RESUMO

In this study, a theoretical model is presented to compute the total heat transfer which is strongly related to energy consumption in compression devices. Two main sources of irreversibility have been considered, namely: (i) heat transfer due to the finite temperature difference between the system boundary and its surroundings and (ii) heat generated due to the friction within the system. The total amount of heat transferred during real gas compression is predicted for different values of compression ratios. This study will help understand the importance of heat transfer analysis in a compression process and its impact on the compressor performance during operation in terms of energy savings. The findings of this paper will provide some practical guidance to compressor designers in terms of savings in power consumption.