The Influence of Liquid Refrigerant on Refrigerating Compressors Sliding Surfaces

Reasons of compressors failures are connected with different operating conditions of individual parts. One of compressor damage reasons is pouring it over with liquid refrigerant. The purpose of this work was to carry out tests concerning the influence of refrigerant being in the liquid phase on piston compressor sliding surfaces. Tests were carried out in the mixture of synthetic polyester oil with liquid refrigerant R134a. The tests were performed with the use of the friction machine and the pair type block-on-ring simulating the refrigerating compressor inside and with the use of the real refrigerating compressor. The obtained results confirm the unfavourable influence of liquid refrigerant on friction elements in the refrigerating compressor. The role of hydrodynamic phenomena in the development of damage to the compressors has been showed.