EXPERIMENT

(CENTRIFUGAL COMPRESSOR)

CPD 30302: Pilot Plant Operation 2 Centrifugal Compressor

 OBJECTIVE:
To study the characteristics curves of a centrifugal compressor.

KEYWORDS
Centrifugal Compressor, Axial Compressor.

OVERVIEW:
Compressor is used to take a definite quantity of fluid (usually a gas or air) and deliver it at a required
pressure. In other words, the job of a compressor is to increase the pressure of the incoming fluid.
Choice of centrifugal compressors is determined by their characteristics curves based on the pressure
required and the amount of input of mechanical work (power input).

1. INTRODUCTION

Compressor is part of a system that used conservation of energy to change the energy from
one form to another. It is used in many mechanical systems such as power plant, refrigerator and jet
engines to increase the pressure of the fluid. Several types of compressor are used such as axial
compressor and centrifugal compressor. A compressor is called axial compressor when the air is
turned perpendicular to the axis of rotation as shown in Figure 1.1, whereas it is called centrifugal
compressor as the flow through the compressor is turned perpendicular to the axis of rotation as
shown in Figure 1.2.

In general, the compressor consists of 2 main parts: blades and shaft. The fluid (air or gas)
flows through the moving and fixed blades. The work input to the shaft is transferred by the moving
blades to the air. A centrifugal compressor is made up of an impeller with a series of curved radial
vanes. Air is drawn in near the hub, called the impeller eye, and is spin round at high speed by the
vanes on the impeller as the impeller rotates at high rotational speed. The static pressure of the air
increases from the eye to the tip of the impeller. Centrifugal compressors or blowers are used for a
wide range of purposes in engineering, and there is no basic difference in the design for any of the
different applications.

CPD 30302: Pilot Plant Operation 2 Centrifugal Compressor

 Figure 1.1 Axial Compressor

Figure 1.2 Centrifugal Compressor

2. THEORY

The performance of a compressor is characterized by the pressure ratio across the compressor (CPR),
the rotational speed of the shaft necessary to produce the pressure increase, and an efficiency factor
that indicates how much additional work is required relative to an ideal compressor.

The increase of the pressure is measured by CPR. This is the ratio of the air total pressure p t
exiting the compressor to the air pressure flowing in the compressor. This CPR number must be
always greater than 1.0. Let compressor entrance is labeled point 1 and compressor exit is labeled
point 2 as illustrated in Figure 1.3.

Then

p p
CPR =
t2
or exit

p t1
p
enter

CPD 30302: Pilot Plant Operation 2 Centrifugal Compressor

 q out

2
T2

m = Air Win

1
T1

Figure 1.3: Schematic diagram of typical compressor

In order to produce the increase in pressure, the compressor must perform work on the flow. The
shaft turns the blades at a high rate of speed. Several stages are usually employed to produce a high
CPR, with each stage producing a small pressure increase. In the centrifugal compressor, additional
pressure increase is obtained from turning the flow radially, radiating from or converging to a
common center. Since no external heat is being added to or extracted from the compressor during

T
t2
the pressure increase, the process is isentropic. The total temperature ratio across the
T
t1

compressor is related to the pressure ratio by the isentropic flow equations.

1

p

T

p
t2

t2
where is the ratio of specific heats.
T
t1 t1

Work must be done to turn the shaft on which the compressor is mounted. From the conservation of
energy, the compressor work per mass of airflow CW is equal to the change in the specific enthalpy h t
of the flow from the entrance to the exit of the compressor.

CW = ht 2 ht1

The term specific means per mass of airflow. The enthalpy at the entrance and exit is then can be
related to the total temperature Tt by the equation below.

CW = cp2Tt2 cp1Tt1

Where cpi is the specific heat at each particular point.

Performing rearrangement, the equation of compressor work per mass of airflow can be written: 4

CPD 30302: Pilot Plant Operation 2 Centrifugal Compressor

 c p Tt1
CW =
C
CPR ( 1) /
1

This equation relates the work required to turn the compressor to the compressor pressure ratio, the

incoming total temperature, some properties of gas, and an efficiency factor C . The efficiency

factor is included to account for the actual performance of the compressor as opposed to the ideal
isentropic performance of the compressor. In an ideal performance, the value of the efficiency would
be 1.0. However, in reality, the value is always less than 1.0. So additional work is needed to
overcome the inefficiency of the compressor to produce a preferred CPR. The work is provided by the
power turbine, which is connected to the compressor by the central shaft. It is worth to note that the
CPR is related to the total temperature ratio across the compressor. Since the CPR is always greater
than 1.0 and the value of the ratio of specific heats is about 1.4 for air, the total temperature ratio is
also greater than 1.0. It means air heats up as it passes through the compressor.

The efficiency of a compressor can also be improved by carrying out the compression in
several stages. This is called multistage compression. Figure 1.4 shows a schematic diagram of a two
stage compressor. After the first stage of compression the fluid is passed into a smaller cylinder in
which the gas is compressed to the required final pressure.

Figure 1.4: Two stage compression

3. EXPERIMENT

The experimental unit includes the compressor to be investigated, together with its drive
motor, the necessary fittings and sensors as shown in Figure 1.5. All components are fitted to a
sturdy base plate.

CPD 30302: Pilot Plant Operation 2 Centrifugal Compressor

 Figure 1.5: Experimental unit of centrifugal compressor

Figure 1.6 below shows the set up of this unit. It consists of parts as shown in Table 1.

