Accepted Manuscript

Analysis and optimum design for the transient thermal process of a two-stage
compressor under alternating working conditions

Meipeng Zhong

PII: S1359-4311(16)30454-9
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2016.03.146
Reference: ATE 8014

To appear in: Applied Thermal Engineering

Received Date: 18 January 2016

Accepted Date: 29 March 2016

Please cite this article as: M. Zhong, Analysis and optimum design for the transient thermal process of a two-stage
compressor under alternating working conditions, Applied Thermal Engineering (2016), doi: http://dx.doi.org/
10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2016.03.146

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 Analysis and optimum design for the transient thermal process of a two-stage

compressor under alternating working conditions

Abbreviated title: Transient thermal process design

Meipeng Zhong*

College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Jiaxing University, Jiaxing 314001, P. R. China.

* Corresponding author: zhongmeipeng@qq.com

Abstract

Because of the limitations of isobaric ratio designs of two-stage compressors, this paper

presents a new method for mathematically modeling the compressors transient thermal

processes. The model divides the whole working process into seven cases based on the

different air quality exchanges among the high- and low-pressure cylinders and storage tank.

Expansion, compression, exhaust, and suction equations for high- and low-pressure cylinders

were established under several conditions to better describe the actual operation of the two-

stage compressor. Programming was performed with C and MATLAB; a computational

analysis was performed on the transient thermal process of the two-stage compressor to

obtain optimized the structural parameters of the two-stage compressor. An experiment was

performed to compare two-stage compressors designed according to the isobaric ratio and the

proposed transient thermal simulation. The experimental results showed that the two-stage

compressor designed based on the transient calculation had a lower power consumption under

the same displacement and backpressure conditions. Therefore, the proposed method for

analyzing the transient thermal process is of significant relevance to compressor design

optimization.

Keywords: compressor, isobaric ratio design, transient thermal process, structural parameter

1
1. Introduction

A compressors operating conditions vary when a change in any one condition, such as the

intake pressure at any level, intake air temperature, exhaust pressure, or displacement,

produces corresponding changes in other parameters. This undermines the original

equilibrium among all levels of the compressor until a new equilibrium state is established [1-

3]. Currently, design methods for achieving a stable state in two-stage and multi-stage piston

compressors are based on isobaric ratio principles, i.e., that the exhaust and intake pressures

are equal at all levels [4-6]. The design supposes that the compressor operates under a certain

discharge pressure. When the exhaust pressure changes, the pressure ratio of the compressor

changes accordingly, which affects its operating efficiency. Designs based on isobaric ratio

principles are theoretically the most efficient [7-9]. In reality, however, the compressors

operating conditions are constantly changing, and the pressure ratio at all levels also changes

accordingly. Therefore, compressors designed according to isobaric ratio principles do not

operate at optimal efficiency. A high-pressure air nailer has a rated pressure of 2.0 MPa, and

the compressor operates between 2.0 and 3.0 MPa. When the tank pressure is less than 2.0

MPa, the compressor starts; when the tank pressure is greater than 3.0 MPa, the compressor

stops.

Albusaidi and Pilidis [10] introduced a new iterative method to predict the equivalent

centrifugal compressor performance under various operating conditions. Baek et al. [11]

investigated the performance characteristics of an injection carbon dioxide heat pump water

heater under various operating conditions. They measured and analyzed the performance of a

two-stage carbon dioxide sub-cooler vapor injection cycle under the standard and standby

heat loss test conditions by varying the compressor frequency, water flow rate, and injection

ratio at various outdoor temperatures. Hamut et al. [12] developed a thermodynamic model of

a hybrid electric vehicle battery thermal management system and determined the efficiency of

2
the system for different parameters and operating conditions. Kim et al. [13] considered the

application of a combined scroll expander-compressor to improve the cycle coefficient of

performance of a two-stage compression CO2 trans-critical cycle by an estimated 23.5%.

Macarios and Barbosa Jr. [14] used infrared thermography to experimentally characterize the

temperature distribution in the electronic components of a frequency inverter in a variable-

speed refrigeration compressor with a 1-kW cooling capacity. The above analyses considered

compressors under varying working conditions and are significant to compressor design.

However, these mathematical models do not consider the transient thermal processes in the

compressor. Therefore, this paper presents a mathematical model developed for this purpose.

Design engineers confront significant complexity in the compressor design process

[15,16]. The designer must select values for the design variables to produce a compressor of a

specified capacity with the highest coefficient of performance and lowest cost [17,18]. Chao

and Gunderson [19] presented a systematic methodology for integrating compressors into

heat exchanger networks below the ambient temperature with the objective of minimizing

energy consumption. Malakoutirad et al. [20] analyzed dynamic and thermal design

considerations for an automotive engine-integral reciprocating natural gas compressor, which

pressurizes natural gas from a low-pressure source in storage tanks in natural gas vehicles

using one of the engine cylinders as a multi-stage reciprocating compressor.

