A Simplified CFD Model for Simulation of the Suction Process Of Reciprocating Compressors

Evandro L. L. Pereira
Claudio J. Santos
Cesar J. Deschamps
Rodrigo Kremer

Abstract

The suction process in reciprocating compressors is strongly affected by the valve dynamics and the pulsating flow throughout the suction muffler. This paper describes a simplified computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model to simulate the flow through the muffler, suction valve and a small region inside the cylinder. The proposed method is applied to predict the suction process of a small reciprocating compressor and its adequacy is compared with a more time elaborate model in terms of accuracy, computation cost and usability.