This work shows a methodology for calculating the characteristic parameters of an open, a hermetic and a semi-hermetic reciprocating compressor. This study was motivated by the need to study new refrigerants with lower environmental impact with reduced global warming potential and zero ozone depletion potential. The compressor is divided in control volumes: suction muffler, suction chamber, compressor cylinder, discharge chamber, discharge line, electric motor, flowing gas through the compressor, compressor shell and inner metallic mass. Fundamental equations of conservation, heat exchange, pressure drop and thermophysical properties of the refrigerant are applied to each control volume. A semi-empirical model and standard calorimetric tests are used to obtain empirical parameters independents of refrigerant and operating conditions. For the hermetic compressor was used as reference the refrigerant HFC-134a and tested refrigerants HFO-1234yf, HFO-1234ze(E) and a mixture HDR-17. For the semihermetic compressor, an instrumented commercial refrigeration system operating with the mixture R404A was used as reference. In this system eight new fluids have been tested. For the automotive compressor experimental data from refrigerant HFO-1234yf obtained from literature were used. The characterization of the reciprocating compressors has been successful because the empirical parameters determined from different refrigerants proved to have sufficiently close values. A computational tool, able to predict the operating conditions of reciprocating compressors (open automotive, hermetic and semihermetic), working with new and untested refrigerants, was developed from the simulation models. The generalized reduced gradient (GRG) method was implemented in order to obtain a numerical solution for the characteristic parameters and the simulation computer program was developed in FORTRAN. Refrigerant properties were calculated using the software REFPROP version 8.0, developed by NIST, U.S.A.