Simulation of a piezo-compressor

This paper proposes a new positive displacement compressor. This new compressor employs a piezo-actuator in place of an electric motor and crank mechanism in a reciprocating compressor. This new compressor is termed a piezo-compressor. The replacement of the electric motor and the crank mechanism of a conventional reciprocating compressor with a piezo-actuator brings about many advantages such as simplicity in construction, fewer moving parts and a great reduction in physical size. A mathematical model was formulated to evaluate the feasibility and the performance of this invention. The prediction shows that the stiffness and the operational frequency of the actuator affect the performance of this new machine greatly. Preliminary test results are also shown.