The Detection of Liquid Slugging Phenomena in Reciprocating Compressors via Power Measurements

摘要

The presence of liquid refrigerant in the compressor cylinder during operation, or liquid slugging, is one of the most common causes of failure in reciprocating compressors. We propose to detect this fault by analyzing the electrical current flowing into the compressor and identifying the change in the load on the motor caused by the presence of liquid in the compressor cylinder. Two different types of liquid slugging are examined in this paper. In the first, small volumes of liquid are ingested during the steady-state operation of the compressor; in the second, small volumes of liquid are present at the suction port of the compressor immediately prior to the compressor start. Experimental data from a 1 -ton split air conditioning system is used to demonstrate methods for identifying these faults.