Gas compressors are mechanical devices that store large quantities of gas inside a tank that occupies a very small volume. There are many different types of gas compressors that feature different abilities and properties. Gas compressors are used from homes and small corporations as well as huge industries and larger operations.

Normally, gas tends to occupy as much space as possible. That is, if a small amount of gas is placed inside a bottle, it will occupy the whole bottle. At the same time, if you place the same amount of gas inside a closed stadium, it will occupy the whole stadium. The compressor takes in gas and forces it to stay inside a tank. Gas compressors can achieve such a high compression rate that even minor damage to the tank of the compressor might result in a strong explosion.

According to physics laws, when gas takes up less space, it tends to produce heat. The pressure in a compressor can be hundreds of times greater than the atmospheric pressure. The problem of heat production is resolved by achieving the final compression on a per-stage/level basis. This means that for a typical gas compressor, which produces pressure 343 times the atmospheric pressure, the compression procedure is divided into three stages. In each stage, the compressor achieves a 7:1 compression ratio, and the gas is simultaneously cooled. This totals a compression pressure that is 7^3 (343) times higher than the normal atmospheric pressure.

Gas compressors are essential parts of gas turbines, jet engines, water turbines, steam turbines, petrol/diesel engines, and automobile superchargers/turbochargers. Additionally, gas compressors are used in air conditioning and refrigeration.