The 3 Most Common Types of Compressors and Their Uses

It doesn’t matter which sector you are working in, you will need an air compressor for some of your equipment at some point. They are categorized as dynamic or positive displacement units, but the main idea is that it makes tasks easier for your factory, company, or corporation. Some people say that they are the most necessary appliances to get because you never know when you would want a different/alternative power source, especially when you’re far away from a main power line/supply. Compressors are also very useful in cold rooms or cold storage facilities. You can prefer it for your work or business operations.

So, we’ve come up with three of the most commonly used types of compressors that might interest you.

1- Reciprocating (Piston) Compressor

These are very common and quite helpful compressors to get; it’s one of the most familiar compressors available in the market. They are mostly very affordable and considered to be one of the lowest costs when it comes to purchasing prices. The manufacturers and suppliers at Ablesales believe that a cheap air compressor doesn’t make it a bad one because these piston units are one of the highest quality ones that you could get. So, you don’t have to worry about any quality or performance issues.

They are designed to work conveniently for low duty cycle operations and it has an air receiver tank that’s included with the purchase. This would be the ideal unit for air-conditioning systems, refineries, pipelines for gas transmission, refrigeration units, chemical plants, and home renovations too. The way it works is via the piston inside the cylinder and it gets the air to build enough pressure by displacing and compressing it. You could ask for a single or multistage design for your compressor, depending on your needs and what you’ll use it for. It’s nice to have the variation of the models to see the different pressure ranges; it helps you find the right one that is perfectly suited for your project.

Reciprocating (Piston) Compressor

2- Rotary Vane Compressor

Another important type has to be these rotary vane units, making them another commonly used compressor worldwide. Even though they are common, various manufacturers don’t make them much anymore compared to other compressors; this makes it quite difficult for a lot of sectors to find spare parts for repairs. They’re designed to have a circle-shaped casing that has the vanes and rotors spinning to add enough pressure from the inlet opening to the outlet one. People can use this for automotive tools and equipment, spray painting, dry cleaning machines, some manufacturing machines that need high air pressure, medical and dental tools or equipment used for surgery, woodworking tools, vacuum sealing containers for pharmaceutical companies, and plastic molding.

It’s used for continuous duty and they’re designed to give you a considerable pulsation-free air flow to the equipment and tools you use. But the constant use can lead to quicker oil-carry over and higher chances of getting worn down. This is a challenge for a lot of sectors since rebuilding, repairing, or supporting the model might get expensive because of the lack of service parts in some areas of the world. DV System compressors would be ideal for continuous use applications where reliable, dry, clean air is required.

3-Centrifugal Compressor

They are also known as radial compressors and they are a type of dynamic and work-absorbing turbo-machines. They are designed to give you enough pressure by mixing the fluid with kinetic energy, making it constantly flow through the impeller mechanism. The idea comes from the Bernoulli principle where the entire process of the energy from fluid pressure and potential elevation of that energy will remain constant. People use this unit in regulating, storing, and transmitting natural gas, power plants, gas injection equipment, refineries, chemical machinery, large-scale manufacturing projects, onshore or offshore gas lifts, and possible construction projects.

The great thing about this type is that you won’t have to worry about maintenance because it requires very minimal checkups. Even though they’re huge and can reach around 1000 horsepower, it’s one of the most ideal units to have for any big-scale project related to manufacturing and construction. You could ask for types that can produce oil-free air for better results and remember that it follows a multi-phase process. This is how it can cool and slow the air coming through the diffuser appropriately to give you enough potential energy.

Believe it or not, every industry and business sector has numerous compressors, such as rotary screw compressors, to choose from. Picking one depends on what they need it for and what type of results they want from it. Some of them are easy to maintain and use while others might prove a bit challenging. But either way, these units are designed accordingly to meet your requirements and needs. This makes your equipment, tools, and projects run smoothly and with minimal setbacks.