JASEM ISSN 1119-8362 J. Appl. Sci. Environ. Manage.

June, 2007
Full-text Available Online at
All rights reserved www.bioline.org.br/ja Vol. 11 (2) 33 - 41

Design and Construction of a Scroll Compressor of an Automobile Air Conditioning

System

AKPOBI, JA; AJAYI, O I

Production Engineering Department, University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria.

ABSTRACT: This work focuses on the design and manufacture of a scroll compressor used in an
automobile air conditioning system. A scroll compressor is a positive-displacement machine that compresses
air with two interfitting spiral shaped scroll members. This compressor is of semi-hermetic design, and is
quiet, reliable and efficient in performance. @JASEM

The main function of a compressor is to admit fluid country. Thus a lot of foreign exchange is being spent
from a low-pressure region, compress it and deliver it in importing them. Consequently, this research makes
to a high-pressure region (Rogers; Mayhew, 1994). available the technology of scroll compressor design
Compressors are classified into displacement type and manufacture; which will result in improvement
and turbo type. The displacement types are further of our economy and also advance our nation
classified into reciprocating type and Rotary type technologically.
(Creux, 1995). A Scroll compressor is a type of
rotary type compressor. They are positive Mode Of Operation And Compression Process: The
displacement machine that uses the compression design concept is based on the use of two
action provided by two intermeshing spiral shaped intermeshing spiral scrolls to compress (as shown in
scrolls, in which one is fixed and the other orbiting, Fig. 1) air by rotating the shaft through a drive unit
(ASHRAE, 2004). Typical scroll compressors for from an electric motor. The flanks of the upper and
automobile air conditioning system consists of the lower scroll vanes form crescent shaped pockets. As
following components: Scrolls, Casing, shaft, the lower scroll orbits, the sealing points on the vane
bearing, refrigerant chamber, rubber seal, balancing flanks moved inward pushing crescent shaped
spring, magnetic clutch and pressure valve, as shown pockets toward the involute center. As the pockets
in Figure 6. move, they decrease in volume and consequently
compress the trapped gas (McCulloughm, 1979;
Modern scroll compressor technology development Wang; Chopey, 1994).
only began in the 1970s where the concept of scroll
compressor was re-invented by a refrigeration The first orbit begins with the ends of both scrolls
industry. Since their introduction into the air fully open, allowing the interstitial space to fill with
conditioning industry in the late 1980s, scroll low-pressure refrigerant gas. The lower scroll’s orbit
compressors have been successful in a wide variety eventually closes the first pocket of refrigerant gas.
of both residential and commercial applications. In As the first orbit ends, the first pair of crescent
air conditioning, smaller compressors are found in shaped pockets has moved inward to a middle
residential and vehicle systems such as heat pump position and the scroll’s outer ends begin opening
systems used to heat and cool individual homes or again to admit more low pressure refrigerant gas. The
businesses. Larger compressors are found in second orbit pushes the first gas pocket toward the
commercial applications such as process chillers and center of the scroll set, continually decreasing the gas
in a variety of condensing unit systems. Refrigeration volume and increasing the gas pressure. The third
scroll compressors are applied in a wide range of orbit begins with crescent shaped pocket just outside
applications including supermarket racks, bulk milk of the scroll center. As the third orbit continue, the
cooling truck transport and marine containers inner ends of the vanes break contact admitting the
(American Refrigeration Institute, 1998; Carrier, compressed gas to the center discharge port. The
2004) third orbit continues the compressor cycle, discharge
high-pressure refrigerant gas.
In this work, we present the design and manufacture
of a Scroll Compressor of an automobile air
conditioning system. To the best of our knowledge The design drawing of the Fixed Scroll and Orbiting
compressors are not currently produced within our Scroll are shown in Figs. 1-7.

