Experimental study of the Revolving Vane (RV) compressor

Recently, a new gas compression mechanism named the 'Revolving Vane (RV) compressor' has been invented and theoretically shown to achieve improved mechanical, volumetric and compression efficiencies over existing compressor designs through the radical use of a rotating cylinder. In this paper, we aim to provide a first experimental investigation of the RV compressor, primarily in validating the operational principle of the new mechanism by adopting it as an air compressor. In the tests, the basic functionality of the new design has been proven by operating at shaft speeds of 600-1200 rpm and attaining pressure ratios of more than 8:1. In addition, measured values of the average torque, mechanical power, volumetric flow rate and transient pressure variations in the suction and compression chambers are shown to be in good agreement with theoretical predictions. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.