| | An air compressor is a device that converts power (using an electric motor, diesel or gasoline engine, etc.) into potential energy
stored in pressurized air (i.e., compressed air). By one of several methods, an air compressor forces more and more air into a
storage tank, increasing the pressure. When the tank's pressure reaches its engineered upper limit, the air compressor shuts
off. The compressed air, then, is held in the tank until called into use.[1] The energy contained in the compressed air can be
used for a variety of applications, utilizing the kinetic energy of the air as it is released and the tank depressurizes. When tank
pressure reaches its lower limit, the air compressor turns on again and re-pressurizes the tank. An air compressor must be
differentiated from a pump because it works for any gas/air, while pumps work on a liquid. | |