*Corresponding author
Design and Construction of a Scroll… 34

Fixed scroll

Discharge Center

Orbiting
Scroll
Fig. 1. Compression process

Fig. 2: Sectioned view of Scroll Compressor

Fig. 3: Shaft

AKPOBI, JA; AJAYI, O I

Design and Construction of a Scroll… 35

Fig. 4: Fixed Scroll

Fig. 5: Orbiting Scroll

Compressor Parameters: The shaft transmits the working conditions. Shafts are usually circular in
rotary motion to the orbital motion of the lower cross sectional and may either be hollow or solid.
scroll. The shaft also carries the counter weight Their design is well expounded in many standard
necessary to balance the compressor mechanisms. texts (Shigley; Mischke, 2001; Hall, et. al. 2002;
Khurmi and Gupta, 2005). The shaft transmits the
The following are considered during shaft design: rotary motion to the orbital motion of the lower
Torsional Moment (Mt), shaft diameter (d), shear scroll. The shaft also carries the counter weight
stress(τ ), Twist angle ( θ ), Permissible load (Fmax), necessary to balance the compressor mechanisms
casing thickness Tc (Orthographic drawing shown in Fig. 3). In designing
the compressor shaft we considered the design of the
Shaft design: The design of power transmitting shaft shaft with its vanes. For effective discharge of high
basically consists of the determination of the correct pressure 5 vanes with an angle of 72o where used. In
shaft diameter to ensure satisfactory strength and the design for
rigidity during operation under various loading and

AKPOBI, JA; AJAYI, O I

Design and Construction of a Scroll… 36

Fig. 6: Exploded View of Scroll Compressor

Fig. 7: Assembled Scroll Compressor

9550Pm
Torsional moment Mt = , and is evaluated as: 23.88 Nm
N

Shaft diameter d 3 = 16 ( kb M b ) + ( kt M t )
2 2
where:
π Ss
Kb Fatigue factor applied to bending m om ent
Kt Fatigue factor applied to torsional mom ent
Mb Bending m om ent , ( Nm )
Mt Torsional m om ent ( Nm )

AKPOBI, JA; AJAYI, O I

Design and Construction of a Scroll… 37

But the shaft has only torsional stress and therefore Kt is unity’
Kt = 1 and assuming Kb = 1.5.
From the calculation of Bending Moment Diagram we have the maximum bending moment, permissible of
shaft =37.18Nm
using the A S M E code for solid shaft eqn. w ith M t = 23.88 N m and M b = 37.18 N m
w e have d = 0.01428 m , or
d = 14.28 m m

From the ASME standard size of shaft, we use shaft of diameter of 15mm
Therefore, D = 4 x 15 = 60mm
M tR
3. Shear stress (τ ) = and is evaluated as: 1.40 × 10 5 N / m 2
J
Where J=1.277x10-6
584MtL
4. Twist Angle (θ ) = and is evaluated as: 0.44o
Gd4
5 . T h e m a x im u m lo a d ( p e r m is s ib le lo a d ) fo r r ig id ity
3δ E I
F m ax =
L3
d4
W here I (m o m e n t o f in e rtia ) = , a n d is e v a lu a te d a s : 2 .0 0 × 1 0 -9
64
ρ L3
δ = , a n d is e v a lu a te d a s : 1 .4 0 × 1 0 -3
3EI
F m a x a n d is th u s e v a lu a te d a s : 7 .8 K N .

Mb
Amount of deflection ( y ) = , and is evaluated as: 9.30 × 10-3 mm
EI

TABLE 1: SHAFT SPECIFICATION

PROPERTY APPROX.
VALUE
Power transmitter from motor (P) 7.50 KW
Rotational speed of motor (N) 3000 rev/min
Fatigue factor to bending moment (Kb) 1.50
Fatigue factor to torsional moment (Kt) 1.00
Weight of pulley (W) 165.00 N
Number of vanes 5
Angles (o) 72o
Tension in tight side ( N1) 356.00 N
Tension in loose belt ( N2) 160.00 N
Rotational speed of motor ( Nm) 3000 rev/min
Power transmitted (P) 7.50 KW
Mass of 1 mm of belt ( M) 0.12 Kg
Coefficient of friction (f) 0.30
Diameter of shaft (d) 15.00 mm
Weight of shaft (WS) 9.98 N
Shear stress of shaft (SS) 1.4 x 105 N/m2
Twist angle of shaft (θ) 0.440
Lateral rigidity (Fmax) 7.80 KN
Deflection on shaft (y) 9.3x10-3 mm

Compressor casing design: Compressor Casings have internal pressure developed, during operation. The
the tendency to burst under the influence of internal casing thickness Tc is designed using equation 7
pressures. This necessitates the design for the casing
thickness, so as to be able to withstand the high

AKPOBI, JA; AJAYI, O I

Design and Construction of a Scroll… 38

( xyD P )
C a s in g th ic k n e s s Tc = + Z
200dt
W h e r e P ( p a s s a g e p r e s s u r e ) is 1 .7 M P a
W e h a ve 1M P a = 1 0 .1 9 7 N / c m 2

