Study of the Pressure Distribution between the Piston Rings in Reciprocating Compressors

Piston ring is one of the most important sealing components that can be easily damaged in reciprocating compressors. The severe non-uniformity of the pressure distribution was suggested to be the essential reason for the premature failure of the piston rings. Therefore, a test rig was set up to measure the pressure distributions as well as the build-up of the dynamic pressure difference, which could reveal the root cause for the non-uniformity of the pressure distributions. The results showed that the build-ups of the pressure differences between different rings were not simultaneous; there existed a threshold pressure, and the latter ring could work only when the pressure before the former ring reached to the threshold value. The pressure distributions were also investigated at the start-up and shut-down of the compressor, which further validated the cause of the premature failure of the first ring.