One of the most important physical properties of a gas is the ratio of specific heats.  It is used in the design and evaluation of many processes.  For compressors, it is used in the design of components and determination of the overall performance of the machine.  Engineers are frequently asked to evaluate a compressor performance utilizing traditional equations of head, power and discharge temperature. While these simplified equations may not give exact results, they give useful information needed to troubleshoot a machine, predict operating conditions, or a long-term trend analysis.  The accuracy of the performance information will depend on the proper selection of the ratio of specific heats.  This Tip of the Month (TOTM) will investigate the application of the ratio of specific heats to compressors, its sensitivity to the determination of machine performance and give recommendations for improved accuracy.

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