COMPRESSOR

A compressor acts as the “heart” of a refrigerant-based mechanical cooling system. Its functions
include drawing in the cool vaporized refrigerant that carries the heat energy from the evaporator coils,
compressing it from a low pressure and temperature to a high pressure and temperature, and pushing it
around the refrigeration loop for the purpose of heat rejection.

In data center environments, the compressor type not only impacts first cost and operational
characteristics of the cooling system (i.e. performance, reliability, lifespan, noise, etc.) but also impacts the
capacity requirements of upstream power distribution equipment and generators, required to support the
cooling system.

Positive displacement compressor means that the cool vapor refrigerant is compressed to a high
pressure and temperature via a chamber whose volume can change. For example, the motion of a piston in
a cylinder chamber, or the rotation of a vane in a cylinder chamber, or the rotation of two matching helical
screws inside of a casing, etc.

Dynamic-type compressor means that the cool vapor refrigerant is compressed to a high pressure
and temperature by adding kinetic energy via a rotating component. For example, a spinning impeller, or a
rotating blade, etc.

Reference: The different Types of Cooling Compressor by Paul Lin, Victor Avelar (Schneider Electric –
Data Center Science Center)

Table 1 Compressor Characteristics

Compressor Types Cost/KW Efficiency Vibrations Manufacturing Input

Accuracy Power/Unit
Positive Reciprocating Low Low High Easy Low-High
Displacement single acting
Rotary-Vane Medium Medium Moderate Difficult Low
Rotary-Scroll Medium High Moderate Difficult Low
Rotary-Screw High Very High Lowest Very Difficult High
Dynamic Centrifugal High Very High Lowest Very Difficult High
Reference: The different Types of Cooling Compressor by Paul Lin, Victor Avelar (Schneider Electric –
Data Center Science Center)
 Design of Screw Compressor

Rotary-screw compressor

A rotary-screw compressor uses rotors to compress larger volumes of gaseous refrigerant to a high
pressure and temperature (shown in Figure 2). The compression is performed by male and female rotors
that reduce the refrigerant gas volume as they rotate. Cool vapor refrigerant enters from the suction port, is
forced by the meshing rotors through the threads as the screws rotate, and exits at the discharge port with
high pressure and temperature. The rotary-screw compressor can be sub-classified by the quantity of
screws (single, twin and multi). The capacity can be adjusted through an inverter drive.

Benefits

• Simpler structure, less components, larger capacity, and higher efficiency.

• Less vibration and less surging due to continuous gas displacement via the sweeping motion of the rotors.

• Better adjustment in cooling capacity without causing unstable operation, which is sometimes an issue
with centrifugal compressors.

• Less sensitive to liquid slugging but long-term liquid slugging will impact the reliability of the
compressor.

Limitations

• Impractical to design to a capacity below 20 tons (70 kW), due to the rotor processing technology.

Applications

Screw compressors have been developed to compete with large reciprocating and small centrifugal
compressors in both air conditioning and refrigeration markets. It is used for commercial and
 industrial air conditioning and refrigeration applications with a capacity range from 20 to 750 tons
(70 to 2,640 kW).

Design Values

Refrigerant 134a (tetrafluoroethane)

Evaporating Temperature = -23.09 ℃

Condensing Temperature = 36.98 ℃

Suction Pressure = 116 KPa

Discharge Pressure = 937 KPa

Refrigerating Capacity = 225.48 TR / 793.69 KW

h1 = h at 116 KP a and − 23.09 ℃ = 384.64 KJ/kg

h2 = h at 937 KPa = 425 KJ/kg

h3 = hf at 36.98 ℃ = 251.91 KJ/kg

v 1 = 0.167 m3 /kg

v 2 = 0.023 m3 /kg

nc = 70% (For screw-type chiller)

nm = 78% (www.jmcampbell.com/tip-of-the-month/2015/07/how-to-estimate-compressor-efficiency)

Computation

Coefficient of Performance
h1 −h4
Coefficient of Performance = h2 − h1

Coefficient of Performance = 384.64 − 251.91

425 − 384.64

Coefficient of Performance = ​3.29

(According to air conditioning and refrigeration industry refrigerant selection guide, R134a has a COP of
3.05)

