Mode change design for capacity modulation in reciprocating compressor
Jong-Bong Kim
The Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology, vol. 22, no. 7, pp.1391-1399, 2008
Abstract : Due to environmental issues, the development of low energy consumption products has become one of the main topics
in the home appliance industry. The energy consumption of a refrigerator depends on the efficiency of its compressor
as well as on the refrigerator cycle design, such as the capacity modulation. This study features the design of a
novel capacity modulation reciprocating compressor, i.e., two-step capacity modulation (TCM). In a TCM compressor,
capacity modulation is achieved by changing the dead volume in the cylinder. Instead of a concentric sleeve, an eccentric
sleeve is used to change the dead volume for the clockwise and counterclockwise rotation of a motor. For stable
capacity modulation, a new latching system with a key, a spring, and an eccentric sleeve is introduced, and the mode
change reliability is verified by dynamic analysis
Keyword : Capacity modulation; Reciprocating compressor; Energy saving |