0% found this document useful (0 votes)
32 views5 pages

High-Pressure 100 Barg Oil-Flooded Screw Compressor: Yasushi Amano

Download as pdf or txt
Download as pdf or txt
Download as pdf or txt
You are on page 1/ 5

High-pressure 100 barG Oil-flooded Screw Compressor

Yasushi AMANO Rotating Machinery Engineering Department, Compressor Division, Machinery Business

Kobe Steel has developed a series of oil-flooded screw Table 1 Basic specifications of 100 barG oil-flooded screw
compressor
compressors for high-pressure. The company's original
rotor technology, along with larger bearings and Max. working discharge pressure (barG) 100
Max. working suction pressure (barG) 100
special mechanical seals, has enabled discharge
Casing design pressure (barG) 115
pressures up to 100 barG. The compressors, with their 3
Capacity range (m /h) 200∼20,000
high performance and reliability, are suitable for fuel Rotor material Forged steel
gas boosting and, in particular, for high-efficiency gas Casing material Cast steel
turbines. They are finding an increasing number of Mechanical seal SiC+SiC
Bearings : Radial Babbittes sleeve type
applications, such as the desulfurization of fuels, and
Thrust Tilting pad type
further increases are anticipated. Capacity Control Step less 100∼15%

Introduction
compressor with a maximum discharge pressure of
Screw compressors are positive displacement 100 barG. Also included are the examples of
compressors, but also have characteristics of rotary applications using the newly developed compressors
compressors. Screw compressors are widely used and their future applications, which are expected to
across the industry for their characteristics of high increase in number 1) - 3).
efficiency, a small footprint and long-lasting features.
Oil-flooded screw compressors, in which oil is 1. Construction and features of 100 barG oil-flooded
poured into the gas being compressed, can achieve screw compressor
high discharge pressures in one stage with high
pressure ratios. The oil-flooded compressors are Fig. 2 is a cut-away view of an oil-flooded screw
finding increasing applications, as their technology is compressor having a discharge pressure of 100 barG.
improved for higher pressures, larger gas volumes, Gas is introduced into a suction nozzle, compressed
better lubrication and advanced oil separation. by a pair of male and female rotors engaging each
Kobe Steel has developed a series of oil-flooded other and discharged from an outlet. Each rotor has
screw compressors, the "EH series", which are radial bearings on both of the sides along the shaft
applicable to discharge pressures up to 100 barG. and a thrust bearing installed on the discharge side of
Fig. 1 is a range chart for the oil-flooded screw the radial bearing away from the rotor. A mechanical
compressors, including the conventional series, seal, disposed at the portion of the male rotor passing
developed by Kobe Steel. Table 1 summarizes their through the casing, prevents the compressed gas
specifications. from leaking outside.
This paper introduces an oil-flooded screw
1.1 Rotor tooth profile
60Hz
100/1450
The most important feature of Kobe Steel's screw
compressors is their tooth profiles, which have been
Discharge pressure (barG/psiG)

EH series
KS ○○ SEH/MEH/LEH (single)
KS ○○□□ SEH/MEH/LEH (tandem)
90/1305 continually developed and adapted for various
applications. The following conditions must be met
40/580
in order to achieve high volume efficiency:
X/TX series - shortening the seal line between the rotors for each
KS ○○ SX/LX (single) 30/435
KS ○○ STX/LTX (tandem) unit of displacement volume,
NB/GB series 20/290 - minimizing the size of the passage way called
KS ○○ MNB/LNB/LLNB
KS ○○ SV/LV
10/145
"blow-whole" created by the male/ female rotors
TV/LV series
KS○○ LV (single) and the casing,
KS○○ TV (tandem)
0.3 0.4 0.5 0.7 1 2 3 4 5 7 10 20 30
and
Displacement volume ×1,000m3/h or ×588CFM - optimizing the rotor wrap angles for minimizing
Fig. 1 Range chart for KOBELCO EH series the pressure ratio in each of the grooves.

