Numerical analysis of seat impact of reed type valves

Reed type valves of compressors are subject to structural failure due to bending and impact fatigues. The failure by bending is a well-known and manageable problem, but the same cannot be said about the impact fatigue. Usually, the criterion to determine whether a reed will fail or not in the presence of repetitive impacts is either the impact velocity specified by the material supplier or other rule of thumb derived from experience. This paper reports the results of a numerical model developed to simulate the seat impact of reed valves. The most influential parameters of the phenomenon are identified through dimensional analysis and factorial designs. The study indicates that reed deformation and maximum stress are greatly affected by even small geometric variations.