When operating real compressor plants in industry, the specified process parameters must be adhered to. Certain operating conditions must be avoided in order to prevent damage to the plant.
The ET 508 experimental unit is a simulation device which students can use to safely familiarise themselves with the different operating states of a two-stage compressor plant. Boundary conditions and their consequences can be simulated. The significance of clearance volume and re-expansion are demonstrated. The plant’s response can be tested by deliberately changing the process parameters.
Nine different process parameters can be set via potentiometers on the control unit of the experimental unit. The process parameters control the software. The process parameters include, among other things, cubic capacity, clearance volume, speed or intake state of the air.
The software offers a wide range of display options. The consequences of changes in the settings on the potentiometers can be observed directly in the software displays. For example, the compression process can be displayed in the p-V diagram. The thermodynamic conditions can be displayed in the T-s diagram. Single-stage and multi-stage compression can be compared. Intake air volume, compressor stroke and pressure ratio of the respective stage, convective heat transfer during condensation and air flow rate are calculated in the software.
The experimental unit is connected to a PC via USB. The power supply is provided by the PC.
