IOR - Emerging Technologies for Positive Displacement Compressors and Expanders

Positive displacement screw compressors are widely used in industry for refrigeration, air conditioning, heat pumps, as well as for compression of air, process gasses and many other applications. With the growing demands for energy efficiency and Net-0 economy, it becomes increasingly important to minimise energy consumption and maximise reliability of positive displacement compressors.

The talk will outline challenges in performance modelling of screw machines using low order chamber thermodynamic models and higher order Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) together with Conjugate Heat Transfer (CHT) models and propose methods which could be used for reliable performance predictions and design of such machines.

The lecture will present project “SECRET” – Smart Efficient Compression: Reliability and Energy Targets funded by the British Royal Academy of Engineering and Howden. This project is set to develop new generation of efficient and reliable oil-free screw compressors for use in challenging applications such as hydrogen compression and heat pump applications. This includes understanding of the flow physics in clearances of rotating positive displacement machines.

Industrial consortium “CERES” – Compressors and Expanders in Future Energy Systems, formed at City St George’s, University of London will be demonstrated alongside some of the research projects funded by the members of the consortium. This will include projects on use of AI for rotor profiling, sustainable lubrication and screw compressors for water vapour compression.