Friction Model Development for a reciprocating compressor

Friction loss has a significant impact on the performance of a reciprocating compressor. Piston-cylinder friction is a major contributor compared to the other contributors like thrust bearing, piston pin and crank. In the present work, the piston–cylinder interaction inside a small hermetic compressor is modeled using the Reynolds equation which is solved using finite difference method. The model provides key compressor design parameters such as minimum oil film thickness, oil pressure distribution between piston-cylinder, normal forces and friction power loss. Using the above formulation, parametric study has been carried out to infer the impact of different operating and design considerations.