Abstract
A booster-driven loop free cooling system plays a crucial role in enhancing data center energy efficiency and reducing emissions due to the special booster with low pressure ratio as a vital driving component. And the impact of lubricant and its fraction on the booster operation are the key points under low pressure ratio, as well as lubricant distribution. In this paper, the refrigerant/lubricant two-phase mixing flow in the working chamber of a booster was investigated under low pressure ratio for data center free cooling. The volume of fluid (VOF) multiphase flow model combining the working chamber of the rotary booster and discharge valve was built up to analyze the dynamic characteristics of the booster under free cooling conditions. The effect of lubricant fraction and its working frequency on the operating indexes (exhaust temperature/pressure, mass flow rate, volumetric efficiency, indicated specific work, energy efficiency ratio) were studied. The lubricant distribution and its changes for different angles and frequencies were presented. The results indicate that it can improve the thermal performance of the booster effectively with appropriate volume fraction of lubricant. The lubricant in the two-phase flow reduces the inner temperature and pressure in the booster working chamber, which changes the exhaust pressure and volumetric efficiency as well as the cooling capacity. The exhaust pressure and the mass flow rate increase notably for the refrigerant/oil mixture with the increasing lubricant volume fraction, while other performance indexes decrease. The exhaust pressure and the mass flow rate increase by 0.51 % and 47.14 %, separately, when the lubricant volume fraction raises from 0 to 5 % at operating frequency of 50 Hz. Whereas, the exhaust temperature, refrigerant mass flow rate, volumetric efficiency, indicated specific power, cooling capacity and EER decrease by 18.11 %, 4.81 %, 47.14 %, 38.94 %, 4.81 % and 26.36 %, respectively. The investigations can support the lubrication and sealing of the booster with low pressure ratio for free cooling to reach efficient and reliable operation.
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