Compressor surge

Okay kiddo, so you know how when you blow up a balloon too much it starts to squeak and make weird noises? Well, sometimes the machines that blow air, like the ones in big trucks or airplanes, can have the same problem.

When an air compressor is spinning really fast and pushing out a lot of air, sometimes the air doesn't want to keep moving forward. It tries to go back the way it came, like when you let go of a balloon and it makes a funny sound.

This is called compressor surge, and it can be a big problem for the machine. It can cause the compressor to lose power, and even break if it happens too much or too hard.

To fix the problem, engineers have to design the compressor just right so that the air can move through smoothly and not bounce back. They also add special valves and sensors that can tell if compressor surge is happening, and help the machine stop before it gets hurt.

So that's compressor surge, and why it's important to make sure air compressors are built and used safely.