MCE 336: Refrigeration & AC Eng.

II

Presenter: Patricia Kwakye-Boateng, Meng

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 CONTEN
CONTENTS T

❖ Introduction
❖ Compression process
❖ Classification of compressors
❖ Types of compressors
❖ Compressor specifications
and features.
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 INTRODUCTION
Ideal vapor compression
cycle
◉ Ideal cycle consists of
○ 1-2: Isentropic
compression
○ 2-3: Constant
pressure heat rejection
in the condenser
○ 3-4: Throttling in an
expansion valve
○ 4-1: Constant
pressure heat addition
in the evaporator 3
 COMPRESSION PROCESS
◉ During compression of
vapor, work is done on
it.
◉ Its enthalpy increases
and so does its pressure.
◉Inletto the compressor
should be in vapor state.
◉Ideal compression
(isentropic) is not
possible in real
operation. 4
 COMPRESSION PROCESS cont’d
◉ The compressor is the heart in a refrigeration
system
» Only major component that has moving parts
◉ Compressors have a cooling capacity and a COP/EER
» Compressors are often rated by cooling capacity
and COP/EER based on assumed system state points
(e.g. 1 ton compressor with EER of 12)
◉The task of the compressor in a VC system is to provide
continuous mass flow rate of refrigerant from a low pressure
level to a high pressure level.
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 WHAT ARE COP AND EER?
◉ Efficiency of a refrigeration system is measured in COP or
EER.
◉ COP is Coefficient of Performance

◉ COP is an instantaneous measure of performance

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 WHAT ARE COP AND EER? cont’d
◉ EER is Energy Efficiency Ratio

◉ Compressor power is often expressed as kW/ton of cooling

(or heating) 𝑘𝑊 𝑡𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑓 𝑐𝑜𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔.

◉ E.g. Compressor power consumption for a 1 ton A/C with

EER of 12 would be 1 kW SEER.

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 SEER RATING OF AIR CONDITIONERS
◉ SEER is Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio
• Primarily used to describe performance of home air
conditioners in the United States.

• Indicates the maximum possible performance

efficiency for the air conditioning system.
• In Ghana, we use “Star Ratings”.
• SEER depends on compressor type, condenser size
and TXV.

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REAL WORLD PERFORMANCE
◉ Several irreversible processes impact actual performance
» Efficiencies are used for a more general description of
the processes in a compressor.

» These efficiencies depend ONLY on the compressor

inlet and outlet conditions.
» Therefore, efficiencies are more suitable for
comparing compressors than COP/EER.
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 VOLUMETRIC EFFICIENCY

◉ Ratio between the actual volume flow rate in the

compressor inlet and to theoretical flow rate:

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 VOLUMETRIC EFFICIENCY

◉ Theoretically, the volumetric efficiency is equal to one.

◉ However, in general practice several aspects affect the
volumetric efficiency;
» re-expansion of gas in clearance volume
» pressure drops in valves and flow passages
» leakage from compression chamber
» internal superheat
» back-flow through valves

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 VOLUMETRIC EFFICIENCY

◉ Ratio of actual compressor power consumption to power

consumption needed for an isentropic and reversible
compression process.

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 VOLUMETRIC EFFICIENCY

◉ For hermetic and semi-hermetic compressors the motor

efficiency is included in an “overall isentropic efficiency”.
◉ For reciprocating compressors, the isentropic
efficiency ranges are
» Small size hermetic compressors (domestic appl.) [0.4 -
0.6]
» Medium size (semi-) hermetic compressors [0.5 - 0.7]
» Large size open compressors (at full load) [0.6 - 0.8]
◉ Isentropic efficiencies of rotary compressors are generally
higher than for reciprocating compressors.
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 CLASSIFICATION OF COMPRESSORS
◉ Positive displacement
○ Have chambers which decrease in volume during
compression.
○ Increase pressure by displacing fluid in a shrinking
volume.
◉ Reciprocating compressors

◉ Rotary compressors
o Rolling piston
o Rotary sliding vane
o Screw

◉ Scroll compressors 14
 CLASSIFICATION OF COMPRESSORS
cont’d
◉ Non-positive displacement (centrifugal).
○ Non-positive displacement compressors have fixed-
volume chambers.
○ Increases pressure by adding kinetic energy to the fluid
○ High velocity impeller.

◉ Centrifugal compressors

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 CLASSIFICATION OF COMPRESSORS
cont’d

 Differences with respect to Motor Location

◉ Hermetic:
» Welded steel shell houses both compressor and motor
» Usually smaller sizes; high manufacturing cost of
larger sizes
» These compressors are leak-free and can sit for long
periods unused, but cannot be maintained or repaired.