Figure 1.6: Experimental Module Layout

Table 1: Parts of the experimental unit

CPD 30302: Pilot Plant Operation 2 Centrifugal Compressor

No Parts No Parts
1 Two stage compressor 7 Pressure measuring point
2 Transparent intake 8 Electric motor in the housing
3 Shaped inlet for good flow 9 A speed adjuster
4 A protective plate 10 An optical sensor
5 Transparent outlet 11 Housings
6 Butterfly valve

Figure 1.7 Block diagram with the measuring points

3.1 Start-up Procedure

1. Switch on PC in order to start Windows Program which at the same time will start the analysis
software.
** Ensure the plug for the PC is already in the socket and the switch is already on.
** Make sure your hand is dried in order to avoid from electrocution.
7

CPD 30302: Pilot Plant Operation 2 Centrifugal Compressor

2. If at the beginning, the monitor screen menu seems to be static or not responding,
straightaway press F1.

3. When the password menu pop-up, simply click OK. Do not insert any password.

4. Click HM 280.03 at the Desktop Menu.

5. Click HM 292 software for Centrifugal Compressor

6. Switch on the Interface Module and power meter at the switch on the rear of the equipment.
** Ensure the plug for the Interface Module is already in the socket and the switch is already
on.
** Please make sure that your hand is dried in order to avoid from electrocution.

7. From the HM 292 software menu for Centrifugal Compressor, create your own filename in
order to record data, for e.g, Test.AFD.
** Ensure you keep on creating new filename each time before you start with new
experiment or measurement.

3.2 Experimental Procedures.

1. Completely close the Butterfly Valve in the outlet flow of the Compressor.

2. While still holding the knob for Butterfly Valve in completely close position or 0 turn, use
another hand to turn the knob for the Speed Adjuster.

3. At the same time, observe the speed of the Compressor as shown by the software. Keep on
turning until you obtain 10 000 rpm which is the lowest speed of the Compressor.
**Allow speed difference of magnitude 200 rpm.

4. Click Start at the software menu.

5. As soon as you have observed green light illuminates at the software menu, quickly click stop.
**This will basically generate a set of data for 10 000 rpm speed of Compressor at 0 turn of
Butterfly Valve. This data is automatically saved in the filename that has already been
created.

6. Release the knob for the Speed Adjuster.

**This needs to be done each time when one set of data already generated by the software.
**This step needs to be done in order to shut down the Compressor and also to avoid over-
heating the Compressor.

7. The following steps are meant to retrieve the recorded data by the software :

a.) Click at Show Desktop in order to return to the Desktop Menu.

b.) Click at Folder hm280 and search for your already created filename and data. The data is
in Wordpad and not properly align according to the Column Header. You have to adjust
the data on your own.
c.) Save your filename and data in your own diskette or Pen Drive.
** Ensure that you do not create your own folder at the Desktop Menu. This is in order to
avoid the data to become missing or difficult to locate. 8

CPD 30302: Pilot Plant Operation 2 Centrifugal Compressor

 ** Ensure that you record or remember your filename to simplify your search and saving of
your data.
** These steps from ( a.) to ( c. ) can be done each time after you have finished one set of
data or can also be done after you have completely finished your experiment.

8. Generate another set of data with this time turn the knob for Butterfly Valve to obtain 10
turn and still obtain the same 10 000 rpm speed of Compressor.
**This step will basically cause the reduction of the Compressor speed. You need to adjust
the Speed Adjuster in order to obtain once more 10 000 rpm Compressor speed.

10. Repeat step ( 4. ) and ( 5. ) in order to generate another set of data for 10 000 rpm speed of
Compressor with 10 turn of the Butterfly Valve.

11. Release the knob for the Speed Adjuster.

12. Repeat steps ( 4. ) and ( 5. ) while this time increasing the turn of Butterfly Valve from 10 to
90 which is the maximum turn of the valve. Each increase should be done stepwise at 10. (
Refer to Lecturer / Technician )
**Ensure that you manage to obtain 10 sets of data for 10 000 rpm speed of Compressor.

13. Repeat the whole experiment. This time to generate another sets of data for one more
Compressor speed 11000+200 rpm and 12000 + 200 rpm. ( Consult your Lecturer /
Technician )

3.3 SHUT DOWN PROCEDURE

1. Click exit at the HM 292 software menu.

2. Exit windows program. Please ensure that you have already saved your required
experimental file/data from Folder hm280.

3. Switch off the Interface module including power meter at the switch on the rear of the
equipment.

4. Switch off all switches and pull all the plugs away from the socket.

4. DATA SHEET

Speed: _______________________

Flow Temp In Temp dP1 dP2 Total dP Power Efficiency Phyd (W) Pel (W)
rate(m3/hr) (oC) Out (oC) (mbar) (mbar) (mbar) (W)
(%) 9

CPD 30302: Pilot Plant Operation 2 Centrifugal Compressor

5. TASKS.

1. Based from the data you have obtained for two different Compressor speed, plot the following
list of graphs :

a.) Differential Pressure for Stage 1, dp1 Vs Flow rate and Total Differential Pressure, dptot Vs
Flow rate.
b.) Efficiency, Vs Flow rate.
c.) Inlet Temperature, Tin Vs Flow rate and Outlet Temperature, Tout Vs Flow rate.

2. Analyze and compare those graphs that you have managed to plot. Discuss your results.

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CPD 30302: Pilot Plant Operation 2 Centrifugal Compressor

6. USEFUL FORMULAS.
Volumetric flow rate, Q and efficiency, can be calculated based on the following equations:

2 2(100) p m3
Q d (3600) in 10%
4 h

kg
with diameter d = 0.044m, = 1.21 at 20oC and 1013 mbar, and the pressure drop p
m3
at the nozzle in mbar.

Phyd
100% in %
Pel

Where, Phyd can be calculated from the total pressure head and the flow rate.

100( dp1 dp 2 ) Q m3
Phyd in W with dp1, dp2 in mbar and V in
3600 h

11

CPD 30302: Pilot Plant Operation 2 Centrifugal Compressor