Compressor Performance Research Articles

An Investigation of the Acoustic Enclosure of an Air Conditioning Compressor Using Response Surface Analysis and Topological Rigidity Optimization

A novel split-type air conditioning system is introduced to balance usability and portability. Unlike conventional split-type systems, where the compressor is typically placed outside, this system situates the compressor within the indoor unit, which may expose users to compressor noise. There are prominent peaks in the compressor noise spectrum, particularly at the compressor operating frequency and its harmonics, notably the second and third harmonics. The research presents a multilayered acoustic enclosure specifically designed for air conditioning compressors to address this issue without modifying the compressor or indoor unit casing. In order to get better sound insulation performance, a response surface methodology (RSM) is applied to optimize the thickness ratio, open area ratio, and open area height of the acoustic enclosure with predefined thickness. In addition, topological optimization is employed to strengthen weak areas of the acoustic enclosure. Then, experimental trials using the proposed acoustic enclosure are conducted in a semianechoic chamber. Results demonstrate significant reductions in noise levels, including 7.99 dB(A), 5.69 dB(A), and 5.19 dB(A) reductions in the fundamental frequency, second harmonic, and third harmonic noise of the compressor’s operating frequency, respectively.

Transonic Compressor Darmstadt Open Test Case: Experimental Investigation of Stator Secondary Flows and Hub Leakage

Abstract The future trend of clean sky aviation has led to a smaller core engine, resulting in highly loaded stages with increased relative tip gaps and leakage flows, which causes a reinforced influence of secondary flow phenomena. This article experimentally investigates the secondary flow effects in the 3D-optimized shrouded stator of the TUDa-GLR-OpenStage, representative of a transonic high-pressure compressor front stage, and its susceptibility to typical hub leakage flows. The impact of stator hub leakage on efficiency and total pressure ratio is investigated for several operating speeds, from subsonic to nominal transonic operating conditions. Steady five-hole probe and time-resolved virtual multi-hole probe measurements at different operating conditions at nominal speed are conducted to investigate the underlying loss mechanisms. The leakage mass flow is determined using the measured pressure difference within the fin seal. Steady results show that the optimized 3D stator effectively suppresses the hub corner separation compared to the predecessor 2D stator, but its performance is further limited by a near-tip separation. With the increased stator hub leakage (at a leakage-to-main flow ratio of about 0.4%), the compressor isentropic efficiency generally drops (by about −0.5%) at the full operating range due to an enhanced hub corner separation effect. However, the increased leakage also helps alleviate the tip-corner separation when operating near stall, leading to a smaller efficiency penalty under these conditions. Unsteady results reveal the sensitivity of transient compressor performance to the passing rotor wake, but limited interaction between this phenomenon and the increased leakage is observed. These findings provide insight into the stator hub leakage-related penalties on the compressor aerodynamics efficiency.

Analytical and experimental evaluation of LaNi5-xMx, where M = Fe, Mn, and Al hydrides for hydrogen compression applications

Metal Hydride Hydrogen Compressors (MHHC) will play a vital role in the hydrogen economy in the coming times. Developing a more efficient and optimized MHHC requires revisiting the existing materials and selecting the best-suited material. The current work compares LaNi5-xMx, where M = Fe, Mn, and Al hydrides, through a thermodynamic evaluation of the compressor's performance. The operating conditions have been chosen as 20 to 40 °C for absorption and 80 to 140 °C for desorption to provide a baseline for comparing the materials. The performance parameters include thermal efficiency, pressure ratio, and throughput (i.e. mass of hydrogen delivered per 100 g of hydride (wt.%)). The Pressure Concentration Isotherms (PCIs) are taken from the published literature, and the equilibrium pressures at the desired temperature conditions are calculated from the van't Hoff equation. LaNi4.8Al0.2 gives good performance throughout the studied temperature and pressure range. The throughput of LaNi4.8Al0.2 drops from 1.4 wt.% to around 1 wt.% at high absorption temperatures. A separate experimental study of LaNi4.8Al0.2 is documented where it is used in a prototype of MHHC, and its performance parameters are compared with the thermodynamic analysis. The reaction kinetics, throughput, pressure ratio, and efficiency are reported. A pressure ratio of 4.2 is achieved with an efficiency of 5.2 % at 3 bar supply pressure, and absorption and desorption temperatures of 30 and 140 °C, respectively.

