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In thermodynamics, the compressibility factor (Z), also known as the compression factor or the gas deviation factor, describes the deviation of a real gas from ideal gas behaviour. It is simply defined as the ratio of the molar volume of a gas to the molar volume of an ideal gas at the same temperature and pressure.
Compressibility is an important factor in aerodynamics. At low speeds, the compressibility of air is not significant in relation to aircraft design, but as the airflow nears and exceeds the speed of sound , a host of new aerodynamic effects become important in the design of aircraft.
According to van der Waals, the theorem of corresponding states (or principle/law of corresponding states) indicates that all fluids, when compared at the same reduced temperature and reduced pressure, have approximately the same compressibility factor and all deviate from ideal gas behavior to about the same degree. [1] [2]
Figure 7: Generalized compressibility chart for a van der Waals gas. Real gases are characterized by their difference from ideal gases by writing =. Here , called the compressibility factor, is expressed either as (,) or (,).
Real gases are non-ideal gases whose molecules occupy space and have interactions; consequently, they do not adhere to the ideal gas law. To understand the behaviour of real gases, the following must be taken into account: compressibility effects; variable specific heat capacity; van der Waals forces; non-equilibrium thermodynamic effects;
However, at lower temperatures or a higher density, a real fluid deviates strongly from the behavior of an ideal gas, particularly as it condenses from a gas into a liquid or as it deposits from a gas into a solid. This deviation is expressed as a compressibility factor. This equation is derived from
p is the gas pressure; R is the gas constant, T is temperature, V m is the molar volume (V/n), a is a constant that corrects for attractive potential of molecules, and; b is a constant that corrects for volume. The constants are different depending on which gas is being analyzed. The constants can be calculated from the critical point data of ...
For an ideal gas, the ideal gas law applies without restrictions on the specific heat. An ideal gas is a simplified "real gas" with the assumption that the compressibility factor Z is set to 1 meaning that this pneumatic ratio remains constant. A compressibility factor of one also requires the four state variables to follow the ideal gas law.