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CLASSIFICATION OF COMPRESSORS
cont’d

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 CLASSIFICATION OF COMPRESSORS
cont’d

 Differences with respect to Motor Location

◉ Semi-hermetic:
» Contains the motor and compressor in one housing, but
instead of a one-piece housing they incorporate
gasketed/bolted covers.
» Intermediate capacities
» Can be opened and serviced, unlike fully hermetic

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CLASSIFICATION OF COMPRESSORS
cont’d

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 CLASSIFICATION OF COMPRESSORS
cont’d
 Differences with respect to Motor Location

◉ Open Drive:
» Motor external to shell
» Largest capacities
» Shaft seal necessary
» They rely on lubricant in the system to splash on pump
components and seals.
» If not operated frequently, the system can leak its
operating gases.
» Open compressors can be driven by non-electric power
sources such as combustion engines. 20
CLASSIFICATION OF COMPRESSORS
cont’d

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 TYPES OF COMPRESSORS

◉ There are basically 5 types of air conditioner

compressors that are commonly used in the HVAC
industry:

 Reciprocating
 Scroll
 Screw
 Rotary
 Centrifugal
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PT0UIqA
Gacg 22
 TYPES OF COMPRESSORS cont’d
 Reciprocating/Piston Compressors
◉Piston and cylinder arrangement to provide
compressive force - like IC engines.
◉Reciprocating motion of the piston due to external
power compresses the refrigerant inside the cylinder.
◉ Low initial cost and a simple, easy to install design.
◉ Large power output range - can reach extremely
high pressures.
◉ Maintenance costs are high, potential vibrational
issues.
◉ Not typically designed to run continuously at full
capacity.
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 TYPES OF COMPRESSORS cont’d

 Reciprocating/Piston
Compressors

◉Suction and
discharge valves.

◉ Can be open, semi-

hermetic or fully
hermetic

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 TYPES OF COMPRESSORS cont’d
 Reciprocating/Piston Compressors

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 TYPES OF COMPRESSORS cont’d
 Rotary Compressors
◉Uses circular motion for
compression (two rotating
elements)
◉ Rotating blade (vane) type
○ Refrigerant is trapped by
rotating vanes
○Refrigerant compresses as
volume decreases
◉ Fewer moving parts, quite
efficient.
◉ Actions of taking in refrigerant
and compressing refrigerant occurs
simultaneously. 26
 TYPES OF COMPRESSORS cont’d
 Helical rotary (screw type
compressors)
◉Use a pair of screws which mesh
together to compress the refrigerant
between them.
◉Can produce high pressure for a
small quantity of gas and consume
less power than reciprocating
compressors.
◉ They have low to medium initial
and maintenance costs and few
moving parts.
◉ They have difficulty in dirty
environments, high rotational speeds,
and shorter life expectancies than 27
others.
 TYPES OF COMPRESSORS cont’d
 Scroll Compressors
◉Utilizes two identically machined
scrolls – one scroll is stationary, the other
orbits
◉ The nesting of the scrolls traps vapor
◉ Gas is introduced from the outer edge
refrigerant is discharged from the center
◉ Scroll compressors are quiet, smooth-
operating units with few moving parts.
◉ Highest efficiency ratio of all
compressor types.
◉ As fully hermetic designs, they cannot
be easily repaired. They also typically
cannot rotate in both directions.
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 TYPES OF COMPRESSORS cont’d
 Centrifugal Compressors
◉Rely on centrifugal force -
utilizes an impeller.
◉ No pistons, valves or cylinders.
◉Do not operate on the positive
displacement principle, but have
fixed volume chambers.
◉Well suited to compressing large
volumes of refrigerant to
relatively low pressures.
◉Typically used for very large
applications.
◉Desirable for their simple
design, few moving parts, and
energy efficiency when operating
multiple stages.
COMPRESSOR APPLICATIONS

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 COMPRESSOR SPECIFICATIONS

 There are a number of specifications to consider when

selecting compressors

◉These include;
○ Compressor capacity
○ Condensing temperature
○ Evaporating temperature
○ Refrigerant flow rate
○ Power consumption

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 COMPRESSOR SPECIFICATIONS: CAPACITY
◉ Capacity (kW/hr – BTU/hr) measures the ability of a
refrigerant compressor to remove heat from the refrigerant
gas.

◉ Nominal capacity ratings are based on a standard set of

conditions which include condensing temperature (CT),
evaporative temperature (ET), refrigerant, and motor rpm.

