This study presents some preliminary results on the flow characteristics in the discharge plenum of the reciprocating compressor using visualization technique and computational simulation. During the compression cycle, the flow from the cylinder through the discharge port induces a significant amount of pressure pulsation mainly due to the interaction of the discharge valve system and the flow. In order to improve the compressor efficiency, this pressure pulsation as well as the back flow through the valve must to be reduced. Additionally, in order to develop an optimum shape of the head cover in the sense of reducing the pressure loss, it is necessary to understand the characteristics of the compressed gas flow inside the discharge plenum. To investigate the flow precisely, PIV(particle image velocimetry) and computational simulation were used to visualize the overall flow field around the discharge system.
展开▼