To Get a Power Generation Using a Waste Heat Recovery from IC Engine

This Research paper aims to develop and design a low-temperature organic Rankine cycle (ORC) system, focusing on enhancing the performance of the expander and selecting optimal refrigerants and heat sources. The study begins with a comprehensive analysis of available expanders and refrigerants suitable for ORC applications. The research then progresses to the development and improvement of an expander utilizing a reverse scroll compressor configuration, a novel approach aimed at enhancing efficiency and performance. Dynamic tests are conducted to assess the performance of the scroll compressor in this new configuration, providing valuable data for further optimization. The same expander is then integrated into an ORC system to evaluate its performance within the overall setup. Various performance parameters of the scroll compressor and the ORC system are meticulously analyzed to gauge efficiency and identify areas for improvement. Furthermore, the research paper includes a detailed process of selecting the most appropriate refrigerant and heat source from the available options. This selection is critical in optimizing the ORC system's effectiveness and sustainability. Overall, this research contributes to advancing low-temperature ORC technology by improving expander design, optimizing component performance, and selecting suitable operating parameters for enhanced energy conversion efficiency.

A unified framework for digital twin development in manufacturing

The concept of digital twin (DT) is undergoing rapid transformation and attracting increased attention across industries. It is recognised as an innovative technology offering real-time monitoring, simulation, optimisation, accurate forecasting and bi-directional feedback between physical and digital objects. Despite extensive academic and industrial research, DT has not yet been properly understood and implemented by many industries, due to challenges identified during its development. Existing literature shows that there is a lack of a unified framework to build DT, a lack of standardisation in the development, and challenges related to coherent goals of DT in a multi-disciplinary team engaged in the design, development and implementation of DT to a larger scale system. To address these challenges, this study introduces a unified framework for DT development, emphasising reusability and scalability. The framework harmonises existing DT frameworks by unifying concepts and process development. It facilitates the integration of heterogeneous data types and ensures a continuous flow of information among data sources, simulation models and visualisation platforms. Scalability is achieved through ontology implementation, while employing an agent-based approach, it monitors physical asset performance, automatically detects faults, checks repair status and offers operators feedback on asset demand, availability and health conditions. The effectiveness of the proposed DT framework is validated through its application to a real-world case study involving five interconnected air compressors located at the Connected Facility at Devonport Royal Dockyard, UK. The DT automatically and remotely monitors the performance and health status of compressors, providing guidance to humans on fault repair. This guidance dynamically adapts based on feedback from the DT. Analyses of the results demonstrate that the proposed DT increases the facility’s operation availability and enhances decision-making by promptly and accurately detecting faults.

Bleed air CFD modelling in aerodynamic simulation of A heavy duty gas turbine compressor

This study investigates the effects of different bleed air CFD modelling methods on the aerodynamic simulation of a heavy-duty gas turbine multistage compressor with bleed airflow. Two methods, the local source term method and the simplified bleed off-take geometry method, are compared. The results reveal that while overall compressor performance shows minimal variation between the methods, significant differences are observed near the blade tip region. The bleed source term method predicts a more uniform flow field in the bleed cavity, leading to a larger surge margin for the compressor. Therefore, in the analysis of multistage compressors, it is advisable to adopt simplified geometric modeling method for simulating bleed air extraction. Moreover, when utilizing this approach, careful consideration should be given to the choice of the slot inclination angle. This design parameter presents a crucial trade-off between losses within the exhaust structure and those arising from the entry of mainstream flow into the exhaust slot cavity.

