Research on Inertial Force Balance and Optimization of V-Type High-Pressure Air Compressors for Ships

To address the vibration and noise issues induced by inertial forces in marine V-type air compressors during operation, this study systematically investigates inertial force balancing and optimization. Based on dynamic analysis, analytical expressions for the first- and second-order reciprocating inertial forces and the rotating inertial force under unbalanced conditions are precisely derived. Considering the characteristics of a V-type air compressor with a V-angle of γ = 60°, the synthesis model of the first-order reciprocating inertial force is modified. The positive–negative rotating wheel system method is employed for preliminary balancing design, and the rigid–flexible coupling dynamics theory is innovatively introduced to construct a high-precision multi-body dynamics model that accounts for the flexible deformation of the crankshaft and connecting rod. Through joint simulation using ANSYS (2024R1) and Adams (2024.2), the dynamic responses of the pure rigid-body model and the rigid–flexible coupling model are compared to determine the optimal balancing configuration. The Adams/Insight module is utilized to perform multi-objective optimization of the balance iron mass. Results indicate that the rigid–flexible coupling model more accurately reflects the dynamic characteristics of the air compressor compared to the pure rigid-body model, significantly enhancing simulation accuracy. The optimized balance iron configuration effectively suppresses system vibration, with the peak X-direction bearing reaction force decreasing from 3750 N to 3610 N (a reduction of 3.7%), the vibration intensity reducing by 45.3%, and the radiated noise sound power level decreasing by 7.45%. This study provides a systematic theoretical approach and technical pathway for vibration and noise reduction, as well as for structural reliability design of marine air compressors.