Gravity-Independent Experimental Study on a High-Speed Rotor Supported by Aerostatic Bearings

Experimental Investigation of Gravity Effect on a Vapor Compression Heat Pump System

“…The performance of upright compressor is better than inverted, but the performance of inverted compressor is better under certain operating conditions [11] Scroll compressor 0 to 360 Good gravity-independence of scroll compressors, stating that compressor performance is related to oil circulation rate, but not discussing the variation of oil circulation rate [12] Sliding-vane compressor 0 to 360 Reduced performance when the compressor is out of horizontal position Bell et al [13] optimized a heat pump system for satellite cooling with an oil-free scroll compressor and R152a refrigerant for the future spacecraft thermal control process with increased heat flux, and investigated the effect of system temperature distribution and heat load on COP. Rong et al [14] applied an aerostatic bearing to a compressor and experimentally verified the aerostatic bearing-rotor gravity independence, which can be applied as a novel lubrication technique in vapor compression heat pumps. Murphy et al [15] developed a high-head, two-piston oil-free reciprocating compressor with compression ratios between 3 and 7 for a lunar vehicle-mounted heat pump for the extreme temperature environment in which the lunar rover is located.…”