SELECTING A CENTRIFUGAL COMPRESSOR

ABSTRACT

 The paper focuses on selection of Centrifugal Compressor

 Various configurations of compressors are explained and their

relative advantages & limitations are highlighted.

 Paper will help end users to select an optimal compressor

configuration and finalize specifications to be provided to
original equipment manufacturer (OEM).

Slides and the data presented on these is based on the paper titled
‘Selecting a Centrifugal Compressor’ by James M. Sorokes
Dynamic compressor functioning

 Centrifugal
compressors belong to
a broad category of
turbomachines known
as Dynamic
compressors or
turbocompressors.

 Kinetic energy is
imparted to fluid
stream by rotating
impeller. Divergent
stationary components
downstream (diffuser,
volute etc.) convert
kinetic energy in higher
static pressure.
Multistage axial flow compressor

Read the labels carefully and understand the important features

(no. of stages, rotor blades, seals, bearings etc.) in compressor.

 Axial flow compressors handle higher flow rates, have lower

pressure rise per stage relative to centrifugal compressors.
 More number of stages (even 10 or more impellers) are
used to achieve higher pressures.
Axial versus radial flow in Compressor

 Impellers in centrifugal compressors add much more kinetic energy to the fluid; hence
higher pressure rise per stage can be achieved relative to axial flow compressor.

 Axial flow compressors have much higher flow rates compared to that in centrifugal
compressors.
Flow exiting centrifugal impeller

 In centrifugal compressors,
addition of kinetic energy
to fluid is primarily due to
centrifugal action in rotating
impeller.

 However the flow exiting the

impeller at a high velocity is
in radial plane, but
predominantly in tangential
direction (Fig. 4).

 It enters the diffuser

(see Fig. 9) where a part of
the kinetic energy is
converted in static pressure.
Open (unshrouded) versus shrouded impellers

In Shrouded impeller, the blades/vanes are

Covered on both sides. This streamlines the
flow and prevents leakage. Consequently
shrouded impellers are aerodynamically
more efficient (can be ≥ 96 %). Achievable
pressure ratio (discharge/inlet) is ≤ 3:1.

In unshrouded impellers, the vanes/blades

Are not covered. These impellers can rotate
at very high speeds, thus attaining higher rise
in stage pressure (which is proportional to
square of rotational speed). Achievable
pressure ratio can be ≥ 10:1.

Unshrouded impellers are less efficient due to

leakage of flow over the blades (tip leakage).
Shrouded impellers are more efficient due to
Absence of tip leakage.
2D and 3D blades of impeller

 You may note that 3 D blades

(in lower figure) have a complex
Geometry.

 Impellers with lower flow

coefficient have simpler geometry
i.e., the 2D blades. For higher flow
coefficient φ (proportional to
Q/(ND3)), 3D blades are used.
These are designed for optimum
aerodynamics using sophisticated
tools.

 3D blades are expected to be

aerodynamically more efficient
relative to 2D blades
Multistage centrifugal compressor
Multistage
compressor has 9
impellers in series
i.e., discharge from
one impeller is fed
to the inlet of
another impeller.
If you number the
impellers 1 to 9
from right to left,
then the flow
enters the
compressor at
impeller 1, and is
Discharged from
Impeller 5.
Since the inlet pressure is lowest at inlet, the fluid specific volume is maximum, therefore
impeller 1 has highest flow coefficient. The blades/vanes of impeller 1 are also the widest to
accommodate highest volumetric flow. The discharge from the compressor is from impeller 5
(which has the narrowest blade passage) at the centre.
The flow path is; inlet at impeller 1→2→3→4→9→8→7→6→5 to discharge.
Examine difference in design with a different configuration where positions of impellers 5 & 9
and of 6 & 8 are interchanged i.e., (inlet from right and discharge from left).
3 stage centrifugal compressor;
between-bearing- configuration (BetBrgConfg.)
 Note, bearings are at
the two ends of rotor
i.e., BetBrgConf.
 BetBrgConf. is more
(i) robust from rotor -
dynamic standpoint,
(ii) difficult in
disassembly and
maintenance .
 Inlet into each impeller
is axial while the
discharge is in radial
plane/direction.
 Return bend (the blue
passage in figure)
connects the outlet of
one impeller to the inlet
(axial) of next impeller.
Topic for self study: familiarize yourself with the functioning
Of ‘Balance Piston’.
Diffuser action in centrifugal compressor

 Figure shows CFD analysis of

flow through the divergent
passage of diffuser, after it
exits from impeller.

 Refer to colour code; Mach

no. drops from around 0.7
(yellow/green tinge) at
impeller exit to around 0.4
(light blue) at diffuser exit.
This would result in higher
static pressure of fluid.

 From diffuser exit the fluid

will flow into volute in
which there will be further
increase in static pressure at
the expanse of fluid kinetic
energy.
Horizontally/axially split compressor

 Horizontal split is
more common
arrangement. Here
the lower half of
the compressor
casing is integral
with the main
frame, while the
upper half is bolted
to the lower half.

