Centrifugal air compressor and control

A centrifugal gas compressor fed with a gas and a processing liquid comprising:

• a rotor rotated by a prime mover about an axis, said rotor defining an internal axial cavity with a cylindrical surface, an annular peripheral collection cavity, and a tapered radial channel, wherein the tapered radial channel fluidly connecting said internal axial cavity and said annular peripheral collection cavity;
• a fluid injector located within the internal axial cavity and oriented at a forward angle to direct a jet of the processing liquid onto the cylindrical surface of the internal axial cavity to sweep the processing liquid along said cylindrical surface in front of a leading edge of the jet and toward an inlet of the tapered radial channel as the rotor rotates;
• a compressed gas outlet defined within the annular peripheral collection cavity at a position proximate to an axial wall of said annular peripheral collection cavity;
• and,
• a liquid drain outlet within the annular peripheral collection cavity at a position proximate to a peripheral wall of said annular peripheral collection cavity;
• whereby with each rotation of the rotor, a portion of the processing liquid is swept into the inlet of the tapered radial channel and travels radially as a fluid piston under centrifugal force pushing and compressing a column of the gas entrained in front of said fluid piston and is expelled into the annular peripheral collection cavity and forms a peripheral liquid ring proximate to the peripheral wall of the annular peripheral collection cavity, leaving the gas that is compressed to be drawn off through the compressed gas outlet.