Theoretical and Experimental Analysis of Liquid Flooded Compression in Scroll Compressors

Bell, Ian Hadley Ph.D, Purdue University, May 2011. Theoretical and Experimental Analysis of Liquid Flooded Compression in Scroll Compressors. Major Professors: Eckhard A. Groll, School of Mechanical Engineering and James E. Braun, School of Mechanical Engineering. Adding liquid to the working fluid in scroll compressors can allow for a working process that approaches isothermal compression. When liquid flooding and regeneration is applied to refrigeration and heat pump systems, simple cycle modeling predicts that for systems that operate at very large temperature lifts, the increase in system coefficient of performance can be greater than 50%. In order to better understand the liquid-flooded working process, a detailed scroll compressor model has been developed which comprises a geometric model and an overall compressor model. The geometric model includes numerically validated analytic solutions for all geometric parameters, including force terms, for constant wall thickness scroll wraps that can have multiple pairs of compression chambers. The overall model includes a frictionally-corrected isentropic nozzle leakage model, adaptive Runge-Kutta solver for the system of differential equations, and numerically efficient thermodynamic and transport property routines. The compressor model has been validated against testing conducted on the Liquid-Flooded Ericsson Cycle for oil mass fractions as high as 92% oil by mass with error in predictions of shaft power and mass flow less than 3%. Optimization of the compressor performance with flooding for several applications is carried out, and with optimization, overall isentropic efficiencies over 75% are predicted for configurations with large amounts of oil flooding. Further testing on a refrigerant R410A vapor injected compressor with oil injection has shown that the performance with oil injection improves monotonically with the oil injection rate as long as the oil is cooled prior to injection.

[1]  V. Lemort.  Contribution to the Characterization of Scroll Machines in Compressor and Expander Modes , 2008 .

[2]  Wu Jianhua,et al.  The Computer Simulation of Oil-Flooded Single Screw Compressors , 1988 .

[3]  Y. Huang.  Leakage Calculation Through Clearances , 1994 .

[4]  Hong Qi Li,et al.  Design Optimization of an Oil-Flooded Refrigeration Single Screw Compressor , 2004 .

[5]  J. S. Fleming,et al.  Simulation of the Working Process of an Oil Flooded Helical Screw Compressor with Liquid Refrigerant Injection , 1992 .

[6]  Tadashi Yanagisawa,et al.  Leakage losses with a rolling piston type rotary compressor. I. Radical clearance on the rolling piston , 1985 .

[7]  R. Span,et al.  A Reference Multiparameter Viscosity Equation for Propane with an Optimized Functional Form , 2006 .

[8]  A. B. Tramschek,et al.  Investigation of a Multistage Scroll Compressor With Oil-injection , 1996 .

[9]  Vincent Lemort,et al.  Liquid-flooded compression and expansion in scroll machines - Part I: Model development , 2012 .

[10]  Wen-Fang Wu,et al.  On the profile design of a scroll compressor , 1995 .

[11]  D. L. Margolis,et al.  Modeling and Simulation of a Scroll Compressor Using Bond Graphs , 1992 .

[12]  M. Feidt,et al.  Proprits thermodynamiques et physiques des mlanges de fluides frigorignes et d'huiles , 1999 .

[13]  B. Nemzer,et al.  Thermal Conductivity of the Refrigerant Mixtures R404A, R407C, R410A, and R507A , 2001 .

[14]  E. Lemmon,et al.  Viscosity and Thermal Conductivity Equations for Nitrogen, Oxygen, Argon, and Air , 2004 .

[15]  M Fujiwara,et al.  Performance analysis of an oil-injected screw compressor and its application , 1995 .

[16]  Z. Wang,et al.  A New Type of Curve Used in the Wrap Design of the Scroll Compressor , 1992 .

[17]  M. McLinden,et al.  NIST Standard Reference Database 23: Reference Fluid Thermodynamic and Transport Properties-REFPROP, Version 8.0 , 2007 .

[18]  Wenxing Shi,et al.  A general geometrical model of scroll compressors based on discretional initial angles of involute , 2005 .

[19]  Yu-Choung Chang,et al.  Temperature and thermal deformation analysis on scrolls of scroll compressor , 2005 .

