Study on Reliability Design of the Domestic Compressor Subjected to Repetitive Internal Stresses by Parametric Accelerated Life Testing

This chapter explains the parametric accelerated life testing (ALT) to recognize design defects in mechanical products. A life-stress model and a sample size formulation are suggested. A compressor is used to demonstrate this method. Compressors were failing in the field. At the first ALT, the compressor failed due to a fractured suction reed valve. The failure modes were similar to those valves returned from the field. The fatigue of the suction reed valves came from an overlap between the suction reed valve and the valve plate. The problematic design was modified by the trespan dimensions, tumbling process, a ball peening, and brushing process for the valve plate. At the second ALT, the compressor locked due to the intrusion between the crankshaft and thrust washer. The corrective action plan performed the heat treatment to the exterior of the crankshaft made of cast iron. After the design modifications, there were no troubles during the third ALT. The lifetime of compressor was secured to have a B1 life 10 years.

Reliability Design of Mechanical Systems Such as Compressor Subjected to Repetitive Stresses

This study demonstrates the use of parametric accelerated life testing (ALT) as a way to recognize design defects in mechanical products in creating a reliable quantitative (RQ) specification. It covers: (1) a system BX lifetime that X% of a product population fails, created on the parametric ALT scheme, (2) fatigue and redesign, (3) adapted ALTs with design alternations, and (4) an evaluation of whether the system design(s) acquires the objective BX lifetime. A life-stress model and a sample size formulation, therefore, are suggested. A refrigerator compressor is used to demonstrate this method. Compressors subjected to repetitive impact loading were failing in the field. To analyze the pressure loading of the compressor and carry out parametric ALT, a mass/energy balance on the vapor-compression cycle was examined. At the first ALT, the compressor failed due to a cracked or fractured suction reed valve made of Sandvik 20C carbon steel (1 wt% C, 0.25 wt% Si, 0.45 wt% Mn). The failure modes of the suction reed valves were similar to those valves returned from the field. The fatigue failure of the suction reed valves came from an overlap between the suction reed valve and the valve plate in combination with the repeated pressure loading. The problematic design was modified by the trespan dimensions, tumbling process, a ball peening, and brushing process for the valve plate. At the second ALT, the compressor locked due to the intrusion between the crankshaft and thrust washer. The corrective action plan specified to perform the heat treatment to the exterior of the crankshaft made of cast iron (0.45 wt% C, 0.25 wt% Si, 0.8 wt% Mn, 0.03 wt% P). After these design modifications, there were no troubles during the third ALT. The lifetime of the compressor was secured to have a B1 life of 10 years.

Investigation on Dynamic Characteristics of the Reed Valve in Compressors Based on Fluid-Structure Interaction Method

The flow in the gap between the reed and the valve seat has a significant influence on the dynamic characteristics of the reed valve used in reciprocating compressors. The fluid–structure interaction (FSI) method is an effective method for studying reciprocating compressors. A three-dimensional FSI model of a reciprocating compressor with a reed valve is established in this paper, which has an important influence on the flow rate characteristic of reciprocating compressors. Furthermore, an experimental investigation is implemented to verify the FSI model. Based on the established FSI model, the pressure distribution on the reed valve surface is identified by varying the height of the suction valve limiter and the rotational speed of the compressor, which has an important effect on the dynamic characteristics of the reed valve. Although the low-pressure region, due to the Bernoulli effect on the surface of the reed, hinders the rapid opening of the valve to some extent, it is obviously beneficial to the timely closure of the valve and increases the volumetric efficiency of the compressor. Moreover, the optimal height of the valve limiter and the appropriate rotational speed of the compressor are obtained.

Reliability Design of Mechanical Systems Such as Compressor Subjected to Repetitive Stresses

This paper suggests parametric accelerated life testing (ALT) as a systematic reliability technique to generate the reliability quantitative (RQ) specification such as mission cycle for identifying design flaws in mechanical systems as exerting the accelerated load, defined as the reverse of stress ratio, R. Parametric ALT therefore is a procedure to improve the fatigue for mechanical products subjected to repetitive loading. It includes: (1) a system BX lifetime shaped on the parametric ALT plan; (2) a fatigue failure and design; (3) tailored ALTs with alternatives; and (4) an assessment of whether the design(s) of the product attains the targeted BX lifetime. A BX life ideas, a life-stress model, and a sample size formulation for parametric ALT are proposed. A reciprocating compressor in a domestic refrigerator is utilized to explain this methodology. The compressor was subjected to repetitive impact loading due to the pressure difference between condenser and evaporator, which results in the compressor field failure. To analyze and conduct parametric ALTs, as mass/energy balance was utilized on the vapor-compression refrigerating cycle, a simple pressure loading of the compressor in operating the refrigerator was investigated. At the first ALT, the compressor was locked due to the fractured suction reed valve made of Sandvik 20C carbon steel (1 C, 0.25 Si, 0.45 Mn). The dominant failure modes of the suction reed valve in the parametric ALTs were established to be very close to that of the fractured product from the marketplace. The root cause of the fatigue failure of the suction reed valve was an amount of overlap between the suction reed valve and the valve plate in combination of repeated pressure loading in the compressor. To supply sufficient mechanical strength, the design faults were altered by the trespan dimensions tumbling process, a ball peening and brushing process for the valve plate. At the second ALT, a compressor was locked due to the intrusion between the crankshaft and the thrust washer. The corrective action plan was to give heat treat the surface of crankshaft made of cast iron (0.45 C, 0.25 Si, 0.8 Mn, 0.03 P). After these alternations, there were no issues at the third ALT. The lifetime of the compressor was ensured to have B1 life 10 years.

Experimental Study on Pulse Detonation Engine with Two-Phase Inhomogeneous Mixture

In order to investigate the effects of fuel distribution on the operation of two-phase pulse detonation engine (PDE), a series of cold flow and multicycle PDE experiments was carried out with 9 mixing schemes. Homogeneity degree with fuel distribution considered in terms of space and time was proposed to quantitatively evaluate the mixing of liquid fuel and air by particle image velocimetry (PIV) in cold flow experiments. Operation stability of multicycle PDE was presented by statistical analysis of peak pressure at the outlet of a detonation tube. The relationship between operation stability and homogeneity degree was quantitatively elaborated. These experimental results indicated that not only using mixing reinforcement devices (such as pore plate and reed valve) was fuel distribution improved but also the effect of inlet ways on the homogeneity degree was weakened. The homogeneity degree of fuel distribution ζ=0.72 was a critical value for stable working of multicycle PDE. When homogeneity degree was lower than 0.72, stable state was not maintained and detonation wave in some cycles was not established due to poor fuel distribution. Therefore, it is necessary to hold homogeneity degree larger than 0.72 to achieve stable operation of PDE. These results contribute to enhancing the operation stability and offering guidelines for the design of PDE’s mixing scheme.