Need for Multistage Compressors

A compresssor draws air into the chamber and compresses it.  The compressed air is then delivered into a storage vessel.  During the process of compression, the gas gets heated.  This heat has to be dissipated.  A single stage compressor is one, which has a single cylinder and a piston or a single centrifugal impeller.

When a large amount of gas needs to be compressed or when the compression ratio is large, it is not practical to use a single stage compressor.  This because of the following reasons

1. The heat developed during the compression process cannot be dissipated.  This can cause damage to the cylinder and components, such as, gaskets, seals, etc.
2. It is not practical to use a single stage compressor as the size of the piston and cylinder will become very large for large capacity compressors.