4.

8ENERGY PERFORMANCE
ASSESSMENT OF
COMPRESSORS

Purpose of the Performance

Test
Actual Free Air Delivery (FAD) of the
compressor
Isothermal power required
Volumetric efficiency
Specific power requirement

Performance Terms and

Definitions
Compression ratio

: Absolute discharge pressure of last stage

Absolute intake pressure

Isothermal Power

: It is the least power required to compress the air

assuming isothermal conditions.

Isothermal Efficiency

: The ratio of Isothermal power to shaft power

Volumetric efficiency

: The ratio of Free air delivered to compressor swept

volume

Specific power requirement: The ratio of power consumption (in kW ) to the

volume delivered at ambient conditions.

Measurement of Free Air Delivery

(FAD) by Nozzle method
Principle: If specially shaped nozzle discharge air to the atmosphere from a receiver
getting its supply from a compressor, sonic flow conditions sets in at the nozzle throat
for a particular ratio of upstream pressure (receiver) to the downstream pressure
(atmospheric) i.e. Mach number equals one.
When the pressure in the receiver is kept constant for a reasonable intervals of time,
the airflow output of the compressor is equal to that of the nozzle and can be
calculated from the known characteristic of the nozzle.

Arrangement of test equipment

P1

T1

P2

FILTER

RECEIVER

AIR COMPRESSOR

P2-P3=2P4
P3

P4

T3
THROTTLE
VALVE

Nozzle

DISCHARGE TO
ATMOSPHERE

P 3 P4

FLOW
STRAIGHTENER

BY-PASS

Figure 8.1: Test Arrangement for Measurement of Compressed Air Flow

Test nozzle sizes

mm

Measurements and duration of

the test
The compressor is started with the air from the receiver discharging to the atmosphere
through the flow nozzle. It should be ensured that the pressure drop through the throttle
valve should be equal to or twice the pressure beyond the throttle. After the system is
stabilized the following measurements are carried out:

The above readings are taken for the 40%, 60%, 100% and 110% of discharge pressure
values.

Calculation Procedure for Nozzle Method

T 2( P3 P4 )( P3 x Ra )

Free air delivered , Q f (m s / sec) k x x d 2 x 1 x

4
P1
T3

:
Flow coefficient as per IS
:
Nozzle diameter M
: Absolute inlet temperature oK
Absolute inlet pressure kg/cm2
:
:Absolute Pressure before nozzle kg/cm2
:Absolute temperature before nozzle oK
:Gas constant for air 287.1 J/kg k
:Differential pressure across the nozzle kg/cm2

I.
k
d
T1
P1
P3
T3
Ra
P3-P4
II.

Isothermal Efficiency

Isothermal power (kW )

P1
Qf
r
III.

=
=
=

1/ 2

Isothermal power / Input power

P1 x Q f x log e r
36.7

Absolute intake pressure kg/ cm2

Free air delivered m3/hr.
Pressure ratio P2/P1

Specific power consumption at rated disch arg e pressure

Power consumption, kW
Free air delivered , m3 / hr

Volumetric efficiency
IV.

Volumetric efficiency

Free air delivered m3/min x 100

Compressor displacement, m3/min

Compressor Displacement

x D2 x L x S x x n
4
Cylinder bore, metre
Cylinder stroke, metre
Compressor speed rpm
1 for single acting and
2 for double acting cylinders
No. of cylinders

D
L
S

=
=
=
=

Example
Calculation of Isothermal Efficiency for a Reciprocating Air Compressor.
Step 1 : Calculate Volumetric Flow Rate
k
d
P2
P1
T1
P3
T3
P3 P4
Ra

:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:

Flow coefficient (Assumed as 1)

Nozzle diameter : 0.08 metre
Receiver Pressure - 3.5 kg / cm2 (a)
Inlet Pressure - 1.04 kg / cm2(a)
Inlet air temperature 30oC or 303oK
Pressure before nozzle 1.08 kg / cm2
Temperature before the nozzle 40oC or 313oK
Pressure drop across the nozzle = 0.036 kg / cm2
Gas constant
: 287 Joules / kg K

Free Air Delivered Qf = k x x d2 x T1 x 2 (P3-P4) (P3 x Ra)

4
P1
T3
= 1 x ?x (0.08)2 x 303 x
4
1.04
3
= 0.391 m /sec
= 1407.6 m3 / h.

2 x 0.036 x 1.08 x 287

313

Step 2 : Calculate Isothermal Power Requirement

Isothermal Power (kW)

= P1 x Qf x loger
36.7

P1 - Absolute intake pressure

= 1.04 kg / cm2 (a)

Qf -Free Air Delivered

= 1407.6 m3 / h.

Compression ratio
Isothermal Power

r = 3.5
1.04

= 3.36

= 1.04 x 1407.6 x loge3.36 = 48.34 kW

36.7

Step 3 : Calculate Isothermal Efficiency

Motor input power
Motor and drive efficiency
Compressor input power

= 100 kW
= 86 %
= 86 kW

Isothermal efficiency

= Isothermal Power x 100

Compressor input Power
= 48.34 x 100
86.0

= 56%

Assessment of Specific Power

requirement
Specific power consumption = Actual power consumed by the compressor
Measured Free Air Delivery
In the above example the measured flow is 1407.6 m 3/hr and actual power consumption is
100 kW.
Specific power requirement =

100
1407.6

= 0.071 kW/m3/hr

Measurement of FAD by Pump

Up Method:Example
An instrument air compressor capacity test gave the following results (assume the final
compressed air temperature is same as the ambient temperature) Comment?
Piston displacement
Theoretical compressor capacity
Compressor rated rpm 750
Receiver Volume
Additional hold up volume,
i.e., pipe / water cooler, etc., is
Total volume
Initial pressure P1
Final pressure P2
Atmospheric pressure P0

:
:
:
:

16.88 m3/minute
14.75 m3/minute @ 7 kg/cm2
Motor rated rpm : 1445
7.79 m3

:
:
:
:
:

Compressor output m3/minute

0.4974 m3
8.322 m3
0.5 kg/cm2
7.03 kg/cm2
1.026 kg/cm2,a
P2 P1 Total Volume
Atm. Pressure Pumpup time

7.03 0.5 8.322

= 13.17 m3/minute

1.026 4.021
Capacity shortfall with respect to 14.75 m3/minute rating is 1.577 m3/minute i.e.,
10.69 %, which indicates compressor performance needs to be investigated further.