Experimental analysis and thermo-fluid-dynamic simulation of a reciprocating compressor with non-conventional crank mechanism

This work is included in a more extended study on small volumetric machines, that are suitable for a developing small solar power plant (1-3 kW). This paper presents both experimental and numerical analysis of an innovative reciprocating compressor. Its main feature is the use of an epicyclic gear to drive the pistons. The first section of the article illustrates the advantages of this design choice. The main advantage is the lack of lateral forces on the piston. The second section of this work focuses on the experimental characterization of the compressor. The experimental tests were performed on several operation points so obtaining the indicator diagrams. The efficiency and the specific work of the studied compressor were compared with data from pertinent scientific literature. Finally, a numerical thermo-fluid-dynamic model developed in MATLABܘ is presented. The model considers thermal exchanges for every compression phase. The numerical data are then compared with the real ones.