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In-Tank Compressor

 Store the latent heat released from the compressor in the compression tank
 
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For compressed gas containers (gas cylinder, canister or gas tank) - instead of loosing heat in the compression process - noting that a four stage air compressor is typically less than 10% efficient because of this heat loss... why not have the process all happen INSIDE an insulated tank. The heat given off during compression, will be "lost" inside the tank, so that the heat energy is added to the compressed air or gas inside the tank.

I never did understand why people talk about using that latent heat to warm a body of water. Why not insert the gas tank into the heated water and insulate the whole thing?

—pashute, Mar 22 2011

As used in... Steam_2fAir_20Hybrid
[FlyingToaster, Mar 22 2011]

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       hot air, but what for?
—WcW, Mar 22 2011
   

       What you can do is put water in the tank as heat ballast. The water soaks up and retains all the heat, leaving you to deal with thermal leakage through the tank walls at say200degC instead of say2,000degC.   

       [edit] of course having now actually read your post, I wonder why too I didn't think of putting the tanks one inside the other instead of putting raw water in with the compressed air.
—FlyingToaster, Mar 22 2011
   

       If you don't let the heat "leak" that is generated during the compression, It is much more difficult to compress the gas; It will take many times more force to do the same task of compression. ( see : Boyle's law)
—VJW, Mar 22 2011
   

       Why? The compresser is more efficient if the air is compressed with the lowest possible increase in temperature
—Ling, Mar 22 2011
   

       Surely if the goal is to get the largest quantity of air into the smallest volume, the best way to go about it is to actively cool and liquefy the gas.   

       Oh wait...
—FlyingToaster, Mar 22 2011
   

       Because, depending on what the air is used for, it will cool and lose pressure in the lines, cool and deposit water in the lines, or cause heat damage to the equipment being used.
—MechE, Mar 22 2011
   

       Right, but there could be a delay between the compress time and exposure of heat to the compressed gas. (e.g. Flying toaster's idea) or in a better controlled way: by using a coolant that is at first in an insulated location, but then reaches the tank to release heat.
—pashute, Mar 22 2011
   


 

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