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Alternative methodology to perform online compressor oil circulation rate measurements in real time.

Number: pap. n. 3

Author(s) : MARTÍNEZ-GALVÁN I., NAVARRO E., GONZÁLVEZ J.

Summary

Compressors take the refrigerant at a low pressure and pump it to the condenser at higher-pressure levels. Nevertheless in their operation compressors not only pump the refrigerant, part of the oil used in the lubrication of the compressor is also pumped to the rest of the system. The magnitude used to characterize the amount of pumped oil is known as the as oil circulation rate (OCR) and represents the fraction of oil from the total mass flow. OCR is an important variable to determine. It could give information about compressor lubrication issues and also from the point of view of the installation performance, too high values of this magnitude should be avoided. Nevertheless, up to now there is no precise methodology to measure OCR which does not include important disadvantages like being time consuming, not performing in real time, expensive or requiring a very precise in situ calibration of the devices. In this paper, a methodology to measure OCR is proposed. The methodology consists of installing a Coriolis mass flow meter in the oil return line between the oil separator of the installation and the compressor. This sensor measures the oil flow from the oil separator to the compressor. Measuring the total refrigerant mass flow rate through the rig, the oil mass flow from the separator to the compressor can be related to the total OCR through the system. The results have been systematically compared with the methodology proposed by the ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 1996 in different conditions determining the degree of accuracy for this methodology.

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Pages: 8 p.

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Details

  • Original title: Alternative methodology to perform online compressor oil circulation rate measurements in real time.
  • Record ID : 30008713
  • Languages: English
  • Source: Compressors 2013: 8th International Conference on Compressors and Coolants.
  • Publication date: 2013/09/02

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