Experiment No.

: 02

Aim: To study various type of compressors.

Theory:

The compressors are one of the most important parts of the refrigeration cycle. The
compressor compresses the refrigerant, which flows to the condenser, where it gets
cooled.
It then moves to the expansion valve, and the evaporator and it is finally sucked by the
compressor again.

Types of compressors:
Mainly following type of compressors are used.
1 Reciprocating, 2 Rotary, 3 Screw, 4 Centrifugal and 5 Scroll. All these have been
described below briefly:
The reciprocating and screw compressors are best suited for use with refrigerants which
require a relatively small displacement and condense at relatively high pressure, such as
R-12, R-22, Ammonia, etc.
The centrifugal compressors are suitable for handling refrigerants that require large
displacement and operate at low condensing pressure, such as R-11, R-113, etc.
The rotary compressor is most suited for pumping refrigerants having moderate or low
condensing pressures, such as R-21 and R-114; this is mainly used in domestic.

1) Reciprocating Compressors:
The reciprocating compressors are one of the most widely used types of the refrigerating
compressors. They have piston and cylinder arrangement like the automotive engine.
The reciprocating motion of the piston due to external power compresses the refrigerant
inside the cylinder. There are three types of reciprocating compressors: hermetically
sealed, semihermetically sealed and open type. The open of reciprocating compressors
can be of single cylinder type or multi-cylinder type.
A reciprocating compressor or piston compressor is a positive-displacement compressor
that uses pistons driven by a crankshaft to deliver gases at high pressure.

The intake gas enters the suction manifold, then flows into the compression cylinder
where it gets compressed by a piston driven in a reciprocating motion via a crankshaft,
and is then discharged. Applications include oil refineries, gas pipelines, chemical plants,
natural gas processing plants and refrigeration plants.
 Figure: Reciprocating air compressor

2) Screw Compressors:
The screw compressors comprise of the pair of meshing screws between which the
refrigerant gets compressed. They can produce high pressure for small quantity of gas.
They consume less power than the reciprocating compressors and are being used widely.
It can be used with refrigerants like R12, R22, and others.
A rotary-screw compressor is a type of gas compressor that uses a rotary-type positive-
displacement mechanism. They are commonly used to replace piston compressors
where large volumes of high-pressure air are needed, either for large industrial
applications or to operate high-power air tools such as jackhammers.

The gas compression process of a rotary screw is a continuous sweeping motion, so

there is very little pulsation or surging of flow, as occurs with piston compressors.
Rotary-screw compressors use two meshing helical screws, known as rotors, to compress
the gas. In a dry-running rotary-screw compressor, timing gears ensure that the male and
female rotors maintain precise alignment. In an oil-flooded rotary-screw compressor,
lubricating oil bridges the space between the rotors, both providing a hydraulic seal and
transferring mechanical energy between the driving and driven rotor. Gas enters at the
suction side and moves through the threads as the screws rotate. The meshing rotors
force the gas through the compressor, and the gas exits at the end of the screws.

The effectiveness of this mechanism is dependent on precisely fitting clearances

between the helical rotors and between the rotors and the chamber for sealing of the
compression cavities. However, some leakage is inevitable, and high rotational speeds
must be used to minimize the ratio of leakage flow rate over effective flow rate.

In contrast to Roots blowers, screw compressors are made with different profiles on the
two rotors: the male rotor has convex lobes which mesh with the concave cavities of the
female rotor. Usually the male rotor has fewer lobes than the female rotor, so that it
rotates faster. Originally, screw compressors were made with symmetrical rotor cavity
profiles, but modern versions use asymmetrical rotors, with the exact rotor designs
being the subject of patents.

Figure: Screw compressor

3 Rotary Vane Compressor:

It is positive displacement type compressor. It provides higher efficiency and flow rates over a
wide range of pressure.
Rotary vane compressor consist of rotor with a number of vanes inserted in the radial slots cut
in rotor. The rotor is mounted eccentric in a casing. The vanes slides radially in and out of the
rotor.

As the rotor rotates at higher speed, centrifugal force throws the vanes outward keeping the
end of vane in contact with the stator ring. As the rotor turns, compression is achieved as the
volume goes from a maximum at intake port to minimum at the exhaust port.

