Aftercooler

An aftercooler is used to cool the air coming out from the compressor before it enters the receiver. The air coming out from the compressor at pressure p₃ is sufficiently hot at temperature T₄ (Fig. 12.15). If this air is cooled in the aftercooler, then the pressure will remain p₃, but the temperature will fall from T₄ to T₄′′. Therefore, the volume of air leaving the aftercooler will be given by,

However, p₄′′ = p₄.

As T₄′′ < T₄, v₄′′ < v₄

Therefore, the purpose of the aftercooler is to reduce the size of the receiver. The position of the intercooler and aftercooler is shown in Fig. 12.15.

Figure 12.15 Position of inter-cooler and after-cooler