Experimental study on single-cylinder two-stroke piston expander based on in-cylinder spray heat transfer

Compressed air energy storage stands as a highly promising technology within the realm of energy retention. The piston expander finds applicability in smaller-scale compressed air energy storage systems. In compressed air energy storage systems, the expansion process is critical in energy discharge and significantly impacts overall performance. Isothermal expansion techniques are effective in enhancing the operational efficiency of piston expanders, in contrast to adiabatic expansion methodologies. Previous simulations by our research group show that the isothermal expansion model has a lower power output than the adiabatic expansion model due to its higher exhaust pressure. To further validate the accuracy of the simulation results, an experimental platform was constructed and the uncertainty of the experimental system as well as the measured data was evaluated. This study conducted experimental research using the single-variable method, focusing on different load conditions and spray parameters. The study findings indicate that the exhaust pressure during isothermal expansion consistently exceeds that of adiabatic expansion. The exhaust pressure of isothermal expansion increased by 3.85 % to 14.9 %. Under varying load conditions, the average rotational speed and output power of isothermal expansion were noted to be inferior to those of adiabatic expansion. Despite changes in nozzle diameter or spray temperature when the spray timing is set at 0°-180°, the average rotational speed and output power of isothermal expansion remain lower than that of adiabatic expansion. The average output power of isothermal expansion decreased by 1.29 % to 5.24 %. Nevertheless, if the spray timing is set between 0°-120°, the average output power of the isothermal expansion surpasses the adiabatic expansion with an improvement of 1.84 %. © 2024 Qihui Yu, et al.