Centrifugal Compressors Recent
Centrifugal Compressors Recent
Centrifugal Compressors Recent
Radial flow compressors: Radial flow compressors have impellers that rotate
perpendicular to the axis of the compressor. The gas is accelerated through the
impeller by the blades, and the pressure is increased. Radial flow compressors
are typically used for low-flow, high-pressure applications.
In addition to these two main types, there are also a number of other types of centrifugal
compressors, including:
Multistage compressors: Multistage compressors have multiple impellers arranged in
series. This allows the compressor to achieve a higher pressure ratio than a single-
stage compressor.
Inter-cooled compressors: Inter-cooled compressors have a heat exchanger between
the stages. This helps to reduce the temperature of the gas, which improves the
efficiency of the compressor
After cooled compressors: After cooled compressors have a heat exchanger after the
last stage. This helps to reduce the temperature of the gas to ambient temperature,
which improves the efficiency of the compressor and prevents condensation.
Apart from the change in density with pressure, other features of compressible flow,
depending upon the regimes, are also observed in course of flow of fluids through turbo
machines. Therefore, the basic equation of energy transfer (Euler's equation) along with
the equation of state relating the pressure, density and temperature of the working fluid
and other necessary equations of compressible flow, are needed to describe the
performance of a turbo machine.
1. Principle
The principle of a centrifugal compressor is that when the air passes through
the rotating impeller it experiences force or work which is performed by
centrifugal forces. The work input takes place as an increase in pressure and
velocity or speed of the air flow through the impeller. The air flow loses its
velocity after entering the diffuser section.The diffuser is actually a fixed or
A centrifugal compressor generally consisting of four components named inlet
, impeller,diffuser and collector.
COMPRESSIBLE GASES
Nitrogen
Oxygen
Chlorine
Air
Associated Petroleum Gas
Fuel Gas
Hydrocarbon Process Gas
Flare Gas
Hydrogen-Bearing Gas
Coke Oven Gas
APPLICATION
TECHNICAL DATA
Capacity: up to 900 m3/min (up to 220 000 nm3/h)
Discharge pressure: up to 45 MPa (458,8 kgf/cm2)
Drive power: up to 32 000 kW
COMPRESSIBLE GASES
Nitrogen
Chlorine
Air
Natural Gas
Associated Petroleum Gas
Fuel Gas
Hydrocarbon Process Gas
Flare Gas
Hydrogen-Bearing Gas
Coke Oven Gas
Other gases
APPLICATION
2. Impellers
4. Collector.
● At the start-up, the air introduces from the air tank or any other source into
the centrifugal compressor.
● After entering the compressor, the air strikes the impeller. This impeller has
multiple radial blades that rotate with the rotation of the impeller.
● As the air strikes the radial blades of the impeller, the air pushes by
centrifugal force into the center of the impeller.
● After striking, the impeller blades provide kinetic energy to the air; due to
that, its speed (velocity) increases.
● After passing through the impeller, the air enters the diffuser area. This
diffuser has stationary vans. After entering the diffuser area, the speed or
velocity of the flow of the air starts decreasing.
● According to Bernoulli’s principle, the velocity square is inversely
proportional to pressure. The volute casing or diffuser converts the
increased velocity of the air into pressure energy before the air is drawn
into the impeller center. In most conditions, the increase in the impeller’s
pressure will roughly equal the increase in diffuser pressure.
Unit misalignment
Unbalanced rotor
Abnormal bearing
Coupling failure or unbalance
The static and dynamic parts are rubbed, the foundation sinks unevenly or the base is
Compressor surge
Gas brings liquid or impurity exists.
Excessive mechanical and electrical runout of the vibration measuring part of the journ
Thermal-caused bending of rotor
The rotor is cracked.
II Unusual Vibration of Excessive piping stress
Compressor Pipeline Air flow excitation
Improper design of pipeline support
III Excessive Axial Thrust The inter-stage seal is damaged or worn, causing the seal gap to increase.
and Increasing Shaft Gear or diaphragm coupling tooth surface is worn.
Displacement Compressor surge or unstable air flow
Thrust end face runout of the thrust disc and seriously deformed bearing seat
Incorrect zero position of shaft displacement probe and poor probe characteristics
Fluctuation of oil temperature and pressure
Thrust bearing is damaged.
The oil supply temperature is high or the oil quality does not meet the requirements.
Abnormal lubrication
The operating point falls into the surge zone or is too close to the surge boundary.
Compressor Shaft End The oil and gas pressure differential system is not working well.
and Sealing Surface
Leakage Worn or damaged seal
The sealing part freezes due to the operation of the low temperature part.
* Small bearing lubricant inlet will lead into insufficient oil intake, so the aperture of the throttle
ring should be appropriately enlarged.
* The temperature of oil is too high. Adjust the amount of cooling water in the oil cooler.
* The oil is contaminated by water, or becomes dirty and deteriorated, which will affect the
lubrication effect. The oil cooler should be checked to prevent water leakage or replace the oil.
* Dirt enters the bearing and wears out the bearing shell. The bearing and lubricating oil pipeline
should be cleaned, and the shell should be scrapped.
1.2 Surge
Surge is a kind of abnormal vibration that occurs when the flow rate of the turbo compressor is
reduced to a certain extent. Centrifugal compressor is a type of turbo compressor which will be
seriously damaged by surge.
* The flow rate of the compressor drops sharply and fluctuates sharply. In severe cases, air may
even flow back into the suction pipe.
* The current and power meter indication of the motor driving the compressor is unstable and
fluctuates greatly.
* The device strongly vibrates, and at the same time it emits abnormal airflow noise.
There are many factors affecting gas volume of centrifugal compressor. In addition to design,
manufacturing, and installation, we will expound other factors as below.
