Air Compressor Specific Power and Efficiency — online
How many kW does your compressed air really cost per m3/min, and what would variable speed, a lower pressure or heat recovery save?
Yellow cells are inputs; orange cells are choices; blue cells choose the unit. Select or hover over an input to see its help in the box below the toolbar. The sheet is the same as the Excel tool (USD 39) — the Guide, method and references are in the Excel file.
What this air compressor specific power and efficiency calculator does
Air compressor free air delivery corrected to ISO 1217 conditions, specific power in kW per m3/min and kW per 100 cfm, isothermal, adiabatic and volumetric efficiency, load / unload vs modulation vs variable speed, annual cost, heat recovery and the value of a lower discharge pressure.
- Free air delivery. Corrected to ISO 1217, 1.01325 bar a at 15 °C or 0 °C, or your own reference, from intake, line or reference-state flow.
- Specific power. kW per m³/min and kW per 100 cfm, on package input power, plus shaft power from motor and drive efficiency.
- Isothermal, adiabatic and volumetric efficiency. On shaft and input power, with the isentropic exponent of the humid air.
- Control modes compared. Load/unload, inlet modulation and variable speed: power at zero flow and average load, annual energy and cost.
- Heat recovery. Heat rejected, recoverable and actually used, with MWh per year and the fuel displaced.
- Discharge pressure what-if. Power, specific power and energy saved for four pressure reductions, with Design, Actual and Proposed columns.
How it was checked
About 375 recalculated runs against an independent Python model: all 324 selector combinations, SI, US, British and every-option unit sets and 31 edge cases; about 39,000 values compared, largest deviation 0.00001 %.
Related
- Air Compressor Specific Power and Efficiency Excel tool — USD 39, keep the workbook, its Guide and the report sheet.
- All online tools
Questions
Is the air compressor specific power and efficiency calculator free?
You can enter and check all your data free. The full results, findings and printable sheet are unlocked with a 3-run pack (USD 9), a monthly subscription to all online tools (USD 15) or a yearly one (USD 99).
Are the results the same as the Excel tool?
Yes. The online tool runs the formulas of the Air Compressor Specific Power and Efficiency Excel workbook and was checked cell by cell against the Excel file.