Instantaneous heat transfer during compression and expansion in reciprocating gas handling machinery

In reciprocating gas handling machinery, there is both a net or average heat transfer over many cycles between the gas and the environment, and a cyclic heat exchange back and forth between the gas and the cylinder wall within each cycle. The latter phenomenon occurs both in open cylinder processes, and in closed cylinder processes, where it is sometimes referred to as ''gas spring loss''. This paper addresses the cyclic heat transfer as it occurs in a closed cylinder without combustion. A considerable number of experiments with a closed cylinder are discussed. For a given gas, work lost per cycle is correlated with an average Reynolds number for the cycle and the specific heat ratio of the gas. The T-S diagram of the cylinder contents is shown to be a sensitive indicator of the magnitude and timing of the heat transfer.