Scroll compressors offer top efficiency

Scroll compressors offer top efficiency The Taiwan-based compressor manufacturer ChynTec International Co. Ltd. published an article earlier this year offering a synthetic comparison of the general performance of reciprocating, scroll and screw compressors used in HVAC applications. In order to do this, nominal operational conditions using typical markers were used. On reviewing general performance, it was concluded that in comparison with the screw and scroll type compressors, the suction and discharge characteristics of reciprocating compressors that lead to a sensitivity to liquid compression make them less advantageous for HVAC applications. On the other hand, it is advantageous in that the actual compression ratio can be varied by actual operational conditions enabling increased efficacy for some critical applications. The advantage in the scroll type over the screw type, given that both dispense with suction and discharge valves, is that they can be applied to medium to small tonnage. Since a compressor's unit price increases in line with displacement, the market tends to prefer a semi-hermetic design. However, according to the author, the scroll type is more competitive efficiency-wise if choosing the rotary type instead of the current reciprocating type in the small to medium tonnage range.