T h e r e fo r e
1 7 .3 4 N / c m 2
= 0 .1 7 3 4 N / c m 2

W ith D = 1 1 3 .0 0 m m , Y = 5 .5 0 m m , X = 8 .0 0 m m , Z = 3 .0 0 m m , d t = 9 .0 0 m m
e v a lu a tin g , w e h a v e T c 4 .0 0 m m

Leakage between chambers: Ideally, the two halves micron across, this may be increased by wear and/or
of a scroll compressor remain perfectly in contact as poor machining and it is known that if it reaches
they rotate. In reality it is not practical to machine around eight microns, the compressor becomes
them accurately enough for this to be the case, and useless.
instead there is a narrow gap. The gap is around one

y = h1 (x, t) and y = h2 (x, t). Y

P1 Y = h1 (x, t) P2

Y = h2 (x, t)
d

L X

Fig. 8: leakage between chambers graph

That is why we have to analyze the flow through this to be somewhat arbitrary. A local coordinate system
gap so as to determine the leakage between is adopted with x pointing along the gap and y
neighboring chambers in the compressor. A pointing across it. With respect to these coordinates
schematic of the geometry is given in the Fig. 8 see we denote the bottom and to top scroll walls (both of
also (Howell, 2001). A gap of typical thickness d and which are moving as the compressor rotates) by the
length L separates two adjacent chambers containing governing equations for the flow are the compressible
gas at pressure P1 and P2. The length scale L appears Navier – strokes equations
ρt + div ( ρ u ) = 0 (1)
du
= - grad p + ( λ + µ ) grad div u + µ∇ 2u (2)
dt

Where ρ, u and P are the density, velocity and gradient with viscous drag in Equation (2) (Okendon,
pressure fields, λ and µ are the dilatational and shear 1995)
viscosities and d/dt is the usual convective derivative. d 2 ∆P
Equation (1) represents conservation of mass, and U = (3)
must be satisfied by any continuous with velocity u µL
and density ρ, while equation (9) is the generalization And for dimensionless parameter is the ratio between
of the usual incompressible Navier-stokes equation, this and the velocity due to rotation of the
which is recovered if div u is set to zero. Given the compressor.
change in pressure ∆P across the gap we can deduce ωL µω L2
a typical gas velocity u by balancing the pressure Ω = = (4)
u d 2 ∆P
AKPOBI, JA; AJAYI, O I
Design and Construction of a Scroll… 39

we can immediately deduce a typical rate of leakage

from the velocity scale u, the rate which gas is lost
through is of order Ud, an so the cumulative loss over d 3 ∆P
a cycle is typically ud/w (Wylen, et. al. 1994). We Re lative loss = 12
simply have to compare this with the original area of µω L3
a chamber to obtain the relative loss of gas to
leakage.
Table 2: Estimated parameter for leakage between chambers

Property Approx. Value

Viscosity (µ ) 10-5 Kg/m

Gap thickness ( d ) 10-6 m

Contact length ( L ) 10-2 m

Rotation frequency (W ) 47.33 s-1

Pressure change ( ∆P ) 1.60 x 106 Pa

Estimated parameter values for leakage between chambers in the scroll compressor as shown in Table 2 above
shows that relative loss is rather small about 0.3%, however, it is clearly, highly sensitive to increase in d.

Force at discharge port = pressure x area of discharge part

πd2 π 92
Area of disch arg e = = 63.62mm 2
4 4
the computed force is 11.03 N
( k -1) / k
P 
Deter min ation of output temperature T2 = T1  2 
 P1 
T1 = 27 o C = 300 K , P1 = 1.70 × 10 5 , P2 =1.01325 × 105 and k=1.4

from which we have T2 = 347.8 K or 75o

Determination of Power of Compressor: The design of the Power of Compressor, is well treated in standard
texts (Rogers and Mayhew, 1994). The power of a compressor is given by
( k -1) / k - 1
K w RT 1  P2 
Pow er of com pressor =  
k -1  P1 
W here R = gas cons tan t given as c p - c v = 0.287
ω = 47.33 rad / s , P2 = 1.7 x 10 N / m , P1
5 2
= 1.01325 x 10 5 N / m 2 and k = 1.4
on evaluating, w e h ave pow er of com pressor as 2.27 K W
Pow er of com pressor ≈ 3 hp