Compressor Work
Qe
m= h1 − h4

793.69 KW
m= 384.64 KJ KJ
kg −251.91 kg

m =5.98 kg/s
Compressor Work = m (h2 − h1 )

Compressor Work = (5.98 kg/s) (425 – 384.64) KJ/kg

Compressor Work = ​241.35 KJ/s

Volumetric Efficiency

Volumetric Efficiency = ​80%

Volume Flow Rate

Volume Flow rate = m v 1

Volume Flow rate = (5.98 kg/s) (0.167 m3 /kg )

Volume Flow rate = ​0.999 m3 /s

Displacement Rate of Compressor

mv 1
Displacement Rate of Compressor = nva

(5.98 kg/s) (0.167 m3 /kg)

Displacement Rate of Compressor = 80%

Displacement Rate of Compressor = ​1.25 m3 /s

Actual work of compression

I sentropic work of compression = h2 − h1

I sentropic work of compression = 425 KJ/kg – 384.64 KJ/kg

I sentropic work of compression = ​40.36 KJ/kg

Isentropic work of compression
Actual work of compression = nc

40.36 KJ/kg
Actual work of compression = 70%

Actual work of compression = ​57.66 kJ/kg

Brake Work
indicated work
Mechanical Efficiency = brake work

Indicated work
Brake work = M echanical ef f iciency
 241.35 kW
Brake work = 78%

Brake work = ​309.42​ ​kW

COMPUTED VALUES
COP 3.39
Compressor Work 241.35 KW
Volume Flow Rate 0.999 m3 /s
Displacement Rate of Compressor 1.25 m3 /s
Actual Rate of Compression 57.66 kJ/kg
Brake Work 309.42​ ​KW

Conclusion:

Thanks to the improvements in screw compressors in recent years, they have become more
common in air-conditioning and mid-range refrigerant applications. They will probably become even more
popular, and replace many large (from 50 kW) reciprocating compressors. Screw compressors are produced
in two different configurations: the twin-screw compressor, also called the Lysholm type after its inventor,
and the single screw compressor

The twin-screw, the most common type, is composed of two rotors with complementary profiles
referred to as screw and slide rotors, or male and female rotors. The rotor profiles are designed to decrease
the volume between them continuously from the inlet to the outlet of the compressor. Unlike reciprocating
compressors, screw compressors have no dead space. The refrigerant is fed from the low-pressure to the
high-pressure side with a continuously decreasing volume, i.e. continuously increasing pressure. Screw
compressors therefore have neither suction valves nor pressure valves, only a non-return valve to ensure
that there is no return flow of refrigerant when the compressor is stopped.

Screw compressors can work at a high compression ratio because the oil, in addition to its lubrication and
sealing functions, also absorbs compression and friction heat during the process. Proper oil cooling is
therefore essential in a screw compressor, and can be provided either by the injection of refrigerant into the
compressor or by a separate oil cooling system.

Frick India Rotary Twin Screw Compressor:

These screw compressors can run for almost all gases like R-717,R-22,R-134a, R290, R-404a, R-
1270 etc.

And the model of their screw compressor that is suitable for the capacity of our chiller is MBM
890 with the TR of 341.9, BHP of 387.4, COP of 4.1, KW/TR of 0.85.

Recommendations:

In positive displacement compressors, a certain volume of gas is trapped in a space that is

continuously reduced by the compressing device (piston, scroll, screw or similar) inside the compressor.
The reduction in volume increases the pressure of the vapor when the compressor is operating. The
principle of a centrifugal compressor, also called a turbo compressor, is different. Here, the gas is
compressed by being accelerated by an impeller. The pressure is further increased in the diffuser, where the
speed is transformed to pressure. Centrifugal compressors are of interest for very large capacities, where
the inlet flows may be approximately 2000 m​3​/h or more.

The researchers highly recommend using the screw type compressor of the chiller due to its great
performance features such as chlorine – free HFC – 134a refrigerant, twin rotor positive displacement
screw compressor, ASME constructed heat exchanger, low voltage control circuit, hermetically sealed
compressor motor which construction is closed shell and small size only and many more.