School of Aerospace, Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering

MIET 2095 Thermo-Fluids Mechanics Semester 2, 2012

Reciprocating Compressor Experiment

STUDENT: Alex Meacco, s3382160 Laboratory Demonstrator: Javad Jazaeri Venue: Building 56 Level 2 Room 32

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Contents
Summary of Experiment .Pg. 3 Aim Pg. 3 Method .Pg. 3 Unknown Variables ..Pg. 3 Table of Recorded Data ..Pg. 4 Table of Results .Pg. 5 Questions ..Pg. 7 References Pg. 9

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Summary of Experiment
Aim:
To investigate the first law of thermodynamics, whereby energy cannot be created or destroyed; it only changes form, and calculate the energy within a compressor from its inputs, internal and then output stages.

Method:
1. Make sure valves number 0, 3, 4, 5 and 6 are closed. 2. Turn on the compressor by pressing the green button. 3. Turn on the oscilloscope using the switch at the back of the oscilloscope. 4. By using the throttle valve, keep the pressure always at 700 kPa. 5. Wait until the system gets stable. 6. Fill in the table of the recorded data. 7. Once all data are recorded, turn off the oscilloscope. 8. Turn off the compressor by pressing the red button. 9. Leave the throttle valve wide open.

Unknown Variables:
Various factors within the investigation are unknown within the compressor. The following values must be discovered: PELECTRIC, FSPEED OF COMPRESSOR, LLENGTH OF PRESSURE DROP, LSWEPT LENGTH, AAREA OF INDICATOR DIAGRAM, HPRESSURE DROP ACROSS ORIFICE PLATE, TTEMP. AFTER COMPRESSOR, TTEMP. BEFORE ORIFICE FLOW METER, TTEMP. BEFORE COMPRESSOR, PSUCTION PRESSURE, PDISCHARGE OUTLET. Along with this, we also do not know the percentage of the electric power that is actually used for compressing the air, and the volumetric efficiency of the compressor.

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Table of Recorded Data

Reading Number Description Unit Watts % % mm mm rpm mm mm mm2 Value 3048 87 95 76.60 89.00 730 40 45 420

Wattage meter Pelectric - Instantaneous Electrical Power consumption Electric motor V-Belt Compressor Efficiency of the electric motor Efficiency of the belt Bore of the cylinder (i.e. diameter of the cylinder) Lstroke - Stroke of the compressor f Speed of the compressor Oscilloscope Lp - Length of pressure drop Lswept - Swept length AI - Area of indicator diagram Horifice Pressure drop across the orifice plate Mass flow rate Attention: the value should be divided by 100 T1 - Temperature after the compressor T5 - Temperature before the orifice flow meter T6 - Temperature before the compressor (i.e. ambient temperature)

of 30 inches of water column Co Co

33.3%

Temperature

200 19

Co

18

Pressure

Pressures should be recorded in absolute pressure. P6 - Suction (inlet) pressure P5 - Discharge (outlet) pressure kPa kPa 101.3 801.3

NOTE: The bolded text indicates the recorded values from the experiment.

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Table of Results
formula Scaling PV diagram P Punit Vswept Vunit P5 P6
P / Lp

calculation

answer

unit

801 101 700 / 40 ((76.40/2)2)* *89 410145 / 45

700 15.75 410,145 9,114.33

kPa kPa/mm mm3 mm3/mm

Acylinder Lstroke Vswept /Lswept Pelectric Electric motor efficiency Belt efficiency

Mechanical power available for the compressor Pcompressor Indicator power frps Windicator Pindicator Mass flow h, pressure drop across the orifice plate in mm of water at T5 and P5 , mass flow of air Isothermal power Pisothermal 1.62655 * 8.312 * 19 *Ln(801.3/101.3) 530.969 / 1630.14 530.969 Watts f / 60 AI Vunit Punit Windicator n frps 730 / 60 420 * 9114.33 * 17.5 * 1x10-6 66.9903 * 2 * 12.167 12.167 66.9903 1,630.14 revelations per second Joules Watts 3048 * .87 * .95 2,519.17 Watts

30 -> mm = 762mm

762/100 * 33.3

253.746

mm of water

Using ideal gas 0.5

= 101.3/ (292.15 * 8.312) 0.5 *

0.041706

kg/m3 It will be in kg per hour

1.62655

isothermal,
Isothermal efficiency

Pisothermal/ Pindicator

32.572

indicator,
indicator Page | 5

Pindicator /Pcompressor

1630.14 / 2519.17

64.7

efficiency Volumetric efficiency 6, air density at P6 and T6 ideal mass flow Using ideal gas = 801.3/ (291.15 * 8.312) 410145 * 0.33 * 2 * 12.167 1.62655 / 3.294x106 0.33 3.294x106 4.3145x10-7 kg/m3 kg per hour %

