Mixed Lubrication Analysis of Vane Sliding Surface in Rotary Compressor Mechanisms

In this study, in order to investigate the lubrication characteristics of the sliding surface of the vane in a rotary compressor, numerical analysis for mixed lubrication has been developed. In this analysis, the modified Reynolds equation and the elastic contact equation, considering the surface roughness, are solved as a coupled problem. Using this analysis, the lubrication characteristics of the sliding surface of the vane are investigated by parameter survey on the design parameters such as the length of vane slot and the clearance between the vane and vane slot. As a result, it is found that the influences of the length of vane slot on the friction loss were larger than that of the clearance. The optimum design of the vane has been made possible by the analysis.