Abstract
The application of a novel, electric motor-driven, variable-speed centrifugal compressor for automotive air conditioners has been investigated.
For the feasibility analysis, a configuration design has been performed. It includes refrigerant selection, thermodynamic cycle analysis, compressor aerodynamic design, and mechanical layout of the integrated motor-compressor structure. Both the motor constraints (provided by the Laboratory for Electromagnetic and Electronic Systems at M.I.T.) and the compressor constraints were considered for the configuration design.
The result is an inter-cooled two-stage compression system using R123 as the refrigerant. The inter-cooling is achieved by feeding back a small fraction of the condenser liquid into the return channel between the first and the second stage through the electric motor. At the design condition, the pressure ratio is 3.2 for the first stage and 1.9 for the second stage. The design rotational speed is 75,000 rpm, and the maximum cooling capacity is 5,275 Watts.
High efficiency is expected by varying the compressor speed to match the required cooling load at each instant.
