Reciprocating Compressor Basics

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• Compressors
  . Diaphragm compressors are a modification of the reciprocating compressor. Compression is performed by the flexing of a metal or fabricated diaphragm which is caused by the motion of a reciprocating piston in a cylinder under the diaphragm. The space between the diaphragm and the piston is usually filled...
• Aluminum-Alloy Bearings
  equipment, roll-neck bearings in steel mills, reciprocating compressors, and aircraft equipment. Aluminum alloys require sufficient lubrication, good surface finish, and shafts hardened to about Rockwell B85. They have relatively poor compatibility characteristics and lack embeddability...
• Making light work of big bolts
  . For example, taking off the end nuts on pistons in reciprocating compressors generally calls for clamping the piston rod to torque and untorque the nut. But this can damage the rod surface, which must slide through packing material that is also susceptible to damage. Oftentimes, the nut must be machined...
• Automation On a Budget
  Rand reciprocating compressors with a 2,000-gallon air-storage tank, and they faced the need to replace one of the costly compressors. Conservation turned out to be a better option. One problem was that air pressure throughout the plant was largely unregulated, with various systems ranging from 70...
• Keeping their cool
  in. For journal bearings in automotive and reciprocating aircraft engines (with highly finished bearing surfaces) that range is about 0.0001 to 0.0002 in. A rule of thumb says diametral clearance the space between bearing and shaft surfaces when the two parts are concentric to one another should...

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