Dynamic Analysis of the Piston Slap Motion in Reciprocating Compressors

Piston-cylinder system are widely used in power engineering applications. In reciprocating refrigeration compressors, where extremely low friction losses are required, ringless pistons are being used to diminish the friction between piston rings and cylinder wall. Since the ringless piston has the freedom of lateral motion there is a potential danger that it will occasionally hit the cylinder wall while moving up and down along it's axis. A good design must therefore provide a smooth and stable reciprocating motion of the piston and ensure that the fluid film separating the piston from the cylinder wall is maintained all times. And the compromise between refrigerant gas leakage through the piston-cylinder clearance and the friction losses is required utilizing a dynamic analysis of the secondary motion for the high efficiency compressor. To this end, the computer program is developed for calculating the entire piston trajectory and the lubrication characteristics as functions of crank angle under compressor running conditions. The results explored the effects of some design parameters and operating conditions on the stability of the piston, the oil leakage, and friction losses.