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Inlet ¬ Swept vol. ®
Receiver
1
Reciprocating compressors usually compress air but are also
used in refrigeration where they compress a superheated
vapour (to which the gas laws strictly do not apply).
In order to be practical there is a clearance between the piston
crown and the top of the cylinder. Air 'trapped' in this clearance
volume is never delivered, it expands as the piston moves
back and limits the volume of fresh air which can be induced
to a value less than the swept volume.
The induced volume flow is an important purchasing
parameter. It is called the "Free Air Delivery" (FAD), and it
measures the capacity of a compressor in terms of the air flow
it can handle. It is normally measured at standard sea level
(SSL) atmospheric conditions and allows the capacities (size)
of compressors to be compared.
N.B. The induced mass per cycle must equal the delivered
mass per cycle (continuity!), although the induced and
delivered volumes will be different.
2
Cycle Analysis
p4V4 - p3V3
3®4 Expansion n-1
4®1 Induction p1(V4-V1)
700
600
500
400
300
200
100
4 1
0
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2
Volume (litres)
3
The work per cycle is given by: å gross work
\ p2(V2-V3) p1(V1-V4)
=
RT2 RT1
p2(V2-V3) = p1(V1-V4) T2
T1
n
work per cycle = p1(V1-V4) { n-1 } [ T2 -1]
T1
n-1 n-1
for a polytropic process : T2 = ( p2 ) n = rp
n
T1 p1
n-1
work per cycle = n pin Vind { rp n -1}
n-1
= V1-V4
Vs
n n 1
but p3V3 = p4V4 \ V4 = V3 rp n
5
Volumetric Efficiency referred to SSL conditions.
In testing a compressor, the measured induced volume flow
will be that of the actual test inlet conditions.
It is unlikely that these inlet conditions will be SSL.
We therefore need to refer our results to SSL conditions.
(Measured)
.
SSL Inlet >> Vi
Ts Ti
Ps Pi
The mass flow of gas must be the same both at SSL (s)
conditions and at Inlet (i) conditions.
. .
ms = mi
. .
psVs p iV i
=
RTs RTi
. pi Ts .
Vs = Vi
ps Ti
.
. sides by V
dividing both swept
pi Ts
hvol(SSL) = hvol(inlet)
ps Ti
6
Compressor Efficiency
If we plot the specific work (kJ/kg delivered) against the
polytropic index n we obtain:
n-1
w = n RTin { rp n -1}
n-1
250
rp=8
200
w
kJ/kg 150
rp=4
100
50
0
1 1.1 1.2 n 1.3 1.4
compression
compression
Polytropic
Adiabatic
Isothermal
7
We can therefore define compressor efficiency as:
ln rp
hiso = n-1
n
{ r p n -1}
n-1
8
Multistage compression
intercoolers
9
Optimum stage pressure ratio
Assume we have two stages of compression with ideal
intercooling and the same index of compression (and
expansion) 'n' in each stage.