludinguseofsmallersizedstagesthanasinglelargestage,
lowcompressionratioforeachstageandenhancedlubricationproperties.Shown
belowisareciprocatingtypetwostagecompressionsystemshowingallpartssuch
asintercooler,aftercooler,motorandsoforth.Theintercoolerandaftercoolerare
formofheatexchangersusedonships.

ImageCredits
MarineEngineeringKnowledgebyBrianBeattie
BalmaCompressorsCompany
IntegratedPublishing,Florida
AirCompressorConsortium

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compressors & nitrogen
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