compressor cylinger unloading reduces the capacity of a reciprocating compressor by

Compressor cylinder unloading refers to the process of reducing the capacity or output of a reciprocating compressor. When a compressor cylinder is unloaded, it means that one or more cylinders are taken out of operation, effectively reducing the amount of compressed air that the compressor can produce.

To understand how compressor cylinder unloading reduces the capacity of a reciprocating compressor, it is important to first understand how a reciprocating compressor works. Reciprocating compressors consist of one or more cylinders, pistons, and valves. As the piston moves back and forth inside the cylinder, it compresses the air, which is then discharged through the valves.

There are various methods of unloading a cylinder in a reciprocating compressor, such as:

1. Cylinder bypass: This method involves redirecting the compressed air from the cylinder directly back to the suction side of the compressor. By doing so, the compressed air does not get discharged and the cylinder operates without compressing any additional air.

2. Cylinder clearance: In this method, the valve clearance is adjusted so that the intake and discharge valves do not fully close during the compression stroke. This allows a portion of the compressed air to escape back into the suction side, reducing the effective capacity of the cylinder.

By unloading one or more cylinders, the overall capacity of the reciprocating compressor is reduced because fewer cylinders are actively compressing air. This can be useful in situations where the demand for compressed air is lower than the maximum capacity of the compressor. By unloading cylinders, the compressor operates more efficiently and consumes less energy, as it is not working at full capacity.

It is worth noting that compressor cylinder unloading is a method typically employed in reciprocating compressors. Other types of compressors, such as screw compressors or centrifugal compressors, may employ different methods to control their capacity.