Air Compressor Glossary & Terms
Here are a few terms related to air compressors and a definition for each, a mini dictionary, air compressor vocabulary.
Glossary
- Aftercoolers
- Designed to reduce the temperature and liquefy condensate vapors.
- Air Dryer
- A device that is generally associated with larger air compressor systems that helps with the removal of water from the tank and line.
- Check Valve
- A device that allows fluid or air to flow in only one direction.
- Coalescing filter
- A specific type of filter that not only works to remove dust and particles from the air, but also oil from the air lines.
- Cubic Feet Per Minute (CFM)
- The volume of air that is able to pass through an opening in one minute.
- Desiccant
- A material used with air compressors and air dryers that helps to remove water vapor from the air.
- Drain Cock
- Used to release accumulated moisture from the compressor tank (Also see drain valve).
- Drain Valve
- A drain valve works to remove surplus liquid from the compressor. There are manual, float and electronic types of drain valves.
- Dryer
- Compressor tanks are made of steel, when water gets into the tank, the tank can rust thus reducing the life of the compressor. A dryer dries the air in the tank, reducing the amount of water collected.
- Dual Stage
- Compressors where air is compressed from initial pressure to an intermediate pressure in one or more cylinders.
- Duty Cycle
- Amount of time that a compressor can operate at full load over a thirty minute time period.
- Filter Efficiency
- The rate of which a filter can remove particles from an air flow.
- Filter housing
- Cover which protects the filter assembly.
- Kick-in Pressure
- Factory set low pressure point of the pressure switch that starts the compressor to re-pressurize the tank to a higher pressure.
- Kick-out Pressure
- Factory set high pressure point of the pressure switch that stops the compressor from increasing the pressure in the tank above a certain level.
- Load Time
- The time it takes for a compressor to go from load to unload.
- Low oil shutoff
- A feature which shuts off the engine if it runs low on oil, preventing damage or failure.
- Oil free compressor
- Air compressor that has no oil inserted into the compression chamber for lubrication, cooling or sealing. Typically used in the medical and food processing field.
- Pneumatic
- Related to the movement of air.
- Pneumatic power
- Compressed air power.
- Point of use
- An outlet in a building used to connect tools or equipment to the air compressor system.
- Pounds Per Square Inch (PSI)
- A unit of measurement referring to the pressure applied on one square inch of an object's surface.
- Pressure Switch
- An instrument which senses a change in pressure and automatically adds or decreases air in the tank.
- Preventative Maintenance (PM)
- A maintenance program performed on a fixed schedule that includes compressor service as well as routine repair and replacement of parts.
- Purging
- The elimination of undesired gas or liquid from a system.
- Receiver
- Generally a tank used for storage of compressed air. Often times in large air compressor systems there can be a primary and secondary receiver.
- Reciprocating Compressor
- A reciprocating compressor uses pistons driven by a crankshaft to deliver air at high pressure.
- Rotary Screw Compressor
- A compressor which utilizes two intermeshing helical rotors to trap a volume of air, then compress it to a higher pressure. Rotary screw compressors can be run at lower temperatures for 24 hours per day, 365 days a year.
- Safety valve
- A valve which limits fluid pressure by releasing some of the pressurized liquid or gas. a.k.a. Pressure Relief Valve.
- Single Stage
- A compressor in which the air is compressed from initial pressure to final pressure in one step.
- Unloader
- A valve that is between the compressor pump and tank. It opens when the compressor stops, that "psssssst" sound. This enables the compressor to start easier the next time.
- Vacuum Pumps
- A vacuum pump is a compressor that operates with an intake pressure below atmospheric and discharge pressure.