The above methods all optimize the compressors design parameters with the

objective of saving energy and improving efficiency. However, they consider only the impact

of the thermodynamic aspects and not the effects of transient processes on the efficiency, and

are limited accordingly. This paper presents transient equations for a two-stage compressor

that were optimized and tested computationally and experimentally under varying operating

conditions.

3
 Nomenclature

D1 diameter of low-pressure cylinder p2 (t ) pressure in high-pressure cylinder at

time t
D2 diameter of high-pressure cylinder px exhaust pipe pressure inside

l1 connecting rod length on low - r2 high-pressure eccentricity

pressure side
l2 connecting rod length on high- R universal air constant
pressure side
M1 (t ) air quality in low-pressure cylinder at r1 low-pressure eccentricity
time t
M 2 (t ) air quality in high-pressure cylinder at Tx (t ) air temperature in exhaust pipe at
time t time t
M b (t ) air quality in the storage tank T2 (t ) air temperature in high-pressure
cylinder at time t
M x (t ) air quality inside exhaust pipe at time t T1 (t ) air temperature in low-pressure
cylinder at time t
ps1 intake pressure of low-pressure Vb volume of gas storage tank
cylinder
p1 (t ) pressure inside low-pressure cylinder Vcl1 clearance volume of low-pressure
at time t cylinder
pd 1 exhaust pressure in low-pressure Vcl 2 clearance volume of high-pressure
cylinder cylinder
ps 2 intake pressure in high-pressure Vx volume of exhaust pipe
cylinder

pd 2 exhaust pressure in high-pressure ws valve gap flow rate

cylinder
pb (t ) pressure inside gas storage tank at rotational angular velocity
time t
ps1 pressure loss generated by intake valve 1 r1 / l1
of low-pressure cylinder
ps 2 pressure loss generated by intake valve relative pressure loss coefficient
of high-pressure cylinder
pd 1 pressure loss generated by exhaust 1 r2 / l2
valve of low-pressure cylinder
pd 2 pressure loss generated by exhaust air density
valve of high-pressure cylinder

2. Mathematical model for the transient thermal process of a two-stage compressor

4
Fig. 1 shows the airflow path of a two-stage compressor. The low-pressure cylinder takes in

air from the atmosphere, and the air is discharged from the compressed low-pressure cylinder

into the inter-stage copper tube between the high- and low-pressure cylinders. The air from

the inter-stage copper tube is then taken into the gas tank after compression. Compared with

the volume of the gas storage tank, the high-pressure cylinder has a shorter exhaust pipe and

negligible volume, which can be directly included with the tank volume.

the intake valve of high-pressure cylinder

air pressure the exhaust valve of high-pressure cylinder
inter-stage copper tube

low-pressure cylinder gas storage tanks

the i n t a k e valve of the exhaust valve

low-pressure cylinder of low-pressure
cylinder
piston of low-pressure
cylinder high-pressure cylinder piston of high-pressure
cylinder

Fig. 1. Airflow path.

To determine the thermodynamic cycle process occurring inside the air cylinder, in addition

to the pressure inside and outside the cylinder, the movement of the pistons is another very

important parameter. Fig. 2 shows the relationships among coordinates of a two-stage

compressors components.

piston of high-pressure cylinder

y

x2
D

connecting rod length at high-pressure side

l2
low-pressure eccentricity r1

low-pressure end rod length l1 piston of low-pressure cylinder

A
the high-pressure eccentricity C
r2
O

t B x

x1

Fig. 2. Coordinates of two-stage compressor.

5
The destination of the piston coverage stroke is called the outer dead point, while the

destination of the axial stroke is called the inner dead point. The distance between the piston

and outer dead point is the displacement of the piston. At t = 0, the initial position of the

motor axis is = . The low-pressure cylinder piston is located within the inner dead point,

and the piston displacement x1 on the low-pressure side can be expressed as

x1 (t ) r1 (1 cos t ) l1 (1 1 12 sin t ) . (1)

The piston displacement x2 at the high-pressure side can be expressed as

x2 (t ) r2 1 cos(t / 2) l2 1 1 22 sin(t / 2) . (2)

To establish the proposed mathematical model of this compressor, the compressors work

processes were summarized into seven cases based on the induction principle that there is a

quality exchange between air in the cylinder and the external environment as well as the part

outside the cylinder. The following cases consider the different stages of each cylinder

(compression, exhaust, expansion, and suction) and whether there is an air quality exchange

between the high- and low-pressure cylinders or between the cylinders and gas storage tanks.

2.1. Case 1: High- and low-pressure cylinders in compression and expansion,

respectively

In this case, there is no time during a cycle period when an air quality exchange occurs

between the high- and low-pressure cylinders or between the cylinders and gas storage tank.

