TY - JOUR
T1 - Liquid Piston Compression Heat Transfer Prediction via Thermal-Resistance Network
T2 - Simulation, Experimental Validation, and Liquid Carryover Evaluation
AU - Middleton, Luke
AU - Bernagozzi, Marco
AU - Morgan, Robert
AU - Milton, Gareth
AU - Atkins, Andrew
AU - Atkins, Penny
PY - 2024/9/19
Y1 - 2024/9/19
N2 - Liquid piston compressors gain attention due to their potential for more efficient and isothermal compression compared to traditional solid piston compressors. Liquid piston compressors use a liquid column instead of a solid piston, allowing for innovative mechanisms to enhance heat transfer and achieve near-isothermal compression. However, a validated analytical model for heat transfer in liquid piston compressors is still needed to understand the exhaust phase within a liquid piston. In this work, a thermal network model, able to predict the polytropic index to within 8% of the experimental results, is proposed. Moreover, thorough experimentation is conducted to measure the amount of liquid carried over to better understand the exhaust phase. In the results, it is revealed that the piston carries over 13–21 mL of liquid within the exhaust gas for 10–23 s of stroke. Notably, the difference in liquid carried over for the three-stroke times is not statistically significant, indicating that the liquid carried over is a function of liquid piston design and not stroke time. Finally, most liquid piston applications consider only water; hence, for the first time, this research assesses the stability of a cycle using a nonflammable hydraulic fluid (Fuchs 46 M red) to enhance compressor longevity and material compatibility.
AB - Liquid piston compressors gain attention due to their potential for more efficient and isothermal compression compared to traditional solid piston compressors. Liquid piston compressors use a liquid column instead of a solid piston, allowing for innovative mechanisms to enhance heat transfer and achieve near-isothermal compression. However, a validated analytical model for heat transfer in liquid piston compressors is still needed to understand the exhaust phase within a liquid piston. In this work, a thermal network model, able to predict the polytropic index to within 8% of the experimental results, is proposed. Moreover, thorough experimentation is conducted to measure the amount of liquid carried over to better understand the exhaust phase. In the results, it is revealed that the piston carries over 13–21 mL of liquid within the exhaust gas for 10–23 s of stroke. Notably, the difference in liquid carried over for the three-stroke times is not statistically significant, indicating that the liquid carried over is a function of liquid piston design and not stroke time. Finally, most liquid piston applications consider only water; hence, for the first time, this research assesses the stability of a cycle using a nonflammable hydraulic fluid (Fuchs 46 M red) to enhance compressor longevity and material compatibility.
KW - istohermal compression
KW - liquid piston
KW - thermal resistance network
U2 - 10.1002/ente.202401121
DO - 10.1002/ente.202401121
M3 - Article
SN - 2194-4296
JO - Energy Technology
JF - Energy Technology
M1 - 2401121
ER -