Efficiency enhancement in a meso-Wankel compressor with overflow

Abstract

Given current environment protection problems, improvement of energy utilization efficiency is a major focus of compressor research. The presence of high-pressure gas in the clearance volume has an important effect on the efficiency of a Wankel compressor. Overflow pertains to the method that fully utilizes the high-pressure gas in the clearance volume. This method is used in this study, and its effect on the performance of a Wankel compressor is analysed by theoretical and simulation analyses. Compressor performance remains at a high level when the ratio of overflow recess volume to the clearance volume is approximately 2 per cent according to this study. Cooling capacity is improved by about 28 per cent compared with the Wankel compressor without overflow, and the relative deviation between the theoretical and the simulation results is kept within reasonable bounds.

Keywords

Wankel compressor overflow performance clearance volume cooling capacity

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Heppner

J. D.

Walther

D. C.

Pisano

A. P.

The design of ARCTIC: a rotary compressor thermally insulated cooler. Sens. Actuators A, 2007, 134, 47–56.

Lee

C. H.

Jiang

K. C.

Jin

Prewett

P. D.

Design and fabrication of a micro Wankel engine using MEMS technology. Microelectron. Eng., 2004, 73–74, 529–534.

Fu, K., Knobloch, A. J., Martinez, F. C., Walther, D. C., Fernandez-Pello, C., Pisano, A. P., and Liepmann, D. Design and Fabrication of a Silicon-Based MEMS Rotary Engine. In Proceedings of the ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, New York, NY, 11–16 November 2001, 875–880.

Martinez, F. C., Knobloch, A. J., and Pisano, A. P. Apex seal design for the MEMS rotary engine power system. In Proceedings of the ASME international mechanical engineering congress and exposition, Washington DC, USA, 15–21 November 2003, paper IMECE2003-42071, 157–162.

Swanger, M., Walther, D. C., Fernandez-pello, A. C., and Pisano, A. P. Small-scale rotary engine power system development status. In Proceedings of the Western states section/combustion institute, Davis, CA, March 2004, paper WSS-04S-9.

Padhy

S. K.

Dynamic analysis of a rotary compressor. J. Mech. Des., 1994, 116, 639–646.

Ooi

K. T.

Design optimization of a rolling piston compressor for refrigerators. Appl. Therm. Eng., 2005, 25, 813–829.

Zhang

Y. L.

Wang

Effects of leakage and friction on miniaturization of Wankel compressor. Front. Energ. Power Eng. China, 2011, 5(1), 83–92.

Dankwart

Rotary piston compressor, patent no. 4487561, USA, 1984.