Glossary of Terms
Nuvair.com Glossary of Acronyms, Abbreviations and Terms
At Nuvair.com, we do our best to use standardized nomenclature to describe our products. Frequently we also use abbreviations to describe product details. If the terminologies and/or abbreviations used on this site are confusing or unclear, we hope this glossary of acronyms, abbreviations and terms will help.
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| TERM | DEFINITION |
| ~ | Tilde Sign: Used to indicate an estimate, i.e., ~7 min = approximately 7 minutes |
| ± | Plus-Minus Sign: Indicates the precision of an approximation, i.e., ±5°F = plus or minus 5 degrees Fahrenheit |
| < | Less Than Sign |
| ≤ | Less Than or Equal To Sign |
| > | Greater Than Sign |
| ≥ | Greater Than or Equal To Sign |
| ' | Apostrophe: Foot/Feet, i.e., 5' |
| " | Quotation Mark: Inch/Inches, i.e., 11" (eleven inches). Also abbreviated as "in". |
| ° | Degree Sign (angle or temperature) |
| A | Amperage. Also abbreviated as "amp." |
| Å | Angstrom or ångström. |
| ACFM | Actual Cubic Feet per Minute. See "Fill Time (CFM/ACFM)." |
| amp | Amperage. Also abbreviated as "A." |
| Angstrom | A measure of distance equal to 10−10 m (one ten-billionth of a meter or 0.1 nanometers). Also abbreviated as "Å." |
| Ar | Argon |
| ata | Atmospheres Absolute. In diving, it is the total ambient pressure at depth including atmospheric pressure. 10 m (33 ft) of sea water = 14.7 psi. |
| atm | Atmosphere. 1 atm = 1.01325 bar. 1 atm = 14.7 psi. Refers to the weight (pressure) of the earth's atmosphere at sea level. |
| bar | Metric Unit of Pressure (1 bar = 14.5 psi) |
| C | Centigrade (Metric) |
| cc/min | Cubic Centimeters per Minute |
| cd/m2 | One candela per square meter. A "candela" is the SI unit of luminous intensity. |
| CFM | Cubic Feet per Minute. See "Fill Time (CFM/ACFM)." |
| CGA | The Compressed Gas Association, an ANSI-accredited standards developing organization and publisher of CGA G-7.1-2018: Commodity Specification for Air. This standard establishes grades of air quality (A, L, D, E, J, and N) by limiting concentrations of specific trace constituents including carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, water vapor, oil, and odor. |
| Charging Rate | The rate at which a compressor fills a tank or cylinder. Usually expressed in CFM/ACFM, SCFM, and L/min. |
| cm | Centimeter/Centimeters |
| CO | Carbon Monoxide |
| CO2 | Carbon Dioxide |
| cSt | Centistrokes |
| cu in | Cubic Inches |
| cu ft | Cubic Feet |
| Cv | Valve Flow Coefficient |
| dB | Decibels |
| DIN | German Institute for Standardization (Deutsche Institut für Normung e.V.) |
| DIN 200 | American reference to a 232 bar DIN valve. |
| DIN 232 | A 5-thread 232 bar DIN valve. |
| DIN 300 | A 7-thread 300 bar DIN valve most commonly used in Europe. |
| DIN Rail | A standardized metal rail used to mount electrical components inside equipment racks. DIN rails are used in some Nuvair equipment. |
| dm³/s | Cubic decimeter per second. 1 dm³/s = 0.4719 CFM. |
| DN | Abbreviation for diamètre nominal (French) or "nominal diameter." Per ISO 6708, DN is an alphanumeric designation of size for components of a pipework system. Sometimes referred to as the metric equivalent of NPS (Nominal Pipe Size) in North America. |
| Duty Cycle | The fraction of one period in which a system is active, expressed as a percentage. Example: If a compressor runs for 70 minutes and rests for 30 minutes in a 100-minute cycle, its duty cycle is 70%. |
| E1 | Single Phase [electrical power] |
| E3 | Three Phase [electrical power] |
| EAN / EANx | Enriched Air Nitrox |
| EANx32, EANx36, etc. | Enriched Air Nitrox percentage designation, i.e., EANx40 = 40% oxygen |
| EN | European Standard |
| EN 12021 | European Standard for compressed gases used in breathing apparatus. See BS EN 12021:2014. |
| F | Fahrenheit (Imperial) |
| FAD | Free Air Delivery |
| Fill Time (CFM/ACFM) | Fill time based on filling an 80 cu ft tank from 0 to 3000 psi. Calculation: 80 ÷ CFM/ACFM Rate = Fill Time in minutes. |
| Fill Time (SCFM) | Fill time based on filling an 80 cu ft cylinder from 500 to 3000 psi. Calculation: 80 ÷ CFM Rate × 0.8333 = SCFM Fill Time. |
| FNPT | Female National Pipe Thread |
| ft | Foot/Feet |
| g | Gram/Grams |
| g/L | Grams per Liter |
| gal | Gallon/Gallons |
| Grade D | CGA Grade D breathing air. Specifications (2011): Oxygen 19.5–23.5%; Carbon Dioxide max 1000 ppm; Carbon Monoxide max 10 ppm; Water Vapor max 67 ppm; Dew Point –50°F; Oil & Particles max 5 mg/m³; Odor: None. |
| Grade E | CGA Grade E breathing air. Specifications (2011): Oxygen 20–22%; Carbon Dioxide max 1000 ppm; Carbon Monoxide max 10 ppm; Hydrocarbons max 25 ppm; Oil & Particles max 5 mg/m³; Odor: None. |
| H2S | Hydrogen Sulfide |
| He | Helium |
| High Pressure | Generally 1500–6000 psi (103–414 bar). Can go as high as 7000 psi (482 bar). |
| hp | Horsepower |
| Hz | Hertz |
| ICFM | Inlet Cubic Feet per Minute |
| I.D. / ID | Inner (interior) diameter of a tube, pipe, or hose |
