Horsepower Required to Compress Air
Calculate horsepower required by air compressors using adiabatic compression formula
Horsepower Required to Compress Air
Calculate the theoretical horsepower required for adiabatic compression of air using the formula:
HP = (144 N P1 V k / (33000 (k - 1))) ((P2 / P1)^((k - 1) / (N k)) - 1)
Where:
- HP = horsepower
- N = number of compression stages
- k = 1.41 (adiabatic expansion coefficient)
- P1 = absolute initial atmospheric pressure (psi)
- P2 = absolute final pressure after compression (psi)
- V = volume of air at atmospheric pressure (scfm, ft³/min)
Note: Add 15-20% for friction losses in practical applications.