The intake and exhaust valves of each cylinder are closed, and only heat is exchanged

between the air in the cylinders and the external environment. When the low-pressure

cylinder is in a normal compression or expansion stage, its intake and exhaust valves are

closed; the change in the cylinder pressure is simply caused by a change in the volume of the

cylinder. Compression and expansion can be regarded as polytropic processes with the

polytropic exponent m . Based on the heat exchange of the inlet and exhaust cycle, the

6
polytropic exponent m in the process equation can be simplified to a constant by the

equivalent method. The value of m can be obtained consult reference [21]. The transient

process of compression and expansion in a low-pressure cylinder is thus given by

p1 (t )(Vcl1 D12 x1 (t ))m p1 (t t )(Vcl1 D12 x1 (t t )) m . (3)
4 4

Similarly, the transient process of compression and expansion in a high-pressure cylinder is

given by

p2 (t )(Vcl 2 D2 2 x2 (t )) m p2 (t t )(Vcl 2 D2 2 x2 (t t )) m (4)
4 4

2.2. Case 2: Low-pressure cylinder in the intake phase

Here, the exhaust valve of the low-pressure cylinder is closed, while the intake valve is open

to take in air from the surrounding atmosphere. Both the air quality and heat are exchanged

between the low-pressure cylinder and external environment. When the low-pressure

cylinders pressure is lower than the atmospheric pressure owing to the expansion, the intake

valve of the low-pressure cylinder opens, which allows outside air to enter. Because of the

pressure loss generated by the intake valve, the low-pressure cylinders pressure is always

lower than the atmospheric pressure during intake. Therefore, the low-pressure cylinder

exhaust valve must be closed, and the transient equation of the intake process for the low-

pressure cylinder is given by

p1 (t ) ps1 ps1 (5)

The valve resistance loss is a complicated process. Friction losses that occur while gas is
passing through the valve primarily appear as a decrease in pressure. This pressure loss is
expressed by [22]
1
ps1 ws 2 . (6)
2

where and ws can be measured experimentally. Eq. (6) was used to calculate the valve

7
resistance loss throughout this study.

2.3. Case 3: Low-pressure cylinder in the normal exhaust phase

Here, the low-pressure cylinders intake valve is closed, and its exhaust valve is open; the

cylinder exhausts air to the inter-stage copper tube, which increases pressure in the tube.

There is no time when air quality exchange occurs between the high- and low-pressure

cylinders or between the cylinders and gas storage tank. Only the air quality is exchanged

between the low-pressure cylinder and inter-stage copper tube, although heat is still

exchanged with the external environment.

When the low-pressure cylinder has a higher pressure than its exhaust pipe, its

exhaust valve opens, and the cylinder starts to exhaust air. If the sum of the resistance loss of

the low-pressure cylinders exhaust valve and the flow loss of the exhaust pipe is pd1 , then the

low-pressure cylinder is in a normal exhaust phase. The relationship between the pressures in

the low-pressure cylinder and exhaust pipe px is given by

p1 (t ) px (t ) pd 1 (7)

There is no inter-stage cooling. In general, the exhaust volume of the low-pressure

cylinder is very small; therefore, the low-pressure cylinders exhaust is actually a polytropic

compression process. The low-pressure cylinders temperature should be highest with the

reciprocating piston during the exhaust phase, and thus the most heat is emitted during this

phase. Inside the cylinder, the pressure changes little, and relatively little heat is generated

through gas compression. Therefore, the compression process inside the cylinder can be

considered isothermal during this phase. However, the hot gas exhausted by the low-pressure

cylinder cools inside the exhaust pipe. According to the state equation of the ideal gas,

M1 (t ) and M x (t ) at time t satisfy the following:

8

p1 (t )(Vcl1 D12 x1 (t ) M1 (t ) RT1 (t ) (8)
4

p1 (t t )(Vcl1 D12 x1 (t t )) M1 (t t ) RT1 (t t ) (9)
4

px (t )Vx M x (t ) RTx (t ) and (10)

px (t t )Vx M x (t t ) RTx (t t ) . (11)

The total air quality in the low-pressure cylinder and exhaust pipe stays the same within the

time t , and the pressure and temperature in the low-pressure cylinder and exhaust pipe

satisfy the relationship between the pressure and temperature for a polytropic process.

Therefore,

M1 (t ) M x (t ) M1 (t t ) M x (t t ) . (12)

2.4. Case 4: High-pressure cylinder in the normal intake phase

Here, the high-pressure cylinders exhaust valve is closed, its inlet valve is open, and the

cylinder intakes air from the inter-stage copper tube, which decreases the pressure in the tube.

There is no time when an air quality exchange occurs between the high- and low-pressure

cylinders or between the cylinders and gas storage tank; the air quality is exchanged only

between the high-pressure cylinder and inter-stage copper tube. Heat is exchanged with the

external environment.