◉ Typically, refrigeration compressors and air conditioning

compressors can run at many different values for these
parameters, with corresponding changes in their cooling
capacity.
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 COMPRESSOR SPECIFICATIONS: OTHER
PARAMETERS cont’d
◉Condensing temperature is the range of condensing
temperatures over which the compressor is rated to operate.

◉Evaporating temperature is the range of evaporative

temperatures over which the compressor is rated to operate.

◉Flow rate is the rate (by mass) at which the fluid is

passed through the compressor, measured in kilograms per
hour (kg/hr).

◉Power (W) is the input power required to run the

compressor motor at a specific operating point.
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 COMPRESSOR SPECIFICATIONS: OTHER
PARAMETERS cont’d

◉ Refrigeration compressors and air conditioning

compressors also carry power-source specifications defined
by voltage/frequency/phase.

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 COMPRESSOR FEATURES
◉ RAC compressors incorporate a number of special
features:
○ Low noise - compressor operation generates less
noise for applications where a quiet environment is
desired.
○ Light weight - compressor is compactly built or
constructed with low-density materials for cooling
systems which require low weight components.
○ Variable speed - compressor has speed adjustment
for running at various operating flow rates and
conditions.
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 COMPRESSOR FEATURES cont’d
◉ RAC compressors incorporate a number of special
features:
○ Variable speed - compressor has speed adjustment
for running at various operating flow rates and
conditions.
○ Thermal shut off - compressor features controls
which turn the compressor off at high temperatures
to prevent it from overheating. They also can
provide restart once the compressor has cooled down
below a certain temperature.
○ Sealing - describes how the compressor and motor
drive are situated in relation to the gas or vapor
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being compressed.
 COMPRESSOR FEATURES cont’d
◉ RAC compressors incorporate a number of special
features:
○ Variable speed - compressor has speed adjustment
for running at various operating flow rates and
conditions.
○ Thermal shut off - compressor features controls
which turn the compressor off at high temperatures
to prevent it from overheating. They also can
provide restart once the compressor has cooled down
below a certain temperature.
○ Sealing - describes how the compressor and motor
drive are situated in relation to the gas or vapor
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being compressed.
 COMPRESSOR OIL
◉ Compressor oil is a necessary component in all vapour
compression systems
• Oil reduces friction on metal parts, reducing wear on
the compressor and prolongs the life of the system.
• Piston rings of reciprocating compressor
• Sliding vanes of rotary compressor
• Oil also maintains a seal between the high and low side
of the compressor.
• Oil also acts as a noise dampener within the
compressor and transfers heat away from moving and
rotating parts within the compressor.

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 COMPRESSOR OIL cont’d
◉ Important oil properties
• Miscibility: Ability of oil to mix and move with
refrigerant.
• Viscosity: Measure of oil’s flow resistance. Bigger
compressors with larger gaps need thicker oil.
• Dielectric strength: Oil must sustain very high
electrical voltages.
• Chemical stability: Oil’s ability to prevent
chemical
reactions with the refrigerant at high temperatures.

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COMPRESSOR OPERATING CONSIDERATIONS

◉ Risk of compressor flooding

• Flooding is liquid refrigerant entering the
compressor’s crankcase while the compressor is
running.
• A compressor is designed to move vapour refrigerant
NOT liquid
• Causes of flooding
 Wrong TXV settings
 Overcharging of refrigerant
 Very low load on evaporator

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ADVANCES IN COMPRESSOR TECHNOLOGY

◉ Inverter Compressor
• A refrigerant compressor operated with an
inverter.
• Typically a Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) is
used with a 3-phase induction motor.
• Motor speed can be varied to control refrigerant
flow rate resulting in more efficient capacity
control.
• Inverter compressor is almost always ON and
hence eliminates startup losses.
• Significantly higher efficiency and reduced
electrical consumption.
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 CONCLUSION

❖ WHAT CAN YOU RECALL?

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 SUMMARY (TAKE HOME)
❖ The compressor is the heart in a refrigeration system.
» Only major component that has moving parts.
 COP is an instantaneous measure of performance.
 SEER depends on compressor type, condenser size and TXV.
 Classifications; positive and non-positive; hermetic, semi-
hermetic and open.
 Types;
• Reciprocating
• Scroll
• Screw
• Rotary
• Centrifugal
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 SUMMARY (TAKE HOME)
❖ Capacity (kW/hr – BTU/hr) measures the ability of a refrigerant
compressor to remove heat from the refrigerant gas.

 Features; Low noise, Light weight ,Variable speed.

 Compressor oil
 ETC

https://www.globalspec.com/learnmore/building_construction/hvac
/ventilation/refrigeration_compressors_air_conditioning_compress
ors
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 Main Components

Let’s list the main components.

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