Compressor

How it is used

Used in compressed air systems, refrigeration, HVAC and gas plants. Common types are screw, reciprocating (piston), scroll and centrifugal compressors. People talk about a compressor's capacity, discharge pressure, load and unload cycles and energy use.

Example sentences

1. The screw compressor supplies compressed air to the whole plant at 7 bar.

2. Leaks in the air lines make the compressor run much longer than necessary.

Common collocations

• air compressor
• screw compressor
• compressed air
• compressor capacity
• discharge pressure

Related terms

• pressureThe force with which a liquid or gas pushes on each unit of area. It is measured in pascals, bar or psi.
• chillerA refrigeration machine that cools water or a water-glycol mixture, which is then pumped to air handling units, fan coils or process equipment.
• refrigerantThe working fluid in a refrigeration or air conditioning system. It absorbs heat when it evaporates and releases heat when it condenses; R-32 and R-134a are examples.
• efficiencyThe ratio of useful output to input, usually given as a percentage. A pump with 75% efficiency turns three quarters of its input power into useful work.
• heat pumpA device that uses a refrigeration cycle to move heat from a cooler place, such as outdoor air or the ground, to a warmer place for heating, or the other way round for cooling.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

• compressor · Chemical Engineering

More terms: Fluid Mechanics, Pumps and Valves

• flow rate
• pump
• valve
• viscosity
• pressure drop
• turbulent flow
• CFD