Air Compression With Temperatures Above Adiabatic, With Special Reference to Airplane Superchargers

In compressing air or other gases by means of reciprocating or centrifugal compressors of comparatively large size, with large cooling areas and often water-jacketed, an appreciable amount of heat is removed which helps to decrease the power input. This cooling, however, is by no means essential, and under many circumstances decrease of power for compression by cooling is not very great. Furthermore, conditions are often encountered which make cooling inadvisable. In the present paper the author outlines the mathematical theory to be used when due consideration of all of the circumstances indicates that a compressor with a small amount of cooling is the most advantageous.