An abbreviation for pressure, volume, and temperature, the three primary state variables that define the thermodynamic condition of a compressible fluid. Engineers use these variables in equations of state to predict how a gas or liquid will behave when compressed, heated, or expanded. Understanding these relationships is critical for designing compressors, internal combustion engines, and hydraulic accumulators.
Heard on the job
We need to run the PVT calculations again to see if the accumulator gas will condense at ambient winter temperatures.