Conference Year
2021
Keywords
Reciprocating compressors, low-GWP refrigerants, PDSim, Modeling, Computational
Abstract
Several regulatory measures aimed to mitigate climate change are forcing compressor manufacturers to replace current refrigerants to those with low Global Warming Potential (GWP). New refrigerants need to be evaluated to ensure adequate efficiency for use in modern products. Evaluation can be done heuristically, which is expensive and timeconsuming, while a carefully designed simulation model can provide similar outcomes for a significantly reduced cost. This paper presents a comparison between various userdeveloped and existing reciprocating compressor models to assist in the selection of a suitable modeling platform for a wideranging study. The reciprocating compressor is selected because of the simplicity of the model to ensure consistency across different platforms. The userdeveloped models are developed in MATLAB™ and Modelica™ for the reciprocating compressor. The same compressor is also modeled using existing compressor modeling platforms, PDSim and GTSuite™. The compressor model includes three main components; geometry, compression process and frictional losses. Other submodels, like valve model and heat transfer model, are also part of the compression process. These platforms are evaluated based on both quantitative and qualitative criteria. Modelica™ is found to be computationally efficient while GTSuite™ took maximum time for simulation among the compared platforms. On a qualitative basis, PDSim is potentially a better platform for compressor optimization; which is also readily available to end user due to its opensource nature and prospects for future model development.