Refrigeration Compressors

A Trane Air Conditioning Clinic

American Standard Inc. 2000 Air Conditioning Clinic TRG-TRC004-EN

Vapor-Compression Refrigeration
condenser

expansion
device
compressor

evaporator
American Standard Inc. 2000 Air Conditioning Clinic TRG-TRC004-EN
Refrigeration Cycle

F E condenser D C
pressure

expansion
device compressor

A evaporator B

American Standard Inc. 2000 enthalpy Air Conditioning Clinic TRG-TRC004-EN

Refrigeration Compressors
period one
Compressor Types

American Standard Inc. 2000 Air Conditioning Clinic TRG-TRC004-EN

 scroll
reciprocating

helical-rotary

American Standard Inc. 2000

centrifugal Air Conditioning Clinic TRG-TRC004-EN
Reciprocating Compressor
intake
stroke
discharge
valve
suction
valve

refrigerant piston
vapor
rod
cylinder
American Standard Inc. 2000 Air Conditioning Clinic TRG-TRC004-EN
Reciprocating Compressor
compression
stroke
discharge
valve
suction
valve

American Standard Inc. 2000 Air Conditioning Clinic TRG-TRC004-EN

 Reciprocating Compressor

headspace

discharge
valve

suction
valve

discharge
opening

American Standard Inc. 2000 Air Conditioning Clinic TRG-TRC004-EN

Reciprocating Compressor
suction cylinder headspace
opening

discharge
opening

piston

rod

motor crankshaft
American Standard Inc. 2000 Air Conditioning Clinic TRG-TRC004-EN
Scroll Compressor
stationary
scroll

discharge

discharge
port

intake intake
motor
driven shaft
scroll
American Standard Inc. 2000 Air Conditioning Clinic TRG-TRC004-EN
Scroll Compressor

journal motor
bearing shaft

direction
of rotation

driven
scroll
American Standard Inc. 2000 Air Conditioning Clinic TRG-TRC004-EN
Scroll Compressor
intake

discharge
port

intake

American Standard Inc. 2000 Air Conditioning Clinic TRG-TRC004-EN

 Scroll Compressor

intake
phase

compression
phase

discharge
phase

American Standard Inc. 2000 Air Conditioning Clinic TRG-TRC004-EN

Scroll Compressor

dome

discharge
opening
scrolls

motor
suction
opening
American Standard Inc. 2000 Air Conditioning Clinic TRG-TRC004-EN
Helical-Rotary (Screw) Compressor

American Standard Inc. 2000 Air Conditioning Clinic TRG-TRC004-EN

Helical-Rotary Compressor

female rotor

male rotor

housing

American Standard Inc. 2000 Air Conditioning Clinic TRG-TRC004-EN

Helical-Rotary Compressor

intake
port

pocket of refrigerant vapor

American Standard Inc. 2000 Air Conditioning Clinic TRG-TRC004-EN
Helical-Rotary Compressor

discharge
meshing point port
American Standard Inc. 2000 Air Conditioning Clinic TRG-TRC004-EN
Helical-Rotary Compressor

suction
opening
slide valve

motor
rotors
discharge
opening
American Standard Inc. 2000 Air Conditioning Clinic TRG-TRC004-EN
Centrifugal Compressor

impeller

American Standard Inc. 2000 Air Conditioning Clinic TRG-TRC004-EN

 Centrifugal Compressor

volute

diffuser
passages

radial
impeller
passages

blades impeller
American Standard Inc. 2000 Air Conditioning Clinic TRG-TRC004-EN
Centrifugal Compressor
refrigerant
enters
diffuser
velocity

refrigerant
refrigerant enters volute
static pressure

enters impeller

path through compressor

American Standard Inc. 2000 Air Conditioning Clinic TRG-TRC004-EN
Centrifugal Compressor
motor

inlet
vanes

suction impeller
American Standard Inc. 2000 Air Conditioning Clinic TRG-TRC004-EN
Open Compressor

housing

compressor
crankshaft

American Standard Inc. 2000 Air Conditioning Clinic TRG-TRC004-EN

Hermetic Compressor

housing

motor

compressor
piston

American Standard Inc. 2000 Air Conditioning Clinic TRG-TRC004-EN

Semihermetic Compressor

piston

compressor
crankshaft
motor

housing
American Standard Inc. 2000 Air Conditioning Clinic TRG-TRC004-EN
Refrigeration Compressors
period two
Compressor Capacity Control

