Volume flow rate measured in cubic meters per minute (or per hour).

The ratio of the actual velocity at a given point to the velocity of sound in the same gas at the conditions existing at this point. These are known as local conditions.

Piping of a number of cylinders or tubes into a common inlet or outlet.

An inspection cover or port in an air receiver tank.

Data which is found on the pressure vessel nameplate and is the maximum pressure at which the lowest set safety valve must be set (stamped).

The highest operating pressure the system or component is designed to withstand.

An oily condensate discharged by lubricated air compressors. The name is derived from the appearance of the condensate. Under normal conditions oily condensate should just be cloudy, like a small amount of milk in a bucket of water. When a lubricated compressor goes wrong, then the condensate becomes thick and sticky, in fact, almost identical in appearance to the name it has been given.

The ratio of the indicated power to shaft input.

A mat of fibers that provide a barrier to particles entrained in the flow of air or gas.

Carry over of particles or contaminant from the filter or other filter materials into the clean side of the air flow.

The material (paper, wire, cellulose or a combination thereof) from which the filter element is constructed and is what performs the actual filtration or separation.

Reduce dew point by passing compressed air through a bundle of hollow membrane fibers; water vapor and a portion of the compressed air then permeate the membrane walls and vent to atmosphere.

The number of openings in a square inch of screen or sieve. It is equal to the square of the number of strands of metal or plastic screening per lineal inch. Standard US mesh screen # 16 equates to a 1.19 millimeter particle diameter, mesh size #40 is 0.42 millimeters.

An instrument more generally suited to laboratory testing than to field measurements. It is difficult to use in the field, because of the levering and mounting requirements. These instruments are used to measure very low pressures accurately down to + / - one thousandth (0.001) inch of water gage (in. wg).  If field measurements below 0.03 in. wg (700 fpm) are required, it is best to use a 0. to 0.25" inclined manometer, a micromanometer or hot wire anemometer.

Micrometer or one millionth of a meter; micron is sometimes represented in filtration by the Greek letter µ (mu).  A micron is 0.000039".  Contaminant particles are measured by micron size and count.

A measurement applied to filters or filter media to indicate the particle size at which suspended solids above that size will be removed.

A unit of atmospheric pressure equal to 1,000 dynes per sq. cm. or approximately 1/32 in. of mercury.

The most commonly used lubricating oil for compressors.

Millions of cubic feet per 24 hour.

System which adapts to varying demand by throttling the compressor inlet proportionally to the demand.

The air compressor continues to run and air supply is matched to the demand by partial unloading.  This can be accomplished by a regulator controlled floating inlet or by step unloading.

A unit designed to separate condensate from the compressed air stream.

A device designed to enable accumulated liquids to be held for draining in a compressed air system.

A solid adsorbent used for drying compressed air.

Short for "Molecular Sieve"; it is a synthetic zeolite adsorbent capable of selectively removing contaminants or separating components of a feed stream.  In air separation it is used to remove CO₂, water, and hydrocarbons from air. It is used in temperature swing adsorbers (TSA), as well as in pressure-swing adsorbers (PSA).

All matter consists of molecules which are in constant motion, but which are held together by molecular forces. In a solid the molecules are closely packed and arranged in such a pattern that the influence of the molecular forces is very strong. This gives the solid its consistency and form. Molecular motion consists largely of oscillations around points of equilibrium. In a liquid the molecules are about as close as in a solid, but they are not arranged in a lattice and the cohesive forces are weaker. The molecules are more mobile in relation to each other, whereby the characteristic liquid phase develops; the liquid accommodated itself to the walls of the containing vessel, and its free surface aligns itself horizontally in response to the force of gravity. In a gas, however, the molecules are farther apart, and they move freely about each other since the molecular forces are not as strong. A gas therefore expands through space and mixes with other gasses present. The total volume of the molecules in a gas is very small in relation to the volume of the gas. A gas can therefore be compressed into a small part of its original volume.

In spray painting applications, blotches of metallic or mica particles in a paint film that are caused by insufficient compressed air.

Combination minimum pressure valve and check valve.

Material Safety Data Sheets.

Two or more compressors, each with a separate casing, driven by a single driver, forming a single unit.

A dynamic compressor having two or more rows of rotating elements operating in series on a single rotor and in a single casing.

Compressors having two or more stages operating in series.

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