Compressor Handbook

Compressors fall into that category of machinery that is ‘‘all around us’’ but of which we are little aware. We find them in our homes and workplaces, and in almost any form of transportation we might use. Compressors serve in refrigeration, engines, chemical processes, gas transmission, manufacturing, and in just about every place where there is a need to move or compress gas.

The many engineering disciplines (e.g. fluid dynamics, thermodynamics, tribology, and stress analysis) involved in designing and manufacturing compressors make it impossible to do much more than just ‘‘hit the high spots,’’ at least in this first edition.

This is such a truly broad field, encompassing so many types and sizes of units, that it is difficult to cover it all in one small volume, representing the work of relatively few authors. Possibly, more than anything else, it will open the door to what must follow - a larger second edition.

In compressors, the areas of greatest concern are those parts with a finite life, such as bearings, seals and valves, or parts that are highly stressed. Treatment of these components takes up a large portion of the handbook, but at the same time space has been given to theory, applications and to some of the different types of compressors.
Much in this handbook is based on empirical principals, so this should serve as a practical guide for designers and manufacturers. There are also test and analysis procedures that all readers will find helpful. There should be something here for anyone who has an interest in compressors.