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Definition of portable air compressors and what types could you pick from?




An air compressor is a device that converts power (using an electric motor, diesel or gasoline engine, etc.) into potential energy stored in pressurized air (i.e., compressed air). By one of several methods, an air compressor forces more and more air into a storage tank, increasing the pressure. The energy contained in the compressed air can be used for a variety of applications, utilizing the kinetic energy of the air as it is released and the tank depressurizes.

Air compressor types

And while there are compressors that use rotating impellers to generate air pressure, positive-displacement compressors are more common and include the models used by homeowners, woodworkers, mechanics and contractors. Here, air pressure is increased by reducing the size of the space that contains the air.

Just like a little internal combustion engine, a traditional engine compressor has a crankshaft, a connecting rod and engine, a cylinder and a valve head. The crankshaft is driven by either an electrical motor or a gas engine. Although there are small versions that are consisted of just the pump and motor, most compressors have an air tank to contain a quantity of air within a preset pressure range. The compressed air in the tank steers the air tools, and the motor moves on and off to automatically sustain pressure in the tank.

At the top of the cylinder, you'll discover a valve head that secures the inlet and discharge valves. Both are simply thin metal flaps-- one mounted underneath and one placed at the top of the valve plate. As the piston goes down, a vacuum is produced over it. This allows outside air at atmospheric pressure to push open the inlet valve and fill the area above the engine. As the piston moves up, the air above it compresses, keeps the inlet valve shut and pushes the discharge valve open. The air moves from the discharge port to the tank. With each movement, more air goes into the tank and the pressure arises.

Typical compressors can be found in 1- or 2-cylinder versions to suit the requirements of the tools they power. On the homeowner/contractor level, a lot of the 2-cylinder versions work just like single-cylinder versions, except that there are 2 strokes per revolution rather than one. Some commercial 2-cylinder compressors are 2-stage compressors-- one engine pumps air in to a 2nd cylinder that even more boosts pressure.

Compressors use a pressure switch to stop the motor when tank pressure reaches a preset limit-- about 125 psi for many single-stage models. The air line will include a regulator that you set to match the pressure requirements of the tool you're using. The pressure switch may also incorporate an unloader valve that reduces tank pressure when the compressor is turned off.