The aspiration of the high-pressure cylinder is considered normal when the high-

pressure cylinders intake valve is open while the exhaust valves of both the low- and high-

pressure cylinders are closed. In this stage, the pressure calculation for the intake tube of the

high-pressure cylinder is similar to that of the low-pressure cylinder in the exhaust stage. The

heat dissipation of the high-pressure cylinder intake tube (i.e., the low-pressure cylinder

exhaust pipe) has been discussed previously, and the intake air temperature of the high-

9
pressure cylinder has been obtained. Therefore, only the calculation method for the relevant

pressures during the process is presented here.

px (t )Vx m (t ) px (t t )Vx m (t t ) (13)

p1 (t )(Vcl1 D12 x1 (t )) M1 (t ) RT1 (t ) (14)
4

p1 (t t )(Vcl1 D12 x1 (t t )) M1 (t t ) RT1 (t t ) (15)
4

px (t )Vx M x (t ) RTx (t ) (16)

px (t t )Vx M x (t t ) RTx (t t ) . (17)

2.5. Case 5: High-pressure cylinder in the normal exhaust phase

Here, the high-pressure cylinders intake valve is closed, its exhaust valve is open, and the

cylinder exhausts air to the gas storage tank, which increases the pressure in the storage tank.

There is no time when an air quality exchange occurs between the high- and low-pressure

cylinders; the air quality is exchanged only between the high-pressure cylinder and gas

storage tank. Heat is exchanged with the external environment.

When the high-pressure cylinder has a higher pressure than the storage tank, the

cylinders exhaust valve opens and starts to exhaust air. If the sum of the resistance loss of the

high-pressure cylinder exhaust valve and the flow loss of the exhaust pipe is pd 2 , then the

relationship between the pressures in the high-pressure cylinder and storage tank during the

normal exhaust phase is given by

p2 (t ) pb (t ) pd 2 . (18)

During the exhaust phase, if there is no gas transmission in the storage tank, then the

exhaust of the high-pressure cylinder increases the pressure inside the storage tank.

According to Eq. (18), this also increases the pressure in the high-pressure cylinder. At this

stage, the temperature of the high-pressure cylinder must be at its highest value, so the

10
emitted heat is at its maximum. Meanwhile, there is little change in the cylinder pressure. The

heat generated by the air compression is low, so the compression process in the cylinder

during this stage can be considered isothermal.

In contrast, the hot air discharged from the low-pressure cylinder rapidly cools after

passing through the exhaust pipe. When this air enters the storage tank, it mixes with other

cold gases, and heat dissipation from the large surface area of the storage tank further

decreases the temperature. Therefore, the temperature inside the storage tank can be assumed

to always remain at the ambient atmospheric temperature. In line with the state equation for

ideal air, the air qualities in the high-pressure cylinder M 2 (t ) and storage tank M b (t ) satisfy the

following equations:

p2 (t )(Vcl 2 D2 2 x2 (t ) M 2 (t ) RT2 (t ) (19)
4

pb (t )Vb M b (t ) RTb (20)

After the time t , the high-pressure cylinders pressure similarly satisfies the state equation

for ideal air:

p2 (t t )(Vcl 2 D2 2 x2 (t t )) M 2 (t t ) RT2 (t t ) (21)
4

The quality of air discharged by the high-pressure cylinder within the time t is given by

M M 2 (t ) M 2 (t t ) . (22)

This portion of the air cools upon entering the storage tank, and the pressure of the storage

tank after the time t satisfies

pb (t t ) M b (t ) M
(23)
pb (t ) M b (t )

Meanwhile, because the valve resistance loss remains the same,

p2 (t t ) pb (t t ) pd 2 . (24)

11
The above equations are used to form closed equations for the normal exhaust stage of the

high-pressure cylinder so that p2 (t t ) and pb (t t ) can be obtained.

2.6. Case 6: Low-pressure cylinder exhausts into both the high-pressure cylinder and

gas storage tank at the same time

In this case, the low-pressure cylinder is in the exhaust phase, and the air quality is exchanged

among the high- and low-pressure cylinders and gas storage tank. That is, only the intake

valve of the low-pressure cylinder is closed, while the other three valves are open; quality is

exchanged between the low-pressure cylinder and inter-stage copper tube and between the

high-pressure cylinder and gas storage tank. Heat is exchanged with the external environment.

When the two-stage compressor has just started, the storage tank is empty because the

stroke volume of the low-pressure cylinder is much larger than that of the high-pressure

cylinder. Situations arise in which the low-pressure cylinder exhausts air, and the pressure in

the exhaust pipe (i.e., the intake tube of the high-pressure cylinder) increases while the

storage tank is empty. In this situation, the high-pressure cylinders pressure is low relative to

that of the low-pressure cylinder. When the pressure inside the low-pressure cylinders

exhaust pipe exceeds the pressure inside the high-pressure cylinder and storage tank, the

high-pressure cylinders intake and exhaust valves remain open at the same time. The low-

pressure cylinder, its exhaust pipe, the high-pressure cylinder, and the storage tank are all

connected, and the high-pressure cylinder is short-circuited and cannot function. The only

difference in pressure at the various interconnects is the valve resistance loss:

px (t ) p1 (t ) pd1
, (25)

p2 (t ) px (t ) ps 2 , (26)

pb (t ) p2 (t ) pd 2 (27)