American Standard Inc. 2000 Air Conditioning Clinic TRG-TRC004-EN

Methods of Compressor Unloading
Reciprocating Cylinder Unloaders
Scroll Cycle On and Off
Helical-Rotary Slide Valve
Centrifugal Inlet Vanes

Variable Speed

American Standard Inc. 2000 Air Conditioning Clinic TRG-TRC004-EN

 Cylinder Unloaders
controller
unloader
solenoid valve

piston
unloader cylinder
valve
refrigerant discharge
American Standard Inc. 2000 vapor Air Conditioning Clinic TRG-TRC004-EN
 Cylinder Unloaders
controller
unloader
solenoid valve

unloader
valve

refrigerant discharge
American Standard Inc. 2000
vapor Air Conditioning Clinic TRG-TRC004-EN
 Capacity Versus Suction Temperature
40 tons d ers
[140.7 kW] 6 cylin

de rs
4 cylin
capacity

20 tons ders
[70.3 kW] 2 cylin

0 tons
[0 kW] 20F 30F 40F 50F
[-6.7C] [-1.1C] [4.4C] [10C]

American Standard Inc. 2000

suction temperature Air Conditioning Clinic TRG-TRC004-EN
 Compressor Unloading
40 tons d ers
[140.7 kW] 6 cylin
B A de rs
4 cylin
capacity

20 tons D ders
[70.3 kW] C 2 cylin

E
F
0 tons
[0 kW] 20F 30F 40F 50F
[-6.7C] [-1.1C] [4.4C] [10C]

American Standard Inc. 2000

suction temperature Air Conditioning Clinic TRG-TRC004-EN
 Alternating Cylinders On and Off
40 tons d ers
[140.7 kW] 6 cylin
B A de rs
4 cylin
capacity

25 tons
20 tons D ders
cylin
[88 kW]
[70.3 kW] C 2

0 tons
[0 kW] 20F 30F 40F 50F
[-6.7C] [-1.1C] [4.4C] [10C]

American Standard Inc. 2000

suction temperature Air Conditioning Clinic TRG-TRC004-EN
Cycling On and Off

on off on off

American Standard Inc. 2000 Air Conditioning Clinic TRG-TRC004-EN

Cycling Scroll Compressors
reciprocating scroll
# of # of
cylinders nominal compressors nominal
step active capacity active capacity
1 2 10 tons 1 10 tons
[35 kW] [35 kW]
2 4 20 tons 2 20 tons
[70 kW] [70 kW]
3 6 30 tons 3 30 tons
[105 kW] [105 kW]
4 8 40 tons 4 40 tons
[140 kW] [140 kW]

American Standard Inc. 2000 Air Conditioning Clinic TRG-TRC004-EN

 Cycling Scroll Compressors
A
B ss o rs
40 tons
o m pre
[140.7 kW] 4c
s s o rs
D om p re
C 3c
o rs
capacity

r es s
F m p
20 tons
E 2 co
[70.3 kW]
re s s or
H co m p
1
G

0 tons
[0 kW] 20F 30F 40F 50F
[-6.7C] [-1.1C] [4.4C] [10C]
American Standard Inc. 2000 suction temperature Air Conditioning Clinic TRG-TRC004-EN
Slide Valve

discharge housing
port

rotors

slide valve
American Standard Inc. 2000 Air Conditioning Clinic TRG-TRC004-EN
Slide Valve

