Experimental analisys of the fluid structure interaction in refrigeration compressor valves

Abstract

This research project refers to the experimental investigation of the flow in refrigeration compressor valves, in which the fluid structure interaction phenomenon is not just important, but the valve working process itself. We propose modifying an existent experimental setup in order to analyze the flow through a radial diffuser with a moving frontal disk, measuring the distance between disks and the pressure on the frontal disk surface. In addition, we propose to accomplish a flow analysis in another geometry, which is similar to that used in the real valve system. In this geometry, the frontal disk is substituted by a flexible flat plate. In this case, the analysis will be performed by investigating the transient displacement of the plate and the acting force on the moving plate. Reynolds numbers in the range of 1.0000 to 10.000, which involves laminar and turbulent flows, will be studied in geometries with diameter ratios varying between 1,2 to 2,5. Although it is not in the context of this project, the experimental data will be used in order to validate an existent computational code, which simulates the same problem using the Immersed Boundary Method together with the Finite Volume Method. (AU)