Study on the influence of variable inlet guide vane slot on the aerodynamic performance in air storage centrifugal compressor

The influence of variable inlet guide vanes with slots (SVIGVs) on the aerodynamic performance of an air-storage centrifugal compressor was studied using numerical simulations. The inlet position of the slot was set to 4 % of the chord length of the variable inlet guide vanes (VIGVs), and the outlet position was set to 14 %. The results show that the high-loss area near the VIGVs suction surface increases owing to the secondary flow generated by the slot jet, and the change in the inlet flow angle of the impeller results in a decrease in the compressor efficiency under the 30° pre-swirling angle condition. In contrast, the slot can effectively reduce the loss caused by the VIGVs at 40° and 50° pre-swirling angles and optimise the impeller inlet flow angle, thereby improving the efficiency and pressure ratio of the centrifugal compressor. At a pre-swirling angle of 50°, the efficiency and pressure ratio of the compressor increased by 8.3 % and 0.2, respectively. Furthermore, the influence of the SVIGVs on the impeller aerodynamic loads of a centrifugal compressor was revealed through an unsteady numerical simulation. The results showed that the SVIGVs effectively improved the aerodynamic load distribution on the impeller, reduced the aerodynamic load by three, four, and five times the frequency of rotation, and reduced the frequency amplitude by up to 2/3.

Simulation and experiment of the aerodynamic performance of a vane compressor damaged by a bird strike

Based on the purpose of studying the impact of bird strike on compressor aerodynamic performance, this paper takes a single-stage low-speed axial flow compressor as an object to establish a blade model damaged by bird strike, and on this basis, it carries out a three-dimensional full-loop numerical simulation and experiments on the compressor model with damaged blades. Through comparison with the experimental data of undamaged compressors, the results show that after the rotor blades are damaged, the rotor blades are damaged. The aerodynamic performance and stability of the compressor have significantly decreased, which accords with our understanding. The reliability of the numerical simulation method is verified by analyzing the detailed flow field structure of typical working conditions and comparing the experimental data of the compressor, which lays a foundation for the relevant calculation of damaged blades in the future.

Characterization of centrifugal compressors operating in FRIB’s sub-atmospheric compression system

Helium cryogenic systems operating below the normal boiling point (of 4.22 K) are required for many modern high-energy particle accelerators to achieve the necessary performance criteria. Temperatures below the normal boiling point are established by lowering saturation pressure below atmospheric conditions using vacuum equipment. FRIB operates a multi-stage string of cryogenic compressors (or ‘cold-compressors’) to achieve the sub-atmospheric pressures required (30 mbar) for the accelerator operating conditions of approximately 2 K. Housed within a vacuum insulated vessel (i.e., the sub-atmospheric cold box), the cold-compressor system re-pressurizes the helium from approximately 30 mbar to above atmospheric pressure condition before injecting the flow back into the helium refrigerator. Despite the implementation of cold-compressors in several existing large-scale cryogenic systems, openly available literature is insufficient to provide the information necessary for a general characterization of the performance and stability for these cold compressors. A one dimensional steady-state model to predict the performance of cryogenic centrifugal compressors has been developed. This model enables performance prediction by using optimally selected enthalpy loss correlations and basic impeller and diffuser geometrical data. The present work provides an initial comparison of the estimated performance of the individual and string of cryogenic centrifugal compressors to the operational / test data. With appropriate validation, the model is anticipated to allow assessment and prediction of optimal operational envelops that ensure stable and efficient operation at different operating conditions.

Influence of bleeding positions in self-recirculating casing treatments on the stability of a subsonic axial compressor

Influence of bleeding positions in self-recirculating casing treatments on the stability of a subsonic axial compressor

Performance comparison of liquid, vapor, and liquid–vapor injection of single-screw compressor for an air-source heat pump

Refrigerant injection techniques are usually proposed to improve the performance and reliability of compressors when a single-screw compressor applied to an air-source heat pump works at low temperatures in winter. In this study, an experimental study was conducted to present the performance comparison of the single-screw compressor in the air-source heat pump under liquid, vapor, and liquid–vapor refrigerant injection at evaporation temperatures between −19 and −8 °C. The results indicate that, when the evaporation temperature decreases from −8 to −19 °C, the heating capacity under liquid–vapor and vapor injection increases by 16.7% and 12.7%, respectively, compared with that under liquid injection and that the COPh increment under liquid–vapor injection and vapor injection is, respectively, from 11.23% to 39.21% and from 17.18% to 30.82% compared with that under liquid injection. Therefore, the liquid–vapor injection method is conducive to the operation of the air-source heat pump at a lower ambient temperature. The experimental results can provide the basis for the future design of single-screw compressors applied to air-source heat pumps.

