Discharge pressure

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Discharge pressure (also called high side pressure or head pressure) is the pressure generated on the output side of a gas compressor in a refrigeration or air conditioning system. Higher discharge pressure could result in increased energy consumption and due to that less efficiency [1] . High discharge pressure is generally considered a negative except for the very rare cases where it can be used to achieve a certain pressure in the system. Additionally, higher discharge pressure can damage components [2] . The discharge pressure is affected by several factors: size and speed of the condenser fan, ambient temperature [3] , condition and cleanliness of the condenser coil, and the size of the discharge line. An extremely high discharge pressure coupled with an extremely low suction pressure is an indicator of a refrigerant restriction. High discharge pressure could result in multiple types of cavitation, including suction cavitation and discharge cavitation [4] which can lead to reduced system efficiency, wear on components, increased noise and vibration and ultimately system failure [5] . You can measure the discharge pressure of the system by installing a pressure gauge on the discharge line [6] . Carefully monitoring the pressure can prevent component damage and failure.

References

  1. Ying, Pingting; Tang, Hesheng; Chen, Lei; Ren, Yan; Kumar, Anil (2023-01-01). "Dynamic modeling and vibration characteristics of multibody system in axial piston pump". Alexandria Engineering Journal. 62: 523–540. doi:10.1016/j.aej.2022.07.046. ISSN   1110-0168.
  2. chemicalengineeringsite (2016-10-23). "Reciprocating Compressor Trips and Safety Aspects". Chemical Engineering Site. Retrieved 2025-02-18.
  3. Administrator (2024-09-08). "Car AC Pressure Chart: R134a Low & High Side Pressures". ElectronicsHub. Retrieved 2025-02-18.
  4. Klimes, Mike (2017-05-02). "Understanding and avoiding pump cavitation". P.I. Process Instrumentation. Retrieved 2025-02-18.
  5. "Using Cavitation for Refrigerant Vaporization and Pressurization in Residential HVAC Systems". infinityturbine.com. Retrieved 2025-02-18.
  6. "Gauge Pressure Monitoring". Mid-West Instrument. Retrieved 2025-02-18.