A heat transfer correlation for the suction and compression chambers of scroll compressors

Heat transfer in the suction and compression chambers of scroll compressors has not been sufficiently studied and typical correlations available in the literature are based on simplified flow conditions. This paper presents the results of a model developed to predict fluid flow and heat transfer inside the suction and compression chambers of scroll compressors. Due to the particular geometry of scroll compressors, an algorithm was developed to adapt the computational mesh automatically for each orbiting angle. Convective heat transfer is strongly affected by the flow in the near-wall region and for this reason a low-Reynolds-number turbulence model was adopted in the simulations. The study covered a wide range of operating conditions and geometric parameters, allowing the proposal of a characteristic velocity for the flow inside the suction and compression chambers and a new heat transfer correlation for scroll compressors, which is compared with other correlations adopted in the literature.