What is gas?

Let’s start by first defining what a gas really is.

Gas is a substance or matter in a state in which it will expand freely to fill the entire container; it has no fixed shape (unlike a solid) and no fixed volume (unlike a liquid).

Gases can be made up of a single element, such as hydrogen gas (H₂), a compound, such as carbon dioxide (CO₂), or a mixture of several gases, such as air (approximately 78% nitrogen (N₂) and 21% oxygen (O₂)).

To summarize:

• Gases do not have any defined volume. They expand to occupy the volume of the container they are placed in.
• Gases do not have any defined shape. They assume the shape of the container they are placed in.
• The intermolecular distances in the gaseous phase are relatively large. This means that the gas particles are placed at relatively large distances away from each other.
• The particles of the gas are in a constant state of random motion. They move around randomly and collide with each other and the walls of the container.
• Due to the collisions between the gas particles and the walls of the container, all gases are known to exert pressure on the walls of their containers.

In the industrial workplace, it is very common practice to move gases from one place to another. 

A common, everyday example would be the use of compressed air in pneumatic tools, lets say at a mechanics’ shop.

Another example would be to move biogas or methane gas (CH₄) from an anaerobic digester to gensets to produce electricity.

In order to transport or convey any gas, at the very minimum, it is necessary to know the following:

1. Composition of the gas
2. Inlet Gas Temperature
3. Altitude at project location
4. Inlet Gas Pressure
5. Flow Rate of the gas
6. Required differential pressure 

Sometimes, we need to know a little more. That is, we might also want to know about

1. the client’s voltage and frequency requirements
2. a brief description of the application 
3. where is the gas coming from, and
4. where is the gas going, after it leaves our blower
5. review of the process P&IDs 

With a thorough understanding of the application, we can select the right type of blower for its intended application.

Sometimes, it is possible that the application can be handled by a particular blower, in other cases, several different types of blowers may be well suited to handle a particular application. 

At TMC Fluid Systems, we are committed to offering the best solution for your application.