discharge
port

slide valve slide valve

(closed)
(open)
to suction

valve
opening
full load part load
American Standard Inc. 2000 Air Conditioning Clinic TRG-TRC004-EN
Inlet Vanes

inlet vanes
impeller

American Standard Inc. 2000 Air Conditioning Clinic TRG-TRC004-EN

Inlet Vanes

A
r ge 90
su
pressure difference

B 75
C

51 63
36
10 25
14 vane position
(degrees)
unloading line

American Standard Inc. 2000 capacity Air Conditioning Clinic TRG-TRC004-EN

Variable Speed

variable-speed
drive
American Standard Inc. 2000 Air Conditioning Clinic TRG-TRC004-EN
Refrigeration Compressors
period three
The Compressor in a System

American Standard Inc. 2000 Air Conditioning Clinic TRG-TRC004-EN

System-Level Control

direct expansion (DX)

chilled water
American Standard Inc. 2000 Air Conditioning Clinic TRG-TRC004-EN
Constant-Volume DX System

supply
fan

DX cooling
coil
compressor
capacity thermostat
controller
American Standard Inc. 2000 Air Conditioning Clinic TRG-TRC004-EN
 Variable-Air-Volume DX System

sensor
supply
fan
VAV
DX cooling
coil box
compressor
capacity thermostat
controller
American Standard Inc. 2000 Air Conditioning Clinic TRG-TRC004-EN
 Chilled-Water System

supply
coil fan
modulating
water valve
thermostat
evaporator
pump compressor
American Standard Inc. 2000 capacity controller Air Conditioning Clinic TRG-TRC004-EN
 Preventing Evaporator Freeze-Up
A
freeze-up B ss o rs
40 tons
o m pre
[140.7 kW] occurs 4c
s s o rs
D om p re
C 3c
o rs
capacity

r es s
F m p
20 tons
E 2 co
[70.3 kW]
re s s or
H co m p
1
I G

0 tons
[0 kW] 20F 30F 40F 50F
[-6.7C] [-1.1C] [4.4C] [10C]
American Standard Inc. 2000 suction temperature Air Conditioning Clinic TRG-TRC004-EN
Sensing Suction Temperature

condenser

expansion compressor
valve suction
line

sensor
evaporator
American Standard Inc. 2000 Air Conditioning Clinic TRG-TRC004-EN
Hot Gas Bypass to Evaporator Inlet

expansion valve
evaporator
liquid line
hot gas
bypass valve distributor

condenser suction line

compressor oil return line

American Standard Inc. 2000 Air Conditioning Clinic TRG-TRC004-EN
Hot Gas Bypass to Suction Line

liquid line
evaporator
hot gas
bypass valve

solenoid
valve

liquid injection valve

condenser
suction line
American Standard Inc. 2000
compressor Air Conditioning Clinic TRG-TRC004-EN
Refrigeration Compressors
period four
Review

American Standard Inc. 2000 Air Conditioning Clinic TRG-TRC004-EN

 ReviewPeriod One

scroll

reciprocating

helical-rotary
centrifugal
American Standard Inc. 2000 Air Conditioning Clinic TRG-TRC004-EN
ReviewPeriod Two
Reciprocating Cylinder Unloaders
Scroll Cycle On and Off
Helical-Rotary Slide Valve
Centrifugal Inlet Vanes

Variable-Speed

American Standard Inc. 2000 Air Conditioning Clinic TRG-TRC004-EN

ReviewPeriod Three
System-level control
Constant-volume DX system
Control by sensing space temperature
VAV DX system
Control by sensing supply air temperature
Chilled-water system
Control by sensing temperature of water leaving evaporator
Preventing evaporator freeze-up
Sensing suction temperature
Hot gas bypass
American Standard Inc. 2000 Air Conditioning Clinic TRG-TRC004-EN