In the field of power systems \({\text {CO}}_{2}\) is considered a promising working fluid for applications like \({{\text {sCO}}_{2}}\) -power cycles or industrial heat pumps. The amount of published work from researchers as well as companies in this area (including patents) has increased significantly in the last years. With upscaling of these applications from test-benches and pilot plants to commercially feasible sizes \({\text {CO}}_{2}\) -compression comes up as an important application for \({{\text {sCO}}_{2}}\) -systems [10]. The \({\text {CO}}_{2}\) is therein often used in a supercritical state (hence the abbreviation \({{\text {sCO}}_{2}}\) ), which is beneficial for the process itself, but can be challenging for process equipment especially regarding the fluid properties close to the critical point. Therefore, one of the main subjects of research in \({{\text {sCO}}_{2}}\) -cycles are cycle control and dynamics [9]. This offers new potential for reciprocating compressors. One application that is especially suited for reciprocating compressors is the “Inventory Control”, which is used to alter the mass of working fluid contained within said systems cycles. Also the use of reciprocating compressors for recompression and gas lubrication applications in combination with turbomachinery are being discussed [2]. Up to now applications of \({\text {CO}}_{2}\) compression typically didn’t exceed final pressures of 15 MPa, which mitigates for example the need for interstage-cooling in supercritical pressure regimes. The above mentioned applications on the other hand, call for pressures of up to 40 MPa and high suction pressures up to 10 MPa. Especially in the scientific community dynamic boundary conditions of the corresponding machines are discussed additionally [2]. This work addresses the technical challenges that have to be considered in said applications and is part of an ongoing PhD project with TU-Dresden. Design approaches that can be taken to mitigate or overcome these challenges will be briefly proposed. Moreover, a proof-of-concept test setup with corresponding boundary conditions is described.

Novel \({{\text {sCO}}_{2}}\) -Applications for Reciprocating Compressors

会议论文
发表日期：

2026年

查看全文

Christopher Petersen,
Ullrich Hesse

摘要

In the field of power systems \({\text {CO}}_{2}\) is considered a promising working fluid for applications like \({{\text {sCO}}_{2}}\) -power cycles or industrial heat pumps. The amount of published work from researchers as well as companies in this area (including patents) has increased significantly in the last years. With upscaling of these applications from test-benches and pilot plants to commercially feasible sizes \({\text {CO}}_{2}\) -compression comes up as an important application for \({{\text {sCO}}_{2}}\) -systems [10]. The \({\text {CO}}_{2}\) is therein often used in a supercritical state (hence the abbreviation \({{\text {sCO}}_{2}}\) ), which is beneficial for the process itself, but can be challenging for process equipment especially regarding the fluid properties close to the critical point. Therefore, one of the main subjects of research in \({{\text {sCO}}_{2}}\) -cycles are cycle control and dynamics [9]. This offers new potential for reciprocating compressors. One application that is especially suited for reciprocating compressors is the “Inventory Control”, which is used to alter the mass of working fluid contained within said systems cycles. Also the use of reciprocating compressors for recompression and gas lubrication applications in combination with turbomachinery are being discussed [2]. Up to now applications of \({\text {CO}}_{2}\) compression typically didn’t exceed final pressures of 15 MPa, which mitigates for example the need for interstage-cooling in supercritical pressure regimes. The above mentioned applications on the other hand, call for pressures of up to 40 MPa and high suction pressures up to 10 MPa. Especially in the scientific community dynamic boundary conditions of the corresponding machines are discussed additionally [2]. This work addresses the technical challenges that have to be considered in said applications and is part of an ongoing PhD project with TU-Dresden. Design approaches that can be taken to mitigate or overcome these challenges will be briefly proposed. Moreover, a proof-of-concept test setup with corresponding boundary conditions is described.