Vswept6nfrps

volumetric

NOTE: The bolded text indicates the calculated results

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Questions
1. Positive-displacement air compressors force air into a chamber, where a pistol then compresses the air in a never ending compress and release cycle. As this air is compressed, at a calculated point in the cycle an exit valve is opened to release the compressed air at a high pressure to perform work. 2. According to various sources, if the motor efficiency itself is not known, then ~90% is the typical efficiency for single stage reciprocating air compressors. 3. The different types of air compressors include: Reciprocating/Piston Compressors, Rotary Screw Compressor, Rotary Sliding Vein Compressor, Centrifugal Compressors. Piston Compressor: POSITIVE Displacement. Explained above. Rotary Screw Compressor: POSITIVE Displacement. Using air, it fills the area between two [identical] helical screws and the housing. Whilst the screws are turned, the volume is reduced resulting in an increase of air pressure. Many of these compressors also involve injecting oil into the compression area. Rotary Sliding Vane Compressor: POSITIVE Displacement. The rotor within the compressor is slotted and position to form a crescent shaped sweapt area between the inlet and outtake ports. As the rotor turns, compression is achieved as the volume goes from a maximum at the intake port, to a minimum at the outtake port. Oil is injected into the air in this case. Centrifugal Compressor: NON-POSITIVE Displacement. Uses a high speed spinning impeller that travels up to 60,000rpm to accelerate the air, then diffuser to decelerate the air. This is called Dynamic Compression, which uses velocity to cause an increase in pressure. SOURCE: Different Type Air Compressors. 2012. Different Type Air Compressors. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.daveycompressor.com/differenttype.html. [Accessed 09 September 2012]. 4. Reciprocating Air Compressor used for: Dental Applications http://www.directindustry.com/prod/smt-max/oil-free-reciprocating-compressors-fordental-applications-stationary-66782-622822.html Instrument and Service Air http://www.directindustry.com/prod/siad-macchine-impianti/reciprocatingcompressors-for-instrument-and-service-air-stationary-16879-171605.html Blowing of plastic bottles made of PET bottles http://www.directindustry.com/prod/elgi/reciprocating-compressors-for-themanufacture-of-pet-plastic-bottles-stationary-20442-348811.html 5. KAESER Compressors Australia Pty. Ltd. http://www.kaeser.com.au/Contacts_and_More/Australia_Kaeser_Compressors.asp#0 MAYEKAWA Australia Pty. Ltd http://www.mayekawa.com.au/about/contact-us/

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6. Sankey Diagram:

Input Energy

Useful [Net] Energy

What is seen here is a very crudely drawn Sankey diagram. What is seen are the 4 major components of a general Sankey diagram (Hereby dubbed S.D.), which include the energy going into the system, the energy generated to be used outside of the system, the energy used within the compressor to power it, and also the lost thermal energy which cannot contribute to the work done by the output of the compressor. In this particular case involving the Orange Compressor, we have approximately 3048w of energy to use in compressing the air. Calculations above teach us that ~2519w of energy is the Useful or Net energy which can actually contribute to the compression of air within the system. It is known that the belt has an efficiency of 95% implying again, that 95% of the work done by the belt is actually transferrable to work done in the system, and the motor has an efficiency rating of 87%. The remaining 18% of this work is actually converted into heat which becomes what is known as the Waste Thermal Energy. In this case it is equivalent to ~17% of the total energy used by the system, which cannot be utilized due to its conversion into heat thermal energy, dissipated about the body and into the surrounding air. As a result of this, it is noted that there is very little to no Internal Energy used within the compressor, making it negligible. Therefore, it can clearly be seen that as energy enters the system, it is utilized in the electric motor and the belt, where 18% of the total energy of the system is dissipated, which is then processed into work energy used in compressing the air. It should be noted that there may be other energy conversions like power to vibration or sound, however these are very minute in this scenario.

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References
How It Works: Air Compressor - Popular Mechanics. 2012. How It Works: Air Compressor Popular Mechanics. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.popularmechanics.com/home/improvement/energy-efficient/1275131. [Accessed 09 September 2012]. Air Compressor Tutorial. 2012. Air Compressor Tutorial. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.foodtechinfo.com/FoodPro/Efficiency/air_compressor_tutorial.htm. [Accessed 09 September 2012].

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