| in | Inch/Inches. Also abbreviated as ("). |
| in.Hg / inHg | Inches of Mercury (a non-SI unit of measurement for pressure, typically vacuum) |
| Inox | Stainless Steel. |
| ISO | International Organization for Standardization |
| kg | Kilograms |
| kg/m | Kilogram per meter. Regularly used to define the weight of hose. |
| kgf/cm² | Kilogram-force per square centimeter |
| kW | Kilowatt |
| L | Liter/Liters (Litre) |
| L × W × H | Dimensions of a product: Length × Width × Height |
| L/min | Liters per Minute |
| Low Pressure | Less than 500 psi (<34 bar) |
| LpA | An estimation of A-weighted machinery sound pressure levels at the operator's position, expressed in decibels (dB). |
| lb | Pound/Pounds [Weight] |
| lb/ft | Pounds per foot. Regularly used to define the weight of hose. |
| m | Meter/Meters (Metre) |
| m³/h | Cubic Meters per Hour [gas flow rate]. See also nm³/h. |
| mA | Milliamp |
| mAh | Milliamp Hours |
| mbar | Millibar. 1/1000 bar. |
| Medium Pressure | 500–1500 psi (34–103 bar) |
| mf | Millifarad (or "mF") |
| micrometer | 1/1,000,000th of a meter. 1 × 10−6 m. Also referenced as micron or µm. |
| micron | See "micrometer." |
| min | Minute/Minutes |
| mL | Milliliter/Milliliters |
| mm | Millimeter/Millimeters |
| MNPT | Male National Pipe Thread |
| mV | Millivolt/Millivolts |
| N2 | Nitrogen |
| NFPA | National Fire Protection Association |
| NFPA 1500 | NFPA 1500 specifies minimum requirements for an occupational safety and health program for fire departments and organizations providing rescue, fire suppression, emergency medical services, hazardous materials mitigation, and special operations. |
| nL | Nanoliter. 1,000,000,000 nanoliters = 1 liter. |
| Nitrox | A gas mixture of nitrogen (N2) and oxygen (O2). Also referred to as Enriched Air Oxygen, Oxygen Enriched Air, EAN, and EANx. |
| nits | A measurement of display luminance. See cd/m². |
| nm³/h | Normal Cubic Meters per Hour [gas flow rate]. "Normal" conditions = 0°C and 1 atm (1 bar). See also m³/h. |
| O2 | Oxygen |
| OCA | Oxygen Compatible Air |
| O.D. / OD | Outer diameter of a tube, pipe, or hose |
| oz | Ounce/Ounces in volume or weight |
| PNEUROP | European association of manufacturers of compressors, vacuum pumps, pneumatic tools, and air and condensate treatment equipment. |
| ppm | Parts per Million |
| Pressure | The force applied per unit area to a surface or within a contained gas or fluid. In compressed gas systems, pressure describes how tightly gas molecules are packed into a given space — the more gas forced into a fixed volume, the higher the pressure. Pressure is measured in psi (pounds per square inch) in North American applications and bar in metric contexts. Standard atmospheric pressure at sea level is approximately 14.7 psi (1 bar). Gauge pressure (psig) is measured relative to the surrounding atmosphere. Absolute pressure (psia) is measured relative to a perfect vacuum. Most compressor and fill panel gauges display gauge pressure. At Nuvair, we define pressure ranges as low (<500 psi), medium (500–1500 psi), high (1500–6000 psi), and ultra-high (>6000 psi). |
| psi | Pounds per Square Inch: Imperial Unit of Pressure (100 psi = 6.89 bar) |
| psig | Pounds per Square Inch Gauge |
| psia | Pounds per Square Inch Absolute. Equals gauge pressure plus atmospheric pressure (~14.7 psi at sea level). |
| qt | Quart/Quarts |
| rh | Relative Humidity |
| RoHS | Restriction of Hazardous Substances |
| RPM | Revolutions per Minute |
| SCBA | Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus. Typically used in firefighting and industry. |
| SCFM | Standard Cubic Feet per Minute. See "Fill Time (SCFM)." |
| SCUBA / scuba | Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus |
| SI | The International System of Units. The modern form of the metric system. |
| SKU | Stock Keeping Unit. Used as Nuvair's product identification number (part number). |
| Stainless | Stainless Steel. Sometimes abbreviated as "SS." An alloy that resists rusting and corrosion. Not to be confused with plain "Steel." |
| SS | Stainless Steel. |
| Steel | An alloy made of iron, carbon, and possibly other elements. Steel is susceptible to rust and corrosion. Not to be confused with "Stainless Steel." |
| µF | Microfarad (or "uF") |
| Ultra-High Pressure | Over 6000 psi (>414 bar) |
| µm | See "micrometer." |
| V | Volt |
| VAC | Volts of alternating current |
| VDC | Volts of direct current |
| VOC | Volatile Organic Compounds. Any compound of carbon (excluding carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, carbonic acid, metallic carbides or carbonates, and ammonium carbonate) that participates in atmospheric photochemical reactions. VOCs are emitted as gases from certain solids or liquids and include a variety of chemicals, some of which may have adverse health effects. Source: 40 CFR Part 51.100(s) and EPA. |
| Wh | Watt-Hour |
| Zero Air | Specially polished Grade E air containing less than 0.1 ppm of hydrocarbon impurities. |
