Summary

The design of the suction system of compressors adopted in household refrigeration is of fundamental importance for efficiency and reliability. This dissertation reports a procedure developed to optimize the suction system of a reciprocating compressor, by using the genetic algorithm NSGA-II. The isentropic and volumetric efficiencies are used as objective functions, while the bending fatigue failure is used as a constraint to meet valve reliability. A simulation model of the compression cycle was coupled to the optimization procedure, in which the effect of suction valve system on the flow was characterized by correlations for effective flow and force areas. The dynamics of the valve was predicted numerically by employing the finite element method. The proposed optimization procedure was applied to a reciprocating compressor of domestic refrigeration, providing optimal solutions to the geometry of the suction system that are more efficient than the original system adopted in the reference compressor.

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