Air Compressors and Fluid Conditioners

Chapter: 11

Air Compressors and Fluid Conditioners

"The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing."

- Albert Einstein

"Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through expe- rience of trial and suffer- ing can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired, and success achieved." 

- Helen Koller

"It is a thousand times better to have common sense without education than to have education without common sense.”

- Robert Green Ingersoll

Learning Objectives

While reading and after studying this chapter, you will be able to:

• Understand and appreciate the use of air compressors in pneumatic systems.

• Describe the construction, operation, merits, and ranges of various type compressors including piston-, screw-, and vane-type compressors. 

• Determine the size of compressor and air réceiver for an application.

• Understand and appreciate the purpose of various fluid conditioners.

• Describe the purpose, construction and operation of various fluid conditioners including air filters, air pressure regulators, air lubricators, mufflers, and air dryers.

INTRODUCTION

As we know the vast majority of pneumatic systems use compressed atmospheric air as the working medium. The performance of the pneumatic system and its components mainly depend on the compressed air supply. The compressor compresses the atmospheric air into the compressed air and supplies the necessary quantity of air with required pressure. Before the compressed air is being supplied to other circuit components, it should be conditioned/processed so as to achieve better and safe operations. For this purpose, fluid conditioners such as filters, regulators, lubricators, mufflers, and air dryers are used.

In this chapter, we shall describe the purpose, construction, and operation of various compressors and fluid conditioners.