Who invented screw compressor

In , a rail system was installed between Italy and France that bore an eight-mile tunnel full of workers. Because oxygen can quickly get used up in such environments, air compressors were responsible for moving air into the tunnel.

Half a century earlier was when air compressors appeared as more than just a way to move air — it also dawned on people they could transport energy. A plant in Wales used compressed air to power its workings in the s. This gave rise to the idea that this might be even more effective than steam power, which was the height of technology of the day.

The very same rail tunnel that used air compressors for ventilation also used them for power. This came in the form of pneumatic drills, which both the French and Italian teams used to blast through rock inside the tunnel. Also known as a jackhammer, a pneumatic drill uses compressed air to power the up and down motion of its hammer. A bit of a historical hiccup was occurring around this time. As compressed air grew in popularity, it created such a fervor that many believed it to be a way of the future.

People in Paris thought it would replace electricity powering their city and others around the globe. In , the engineer Viktor Popp — an unpromising name for a man specializing in high-pressure air systems — introduced the first compressor plant to Europe.

This plant went from producing kW to 12 times that amount just three years later. At that time, it seemed compressed air was heading toward a very different kind of future. As debates over whether compressed air would render electricity obsolete in Europe raged in Paris, the entire world seemed to be gearing up for its adoption. And while compressed air never did replace electricity, it did come to dominate in other areas.

The twentieth century saw the air compressor go from a large, bulky engine that clanked and hissed to the sleek devices we know and love today. They say necessity is the mother of invention.

But air compressors created a lot of new possibilities, which in turn increased the need for better air compressors — so, in a way, this invention was the mother of its own necessity. The twentieth century was an exciting century indeed, but World War I broke out soon after it started. While such a war caused unthinkable amounts of tragedy, it also had a positive upshot: it created a wave of new technology.

WWI introduced several new technologies to the world stage, all of which relied heavily on compressed air, including:. How did the United States manage to captivate the entire world in the s? Of course, there was television, radio and cultural appeal — but perhaps nothing dazzled humanity like the dizzying heights of our cities and skyscrapers.

With a booming population and a national attitude of unbridled optimism, Americans got to work building the cityscapes of the future. As it turned out, there was an awful lot of use for air compressors in such endeavors. When Charles Lindbergh crossed the Atlantic in the summer of , it was a momentous year for America.

It was not long before large planes dotted the sky, ferrying passengers to faraway lands with speed that had once been unthinkable. Wartime aircraft was a significant driver of air compressor technology. It is difficult to name a single part of an airplane or jet that is not created using compressed air — and this technology only grew more powerful as wars demanded increased production. The helicopter came into play in , but it was during the Korean War when they proved to be invaluable.

These aircraft are now among the best means of emergency medical transportation, moving quickly from place to place and performing other necessary tasks, like weather and traffic monitoring.

Helicopters are not only manufactured using compressed air, but they also use air compression in their engines. Finally, there are airports, which are among some of the most prominent structures on earth. They began popping up everywhere in the United States in the 30s and 40s, and they sometimes assume a scale that is hard to imagine.

For example, the Denver International Airport, completed in , covers an area of 53 square miles — nearly three times the size of the island of Manhattan. Air compressors had developed rapidly over the preceding century, making the quick construction possible. The s began with war and ended with prosperity. Over the coming years, this success flourished in a way we had never been seen before. What was occurring was a revolution in middle-class living, and little could have summarized it better than the growth of suburban America.

The idea was simple but revolutionary: to create tidy, manicured homes in tidy, manicured neighborhoods. These would be located just outside of cities, which would combine the quiet of country life with the convenience and community of city life. It seemed everyone wanted a square foot house, a dog named Rover and 2. William Levitt was a federal government employee who dreamed up mass-producible homes. He implemented his plan on Long Island, where he built a neighborhood of two-bedroom dwellings geared toward family life.

As these homes became more in demand, he used air compressors wherever possible to speed up construction. People flocked toward the business model, so he did what any entrepreneur does when buoyed by success — he built more. At one point, Levitt was overseeing the building of 36 homes every day. But the next 50 years of rotary screw technology likely lies in the desires of the customer.

The technology is well developed and understood. Now, changes in customer demand will likely drive development. More energy-efficient compressors. Quieter compressors. Compressors which have a smaller footprint. Compressors which have less environmental impact throughout the value chain. View our Privacy Policy. Skip to main content.

Which Came First, the Rotary Screw or…. November 23, David Andrews. Patentblatt Patent Gazette dated November 14, Everyone involved in rotary screw compressors knows the story. SRM Fast forward to the next century where we pick up the familiar story.

Alf Lysholm likely would have enjoyed this era of compressor development very much! Simultaneously with this process, oil is injected into the system. With the outflow, compression is completed and simultaneously the final pressure is reached. The heat energy caused by this is absorbed by the injected oil and conducted to the oil cooler.

The additional tasks of the injected oil consist of entraining the non-driven rotor via a lubricating film and through its sealing effect, preventing internal leakages. After passing through the intake regulator 3 , the air reaches the compressor stage 4 and is compressed.

This oil has the functions: Cooling, Sealing and Lubricating. However, the oil also seals the gap between the pairs of runners and the housing and it lubricates bearings and screw flanks, as well as the transmission.

An oil separator 6 completes the remaining separation. It is subsequently fed into the compressed air system via the shut-off valve 9. The oil circuit, in addition, contains a thermostatic oil regulation valve item The rotary screw air compressor has become the most popular source of compressed air for industrial applications.

A major reason is its simple compression concept. Air enters a sealed chamber where it is trapped between two contra-rotating rotors.