 This can be used up

to 1200 psia (82.7
bar, 8.27 Mpa).
Radially split compressor

 Radially split compressors are suitable for very high pressures i.e., more than 12000 psia,
(10 times more than the horizontally split compressors).
 In compressors handling very high pressures, elaborate sealing arrangement is required to
prevent leakages.
 Integrally geared 4 stage (IntGrConf.) compressor (Fig. 12)

The drive (motor or turbine, not shown in figure) is connected to the largest gear in the middle.
This drives 2 bull gears on either side. Each bull gear drives a pinion. 2 impellers are mounted
overhanging on each pinion shaft (pinion in the middle and impellers at the 2 ends of a pinion
shaft). Thus there are 4 impellers. These are placed in series. Output of stage 1 is fed into stage
2, and then to stage 3 and finally discharge from stage 4. Note the progressive reduction in size
of stages 1 to 4 due to increase in pressure (decrease in specific volume) at each stage.
Single compressor stage; pinion driven impeller (Fig. 12)

The figure gives a sectional view of any of

the 4 stages. Each stage is a centrifugal
compressor, where the inlet of flow into the
impeller is in axial direction and the flow
exits the impeller in the radial direction
(plane). After passing through the diffuser
in which part of the kinetic energy is
converted in static pressure, the flow enters
the volute. Due to the diverging shape of
the volute, there is further reduction in
flow velocity (kinetic energy) and
consequently an increase in static pressure.

Note that in the centrifugal compressor,

impeller is the only rotating component,
mounted on the pinion shaft with minimum
possible overhang. All other components in
the compressor are non-rotating
(stationary).
Advantages of integrally geared 4 stage compressor
(IntGrConf. Versus BetBrgConf.)
Advantages of IntGrConf.:

 IntGrConf. eliminates need for return bend and return channel (see blue passages in Fig. 8)
used in BetBrgConf. This has several +ve implications.

(i) Elimination of return bend and return channel in IntGrConf. reduces losses in each stage,
hence this configuration is aerodynamically more efficient.

(ii) In BetBrgConf. , the flow at inlet (axial) need to be distributed around the circumference of
the impeller, and also requires an extra (90o) turning resulting in pressure losses. In
IntGrConf., the inlet flow is through a straight run of pipe, which is aerodynamically more
efficient.

 In IntGrConf., since impellers are driven by different pinions, the impellers can be tuned for
optimal speed and diameters rendering them more aerodynamically efficient. In BetBrgConf.,
all impellers are mounted on single shaft, hence constrained to operate at the same speed.
Disadvantages of integrally geared 4 stage compressor
(compared to BetBrgConf.)
Disadvantages of IntGrConf. :
The higher aerodynamic efficiency of IntGrConf., is offset by rotordynamic and mechanical
disadvantages:
 It has more number of bearings and seals. It has 2 bearings and seals for each pinion and
2 bearings and seals for each of the bull gears. BetBrgConf., has only 2 bearings and seals.
 Overhanging impellers are susceptible to vibrations (wobbling).
 Meshing of gears is also source of vibration excitation.
 Note that in IntBrgConf., number of individual rotating components are many, each causing
unbalance excitation in the system and therefore higher level of vibrations.
In BetBrgConf., there is only one rotating component i.e., the compressor rotor, where all
impellers (of different stages) are mounted on a single shaft, hence balancing of rotor, its
monitoring and maintenance is much simpler .
 In IntGrConf., alignment of various rotating components and their monitoring and
maintenance is more challenging. Higher vibration levels may cause wear and tear in
components.

 Final selection between BetBrgConf. and IntGrConf. is to be taken by the End User taking
into account a composite view of advantages and disadvantages of both configurations.
Compressor performance requirements to be specified by
end user
 Composition of the gas
 Flow rate (mass or volumetric)
 Inlet pressure and temperature conditions
 Pressure ratio to be achieved (Discharge pressure/Inlet pressure) or discharge pressure
 May specify type of driver unit (motor, turbine etc.) with speed and power requirements
 May also specify ‘rise -to -surge’; is defined as the difference of head (see Fig. 13) from
compressor design point to the point on surge line for specified head coefficient (µp)

Head Coefficient is

Where polytropic head is

Here gc is acceleration due to gravity, U = πDN/60 i.e., the impeller tip speed where D is
impeller diameter and N is rotational speed in RPM, k=cp/cv; Z is compressibility factor,
R is specific gas constant, T1 is inlet temperature, P1 and P2 are inlet and discharge
pressures respectively.
Rise -to-surge in high and low head centrifugal compressors
 Surge is a violent phenomenon
which occurs in centrifugal
compressors when the flow is reduced
below a threshold value or the head
increases above a threshold value. It
causes extensive damage to the
compressor. Surge control
mechanisms are provided to monitor
the compressor operation.
 Fig. 13 shows that that for impellers
with high head coefficient (solid line),
(i) surge occurs at a smaller drop in
flow (surge line is towards right) ,
(ii) rise-to-surge is small since the
slope of the curve is small (almost flat
in the figure) near the surge line.
 For low head coefficient, the trend is
just the opposite. The curve (dotted
line) is steeper near the surge line
(which is at a lower flow coefficient)
indicating higher rise-to-surge value.
Efficiency and power requirement

Polytropic efficiency

Pr and Tr are pressure and temperature ratios (value at discharge/value at inlet)

respectively.

Pr = P2 /P1 and Tr =T2 /T1

Polytropic efficiency pertains to the process of compression only. It does not take into
account losses in the bearings and losses due to fluid leakage.
Note that power requirement is proportional to both the head and fluid mass flow rate.