This stage accounts for only a very small portion of a two-stage compressors operating cycle

and thus has little effect. For convenience, this stage can be regarded as a compression

12
process with the polytropic exponent ma , and the pressure loss caused by each valve can be

ignored. The transient equation is given by

ma

p1 (t ) Vcl1 Vcl 2 Vx Vb D12 x1 (t ) D2 2 x2 (t )
4 4
. (28)

ma

p1 (t t ) Vcl1 Vcl 2 Vx Vb D12 x1 (t t ) D2 2 x2 (t t )
4 4

In this stage, parts such as the cylinder and piston are cold, and they easily absorb the heat

emitted by air during the compression process. That is, the gas has better heat dissipation in

the compression process, and a small value can be used for the polytropic exponent ma at this

stage. A value of 1.1 is recommended for ma [21].

2.7. Case 7: Low-pressure cylinder exhausts air to the high-pressure cylinder through

the inter-stage copper tube

In this case, the low-pressure cylinder is in the exhaust phase, and the intake valve of the low-

pressure cylinder and exhaust valve of the high-pressure cylinder are closed, while the

exhaust valve of the low-pressure cylinder and intake valve of the high-pressure cylinder are

open. The air quality is exchanged between the low-pressure cylinder and inter-stage copper

tube and between the copper tube and high-pressure cylinder. Heat is simultaneously

exchanged with the external environment. This same state may also occur in the intake phase

of the high-pressure cylinder when the intake of the high-pressure cylinder causes the

pressure to drop in the inter-stage copper tube until the exhaust valve of the low-pressure

cylinder opens and the low-pressure cylinder starts exhausting outwardly.

When the two-stage compressor is operating, the pressure inside the storage tank

increases. Therefore, Case 6 (i.e., the low-pressure cylinders exhaust valve and high-pressure

cylinders exhaust and intake valves are all open simultaneously) no longer occurs. However,

in Case 7, the pressure ratio of the high-pressure to low-pressure cylinders remains low.

When the low-pressure cylinder exhausts, there may still be a situation where the high-

13
pressure cylinders intake valve is open but its exhaust valve is closed. The time when the

low-pressure cylinder, its exhaust pipe, and the high-pressure cylinder exchange air quality is

also very brief with little overall impact. Therefore, this stage can be simplified to a

compression process with the polytropic exponent mb . In this stage, the cylinder and piston

temperatures gradually increase, and the heat dissipation of air in the compression process

deteriorates slightly; therefore, mb is recommended to be around 1.2 [21]. The transient

equation is given by

mb

p1 (t ) Vcl1 Vcl 2 Vx D12 x1 (t ) D2 2 x2 (t )
4 4
. (29)

mb

p1 (t t ) Vcl1 Vcl 2 Vx D12 x1 (t t ) D2 2 x2 (t t )
4 4

3. Transient thermodynamic calculation of the two-stage compressor

3.1 Changes in the pressure and pressure ratio

To verify the effectiveness of the thermodynamic model described above, programming was

performed with C and MATLAB. Fig. 3 shows the main program framework for the transient

thermal process calculation as a block diagram. First, the pressures in the high- and low-

pressure cylinders were calculated, and the discharge pressures of the cylinders were

calculated according to the open/closed status of the valves. When a valve is open, the

cylinder pressure and valve resistance loss are the exhaust gas. In the program, when the low-

pressure cylinder is not in the exhaust state, there are three cases: the high- and low-pressure

cylinders are in the compression or expansion phases, respectively; the low-pressure cylinder

is in the intake phase; or the high-pressure cylinder is in the normal intake phase. The

transient thermal process and influencing factors were studied through a set of analytical and

computational procedures developed for this purpose. The main contents of the calculation

were as follows: (1) pressure changes in the high- and low-pressure cylinders, (2) the

discharge pressure (i.e., pressure in the storage tank) of the high-pressure cylinder and

14
exhaust pressure (i.e., pressure in the inter-stage copper tube) of the low-pressure cylinder,

and (3) impact of structural parameters on power consumption.

initial parameters

When pd1>p2 and pd1>pd2,the high and low pressure cylinders and gas storage tank are all connected.

When pd1>p2 and pd1<pd2,the high and low pressure cylinders are connected.

The piston displacement x1 on the low pressure side is calculated based on the formula (1).

The low pressure cylinders state is confirmed based on the rotational angle

The low pressure cylinders state come

from compression process
When the low pressure cylinders state is
compression process, the pressure is is
calculated according to the formula (3).
The rotational angle is less than The rotational angle is much than The rotational angle is much than
and p1 pd 1 and p1 pd 1 and p1 ps1
When the low pressure cylinders state
When the low pressure cylinders state is When the low pressure cylinders state
is expansion phase process, the
in exhaust phase, the pressure is as is intake phase process, the
pressure is is calculated according to
following three case. pressure is is calculated according to
the formula (3). the formula (5).

he high and low pressure cylinders

When the low pressure cylinders state is When the high and low pressure and gas storage tank are all
in normal exhaust phase, the pressure is cylinders are connected, the connected,the pressure is
calculated according to the formula (7). pressure is calculated according calculated according to the
to the formula (26). formula (27).