AKPOBI, JA; AJAYI, O I

Design and Construction of a Scroll… 40

Manufacturing Process: The major parts of the scroll base. They were machined from carbon steel. The
compressor are the scrolls, casing, shaft and Scrolls have one stationary element and while the
refrigerant chamber. Other parts of the scroll other rotates in an orbiting motion around the rotor
compressor are rubber seal, balancing spring; center. These two elements (identical spirals as
bearing, magnetic clutch and pressure valves were shown in Figs. 1 and 9) that are assembled at 1800
brought out items. So we have before us three major phase difference. An anti rotation device, in this case
parts to be constructed: the scrolls, casing and shaft an Oldham coupling, was used to ensure that these
while the refrigerant chamber was cast due to its identical spirals were are assembled at 1800 phase
intricate shape. (Sectioned view shown in Fig. 2) difference. Oldham coupling held the lower scroll at
a fixed angular position preventing rotation and
The Scrolls: To construct these Scrolls a freestanding allowing radial movement in an orbital path. The
strip of metal was machined into the form of an magnitude of the orbital motion is dependent on the
involute curve and bound on one edge by a solid flat base circle radius and the wall thickness.
Y

Fig. 9: A simple spiral

Manufacture of Casing: The compressor casing was discharge connection. The lower portion of the shell
fabricated using mild steel plates to thickness of serves as an oil and liquid reservoir. The compressor
4mm. From economic viewpoint we choose to high capacity sump enables operation in systems with
fabricate using machining processes on the lathe and long runs and large refrigerant charges.
then welded the parts together. The scroll
compressor casing is a cylindrical vessel oriented
vertically and divided into a low pressure and a high- Testing of Compressor: After assembling (shown in
pressure end. The largest volume of the casing Fig. 7) of the scroll compressor, the next was to test if
operates at the refrigerant suction pressure. the machine is working appropriately. On the
A relating small high-pressure areas lies above the completion of the test the following observation and
compressor’s stationary scroll and acts as a discharge result were achieved:
muffler to reduce gas pulsation sound and vibration. . A suction pressure imparted to it by the
Cool refrigerant suction gas enters large suction compressor was acting upon the air coming
shell/casing via the lower connection. Gas velocity in the compressor.
drops substantially in the casing allowing lubricant . The amount of air at the outlet is directly
and any small amounts of liquid refrigerant toproportional to that at the inlet
separate from the gas. In the scroll compressor, all of . The main purpose of the compressor (i.e.
the suction gas passes upward through the rotor on its increase the pressure and temperature of
way to the scroll set. The small amount of oil carried refrigerant gas) was achieved.
to the compressor as a mist entrained in the Several tests were carried out on the scroll
refrigerant gas provides the necessary lubrication for compressor and the results are tabulated below.
sealing the scroll vanes. Compressed gas discharges Initial Pressure = 1.01 x 105 N/m2 (atmospheric
through a check valve into the high-pressure dome pressure)
and then exits the compressor shell through a Initial Temperature = 27 0C

AKPOBI, JA; AJAYI, O I

Design and Construction of a Scroll… 41

Table 3: Result of Test

S/N PRESSURE OUT TEMPERATURE EFFICIENCY

(N/m2) OUT (OC) %
Test 1 1.42 x 105 57.60 63.73
Test 2 1.37 x 105 54.20 56.67
Test 3 1.65 x 105 71.80 93.33
Test 4 1.62 x 105 70.20 90.00
Test 5 1.59 x 105 68.10 85.63

Then the corresponding average efficiency is 77.88%

Discussion: The design concept is based on the use of

two interfitting spiral scroll to compress air by Chopey, N P(1994). Chemical Engineering
rotating the shaft with the help of pulley via a belt Handbook. 2nd Edition, McGraw-Hill, New
drive from electric motor. The size of the machine York.
was put under strict consideration. Scroll Creux, L. (1905) Rotary Engine Us Patient 80 1182.
compressors of an air conditioning system of vehicles
used in the world today are of small sizes. The Hall, A S; Holowenko, A R; and Laughlin, H G
pressure of the refrigerant gas going into the (2002). Shaum’s outline series of theory and
compressor determines the magnitude of the pressure problems of machine design, Metric edition. Tata-
produced by the compressor at the outlet. McGraw- Hill, London.

Conclusion: We have presented in this work the Howell, P. (2001). Fluid mechanical modeling of the
design and manufacture of a scroll compressor. The scroll compressor. University of Oxford,
machine (scroll compressor) helps to compress the air Longman, Essex, UK.
that goes into the condenser of an air conditioning
system of a vehicle, then to the receiver, to the Khurmi, R S. and Gupta, J K (2005). A Textbook of
expansion valve, and evaporator. The compressor Machine Design, Metric Edition. Eurasia
operates with an efficiency of 77.88%. Publishing House Limited, New Delhi

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AKPOBI, JA; AJAYI, O I