Experimental characterization and numerical modelling of an air to water CO2 heat pump under different outdoor and operating conditions for domestic hot water generation

This work assesses the influence of different outdoor and operating conditions on the performance of an air-to-water CO2 heat pump for domestic hot water (DHW) generation. For that purpose, an air to water CO2 heat pump with internal heat exchanger (IHX) was developed and characterized in an experimental campaign under well-controlled lab conditions. The system includes an in-house control system implemented to operate at the optimal gas cooler pressure. The heat pump and the control system are tested for DHW generation. The heat pump uses a finned-tubes heat exchanger as evaporator and plate heat exchangers as gas cooler and internal heat exchanger. The numerical model used a 1dimensional, cell by cell discretization method to characterize the performance of both, the gas-cooler and the evaporator under a wide range of values of their key variables. The IHX is also modelled with the same strategy. ARHI equations are considered to describe the compressor performance. The experimental data obtained are used to validate a numerical model of the heat pump under different air velocities, air temperatures and air humidity at the evaporator. The effectiveness of the control system proposed is experimentally confirmed during the experimental tests. Results show a good agreement between the numerical simulations and the experimental data what permits to validate the model and to assess the performance of the transcritical heat pump under different climate conditions.

Influence of real gas properties on aerodynamic stability of a SCO2 centrifugal compressor

The safe operation of closed-Bryton-cycle system is hindered by the nonlinear real gas properties in a supercritical carbon dioxide (SCO2) centrifugal compressor for waste heat recovery in a powertrain system. This paper aims to understand the influence of real gas properties on the aerodynamic stability of a shrouded SCO2 centrifugal compressor designed for waste heat recovery. Firstly, the numerical method was calibrated and validated using experimental results from the Sandia SCO2 centrifugal compressor. Next, based on the numerical method, the stability performance of an inhouse-design shrouded SCO2 compressor was discussed through a direct comparison with the identical compressor using air. The results showed that the performance of the SCO2 compressor was significantly different from that of the air compressor. Particularly, the impeller was the most unstable component featuring a notable recirculating region near the shroud at the leading edge. Further analysis is carried out to understand the discrepancies in the stability performance between the two compressors with different fluids. It is revealed that the boundary layer on the SCO2 impeller suction surface thickens at a faster rate, leading to stronger flow separation. Meanwhile, the stronger accumulation of low-momentum secondary flow near the SCO2 impeller outlet enhances the ‘wake’ structure near the shroud of suction surface at the impeller tailing edge, resulting in considerable backflow. The different behaviors of boundary layer were attributed to pressure gradient normal to the suction surface. Specifically, the pressure gradient on the suction surface for SCO2 impeller is orders of magnitude higher than that of the air impeller. The stronger gradient weakens momentum exchange in the boundary layer, thus increasing the thickness of boundary layer more rapidly along the streamwise direction. Moreover, the boundary layer is pushed towards the shroud of suction surface by the strong pressure gradient, resulting in the evident accumulation of secondary flow nearby. At the meantime, the low-momentum flow near the impeller outlet reduced the inlet flow velocity of the diffuser, causing more recirculation at the top of the vaneless diffuser in all circumferential directions, thus worsening its instability.

Improved Error-Based Ensemble Learning Model for Compressor Performance Parameter Prediction

Large compressors have complex structures and constantly changing operating conditions. It is challenging to build physical models of compressors to analyse their performance parameters. An improved error-based stacked ensemble learning prediction model is proposed in this work. This model simplifies the modelling steps in a data-driven manner and obtains accurate prediction results. An enhanced integrated model employs K-fold cross-validation to assign dataset weights based on validation set errors, achieving a 12.4% reduction in average output error. Additionally, the output error of the meta-model undergoes a Box–Cox transformation for error compensation, decreasing the average output error by 14.0%. The Stacking model, combining the above improvements, notably reduces the root-mean-square errors for power, surge, and blocking boundaries by 24.2%, 20.6%, and 23.3%, respectively. This integration significantly boosts prediction accuracy.

