Transient flow performance and heat transfer characteristic in the cylinder of hydraulic driving piston hydrogen compressor during compression stroke

With the advantages of large flow capacity and high pressure, the use of hydraulic driving piston compressors in hydrogen refueling stations is becoming the development trend. Understanding transient flow and heat transfer characteristic is the key issue for the design and application of hydrogen compressors. The transient model of the hydraulic driving piston compressor is constructed by dynamic mesh and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) real hydrogen model, which accurately predicts flow field and heat transfer. Moreover, the effect of piston reciprocating cycle frequency on hydrogen parameters variation and heat transfer characteristic is investigated. Adiabatic compres-sion theory is commonly applied in the design of reciprocating compressors. The results show that due to the heat transfer, the exhaust temperature predicted by the adiabatic compression theory is 6.29 K higher than the actual value. This study provides beneficial references for the design optimization and reliable operation of hydraulic driving piston hydrogen compressors.(c) 2022 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

With the advantages of large flow capacity and high pressure, hydraulic driving piston compressors are becoming the trend for hydrogen refueling stations. The understanding of transient flow and heat transfer characteristics is crucial for their design and application. This study constructs a transient model for hydraulic driving piston compressors using dynamic mesh and the NIST real hydrogen model, accurately predicting flow field and heat transfer. Additionally, the effects of piston reciprocating cycle frequency on hydrogen parameters variation and heat transfer characteristics are investigated. The study provides valuable references for the design optimization and reliable operation of hydraulic driving piston hydrogen compressors.