Experimental and modelling analysis of efficiency enhancement in a liquid piston gas compressor using metal plate inserts for compressed air energy storage application

In this work, experimental and modelling analyses are performed in order to improve the compression efficiency of a Liquid Piston Gas Compressor (LPGC), which utilizes column water for air compression. Due low cost easy manufacturing, aluminium parallel plates used as heat exchanger inside LPGC absorb thermal energy from compressed hence increase compressor. A comprehensive set numerical gain deep insight into flow characteristics with plate inserts. prototype including steel cylinder height 1.1 m diameter 0.08 is developed data collected 8 bar 40 bar. Experiments three inserts different heights 0.2 m, 0.35 0.5 m. Experimental acquired 3 rates 0.0005 m3s−1, 0.0007 m3s−1 0.0008 equivalent times 1.7 s, 2.6 s 3.5 respectively. To further understanding transfer LPGC, three-dimensional by solving unsteady Reynolds-Averaged Naiver Stokes (RANS) equations deploying Volume Fraction (VOF) approach tracking water-air interface cylinder. results show that comparison no-insert case, temperature at end can be reduced about 50 K, 75 82 K inclusion 0.20 This leads an 3%, 4% 8%, The tool validated against data, revealed fixed number increasing thickness plates, increases efficiency. Additionally, parametric study showed thickness, up optimum value, increases. After, height, decreases For geometrical property conditions studied here, maximizes efficiency, found 0.9 all thicknesses studied.