Investigation on Aerodynamic Performance of a Centrifugal Compressor with Leaned and Bowed 3D Blades

The application of centrifugal compressors is extensive in industries such as aerospace and energy. The blade is the primary factor affecting the aerodynamic performance of compressors. In this paper, the aerodynamic performance of a centrifugal compressor with leaned and bowed 3D blades is investigated. The spanwise section profiles of the blade in the circumferential direction are deflected at different angles, resulting in four compressors with distinct leaned and bowed 3D blades based on the original model. There is a significant change in isentropic efficiency of the modified models under design conditions. Specifically, models 1, 3, and 4 experienced an increase of 0.97%, 1.04%, and 0.79%, respectively, while model 2 experienced a decrease of 0.70%. The profile of the blade tip and 50% spanwise section are shifted towards the suction surface, resulting in a geometric structure where the blade is concave towards the pressure surface. This structure gradually lifts the flow from the blade root to the blade tip downstream to the outlet area of the flow channel, reducing the load on the trailing edge of the blade and making the flow more closely aligned with the blade. At the same time, the larger radial velocity gradient near the blade tip suppresses the backflow on the shroud side, making the flow at the impeller outlet more stable. The outlet velocity of the impeller is more evenly distributed along the spanwise and circumferential directions, which improves the flow at the inlet of the diffuser and enhances the efficiency of the diffuser. Due to the high spanwise height of the leading edge of the blade, this bowed blade structure has little effect on the spanwise curvature upstream of the blade, resulting in negligible influence on the flow of the upstream channel.

Performance assessment and optimisation of a concentric two-piston compressor system for hydrogen storage

The ionic compressor has a prospective application potential for the conversion of mechanical energy into internal energy in high-pressure hydrogen as the ionic liquid can separate the metal piston and the hydrogen gas. The sloshing of the liquid inside is inevitable in such a liquid piston compressor, which has an impact on the specific energy consumption of the hydrogen compression. The thermofluid behaviour of this liquid sloshing can be effectively influenced by the baffle structure and piston trajectory. A novel concentric two-piston compressor is proposed in this paper, which has a unique structure that can act as a baffle inside and actively influences the fluid flow by adjusting the piston trajectory. The quantitative influence of key structural design factors on the compressor performance is investigated by mathematical modelling, based on which the optimal structural design was obtained by Taguchi and analysis of variance methods. Results indicate that the diameter ratio of Piston A to Piston B is the dominating factor for both the mass delivered and the specific energy consumption. With the optimal design in the structure, the specific energy consumption is found as 2328.49 kJ/kg, where the mass delivered and power consumption are observed as 21.42 kg/h and 13.86 kW, respectively.

Geometric and thermodynamic analysis of a fully meshed double-scroll compressor

The double-scroll wrap can effectively increase the volume flow rate compared with the commonly used single-scroll structure, but its built-in volume ratio is extensively reduced. With the aim of improving its built-in volume ratio, this study presented a fully meshed double-scroll profile, or called modified double-scroll, and proposed a generation method for it; its profile equations as well as relationships between its geometric parameters were obtained, and effects of the geometric parameters on the compressor performance were analyzed. Moreover, thermodynamic characteristic and working process of the double-scroll compressor were numerically simulated and verified with its performance experiment. It is found that the proposed fully meshed double-scroll significantly increases the built-in volume ratio by 33.8 %; meanwhile, it increases the volume flow rate, reduces the friction velocity between the orbiting and fixed scrolls, and decreases scroll dimensions. The proposed fully meshed double-scroll can be applied to the design and manufacture of scroll compressors.