[20]  K. Hanjalić,et al.  Experimental Investigation of the Influence of Oil Injection Upon the Screw Compressor Working Process , 1990 .

[21]  Noriaki Ishii,et al.  Performance Investigation With Oil-Injection to Compression Chambers On CO2-Scroll Compressor , 2002 .

[22]  R. Puff,et al.  Influence of the Main Constructive Parameters of a Scroll Compressor on its Efficiency , 1992 .

[23]  Kenji Tojo,et al.  Performance Analysis of Hermetic Scroll Compressors , 1992 .

[24]  Sunil S. Mehendale,et al.  Vapor-liquid equilibrium for R-32 and R-410A mixed with a polyol ester: non-ideality and local composition modeling , 1999 .

[25]  O. Lottin,et al.  Effects of synthetic oil in a compression refrigeration system using R410A. Part I: modelling of the whole system and analysis of its response to an increase in the amount of circulating oil , 2003 .

[26]  Zhenhao Duan,et al.  An improved model calculating CO2 solubility in pure water and aqueous NaCl solutions from 273 to 533 K and from 0 to 2000 bar , 2003 .

[27]  Pradeep Bansal,et al.  Thermodynamic analysis of an R744-R717 cascade refrigeration system , 2008 .

[28]  George E. Totten,et al.  Fuels and Lubricants Handbook: Technology, Properties, Performance, and Testing , 2003 .

[29]  R. Rajavel,et al.  Heat transfer studies on spiral plate heat exchanger , 2008 .

[30]  S. Zivi.  Estimation of Steady-State Steam Void-Fraction by Means of the Principle of Minimum Entropy Production , 1964 .

[31]  A. Jacobi,et al.  Local composition modelling of the thermodynamic properties of refrigerant and oil mixtures , 1996 .

[32]  A. Yokozeki.  Solubility of Refrigerants in Various Lubricants , 2001 .

[33]  Ahmed Kovacevic,et al.  Mathematical Modelling of the Oil Influence Upon the Working Cycle of Screw Compressors , 1988 .

[34]  Eckhard Weidner,et al.  Thermodynamic and Fluid-Dynamic Properties of Carbon Dioxide with Different Lubricants in Cooling Circuits for Automobile Application , 2000 .

[35]  S. D. Morris.  Compressible Gas-Liquid Flow through Pipeline Restrictions , 1991 .

[36]  Masato Ikegawa,et al.  Computer Modeling of Scroll Compressor with Self Adjusting Back-Pressure Mechanism , 1984 .

[37]  A. Yokozeki,et al.  Time-dependent behavior of gas absorption in lubricant oil , 2002 .

[38]  D. Chisholm.  Two-Phase Flow in Pipelines and Heat Exchangers , 1983 .

[39]  John D. Hunter,et al.  Matplotlib: A 2D Graphics Environment , 2007, Computing in Science & Engineering.

[40]  A. J. Meacock,et al.  An evaluation of the effects of water injection on compressor performance , 2004 .

[42]  Yuanyang Zhao,et al.  Experimental measurement of axial clearance in scroll compressor using eddy current displacement sensor , 2008 .

[43]  J. W. Bush,et al.  Maximizing Scroll Compressor Displacement Using Generalized Wrap Geometry , 1994 .

[44]  Josefa Fernández,et al.  Solubility of Carbon Dioxide in Two Pentaerythritol Ester Oils between (283 and 333) K , 2008 .

[45]  B. C. Lee,et al.  A Study On The Leakage Characteristics Of Tip Seal Mechanism In The Scroll Compressor , 2002 .

[46]  H. Miyamoto,et al.  A Thermodynamic Property Model for Fluid-Phase Propane , 2000 .

[47]  Hyon Kook Myong,et al.  Numerical investigation of fully developed turbulent fluid flow and heat transfer in a square duct , 1991 .

[48]  Benjamin Blunier,et al.  A new analytical and dynamical model of a scroll compressor with experimental validation , 2009 .

[49]  W. Wakeham,et al.  The Viscosity of Carbon Dioxide , 1998 .

[50]  A. Yokozeki,et al.  Theoretical performances of various refrigerant-absorbent pairs in a vapor-absorption refrigeration cycle by the use of equations of state , 2005 .

