Pressure-Volume Card

Fundamentals
 Fundamentals

Ideal Processes Real Processes

in a Compressor in a Compressor

• No losses. • Losses.
• Perfect gas. • Real gas.
• Isentropic Process. • Polytropic Process.
• No piping effects. • Piping effects.

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 Fundamentals

What is the P-V Card?

• It is a primary tool for determining

the reciprocating compressor
performance.
• It describes the relationship of the
internal pressures and volumes of a
particular end of the compressor
cylinder during the compression cycle.
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 Fundamentals
DISCHARGE DISCHARGE
VALVE CLOSES VALVE OPENS
DISCHARGE
PRESSURE VOLUME

RE-EXPANSION COMPRESSION

SUCTION SUCTION
VALVE OPENS VALVE CLOSES
SUCTION INTAKE
VOLUME

STROKE OR VOLUME
MINIMUM CYLINDER MAXIMUM CYLINDER
VOLUME VOLUME

HEAD CRANK
END END

OUTBOARD INBOARD
DEAD CENTER DEAD CENTER

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 Fundamentals
Typical P-V Card

LOSS DUE TO
DISCHARGE VALVE

USEFUL
WORK
LOSS DUE TO
SUCTION VALVE

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 Fundamentals

Ideal P-V Card

3 2 STROKE

• •

4 1 • •

• Line 1 - 2: Compression stroke starts at point 1 through 3.

Discharge valve opens at point 2.
• Line 2 - 3: Discharge Line of compression stroke. Discharge
valve closes at point 3.
• Line 3 - 4: Expansion stroke starts at point 3 through 1.
Suction valve opens at point 4.
• Line 4 - 1: Suction intake Line of expansion stroke. Suction
valve closes at point 1.
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 Fundamentals
Ideal P-V Card

A
BRIEF DESCRIPTION
OF EACH LINE

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 Fundamentals
Ideal P-V Card
3 2
A
BRIEF DESCRIPTION
OF EACH LINE

4 1
LINE 1-2

• The suction valve is open as piston approaches inboard

dead center.
• The piston changes direction at point 1 and moves toward
the outboard dead center.
• The cylinder volume decrease, raising the pressure inside
the cylinder.
• The shape of the compression line (line 1-2) is determine by
the Isentropic exponent (k). 8
 Fundamentals
Ideal P-V Card
3 2
A
BRIEF DESCRIPTION
OF EACH LINE

4 1
LINE 2-3

• The pressure inside the cylinder has become greater than

pressure outside the cylinder.
• The resulting differential pressure causes discharge valve
to open, allowing gas to flow out of the cylinder.
• The volume continues to decrease as the piston moves
toward point 3 (outboard dead center).
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 Fundamentals
Ideal P-V Card
3 2
A
BRIEF DESCRIPTION
OF EACH LINE

4 1
LINE 3-4

• At point 3 the piston reaches outboard dead center and reverses

direction.
• The volume increases, resulting in a corresponding drop in
pressure in the cylinder, which causes the discharge valves to
close.
• The gas trapped in the cylinder expands as the volume increases
toward point 4, decreasing the pressure.
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 Fundamentals
Ideal P-V Card
3 2
A
BRIEF DESCRIPTION
OF EACH LINE

4 1
LINE 4-1

• Piston travels toward inboard dead center.

• Cylinder volume continues to increase, pressure continues to
decrease, the suction valves open and gas flows into the
cylinder.
• This differential pressure holds suction valve open
(excluding other effects such as springs forces).
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 Fundamentals

Actual P-V Card

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 Fundamentals
Actual P-V Card
2B
3
2A

• •

4A 1 • •
4B

• Line 1 - 2: Compression stroke. From 2A to 2Bpressure

increases to open the discharge valve and compensates the
valve losses.
• Line 2B - 3: Discharge Line.
• Line 3 - 4: Expansion stroke. From 4A to 4B pressure
decreases to open the suction valve and compensates the valve
losses.
• Line 4B - 1: Suction intake Line. 13
 Fundamentals

Some common Problems

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 Fundamentals
Leaking Suction Valve

• •

• •

• When a leaking suction valve is present, it takes

longer to reach the discharge pressure.
• The discharge line of the cycle is reduced.
• The expansion stroke reaches suction pressure
sooner and the intake remains for a longer period.

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 Fundamentals
Leaking Suction Valve

Symptoms:

• The Cylinder capacity is less than design.

• The inlet gas temperature will be greater than
expected.
• The discharge gas temperature will be greater than
design.
• The actual compression and re-expansion lines will
not match the design lines.

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 Fundamentals
Leaking Discharge Valve

• •

• •

• When a leaking discharge valve is present, it takes

less time to reach the discharge pressure.
• The discharge line of the cycle has been increased.
• The expansion stroke takes more time to reach suction
pressure and the intake line remains for a shorter period.
• During the expansion portion of cycle, the trapped gas
in the cylinder is expanding and leaking back to the
cylinder through the discharge valve.
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 Fundamentals
Leaking Discharge Valve

Symptoms:

• The Cylinder capacity is less than design.

• The discharge gas temperature will be greater than design.
• The actual compression and re-expansion lines will not
match the design lines.

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 Fundamentals
Piston Ring Leakage

• •

• •

• As the pressure in the cylinder increases, greater

amount of gas escapes from the cylinder past the
piston rings.
• Greater piston travel is required to bring the
internal pressure of the cylinder to the discharge
valve opening pressure than designed.
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 3 3B 2A 2
THEORETICAL
Piston Ring
3A Leakage

ACTUAL

1A

4A 4 1B 1

• Line 1A-2A: The discharge valve opening is delayed,

occurring at point 2A instead of point 2.
• Line 2A-3B: During the discharge portion of the cycle,
gas is exiting the cylinder through the discharge valve
and leaking out of the cylinder past the piston rings.
When the leakage gets severe, premature closing of
the discharge valve can occur at point 3B.
• Line 3B-3A: The discharge valves have closed, the
cylinder volume continues to decrease, and gas
continues to leak from the cylinder past the piston rings.
 3 3B 2A 2
THEORETICAL
Piston Ring
3A Leakage

ACTUAL

1A

4A 4 1B 1

• Line 3A-4A: Gas continues to leak out of the cylinder during

the re-expansion line cycle. The additional gas leakage results
in the premature opening of the suction valves.
• Line 4A-1B: Gas is entering the cylinder through the suction
valves and is leaking into the cylinder past the piston rings.
The leakage results in the premature closing of the suction
valves at point 1B. (double-acting cylinder).
• Line 1B-1A: Suction valves have closed, the cylinder volume
is increasing, and the pressure in the cylinder is increasing
due to the continued piston rings leakage.
 Fundamentals

Any
Questions?

Pressure Volume Card

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