Reciprocating compressor

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Small reciprocating air compressor. Air is compressed by two pistons into the storage tank. It is powered by an electric motor (blue).

A reciprocating compressor is a compressor that uses pistons driven by a crankshaft to deliver a small quantity of gas at high pressure.

Air or a refrigerant such as ammonia [NH3] or Freon passes through the intake manifold [suction side], then through the compression cylinder where it gets compressed by a piston being driven in reciprocating manner via a crankshaft, and is then sent out through a discharge manifold into the upstream refrigeration system if it's a refrigeration reciprocating compressor.

We can categorize reciprocating compressors into many divisions but mainly it is used in Industrial and PET type compressors.