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Plant utility calculator · Updated Sep 17, 2026

Compressed Air Receiver Sizing Calculator — CFM, Pressure Band & Hold Time

Size a compressed-air receiver from peak demand, compressor supply, usable pressure band and required hold time. Returns required storage in litres, cubic metres, cubic feet and US gallons, plus practical standard-size guidance.

Inputs

Live engineering result

Demand shortfall 4 m³/min
Required receiver 1.01325 m³
Required receiver 1,013.25 L
Required receiver 35.782586 ft³
Required receiver 267.67233 US gal
Next screening size 1,500 L

Formula & worked example

V=t·(Qdemand−Qsupply)·Patm/(P1−P2), using consistent time/flow units and pressure difference.

A 10 m³/min peak with 6 m³/min compressor supply, 30 seconds hold time and a 2 bar usable pressure band needs about 1.01 m³ ideal receiver volume at 1.013 bar atmosphere.

Assumptions & limits

  • Demand and compressor flow are treated as free-air flow at the same reference condition.
  • Pressure-band sizing is a screening model; temperature transients, controls and code-required vessel selection remain separate checks.

Frequently asked questions

What does this Compressed Air Receiver Sizing Calculator calculate?

Size a compressed-air receiver from peak demand, compressor supply, usable pressure band and required hold time. Returns required storage in litres, cubic metres, cubic feet and US gallons, plus practical standard-size guidance.

Is this enough for final equipment selection?

Use it for screening and comparison. Final plant selection should be checked against manufacturer data, actual operating profiles and applicable engineering requirements.

Why are the assumptions shown?

Plant utility calculations are sensitive to pressure basis, efficiency, duty cycle and operating cost assumptions. Showing them makes the result easier to audit and revise.

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