The Analysis of Leakage in a Twin Screw Compressor and its Application to Performance Improvement

Abstract

The performance of a helical screw compressor is influenced more by the internal gas leakages than by any other thermo-fluid aspect of its behaviour. Six separate types of leakage path can be identified. Only the cusp blow holes have a constant geometry; every other path has a geometry and resistance to flow which varies (periodically) in a manner unique to it. The pressure difference driving the gas along a leakage path also varies (periodically) and does so in a manner that is not the same for every leakage path. This is quite obviously a complex problem requiring insight in modelling the thermo-fluid behaviour and the solution of a large number of simultaneous equations. The distribution of leakage through the various leakage paths within the machine is important for the improvement of the compressor performance. A method of determining the aggregate leakage through each path individually over a complete compression cycle is required to enable this study to be conducted. The authors have constructed a mathematical model of the complete compressor thermofluid process which is suitable for this purpose, its macropredictions having been verified against measured data derived from a test compressor. The nature of its micropredictions and their verification, that is for each leakage path, are the subject of the paper proposed here. Analytical techniques are proposed and experimental methods are discussed. The influence of different rotational speeds on the leakage is considered. Also discussed is the manner in which the leakage distribution prediction could be used to optimize a compressor design.