Share

Characterization of oil droplets in the upper cavity of a rotary compressor.

Number: 1618

Author(s) : WU P., CHEN J., SOJKA P. E., LI Y., CAO H.

Summary

The lubricant oil is used to lubricate the bearings and seal the clearance between the sliding parts in the rotary compressor equipped in an air conditioning system. However, a portion of the oil is atomized and exhausted with the refrigerant flow, which reduces the system’s efficiency and reliability. In this study, a high resolution shadowgraph system is applied to a modified rotary compressor to visualize the oil droplets in its upper cavity. The oil droplet size distribution is studied statistically at different radial locations and different crankshaft’s frequencies. It is observed that more oil droplets with larger D10 and D32 are generated as the rotating frequency increases. There are fewer droplets moving toward the center of the compressor. More oil droplets in the upper cavity at higher frequency might increase the Oil Discharge Rate (ODR) if these droplets are carried into the downstream discharge tube. On the other hand, larger droplets at a higher frequency may reduce ODR since the appropriate aerodynamic design may retain these droplets in the upper cavity without moving into the discharge tube. The result can assist designers in improving the CFD analysis of compressors and ultimately reducing ODR.

Available documents

Format PDF

Pages: 10

Available

  • Public price

    20 €

  • Member price*

    15 €

* Best rate depending on membership category (see the detailed benefits of individual and corporate memberships).

Details

  • Original title: Characterization of oil droplets in the upper cavity of a rotary compressor.
  • Record ID : 30028399
  • Languages: English
  • Subject: Technology
  • Source: 2021 Purdue Conferences. 25th International Compressor Engineering Conference at Purdue.
  • Publication date: 2021/05
  • Document available for consultation in the library of the IIR headquarters only.

Links


See other articles from the proceedings (62)
See the conference proceedings

Indexing