A new modeling strategy to simulate the compression cycle of reciprocating compressors.

A new modeling strategy is adopted to simulate the compression cycle of a small hermetic reciprocating compressor. The simulation model is based on a transient three-dimensional formulation to account for time and spatial variations of quantities in the computational domain. The discretization method automatically generates an orthogonal grid with adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) that locally adjusts the grid at each time step to yield accurate results. The time-dependent flow field and the valve dynamics were coupled and solved simultaneously, including the presence of suction and discharge mufflers. Numerical results were validated via comparison with experimental data and an analysis was carried out to identify the contributions of mufflers and valves to the thermodynamic losses.