Prognostics and Health Management for Compressor Multi-Actuator Energy-Efficient System Using Fault Degradation Analysis

Reciprocating compressor air volume control systems have been extensively investigated, with a primary objective of reducing energy consumption and associated carbon footprints. As a multi-actuator system, failures in this energy-efficient configuration can trigger severe operational disruptions with cascading consequences. To address this, we initially constructed numerical models of the multi-actuator energy-efficient system to decode the variational patterns of compressor dynamic pressure pulsations and connecting-rod small-end bush tribological behaviors under partial actuator fault conditions, thereby establishing foundational data for fault degradation stratification. Building upon this, we propose a Prognostics and Health Management (PHM) algorithm using fault degradation analysis, thereby materializing self-recovery functionality in response to various fault conditions. Experimental validation demonstrates that the self-recovery algorithm successfully contained deterioration propagation through proactive intervention. The system achieved autonomous healing within 8 s (mild faults) and 13 s (moderate faults), constraining discharge fluctuations and vibration amplitude within allowable thresholds. This study establishes a solution framework for preserving multi-actuator energy-efficient systems’ health, accuracy, and economy.