The piston displacement x2 on the high pressure side is calculated based on the formula (2).

The high pressure cylinders state is confirmed based on the rotational angle

The intake temperature of high pressure cylinders is calculated

p2 ps 2
When the low pressure cylinders state is
compression process, the pressure is
calculated according to the formula (4).
p2 pd 2 p2 pd 2
When the low pressure cylinders state is in
When the low pressure cylinders
exhaust phase, the pressure is calculated
state is expansion phase process,
according to the formula (18).
the pressure is is calculated
according to the formula (4).
p2 ps 2
When the low pressure cylinders
state is intake phase process, the
pressure is is calculated
according to the formula (12).

The power consumption of compressor is calculated.

Fig. 3. Block diagram of the program framework for the transient thermodynamic calculation.

Fig. 4 shows the pressure changes in the inter-stage copper tube and storage tank of

the two-stage compressor. As shown in Fig. 3, the pressures in the copper tube between the

two cylinders and that in the storage tank are basically the same. This indicates that, when the

low-pressure cylinder exhausts, the intake and exhaust valves of the high-pressure cylinder

are open, and the inter-stage copper tube and storage tank are connected. When the high-

pressure cylinders discharge pressure was higher than approximately 0.5 MPa, the low-

pressure cylinders exhaust pressure rose very slowly from 2 MPa to 4 MPa. There was a

continuous rise in the storage tanks pressure from 2 MPa to 3 MPa. When the tank pressure

15
reached 3.0 MPa, the operation stopped. When the air in the storage tank was not used, the

tank pressure was maintained at 3.0 MPa. When the air was used, the tank pressure gradually

declined to 2.0 MPa, and the two-stage compressor restarted to change the pressure from 2.0

MPa back to 3.0 MPa.

Fig. 5 shows the pressure ratio for the high- and low-pressure cylinders of the two-

stage compressor. When the high-pressure cylinders discharge pressure was less than 0.5

MPa, an air quality exchange occurred between the high- and low-pressure cylinders.

Therefore, the compression ratio of the high-pressure cylinder was small, and there was a

sharp increase in the pressure ratio of the low-pressure cylinder. When the high-pressure

cylinders discharge pressure was greater than 0.5 MPa, the high- and low-pressure cylinders

could function completely independently. The pressure ratio of the high-voltage terminal

continued to increase, while the pressure ratio of the low voltage terminal changed slowly. At

the end, the pressure ratios of the high- and low-voltage terminals were equal. That is, the

two-stage compressor operated under the conditions of an anisochoric ratio at the high- and

low-voltage terminals most of the time. After a short time, the compression ratio of the low-

pressure cylinder reached a certain value and then entered the slowly increasing phase, while

the compression ratio of the high-pressure cylinder continued to rapidly increase throughout

the operating cycle.

16
 3.5
in inter-stage copper tube 3
3.0
.
in storage tank

2.5

pressure Mpa )
2.0

1.5

1.0

2. .4
0.5

.1
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
time s

Fig. 4. Pressure changes in the inter-stage copper tube and storage tank.

6.0

5.5

5.0

4.5

4.0
pressure ratio

3.5

3.0

2.5

2.0

1.5
in low-pressure cylinder
1.0
in high-pressure cylinder
0.5

0 10 20 30 40 50 60
time s)

Fig. 5. Pressure ratios in high- and low-pressure cylinders.

These calculation results show the following. During the initial rise in pressure, the

small pressure ratio of the high-pressure cylinder indicates that this cylinder did little work at

this time. The large compression ratio of the low-pressure cylinder means that the low-

pressure cylinder did a large amount of work during this time. The structural parameters of

the two-stage compressor also affect the distribution of the pressure ratio between the high-

17
and low-pressure cylinders, and this difference in the distribution affects the energy

distribution between the cylinders.

Therefore, if the designed structural parameters for the high- and low-pressure

cylinders do not match, this will greatly impair the performance of the two-stage compressor.

In line with the usage conditions of the high-pressure air nailer discussed in Section 2.2, the

relationship between the structural parameters of the high- and low-pressure cylinders and the

energy consumption was examined for two cases: when the exhaust pressure of the high-

pressure cylinder rises from atmospheric pressure to 3.0 MPa and from 2.0 MPa to 3.0 MPa.

To analyze the impact of the compressors structural parameters on the energy consumption,

the calculation process needs to ensure that conditions such as the displacement, volume of

the storage tank, and operating time remain unchanged.

