Numerical and Experimental Studies of Gas Pulsations in the Suction Manifold of a Multicylinder Automotive Compressor

This study predicts gas pulsations in the suction manifold of a multicylinder automotive air-conditioning compressor using a comprehensive simulation model of a reciprocating compressor. On the basis of the first law of thermodynamics and a simplified fourth-order Bernoulli-Euler linear differential beam equation for suction valves, the pressure in a cylinder and resultant pressure pulsation in the suction manifold are predicted. The mass flow rate through the valve is estimated assuming one-dimensional compressible flow through an orifice. All of the equations are then solved together in a sequence to obtain the pressure in the cylinder, valve response, and the mass flow rate. A complicated suction manifold geometry is modeled as a simplified cylindrical annular cavity to study gas pulsations in a multicylinder compressor, but the discharge process has not been considered in this study. Using the calculated mass flow rate, pressure pulsations in a simplified cylindrical annular cavity with an area change to consider "mode splitting" are predicted based on the characteristic cylinder method. It is shown that the simulation code can be a useful tool for predicting gas pulsations in the suction manifold of a multicylinder automotive compressor.