An oil is injected into the air intake and along the stator walls to cool the air and lubricate
bearing and vanes and to provide a seal between the vane and stator wall to reduce internal
leakage.
The rotary compressors have two rotating elements, like gears, between which the
refrigerant is compressed. These compressors can pump the refrigerant to lower or
moderate condensing pressures. Since they can handle small volume of the gas and
produce lesser pressure, they are used in fewer applications.
 Figure: Rotary compressor

4) Centrifugal Compressor:
Centrifugal compressors use the rotating action of an impeller wheel to exert centrifugal force on
refrigerant inside a round chamber (volute). Refrigerant is sucked into the impeller wheel
through a large circular intake and flows between the impellers. The impellers force the
refrigerant outward, exerting centrifugal force on the refrigerant. The refrigerant is pressurized
as it is forced against the sides of the volute. Centrifugal compressors are well suited to
compressing large volumes of refrigerant to relatively low pressures. The compressive force
generated by an impeller wheel is small, so chillers that use centrifugal compressors usually
employ more than one impeller wheel, arranged in series. Centrifugal compressors are desirable
for their simple design and few moving parts.

Centrifugal compressor works on the principle of accelerating a gas to a high velocity and
converting its KINETIC ENERGY (velocity) into POTENTIAL ENERGY (pressure) by decelerating the
gas. The gas enters the eye of the impeller and is accelerated to the outward edge of the
impeller as it rotates. It then enters a diffuser where its direction is changed, causing
deceleration. This deceleration converts the KE into the PE, pressure. If the gas is to be further
compressed, then a return chamber directs it from the diffuser to the eye of the next impeller in
series. The gas enters a collector or volute when it is to leave the compression stage. It is
discharged to the process through a discharge nozzle.
The centrifugal compressor has no connecting rods, pistons and valves; so the shaft bearings are
the only points subject to wear. The compressor discharge pressure is a function of gas density,
impeller diameter and design, and impeller speed. Centrifugal compressor impellers rotate very
rapidly.
The centrifugal compressors comprise of the impeller or the blower that can handle
large quantities of gas but at relatively lower condensing pressure.
 Figure: Centrifugal compressor

5) Scroll Compressors:
The scroll compressor comprises of two interleaved scrolls of which one is fixed and the
other orbits eccentrically without rotating. During its motion small gaps are created
between the scrolls where the refrigerant gets compressed. The scrolls can have
different shapes like involute, Archimedean spiral or hybrid curve. In another
arrangement both the scrolls may be rotating eccentrically to produce the compression.

A scroll compressor (also called spiral compressor, scroll pump and scroll vacuum pump)
is a device for compressing air or refrigerant. It is used in air conditioning equipment, as
an automobile supercharger (where it is known as a scroll-type supercharger) and as a
vacuum pump. Many residential central heat pump and air conditioning systems and a
few automotive air conditioning systems employ a scroll compressor instead of the more
traditional rotary, reciprocating, and wobble-plate compressors.

A scroll compressor operating in reverse is known as a scroll expander, and can be used
to generate mechanical work from the expansion of a fluid, compressed air or gas.

A scroll compressor uses two interleaving scrolls to pump, compress or pressurize fluids
such as liquids and gases. The vane geometry may be involute, Archimedean spiral, or
hybrid curves.

Often, one of the scrolls is fixed, while the other orbits eccentrically without rotating,
thereby trapping and pumping or compressing pockets of fluid between the scrolls.
Another method for producing the compression motion is co-rotating the scrolls, in
synchronous motion, but with offset centers of rotation. The relative motion is the same
as if one were orbiting.

Another variation is with flexible (layflat) tubing where the archimedean spiral acts as a
peristaltic pump, which operates on much the same principle as a toothpaste tube. They
have casings filled with lubricant to prevent abrasion of the exterior of the pump tube
and to aid in the dissipation of heat, and use reinforced tubes, often called 'hoses'. This
class of pump is often called a 'hose pumper'. Since there are no moving parts in contact
with the fluid, peristaltic pumps are inexpensive to manufacture. Their lack of valves,
seals and glands makes them comparatively inexpensive to maintain, and the hose or
tube is a low-cost maintenance item compared to other pump types.

Figure: Scroll compressor

Result: Various types of compressors have been studied.