Experimental study on influencing factors of axial clearance for scroll compressor

• Experimental system of non-contact detection is suitable to research on the influencing factors of axial clearance.
• The temperature and rotary speed are in inverse proportion to axial clearance.
• Effect of rotary speed on axial clearance is more obvious than that of temperature.
• Axial clearances along spread angle of scroll profile fluctuate due to overturning moment.
• The fluctuation of axial clearances is more intensely as the rotary speed increased gradually.

An experimental system of non-contact measurement has been established for a scroll compressor to analyze the influencing factors of axial clearance. Experimental method and installation for eddy current displacement sensors have been introduced in detail based on technical analysis. The output voltage input into a computer through analog oscilloscope is recorded by oscilloscope software. The axial clearance is calculated according to the relationship between the output voltage and displacement. The axial clearance is discussed under the influence of different rotary speed, temperature and position. The results show that the experimental schemes are reasonable to realize the detection of the dynamic axial clearance. Temperature and rotary speed are inversely proportional to the axial clearance. The effect of rotary speed on the axial clearance is more noticeable than that of the temperature. The axial clearance along the spread angle of scroll profiles is obviously fluctuating under the action of overturning moment.