Development of a Linear Compressor for Air Conditioners and Heat Pumps. Designand Test Report

摘要

The report discusses the design, building, testing, and delivering to theEnvironmental Protection Agency of a linear compressor for operation in a 3.0-ton (10.5 kW) resident air-conditioning and heat pumping system. During the design work, the RPC was modified to extend its range into the heating mode, and a voltage controller was developed that could sense the proximity of the compressor plunger to the top dead center and bottom dead center stops and limit the plunger stroke. The test program that followed construction was successful, except for several minor difficulties, including a failure in the epoxy bond of the compressor plunger. The test results proved the performance advantage of the RPC in terms of a high Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating potential and also demonstrated that the compressor can be controlled in a stable manner using low cost, commercially available motor control devices.