Different Types Of Air Compressors Available Today

Most of us have used an air compressor to do very simple things such as inflate bicycle and car tires. However, they are also used with many other devices such as wrenches, nail guns, and spray guns. There are many different types of air compressors that are made. The type that you purchase will depend upon what you will need it for. Let’s go over the different kinds of air compressors that are sold today, and then show you how you can get discounts on the one that you want.

The Three Different Kinds Of Air Compressors Overview

There are several different types of air compressors including reciprocating, rotary screw air compressors, and those that are rotary centrifugal. They are further designated based upon different features that they will have which include how many different compression stages are involved, how they are cooled, how the motor runs, lubrication, and whether or not they are packaged or custom-built per your request. Let’s first take a look at reciprocating air compressors and why so many people use these particular units.

What Are Reciprocating Air Compressors?

These are also referred to as positive displacement machines. This simply refers to the fact that they will increase air pressure by simply reducing the volume of the air in the unit. Subsequently, successive volumes of air, pushed into these enclosed spaces, can increase the overall pressure making it go higher quite rapidly. These reciprocating air compressors can do this by a piston which is moving rapidly within a cylinder. It becomes the compressing and displacing component of this particular air compressor and can be single or double stage. Single stage compressors can go all the way up to 100 psi, whereas the two-stage compressors can go up to 250 psi. Some of the reasons that people preferred this particular type of system is that they can be single or double-acting which means the piston can be used to compress air either on one side or both. People that do not like this particular one will gravitate toward what is called a rotary screw compressor, the next compressor that we are going to discuss.

What Is A Rotary Screw Compressor?

These are also referred to as positive displacement compressors. The most common models are single stage spiral or helical. They use an oil flooded screw to compress the air and will have two rotors that will cause the air to be compressed rapidly. These do not have valves which are preferable in some cases. They are oil cooled in comparison to those that use water or air. All of the cooling takes place inside of the compressor, and therefore there are no working parts that will ever superheat. This makes them very easy to maintain which is one of the primary reasons that people would prefer owning one of these air compressors. They also have a capacity control which can augment the speed and displacement of the air that is being compressed. The advantages of using this particular compressor are that it is very smooth. It delivers pulse-free air, unlike positive displacement machines. It also will deliver a much higher output regarding the volume of air, and it will last much longer in most cases than other models. There is one final air compressor that is used which is called day centrifugal compressor.

What Is A Centrifugal Compressor?

These are dynamic compressors which use a rotating impeller to transfer the energy necessary to compress the air. They have a high-pressure discharge which is possible because of the angular momentum that is delivered by the dynamic displacement component. They are designed for high capacity as the others, and the flow is continuous while it is in use. It is possible to adjust what are called the inlet guide vanes, something very common on most centrifugal compressors. If you close these guide vanes, it can reduce the capacity and volumetric flows. It is oil free, and may also use air to cool the unit down.

Other Types Of Compressors To Consider

There are a few other names that you will find online for air compressors that are currently being sold. There is the axial flow air compressor which is a high-speed large capacity compressor which has a centrifugal component. There are two rows of blades that spin. You can augment the velocity and pressure using controls on the unit. There is also a roots blower compressor which can discharge the air at a very low level and can either be a single or double stage unit. There are a couple of rotors involved, each going in different directions, and this is what allows it to function so effectively. You can also find these for sale with positive displacement and dynamic air compressors that are sold, units that are used by industrial companies across the country. However, you may simply need this for your airgun, or a painting job that you have coming up. You will always be able to find one that will accommodate the tools that you will use it for. Looking at reviews also helps so that you will know right away if it is a reliable machine. Just make sure that you choose one that is designed to work with the tools that you will be using before placing your order.

This basic overview of how the different compressors work should give you a general idea of how they could be used to your advantage. Whether you decide to purchase a reciprocating air compressor, a centrifugal compressor, or one of the rotary screw compressors, it’s going to be very helpful with any project that you have in mind. You can also find discounts online where they are selling these different compressors. You can find them by searching for a dynamic, positive displacement, or rotary centrifugal machines. It will be very easy to have one sent out to your location, allowing you to complete the work that you need to do which requires the use of a compressor.