A diaphragm compressor compresses air using a flexible diaphragm instead of a piston system. It works by moving the diaphragm up and down to compress air, which is then stored for later use. It is used in a variety of applications and is suitable for compressing toxic or explosive gases.
A diaphragm compressor is a device designed to compress or pressurize atmospheric air for immediate storage or use by displacement of a flexible membrane or diaphragm. This rather technical definition simply means that a diaphragm compressor is an air compressor that uses the flexing of a rubber or silicone diaphragm to compress air rather than a piston system. Conventional air compressors use a piston and crankshaft arrangement much like a car engine to compress air. Diaphragm compressors, or diaphragm compressors as they are also known, use a crankshaft and rod to flex a diaphragm which compresses the air due to the displacement phenomenon.
One of the easiest ways to demonstrate these principles is to consider an example. If an empty plastic syringe is pinched with a finger and the plunger is slowly depressed, you will feel an increase in tension on the plunger. This is due to the compression of the air column in the syringe tube. If a sheet or blanket is held on all four corners by two people and flapped up and down, a noticeable draft is generated. These two phenomena are the result of the movement or displacement of air by a solid object.
In a conventional piston compressor, the column of air in the piston sleeve is compressed in the same way as the air in the syringe. When the piston reaches its maximum stroke, a valve opens allowing the compressed air to travel to a pressure vessel, where it is stored for later use. When the piston returns to its lowest point, it draws more air into the cylinder and the process begins again.
A diaphragm compressor achieves the same result by moving a flexible diaphragm or diaphragm up and down by means of a crankshaft and rod assembly in the same manner as the deck is agitated. The resulting air displacement causes the air to be compressed in a chamber equipped with the same type of valves found in a conventional piston compressor. Aside from the obvious operational differences, the compression cycle remains the same. The diaphragm rises and compresses the air, which leaves the chamber through the outlet valve. The diaphragm then draws fresh air into the chamber on its downward stroke, and the cycle repeats.
The diaphragm compressor is used in a wide variety of applications, from small 1/8 horsepower models capable of producing 50 pounds per square inch (PSI) or less of continuous pressure to massive 6,000 PSI industrial gas compressors. The diaphragm compressor is particularly suitable for hobby applications such as airbrush painting and the compression of toxic or explosive gases due to the fact that metal-to-metal friction is minimized.
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