Reciprocating compressor calculations

by Dave
(Reno, NV)

Greetings,

I work at a power plant that uses a reciprocating compressor to evacuate gases from a system. It is set up so that the compressor inlet reaches a near vacuum before the unloaders kick in and turn the compressor off. I was wondering if there was a way to calculate how hard of a vacuum can be achieved by this compressor.

I have the original drawings of the book that provide all the information on sizing and operation, however the compressor is older than I am so I can't just contact the vendor.

I have never dealt with a compressor used in this fashion so I thought I would seek help from some pros. Thanks!

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Bill answers....

Greetings Dave:

It seems as though no one else reading your posted question has an answer for you either.

I'm not quite sure what you mean by “how hard” a vacuum. But it's not my area of expertise anyway, so I'm not able to help.

Cheers,

Bill