Air compressors are durable and last a long time

The are not too many air compressor parts to tinker with. For a device which plays such an important role in our lives, the air compressor surprisingly has very few parts. Air compressor parts operate to force air into a chamber where it is compressed and then release it in spurts. It provides power supplied by electricity, a diesel or gasoline engine into kinetic energy to power anything from airbrushes to factories. 

There are two basic types of air compressors: a positive displacement type and a negative displacement compressor. In positive displacement air compressors, air is fed into the chamber by pistons, rotary screws or vanes mounted on slotted rotors. In the negative displacement type of air compressor, a spinning impeller uses centrifugal force to accelerate and decelerate the air which is then pressurized.

An air compressor is either open, hermetically sealed or semi-hermetically sealed. A hermetically sealed air compressor has the motor and compressor in a one-piece welded unit, such as those used in air conditioners. It cannot be opened and once it breaks down, it needs to be replaced. However, in semi-hermetically sealed and open-type air compressors, parts can be replaced when they are worn out.

Most important of air compressor parts is the pump. From ½ to 5 horsepower air compressors use single-stage pumps while those above 5 horsepower use two-stage pumps. A centrifugal pump is needed for a negative displacement type air compressor.  

Another vital part of air compressor parts is the air tank. They come in different sizes and are either horizontal or vertical. Depending upon the size, the air tank may be stationary or portable. Portable air tanks can be made of heavy-duty or industrial-grade steel. Some come provided with wheels for easy transport.

The third major component of air compressor parts is the power source. It can either be an electric motor, a gasoline or diesel engine. Electric motors can range from 1/3 to 15 horsepower depending upon the pump requirements.

The other air compressor parts consist of the air filter, manifolds, valves, regulators, switches, pressure gauges, fittings and controls. Other parts are accessories of the tank, pump and engine such as capacitors, belts and a starter.  The simplicity of the air compressor design makes it a very durable machine. It requires little maintenance and replacement of air compressor parts does not happen very often.

What is an Air Compressor?

Harness the power of air with an air compressor

Air is all around us and an air compressor takes it and puts it to a lot of good uses. An air compressor is a device that compresses air using a pump and releases it in rapid spurts. The different methods of compressing air can be classified as positive displacement or negative displacement. Air compression has many important roles in industrial applications.

In the positive displacement type of air compression, the air is forced into a chamber whose small volume compresses the air. Pistons are used to force the air into the chamber. Another type uses rotary screws which reduce the volume of air as they turn in the chamber. Another form of positive displacement air compressor is the vane compressor with a slotted rotor and vanes moving in and out of the slots to compress the air. The more common air compressor is of a positive displacement type utilizing either pistons, rotary screws or blades.

A negative displacement air compressor uses centrifugal force from a spinning impeller to accelerate and slow down the air and pressurize it. The centrifugal air compressor can be found in internal combustion engines as superchargers and is used in snowmaking operations, gas turbine engines or in large industrial operations.

The pumps used for the air compressor may be either oil-lubricated or oil-less. By design, the centrifugal air compressor does not require oil for lubrication. Oil-less air compressor pump systems are more expensive and are not as durable as oil-lubricated pumps. 

The air compressor is powered by a motor, sometimes referred to as the “prime mover”. It may be either a gas, steam or water turbine, an electric motor and diesel or gas engines. Steam or water turbines are used mostly for large compressors while electric motors, diesel and gas engines are preferred for smaller air compressors like those in cars, boats, trucks, airbrushes, refrigerators, air conditioners and other household applications.

An air compressor may be open, hermetically sealed or semi-hermetically sealed. In a hermetically or semi-hermetically sealed air compressor, the motor and the compressor are integrated in one unit. A hermetically-sealed air compressor cannot be opened for repairs and must be replaced if it breaks down. On the other hand, a semi-hermetically sealed air compressor has gasketed covers which can be opened to replace defective parts in the compressor. An open air compressor, like that found in automobile air conditioning systems, relies on oil-lubricated seals to contain the internal pressure and keep the air from leaking.