Loss Analysis of Rotating Spool Compressor Based on High-Speed Pressure Measurements

A rotating spool compressor is a novel compressor technology that was recently introduced by Kemp et al. (2008). To accelerate the development of the technology, a breakdown of the key losses within the device is presented. The losses include flow losses associated with leakage and over/under compression due to valves and porting. Additionally, frictional losses associated with the key sealing elements and moving components are calculated. All of these losses are combined into Pareto of losses for the spool compressor. This Pareto identifies the dynamic sealing elements as key components to continue development on to achieve the best improvement in efficiency