Compressor

A compressor is a mechanical device that increases the pressure of a gas by reducing its volume, typically by drawing in a volume of gas and forcing it out through a narrower outlet. Many compressors operate in multiple stages, each stage compressing already pressurized gas further without sacrificing efficiency. Compressors fall into two broad families: positive displacement types such as reciprocating, rotary screw, scroll and diaphragm compressors, which reduce volume mechanically, and dynamic types such as centrifugal and axial compressors, which use rotating impellers or airfoils to accelerate the gas. They serve widely in refrigeration and air conditioning systems, natural gas pipeline transport, industrial processes, pneumatic tools, and in turbocharging and supercharging engines.