Heat Flux Assessment in Reciprocating Compressor

Abstract

Heat transfer inside a cylinder and the cylinder head of a reciprocating compressor is responsible for the majority of thermodynamic losses in these devices. Both the magnitude and direction of the heat flux through the walls of those components change several times during a single revolution. They are directly dependent on the position of the piston and suction/discharge valves. A better understanding of these thermal processes could lead to better and more targeted cooling. This would result in higher efficiency of the reciprocating compressors. In this paper, two experimental methods for determining heat flux are used. The first method uses heat flux sensors to measure heat flux directly. The other one is focused on the indirect assessment of heat flux via surface-mounted thermocouples. To tie the measurement to the position of the crankshaft, both sensors are coupled to a rotary encoder. The rotary encoder sends a signal once per revolution when the piston is in the top dead center position to trigger signal acquisition. The results show signs of reaching a quasi-steady state and would most likely require sampling of the signal more times per revolution.