The air compressors seen by the public are used in 5 main applications:
To supply a high-pressure clean air to fill gas cylinders
To supply a moderate-pressure clean air to supply air to a submerged surface supplied diver
To supply a large amount of moderate-pressure air to power pneumatic tools
For filling tires
To produce large volumes of moderate-pressure air for macroscopic industrial processes (such as oxidation for petroleum coking or cement plant bag house purge systems)
For more detailed information, see Gas compressor. Most air compressors are either reciprocating piston type or rotary vane or rotary screw. Centrifugal compressors are common in very large applications. There are two main types of air compressor''s pumps: Oil lubed and oiless. The oiless system has more technical development, but they are more expensive, louder and last less than the oiled lube pumps. But the air delivered has better quality. The best choice depends of the application that the user needs.
