Reciprocating Compressors

A reciprocating compressor is a positive-displacement machine that uses a piston to compress a gas and deliver it at high pressure. They are often some of the most critical and expensive systems at a production facility, and deserve special attention.The working principle of a reciprocating air compressor is to draw gas through an inlet, and then move the gas through a cavity or chamber that decreases in size. This compresses the gas and by doing so the gas within the chamber increases in pressure.There are four main advantages to choosing reciprocating air compressors. These advantages include flexibility of use, higher pressure generation, high efficiencies achieved, and the efficiency of use in intermittent cycling.Air compressors work by forcing atmospheric air under pressure to create potential energy that can be stored in a tank for later use. Just like an open balloon, the pressure builds up when the compressed air is deliberately released, converting the potential energy into usable kinetic energy.