TM 5-4310-372-14
The compression cycle starts with the low pressure piston A at the
top of its stroke.
When the piston moves down,
it draws air through the air filter B
a n d i n l e t v a l v e C i n t o t h e c y l i n d e r.
T h e a i r f i l t e r k e e p s d i rt
out of the compressor.
On the upstroke,
inlet C closes and the piston A pushes air out
through the exhaust valve D and into the intercooler E.
Compressing the air increases its temperature.
The intercooler E
d i s s i p a t es
some of that heat to the surrounding atmosphere before
p a s s i n g t h e c o m p r e s s e d a i r o n t o t h e h i g h p r e s s u r e s t a g e f o r
further compression.
The high pressure stage works in the same way as the low pressure
stage does, except that the high pressure piston goes up when the
low pressure piston goes down.
This way, the low pressure piston
i s d r a w i n g a i r
in when the high pressure piston is pushing air
o u t.
Compressed air
f r o m t h e h i g h p r e s s u r e s t a g e g o e s t h r o u g h t he
c a p a c i t y c o n t r o l s y s t e m t o t h e a i r r e c e i v e r t a n k.
The capacity
c o n t r o l s y s t e m r e g u l a t e s t h e l o a d i n g o f t h e a i r c o m p r e s s o r a nd
engine speed.
1-8
