The ______ is referred to as kinetic displacement compressor.

• A. Positive Displacement Compressor
• B. Reciprocating Compressor
• C. Rotary Vane Compressor
• D. Centrifugal Compressor

Answer: (D)

Dynamic compression uses the energy of moving gas to raise pressure. A centrifugal compressor does exactly that: an impeller spins at high speed and throws the refrigerant outward, giving it lots of velocity (kinetic energy). As the gas moves through the diffuser, that velocity is slowed, and the kinetic energy is converted into pressure rise. Since the compression comes from the gas’s momentum rather than trapping and shrinking a fixed volume, this type is described as a kinetic displacement compressor. This is in contrast to positive-displacement types, which compress by physically trapping and reducing the volume of a fixed amount of gas per cycle.