3.2. Changes in the exhaust temperature and energy consumption

Further analysis was performed on the effect of different high- and low-pressure cylinder

diameters on the energy consumption of the high-pressure direct connection. Fig. 6 shows the

computation results for the change in energy loss over time when the high-pressure cylinder

had a diameter of 38.6 or 50 mm and the low-pressure cylinder had a diameter of 63.7 or 59.2

mm. When the high-pressure cylinder had a diameter of 38.6 mm and the low-pressure

cylinder had a diameter of 63.7 mm, the larger diameter of the low-pressure cylinder caused a

sharp increase in its energy consumption after 20 s. The energy consumption eventually

reached 41 000 J. Because of the smaller diameter of the high-pressure cylinder, its energy

consumption for the first 40 s was very small. In the end, the energy consumption was only

18 300 J. With the smaller diameter of the low-pressure cylinder, its energy consumption was

only 23 000 J. The larger diameter of the high-pressure cylinder caused a sharp increase in its

energy consumption after 10 s; it eventually reached 39 000 J and reduced the efficiency of

the high-voltage direct connection. The main reason for this result was that the relatively

18
large diameter of the low-pressure cylinder resulted in an overly large pressure ratio for the

low-pressure cylinder or the relatively large diameter of the high-pressure cylinder resulted in

an overly large pressure ratio for the high-pressure cylinder. Therefore, the energy

consumption distribution of the low- and high-pressure cylinders was unbalanced.

whenD =56.5mm and D =55mm

1 2
45000
whenD1=56.5mm and D2=55mm
40000 whenD1=63.7mm and D2=38.6mm
35000 whenD1=63.7mm and D2=38.6mm
energy consumption(J)

30000

25000

20000

15000

10000

5000

-5000
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
time(s)

Fig. 6. Changes in the energy consumption with time.

Based on the above detailed analysis of the energy consumption and transient thermal process,

the following conclusions can be made. Changes in the diameters of high- and low-pressure

cylinders affect the pressure ratio distribution of the high-pressure direct connection and

change the exhaust temperature, which affects the energy consumption. When the high- or

low-pressure cylinder has a large diameter, the exhaust temperature increases, which

increases the energy consumption and reduces efficiency.

4. Optimization of parameters

To design an efficient, low-noise, and high-performance two-stage compressor, its structural

parameters were optimized. Based on the preceding discussion, the energy consumption is the

most important factor of a two-stage compressor because it determines the efficiency, speed,

and performance. The energy consumption is directly calculated from the discharge pressure;

19
when a high-pressure direct connection is used, the gas displacement is constantly changing.

A high-pressure air nailer was used as follows. When the tank pressure reached 3.0 MPa, the

pressure sensor detected the pressure, and the compressor shut down. When the high-pressure

air nailer was used, the tank pressure decreased. When the pressure reached 2.0 MPa, the

compressor was restarted.

To simplify the calculation, the investigation mainly focused on the average energy of

the high-pressure cylinders discharge pressure rising from 2.0 MPa to 3.0 MPa. During a

single use from initial start to shutdown, except for when the discharge pressure rose from

barometric pressure to 2.0 MPa, all operations were performed between 2.0 and 3.0 MPa. The

optimization objective was to minimize the average energy Q during the discharge pressure

increase. The optimization variables were the low-pressure cylinder diameter D1, high-

pressure cylinder diameter D2, piston stroke at the low-pressure end s1, piston stroke at the

high-pressure end s2, connecting rod length at the low-pressure end l1 , and connecting rod

length at the high-pressure end l2 . Fig. 7 diagrams the process for optimizing the structural

parameters of the two-stage compressor. A genetic algorithm was used to control the

optimization process. The average energy was determined based on the parameters calculated

using the transient thermal process model.

20
 Initial parameters

population 1

Mathematical model for transient thermal

optimization objective Q
process of two-stage compressor

Their fitness value The min-max

standardization

Genetic manipulation

population 2

Parameter after optimization of

transient design

Fig. 7. Block diagram of optimization method.

For the operating parameters of the optimized compressor, the discharge pressure rose

from 2.0 MPa to 3.0 MPa, and the average displacement was 95.5 L/min. The method of

optimizing the structural parameters of the high-voltage direct connection focused on

minimizing the speed fluctuation and energy as presented above. The population size was 40,

the crossover rate Pc was 0.6, and the mutation rate Pm was 0.1. Table 1 presents the final

optimized results for the structural parameters after 200 generations of the genetic algorithm.

For the isobaric design of the compressor, the discharge pressure was 2.0 MPa, while the

displacement was 95.5 L/min. After the isobaric ratios were calculated, the parameters were

calculated by referencing [21]. The classical compressor design and calculation models are

based on steady-state processes under the assumption that the compressor operates at a

constant pressure 2.0 MPa, with a displacement of 95.5 L/min. Table 1 presents the optimized

parameters after the isobaric ratio was calculated.