* The air filter is clogged or the resistance increases.
At this time, the compressor suction pressure decreases. The outlet pressure remains
unchanged, so the pressure ratio is increased. According to the compressor performance curve,
when the pressure ratio increases, the displacement decreases.
* The air separation equipment is blocked, the resistance increases or the valve fails.
At this time, the compressor suction pressure increases. If the suction pressure remains
unchanged, the pressure ratio increases, resulting in a decrease in the exhaust volume.
* Blocked intercooler or increased resistance
At this time, the exhaust volume is reduced. However, the situation of blockage in different sides
is not the same.
If the air-side resistance increases, only the internal resistance of the machine will be increased,
which will reduce the efficiency of compressor and the displacement. If the water-side
resistance increases, the circulating cooling water will be reduced, which will lead to bad cooling
of gas. Later it affects the next stage of suction, so that the compressor exhaust volume is
reduced.
* Gas leakage caused by poor sealing
(1)Internal leakage:
If there is internal leakage with compressor, the compressed gas is returned and compressed
twice. This will affect the working conditions of each stage, increase the pressure ratio of low-
pressure stage, and decrease that of high-pressure stage. As a result, the compressor is far
away from the design working condition and the displacement decreases.
(2)External leakage:
That is, air leakage from the shaft end seal to the outside of the casing.
If there is external leakage with compressor, the suction volume is constant, but part of the
compressed gas leaks, causing the exhaust volume to decrease.
* Cooler leakage
If it is the first stage of leakage, the water side pressure is higher than the air side pressure, so
the cooling water will enter the air side channel and be further entrained by the airflow into the
impeller and diffuser.
After a certain period of time, it will cause fouling and blockage, reducing the air flow. If it is the
secondary and tertiary leakage, the compressed air will leak into the cooling water and run away
because the air side pressure is higher than the water side, reducing the exhaust volume.
* Frequency or voltage drop of the power
The frequency or voltage drop of the power grid will make the speed of the motor of the
compressor drop, and the exhaust volume decrease.
* Increase of suction temperature and decrease of gas density
When the temperature of suction at any stage increases, the density of the gas will decrease,
resulting in the suction volume to decrease.
However, the impact mechanism of the two is different too. The leakage of the wheel cover seal
makes the compressed gas return to the impeller, and then performs the second stage
compression. That mainly increases the total power consumption of the stage. The internal
leakage of the interstage seal will increase the pressure ratio of low-pressure stage and
decrease that of high-pressure stage.
Although the serious leakage of the balance disc seal has little effect on the performance of the
compressor, but it affects the safe operation of compressor a lot.
The external leakage of the shaft seal is from the seal to the outside of the casing. There's no
doubt that serious external leakage will directly reduce the compressor exhaust volume.
Objective: To make a gas compression loop on petrosim, add multiple
recycles and add compressor curves.
1) We build this simulation in two parts. At first without recycles and then we we
add recycles from the drums to the mixers
2) Open petrosim start a new case from scratch. Then select select components and
to the system.
3) Next we add components like methane, ethane, propane, C02, N02, I-butane, N-
butane, I-pentane and N-pentane.
4) Now select fluid PKGS
11)Add a compressor name it as stage 1 take the inlet from vapor stream of drum
15)After this Add a Cooler unit operation and rename it Stg 1 After cooler. Select STG
1 DISCH as the inlet stream. Enter outlet stream Stage 1 Cooled Disch and Energy
Stream Q STG 1 to represent the duty
16)Now on the Parameters page of the Design tab, enter a pressure drop of 0.345
bar.
17)After that on the CONDITIONS page of the WORKSHEET tab page or outlet
stream, enter an outlet temperature of 49°C.
18)Add another Mixer unit operation. Select STG 1 COOLED DISCH as
the inlet and enter an outlet stream of To MP Comp.
19)Now to make a gas compression loop, continue to add drums, compressors and
aftercoolers. Use the default efficiencies for the Stage 2 compressor,
and enter the following operating conditions:
• The Stg 2 Discharge pressure is 55 bar_g
• The Stage 2 Cooler pressure drop is 0.345 bar
• The Stage 2 Cooler outlet temperature is 49°C
(Make sure that all of the information is filled in and your streams are
dark blue)
20)Now the second part, Select a Recycle unit operation from the palette. As the
inlet
stream, select MP LIQ. Enter an outlet stream MP LIQ RECY.
21)Add another Recycle unit operation with HP Drum Liq as the inlet
and HP Liq RECY as the outlet
22)Rename those on the basis of connection as MP liq RECY and HP Liq RECY
23)Connect stream MP Liq RECY, to the first Mixer.
24)Connect stream HP Liq RECY to the second Mixer.
32)Now go to the RATING Tab, CURVES page. Select the POLYTROPIC efficiency
option.
33)After this, Click on the ADD PM button. Now press the VIEW CURVE button
and add the curve information below. Make sure the units are as
shown and enter the values for the curve.
34)Close the view and check all three boxes to Enable Curve
calculations.
35)Go to the CONDITIONS page of the WORKSHEET tab and review the
resulting outlet pressure.
36)Go to the RATING tab, CURVES page, and select the PLOT CURVES
button to view the input values. Note where the discharge
conditions reside on the operating map.
37)Now we move onto the last part of the Gas compression loop.
38)Now on Stage-2 menu, navigate back to the RATING Tab and delete thecurrent
Curve map.
39)Now, add 4 curves, each with a different speed.
51)After we do this next we open and see the affect of this in the compression loop
52)Then we open LP Drum Vapor and see the affect of this change we made.
60)After we do this next we open and see the affect of this in the compression loop
61)Then we open LP Drum Vapor and see the affect of this change we made.