Double Acting Air Compressor

This double compression cycle is what makes this type of air compressor very efficient.

Double acting air compressor.

A double acting cylinder is a cylinder in which the working fluid acts alternately on both sides of the piston. The air compressor technology used most prevalently for this application is the double acting oil free water cooled reciprocating air compressor. The double acting compressor compresses the air on both the up stroke and the down stroke of the piston doubling the capacity of a given cylinder size. Bottle blowing market is a strong niche market for the double acting oil free reciprocating piston compressors.

Double act ing recip compressor are similar to single acting but they have inlet and discharge valves on both sides of the cylinder. Theoretically a double acting compressor will deliver twice the amount of compressed air compared to a single acting compressor of. When it is a double acting reciprocating air compressor suction stroke is in process at one end of the piston. A single stage double acting air compressor of 150kw power takes air in at 16 bar delivers at 6 bar.

Speed n 160rpm 160 6 0. This gives you two compression cycles for every turn of the crankshaft. While at same time discharge stroke is in process at another end of the piston. Power p 150kw.

In simple word we can say that suction compression took place on both ends of piston cylinder in double acting reciprocating air compressor. The compressor runs at 160rpm with average piston speed of 150 m min. In other words a shock load equivalent to the discharge pressure will be transmitted to any piping or machine connected to the discharge piping and located within twenty eight feet of the compressor. Determine the size of the cylinder.

Piston speed 2ln 150m min. A single acting compressor will have an operating efficiency between 22 24 kw 100 cfm of air. In double acting air compressor air is admitted alternatively to both sides of the piston. The compression follows the law pv 1 35 c.

For a double acting piston design a compressor running at 1 200 rpm will generate a standing wave of 28 4 feet. In order to connect the piston in a double acting cylinder to an external mechanism such as a crank shaft a hole must be provided in one end of the cylinder for the piston rod and this is fitted with a gland or stuffing box to prevent escape of the working fluid.