21
 Table 1.Optimized structural parameters
Variable D1 (mm) D2 (mm) s1 (mm) s2 (mm) l1 (mm) L2 (mm)
Parameters after 60 49.5 23 10 105 50
optimization of / / / / / /
transient design / / / / / /
Parameters after 67.3 38.6 22 11 110 55
calculation of isobaric / / / / / /
ratio / / / / / /

5. Experimental Verification

An experiment was performed to compare two-stage compressors designed according to the

isobaric ratio and the transient simulation presented in this paper. Fig. 8 shows the prototype

of the proposed compressor. The main parts of the experimental apparatus comprised DC

brushless motor compressors, the control system, and the power device. The power of the

two-stage compressor was measured by a WT100 digital instrument, which could measure

the operating voltage, current, and motor power of the two-stage compressor simultaneously.

The discharge pressure of the two-stage compressor was actually the air pressure directly

transferred to the high-pressure cylinder; thus, it could be read directly with a pressure gauge.

The displacement was determined in accordance with the relevant provisions (TH18-59) [23]

of the displacement measurement method for a piston air compressor. The main equipment

used was a low-pressure tank with a nozzle.

Fig. 8. Prototype of two-stage compressor.

22
 1600
after optimization of transient design
after calculation of isobaric ratio
1550

1500

1450
power w

1400

1350

1300

1250

1200

1150
2.0 2.2 2.4 2.6 2.8 3.0
pressure MPa

Fig. 9. Measured power output vs. backpressure for two compressor designs.

For the actual air nailer, the main test compared the specific power outputs when the

discharge pressure of the high-pressure cylinder rose from 2.0 MPa to 3.0 MPa. Fig. 9 shows

the specific powers for different backpressures of the two-stage compressors designed

according to the isobaric ratio and the transient calculation. At the same displacement, when

the discharge pressure was 2.4 MPa, the two compressors had an equal power of 1310.6 W.

Before the discharge pressure of 2.4 MPa, the two-stage compressor with the isobaric ratio

design had less power than the compressor optimized according to the transient design. As

the discharge pressure increased, the pressure ratio increased sharply at the high-pressure

cylinder end because the high-pressure cylinder of the compressor with the isobaric ratio

design had a small diameter. This resulted in a faster increase in the power of the two-stage

compressor with the isobaric ratio design than that of the compressor with the optimized

transient design.

Table 2 presents the measured displacements of the two types of compressors. At the

same discharge pressure and average gas displacement, the two-stage compressor designed

23
according to the transient calculation had a lower average displacement and power

consumption.

Table 2. Measured gas displacements of two types of compressors

Comparative quantity Discharge Average Total Specific power
pressure displacement compressor (kW m-3 min-1)
(MPa) (L/min) power (W)
Compressor 2.03.0 95.5 1310.6 13.72
afteroptimization of / / / /
transient design / / / /
Compressor after 2.03.0 95.5 1380.3 14.45
calculation of the isobaric / / / /
ratio

6. Conclusion

This paper presents a new method for the analysis and design of a compressor and establishes

a mathematical model for the transient thermal process of a two-stage compressor.

(1) Programming was performed with C and MATLAB to analyze the transient thermal

process of a two-stage compressor.

(2) A transient thermodynamic calculation was performed to show that the compression

ratio of the high- and low-pressure cylinders increases with different diameters. Changes in

the diameters of high- and low-pressure cylinders affect the pressure ratio distribution. When

the high- or low-pressure cylinder has a large diameter, the power consumption increases

quickly and thus reduces the efficiency.

(3) Based on the proposed mathematical model, the structural parameters of a two-stage

compressor were optimized. According to the optimization based on the transient thermal

process, the high-pressure cylinder diameter is much smaller than that calculated according to

the isobaric ratio. The opposite holds true for the low-pressure cylinder.

(4) At the same discharge pressure and average gas displacement, the two-stage

compressor designed according to the transient calculation had 5.3% less average

24
displacement and power consumption than that designed according to the isobaric ratio.

(5) The proposed transient model was developed only for a two-stage compressor. As

discussed in this paper, the presented analysis accounts for only thermodynamic aspects,

without considering mechanical friction and inertial force aspects related to the compressor

design.

Acknowledgements
The research work is supported by the natural science foundation of Zhejiang Province in

china (LY14E050021).

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27
Figure captions

Fig. 1. Airflow path.

Fig. 2. Coordinates of a two-stage compressor.

Fig. 3. Block diagram of the program framework for the transient thermodynamic calculation.

Fig. 4. Pressure changes in the inter-stage copper tube and storage tank.

Fig. 5. Pressure ratios in high- and low-pressure cylinders.

Fig. 6. Changes in the energy consumption with time.

Fig. 7. Block diagram of optimization method.

Fig. 8. Prototype of two-stage compressor.

Fig. 9. Measured power output vs. backpressure for two compressor designs.

Table captions

Table 1. Optimized structural parameters.

Table 2. Measured gas displacements of two types of compressors.

28
Highlights

A design based on the isobaric ratio is inadequate for the two-stage compressor.

A new model is presented for the transient thermal process of this compressor.

The process divides into seven stages based on the connected states of components.

The structural parameters of the compressor were analytically derived.

The experimental results proved the efficiency of the new design.

29