Why Are Intercoolers Used in Compressors?
Nov 18, 2022
Why are intercoolers used in compressors?
In a multi-stage compression system, the intercooler has two functions.
To reduce the temperature of the gas entering the next stage. A high compression ratio leads to a significant increase in temperature at each stage. If the temperature is not reduced between stages, the compressed gas will exceed the temperature limits of the compressor unit, leading to mechanical damage.
Allows condensation and separation of any heavy gas components and water vapour in the gas stream. The gas passing through the intercooler is partially condensed into a liquid, which is then separated out by gravity. This reduces the workload in the next stage as less gas has to be compressed.