[51]  R. Wang,et al.  Performance Improvement of R134a Refrigerator Compressor , 2000 .

[52]  R. Perkins,et al.  Measurement and Correlation of the Thermal Conductivity of Propane from 86 K to 600 K at Pressures to 70 MPa , 2002 .

[53]  Jocelyn Bonjour,et al.  The effect of oil in refrigeration: Current research issues and critical review of thermodynamic aspects , 2008 .

[54]  F. Meunier,et al.  Impact of refrigerant–oil solubility on an evaporator performances working with R-407C , 2003 .

[55]  E. Kreyszig,et al.  Advanced Engineering Mathematics. , 1974 .

[56]  Noriaki Ishii,et al.  Leakage Tests of Wet CO2 Gas with Oil-Mixture in Scroll Compressors and Its Use in Simulations of Optimal Performance , 2006 .

[57]  James E. Braun,et al.  Mathematical modeling of scroll compressors. Part I: compression process modeling , 2002 .

[58]  J. Lawrie.  Glycerol and the Glycols , 1928 .

[59]  Cyril Toublanc.  Amélioration du cycle trans-critique au CO2 par une compression refrodie : évaluations numérique et expérimentale , 2009 .

[60]  S. Iwamura,et al.  Refrigerant Leakage Flow Evaluation for Scroll Compressors , 1996 .

[61]  Qun Zheng,et al.  Thermodynamic Analyses of Wet Compression Process in the Compressor of Gas Turbine , 2003 .

[62]  Takashi Shimizu,et al.  Optimum Operating Pressure Ratio for Scroll Compressor , 1989 .

[63]  D. J. Kang,et al.  Effects Of Leakage Flow Model On The Thermodynamic Performance Of A Scroll Compressor , 2002 .

[64]  Roland Span,et al.  A New Equation of State for Argon Covering the Fluid Region for Temperatures From the Melting Line to 700 K at Pressures up to 1000 MPa , 1999 .

[65]  Philippe Guillemet,et al.  Effects of synthetic oil in a compression refrigeration system using R410A. Part II: quality of heat transfer and pressure losses within the heat exchangers , 2003 .

[66]  Roland Span,et al.  A Reference Equation of State for the Thermodynamic Properties of Nitrogen for Temperatures from 63.151 to 1000 K and Pressures to 2200 MPa , 2000 .

[67]  P. Suter,et al.  Experimental Analysis of an Inverter-Driven Scroll Compressor with Liquid Injection , 1992 .

[68]  W. Wagner,et al.  A New Equation of State for Carbon Dioxide Covering the Fluid Region from the Triple‐Point Temperature to 1100 K at Pressures up to 800 MPa , 1996 .

[69]  A. Jacobi,et al.  Refrigerant-Oil Mixtures and Local Composition Modeling , 1994 .

[70]  Eckhard A. Groll,et al.  Evaluation of a Prototype Rotating Spool Compressor in Liquid Flooded Operation , 2010 .

[71]  Carlos Segovia Fernández,et al.  Modeling of Gas Solubility Data for HFCs–Lubricant Oil Binary Systems by Means of the SRK Equation of State , 2003 .

[72]  B. C. Lee,et al.  The Characteristics of Tip Leakage in Scroll Compressors for Air Conditioners , 2000 .

[73]  T. W. Bein,et al.  Computer Modelinq of an Oil Flooded Single Screw Air Compressor , 1982 .

[74]  Eric W. Lemmon.  Pseudo-Pure Fluid Equations of State for the Refrigerant Blends R-410A, R-404A, R-507A, and R-407C , 2003 .

[75]  J. W. Bush,et al.  Derivation of a General Relation Governing the Conjugacy of Scroll Profiles , 1992 .

[76]  Yu Chen,et al.  Mathematical modeling of scroll compressors , 2000 .

[77]  Yu-Choung Chang,et al.  Family design of scroll compressors with optimization , 2006 .

[78]  G. Scalabrin,et al.  A multiparameter thermal conductivity equation for R134a with an optimized functional form , 2006 .

[79]  Frank P. Incropera,et al.  Software tools and user's guides to accompany Fundamentals of heat and mass transfer, 5th edition & Introduction to heat transfer, 4th edition , 2002 .

