Dynamic Model and Numerical Simulation for Synchronal Rotary Compressor

The synchronal rotary compressor (SRC) has been developed to resolve high friction and severe wear that usually occur in conventional rotary compressors due to the high relative velocity between the key tribo-pairs. In this study, the working principle and structural characteristics of the SRC are presented first. Then, the kinematic and force models are established for the key components—cylinder, sliding vane, and rotor. The velocity, acceleration, and force equations with shaft rotation angle are derived for each component. Based on the established models, numerical simulations are performed for a SRC prototype. Moreover, experiments are conducted to verify the established models. The simulated results show that the average relative velocity between the rotor and the cylinder of the present compressor decreases by 80–82% compared with that of the conventional rotary compressors with the same size and operating parameters. Moreover, the average relative velocity between the sliding contact tribo-pairs of the SRC decreases by 93–94.3% compared with that of the conventional rotary compressors. In addition, the simulated results show that the stresses on the sliding vane are greater than those on the other components. The experimental results indicate that the wear of the side surface of the sliding vane is more severe than that of the other components. Therefore, special treatments are needed for the sliding vane in order to improve its reliability. These findings confirm that the new SRC has lower frictional losses and higher mechanical efficiency for its advanced structure and working principle.