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Compressed air
 
 
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Compressed air is air
AIR

Air is the part of Earth's atmosphere that humans breath and as such Air .Air may also refer to:...
 which is kept under a certain pressure
Pressure

Pressure is the force per unit area applied to an object in a direction surface normal to the surface. Gauge pressure is the pressure relative to the local atmospheric or ambient pressure....
, usually greater than that of the atmosphere. In Europe 10 % of all electricity used by industry is used to produce compressed air. This amounts to 80 terawatt hours per year.








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Compressed air is air
AIR

Air is the part of Earth's atmosphere that humans breath and as such Air .Air may also refer to:...
 which is kept under a certain pressure
Pressure

Pressure is the force per unit area applied to an object in a direction surface normal to the surface. Gauge pressure is the pressure relative to the local atmospheric or ambient pressure....
, usually greater than that of the atmosphere. In Europe 10 % of all electricity used by industry is used to produce compressed air. This amounts to 80 terawatt hours per year.

Dangers

  • A blast of air under 40 psi Pounds per square inch
    Pounds per square inch

    The pound per square inch or, more accurately, pound-force per square inch is a unit of pressure or of stress based on avoirdupois units....
     from 4 inches away can rupture an eardrum
    Eardrum

    The tympanic membrane , is a thin biological membrane that separates the external ear from the middle ear. Its function is to transmit sound from the air to the ossicles inside the middle ear....
     or cause brain
    Brain

    The brain is the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate, and most invertebrate, animals. Some primitive animals such as cnidarian and echinoderm have a decentralized nervous system without a brain, while sponges lack any nervous system at all....
     damage.
  • Directed at the mouth
    Mouth

    The mouth, buccal cavity, or oral cavity is the first portion of the alimentary canal that receives food and begins digestion by mechanically breaking up the solid food particles into smaller pieces and mixing them with saliva....
    , compressed air can rupture the lungs.


Uses

Compressed air can be used in or for:
  • pneumatics
    Pneumatics

    Pneumatics is the use of pressurized gas to affect mechanical motion.Pneumatic power is used in industry, where factory machines are commonly plumbed for compressed air; other compressed inert gases can also be used....
    , the use of pressurized gases to do work. See compressed air energy storage
    Compressed air energy storage

    Compressed Air Energy Storage refers to the air compressorto be used later as energy source.At utility scale, it can be stored during periods of low energy demand , for use in meeting periods of higher demand ....
    .
  • vehicular transportation using a compressed air vehicle
  • scuba diving
    Scuba diving

    SCUBA diving is Underwater diving, or taking part in another activity, while using a scuba set. By carrying a source of breathing gas , the scuba diver is able to stay underwater longer than with the simple breath-holding techniques used in snorkeling and free-diving, and is not hindered by air lines to a remote air source....
    , to inflate buoyancy
    Buoyancy

    In physics, buoyancy is the upward force that keeps things afloat. The net upward buoyancy force is equal to the magnitude of the weight of fluid displaced by the body....
     devices. See also: Breathing gas
    Breathing gas

    Air is the most common and only natural breathing gas. Other artificial gases, either pure gases or mixtures of gases, are used in breathing equipment and enclosed habitats such as Scuba set, surface supplied diving equipment, recompression chambers, submarines, space suits, spacecraft and anaesthetic machines....
  • cooling
    Refrigeration

    Refrigeration is the process of removing heat from an enclosed space, or from a substance, and moving it to a place where it is unobjectionable....
     using a vortex tube
    Vortex tube

    The vortex tube, also known as the Ranque-Hilsch vortex tube, is a mechanical device that separates a compressed gas into hot and cold streams....
    .
  • gas dusters for cleaning electronic components that cannot be cleaned with water. These are also called "canned air", however this is a misnomer because the propellant is not air, but rather a hydrofluorocarbon which poses a health risk if inhaled.
  • air brake (rail)
    Air brake (rail)

    An air brake is a conveyance brake applied by means of Gas compressor. Modern trains rely upon a fail-safe air brake system that is based upon a design patented by George Westinghouse on March 5, 1872....
     systems
  • air brake (road vehicle)
    Air brake (road vehicle)

    Air brakes are used in trucks, buses, Trailer , and semi-trailers. George Westinghouse first developed Air brake for use in railway service. A safer air brake was patented by him on March 5, 1872....
     systems
  • air brake (air vehicle) systems
  • compressed air breathers (such as Suisse Air)
  • paintball
    Paintball

    Paintball is a game in which players eliminate opponents by hitting them with pellets containing paint , usually shot from a carbon dioxide or compressed-gas powered paintball gun ....
     ammunition propulsion


See also

  • Cabin pressurization
    Cabin pressurization

    Cabin pressurization is the active pumping of compressed air into an aircraft cabin when flying at altitude to maintain a safe and comfortable environment for crew and passengers in the low outside atmospheric pressure....
  • Gas compressor
    Gas compressor

    A gas compressor is a mechanical device that increases the pressure of a gas by reducing its volume.Compressors are similar to pumps: both increase the pressure on a fluid and both can transport the fluid through a pipe ....


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