Experimental Analysis of the Time-Wise Compressor Fouling Phenomenon

Abstract Compressor fouling is still an unforeseen phenomenon. Gas turbines for heavy-duty and propulsion applications are subject to performance degradation due to fouling, erosion, and corrosion mechanisms. Unlike the last two, the fouling phenomenon is recoverable depending on weather, operating conditions, and operator actions. It is generated by the adhesion of micro-sized particles on the relevant surfaces, generating blade shape and surface roughness variations. Fouling could affect the machine performance differently. The interaction between machine characteristics, airborne contaminants, and environmental conditions determines fouling prediction challenges. An experimental campaign has been carried out in the present analysis to study the overtime modification of compressor performance and mass deposits on the blade and vane surfaces. The axial unit has been operated to control the performance and deposition process by keeping the contamination and the relative humidity constant during the time. The test matrix has been based on two relative humidity values and four exposure time intervals. The results have shown the action of the competitive phenomena as adhesion and detachment, generating a non-linear trend of the deposited mass−time relation depending on impact characteristics and humidity values. Compressor performance follows similar behavior and shows a non-linear trend instead of constant contamination. Data interpretation and generalization are reported to increase the possibility of better predicting the effects of particle adhesion on gas turbine performance degradation.

An Improved Body Force Model to Simulate Blade Loading Variation Under Various Operating Conditions in Transonic Axial Flow Compressor

Abstract In order to analyze the unsteady aerodynamic response of compressors with limited computational resources, the development of the body force (BF) model has been pursued for decades. This model can simulate the effects of the compressor blade on the flow by applying a three-dimensional (3D) force field. Indeed, the accuracy of the BF model simulation highly depends on the construction strategy of BF field. However, for a transonic compressor, the influence of shock waves on the spatial distribution of blade loading is significant, which makes the construction of an appropriate BF field challenging. To solve this issue, an accurate BF model is proposed to describe the effects of the blade on the flow with high spatial fidelity in transonic compressors. For verification, a typical transonic fan rotor, NASA-Rotor 67, is selected. The numerical results calculated by the new BF model are compared with those obtained by the Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) solver. According to the results, the new model can accurately capture the distribution of blade loading in the transonic blade channel at various operating conditions, eventually leading to a good prediction of compressor performance and the radial distribution of flow parameters downstream of the rotor. Moreover, this study discusses the causes of modeling errors and presents the application of the model in inlet distortion simulation at the end.

Experimental Performance Comparison of High-Glide Hydrocarbon and Synthetic Refrigerant Mixtures in a High-Temperature Heat Pump

Several theoretical studies have predicted that refrigerant mixtures with glides of more than 20 K can yield COP improvements in heat pumps for operating conditions where the temperature difference between the heat source and heat sink is large, but experimental validations and quantifications are scarce. The application of high-glide mixtures (>20 K) in industrial heat pumps in the field is, therefore, still hampered by concerns about the behavior and handling of the mixtures. This study experimentally investigates hydrocarbon (HC) mixtures R-290/600 (propane/butane) and R-290/601 (propane/pentane) and compares them to previously tested mixtures of synthetic refrigerants. Comprehensive evaluations are presented regarding COP, compressor performance, pressure drop, heat transfer, and the possibility of inline composition determination. The mixtures were tested over a range of compositions at a source inlet temperature of 60 °C and a sink outlet temperature of 100 °C, with the heat sink and heat source temperature differences controlled to 35 K. R-290/601 at a mass composition of 70%/30% was found as the best mixture with a COP improvement of 19% over R-600 as the best pure fluid. The overall isentropic compressor efficiency was similar for HC and synthetic refrigerants, given equal suction and discharge pressures. Pressure drops in heat exchangers and connecting lines were equal for synthetic and HC mixtures at equal mass flow rates. This allows higher heating capacities of HC mixtures at a given pressure drop (mass flow rate) due to their wider vapor dome. A previously developed evaporator heat transfer correlation for synthetic refrigerant mixtures was applicable to the HC mixtures. A condenser heat transfer correlation previously fitted for synthetic refrigerants performed significantly worse for HC mixtures. Composition determination during operation and without sampling was possible with a deviation of at most 0.05 mass fraction using simple temperature and pressure measurements and REFPROP for thermodynamic property calculations. Overall, high-glide HC mixtures, just like mixtures of synthetic refrigerants, showed significant COP improvements for specific operating conditions despite a decreased heat transfer coefficient. Potential problems like composition shift or poor compressor performance were not encountered. As a next step, testing high-glide mixtures in pilot-plant installations is recommended.