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Three Stage Compression Horsepower Required to Compress Air

Hydraulic & Pneumatics
Fluids Design and Engineering Data

Horsepower Required to Compress Air, Three-stage Compression

Horsepower required for compressing one cubic foot of free air per minute (isothermally and adiabatically) from atmospheric pressure (14.7 pounds per square inch) to various gage pressures. Three-stage Compression, initial temperature of air, 60°F, jacket-cooling not considered.

Gage
Pressure,
Pounds
Absolute
Pressure,
Pounds
Number
of
Atm
Correct
Ratio
of
Cylinder
Volumes
Intercooler
Gage Pressure,
First
and
Second
Stages
Isothermal Compression
Adiabatic Compression
%
of Saving
over
Two-stage
Compression
Mean
Effective
Pressure*
Hpr
Mean Eff.
Pressure,
*
Theoretical
Mean
Eff.
Pressure plus15%
Friction
Hp
Theoretical
HP
plus
15%
Friction
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
500
550
600
650
700
750
800
850
900
950
1000
1050
1100
1150
1200
1250
1300
1350
1400
1450
1500
1550
1600
114.7
164.7
214.7
264.7
314.7
364.7
414.7
464.7
514.7
564.7
614.7
664.7
714.7
764.7
814.7
864.7
914.7
964.7
1014.7
1064.7
1114.7
1164.7
1214.7
1264.7
1314.7
1364.7
1414.7
1464.7
1514.7
1564.7
1614.7
7.8
11.2
14.6
18.0
21.4
24.8
28.2
31.6
35.0
38.4
41.8
45.2
48.6
52.0
55.4
58.8
62.2
65.6
69.0
72.4
75.8
79.2
82.6
86.0
89.4
92.8
96.2
99.6
103.0
106.4
109.8
1.98
2.24
2.44
2.62
2.78
2.92
3.04
3.16
3.27
3.38
3.47
3.56
3.65
3.73
3.82
3.89
3.95
4.03
4.11
4.15
4.23
4.30
4.33
4.42
4.48
4.53
4.58
4.64
4.69
4.74
4.79
14.4 - 42.9
18.2 - 59.0
21.2 - 73.0
23.8 - 86.1
26.1 - 98.7
28.2 - 110.5
30.0 - 121.0
31.8 - 132.3
33.4 - 142.4
35.0 - 153.1
36.3 - 162.3
37.6 - 171.5
38.9 - 180.8
40.1 - 189.8
41.4 - 199.5
42.5 - 207.8
43.4 - 214.6
44.6 - 224.5
45.7 - 233.3
46.3 - 238.3
47.5 - 248.3
48.5 - 256.8
49.0 - 261.3
50.3 - 272.3
51.3 - 280.8
52.0 - 287.3
52.6 - 293.5
53.5 - 301.5
54.3 - 309.3
55.0 - 317.3
55.8 - 323.3
30.30
35.59
39.50
42.70
45.30
47.30
49.20
51.20
52.70
53.75
54.85
56.00
57.15
58.10
59.00
60.20
60.80
61.72
62.40
63.10
63.80
64.40
65.00
65.60
66.30
66.70
67.00
67.70
68.30
68.80
69.10
0.132
0.155
0.172
0.186
0.197
0.206
0.214
0.223
0.229
0.234
0.239
0.244
0.249
0.253
0.257
0.262
0.265
0.269
0.272
0.275
0.278
0.281
0.283
0.286
0.289
0.291
0.292
0.295
0.298
0.300
0.302
33.30
40.30
45.20
49.20
52.70
55.45
58.25
60.40
62.30
65.00
66.85
67.90
69.40
70.75
72.45
73.75
74.80
76.10
77.20
78.10
79.10
80.15
81.00
82.00
82.90
84.00
84.60
85.30
85.80
86.80
87.60
38.30
46.50
52.00
56.60
60.70
63.80
66.90
69.40
71.70
74.75
76.90
78.15
79.85
81.40
83.25
84.90
86.00
87.50
88.80
90.10
91.10
92.20
93.15
94.30
95.30
96.60
97.30
98.20
98.80
99.85
100.80
0.145
0.175
0.196
0.214
0.229
0.242
0.253
0.263
0.273
0.283
0.291
0.296
0.303
0.309
0.315
0.321
0.326
0.331
0.336
0.340
0.344
0.349
0.353
0.357
0.362
0.366
0.368
0.371
0.374
0.378
0.382
0.167
0.202
0.226
0.246
0.264
0.277
0.292
0.302
0.314
0.326
0.334
0.340
0.348
0.355
0.362
0.369
0.375
0.381
0.383
0.391
0.396
0.401
0.405
0.411
0.416
0.421
0.423
0.426
0.430
0.434
0.438
5.23
5.92
6.67
6.96
7.28
7.64
8.33
8.36
8.38
8.80
8.86
9.02
9.18
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-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
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* Mean Effective Pressure (MEP) is defined as that single pressure rise, above atmospheric, which would require the same horsepower as the actual varying pressures during compression.