air compressor

A air compressor is a mechanical device that increases the pressure of a air by reducing its volume. Compression of a gas naturally increases its temperature. Compressors are similar to pumps: both increase the pressure on a fluid and both can transport the fluid through a pipe. As air is compressible, the compressor also reduces the volume of a air. Liquids are relatively incompressible, so the main action of a pump is to transport liquids. China is presently the third largest air compressor manufacturer in the world, producing nearly 4 million units in 1994. In recent years China's air compressor industry has experienced explosive growth, with production increasing more than 15-fold from 1990 to 1994. Despite this rapid growth, less than 1％ of Chinese households own air conditioners, although in some wealthy urban areas the saturation now tops 10％.