[80]  Sangkwon Jeong,et al.  Experimental investigation on convective heat transfer mechanism in a scroll compressor , 2006 .

[81]  Xing Ziwen,et al.  Theoretical and experimental study on indicator diagram of twin screw refrigeration compressor , 2004 .

[82]  A. Yokozeki,et al.  Viscosity of Mixed Refrigerants, R404A, R407C, R410A, and R507C , 2000 .

[83]  W. Wakeham,et al.  The Viscosity of Ammonia , 1995 .

[84]  R. Battino,et al.  The Solubility of Nitrogen and Air in Liquids , 1984 .

[85]  Y. Garrabos,et al.  Thermal Conductivity of Ammonia in a Large Temperature and Pressure Range Including the Critical Region , 1984 .

[86]  K. Ooi,et al.  Convective heat transfer in a scroll compressor chamber: a 2-D simulation , 2004 .

[87]  G. C. Patel,et al.  A Generalized Performance Computer Program for Oil Flooded Twin-Screw Compressors , 1984 .

[88]  Chris Seeton,et al.  Solubility, viscosity, boundary lubrication and miscibility of CO2 and synthetic lubricants , 2001 .

[89]  Eckhard A. Groll,et al.  Thermodynamic analysis of a liquid-flooded Ericsson cycle cooler , 2007 .

[90]  G Lorentzen,et al.  The use of natural refrigerants: a complete solution to the CFC/HCFC predicament , 1995 .

[91]  Xiaohan Jia,et al.  An investigation into oil—gas two-phase leakage flow through micro gaps in oil-injected compressors , 2010 .

[92]  Tsutomu Inaba,et al.  Scroll Compressor Analytical Model , 1984 .

[93]  J. García,et al.  Phase and volumetric behavior of binary systems containing carbon dioxide and lubricants for transcritical refrigeration cycles , 2008 .

[94]  Reinhard Radermacher,et al.  Scroll Compressor Simulation Model , 2001 .

[95]  Yu-Choung Chang,et al.  Design optimization of scroll compressor applied for frictional losses evaluation , 2010 .

[96]  Jason J Hugenroth,et al.  Liquid flooded Ericsson cycle cooler , 2006 .

[97]  Tadashi Yanagisawa,et al.  Friction losses in rolling piston type rotary compressors. III , 1985 .

[98]  H. Baehr,et al.  An International Standard Formulation for the Thermodynamic Properties of 1,1,1,2‐Tetrafluoroethane (HFC‐134a) for Temperatures from 170 K to 455 K and Pressures up to 70 MPa , 1994 .

[99]  Manuel R. Conde,et al.  Estimation of thermophysical properties of lubricating oils and their solutions with refrigerants: An appraisal of existing methods , 1996 .

[100]  James E. Braun,et al.  Experimental investigation of a liquid-flooded Ericsson cycle cooler , 2008 .

[101]  Noriaki Ishii,et al.  Effec ts of Surface Roughness Upon Gas Leakage Flow Thr ough Small Clearances in CO2 Scroll Compressors , 2008 .

[102]  J. Nocedal,et al.  A Limited Memory Algorithm for Bound Constrained Optimization , 1995, SIAM J. Sci. Comput..

[103]  S. G. Penoncello,et al.  Thermodynamic Properties of Air and Mixtures of Nitrogen, Argon, and Oxygen From 60 to 2000 K at Pressures to 2000 MPa , 2000 .

[104]  A. Yokozeki,et al.  Solubility correlation and phase behaviors of carbon dioxide and lubricant oil mixtures , 2007 .

[105]  Guangming Chen,et al.  A new compressed air energy storage refrigeration system , 2006 .

[106]  Giansalvo Cirrincione,et al.  Novel Geometrical Model of Scroll Compressors for the Analytical Description of the Chamber Volumes , 2006 .

[107]  N. Ishii,et al.  A Study on Dynamic Behavior of a Scroll Compressor , 1986 .

[109]  Jens Gravesen,et al.  The Geometry of the Scroll Compressor , 2001, SIAM Rev..

[110]  E. Richard Booser,et al.  Tribology Data Handbook , 1997 .