7 KOBELCO TECHNOLOGY REVIEW NO. 29 DEC. 2010


Male rotor
Female rotor Thrust bearing
Radial bearing
Slide valve Female rotor
GAS inlet

Slide valve
GAS outlet
position indicator

Male rotor
Radial bearing
Hydraulic cylinder Mechanical seal

Fig. 2 Construction of 100 barG oil-flooded screw compressor Fig. 3 FEM analysis of casing stress

These conditions, however, cannot easily be met 1.4 Casing


simultaneously. To this end, Kobe Steel has developed
a simulation program based on a unique theory on An FEM stress analysis was conducted to optimize
tooth profiles. The simulation program allows the the casing for high discharge pressure. Included in
designing of the most suitable tooth profiles for the analysis were wall thickness and rib shapes.
various applications. The tooth profile of the 100 barG Fig. 3 shows the result of the casing stress analysis.
oil-flooded screw compressor was designed using A casing was designed, based on the above
this program. The program includes bearing load analysis, and was tested for its mechanical strength.
simulation and performance simulation based on gas A compressor using the casing was test-run to ensure
pressure and other parameters, including the operation at the discharge pressure of 100 barG. The
number of teeth and rotor lengths. The simulations performance measurement was conducted using a
lead to a rotor combination, most suitable for a high testing apparatus built in-house. In addition, the gas
load, consisting of a male rotor having five teeth and discharged at the pressure of 100 barG was analyzed
a female rotor having seven teeth (5 + 7 tooth profile). for its oil content to verify the effectiveness of oil
separation.
1.2 Bearings
2. Applications of the oil-flooded screw compressor
The compressor adopts sleeve-type radial bearings with 100 barG discharge pressure
and thrust bearings of the tilting pad type. The high
discharge pressure is supported by the bearings, Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of a typical oil-
which are selected to be large enough to bear the flooded screw compressor. After passing a suction
load. Adopting the "5 + 7 tooth profile" has enabled filter and check valve, gas is compressed to a high
the radial bearings to have large enough bearing pressure. The oil-flooded screw compressor uses a
surfaces. The standard material for the bearings is large amount of oil for lubricating the rotors and
white metal, with an alternative use of aluminum for bearings and for removing compression heat. The oil
the bearings exposed to corrosive gas. has to be separated and removed from the compressed
gas to an acceptable level. The oil is recovered in a
1.3 Mechanical seal first separator and then fed into the compressor via
an oil-cooler. The oil remaining in the compressed
The mechanical seal of a compressor is single- gas is removed further by high-order separators
type, double-type or tandem-type, depending on the employing a special filter made of fine fibers.
customer's needs. The following describes the practical applications
The pressure inside the box of a mechanical seal which can fully exploit the features oil-flooded screw
becomes almost equal to the suction pressure during compressors having discharge pressures up to 100
the run. This means the mechanical seal strongly barG.
affects the maximum suction pressure of an oil- <Petroleum refining>
flooded screw compressor. - Compressors for desulfurization
All the seal components are made of silicon - Net-gas booster compressors
carbide (SiC) which endures high suction pressure - Off-gas compressors
and assures durability.

KOBELCO TECHNOLOGY REVIEW NO. 29 DEC. 2010 8


As described above, the lubricating oil poured
Spill back into the interior of an oil-flooded screw compressor
IN valve may have a viscosity decreased by the dissolved gas
Suction
PIC
filter i.a., heavy hydrocarbons. This can deplete the oil film
Compressor
in the bearings and mechanical seals, causing the
Slide valve OUT
Electric ZE parts to wear. This limits the use of oil-flooded
Element 1 Element 2
motor
2nd oil separator screw compressors for those applications; however,
a newly developed synthetic oil, polyalkyl glycol
Oil Bulk oil (PAG), which has resistance to heavy hydrocarbon,
filter separator enables the use of the compressors for hydrocarbon
containing gases.
Oil pump Oil cooler
Fig. 5 shows a typical compressor used for
Fig. 4 Schematic diagram of oil-flooded screw compressor desulfurization. The compressor is being used as a
net-gas booster, a major apparatus for desulfurization,
which requires even higher reliability. Going
<Petrochemical> forward, the compressor is expected to be used for
- Hydrogen compressors desulfurizing diesel fuel, which requires a discharge
- Carbon dioxide compressors pressure at the 100 barG level.
<Energy>
- Fuel gas compressors for gas turbine 2.2 Hydrogen compressor
<Oil & Gas>
- Gas-lifting compressors for offshore rigging Hydrogen is widely used in the petroleum
- Booster compressors for LNG pipelines refining and petrochemical fields and is purified
Conventionally either reciprocal compressors or by various methods, including pressure swing
centrifugal compressors have been used for those adsorption (PSA), membrane separation and
applications; however, an increasing number of oil- electrolysis. Hydrogen is usually produced at a
flooded screw compressors are being used for low pressure (near atmospheric pressure) and,
pressure ranges up to 60 barG. This is because the usually, is sucked into a compressor at that low-
oil-flooded screw compressors have the advantages pressure. Compressing hydrogen from a state of such
of positive displacement compressors which are low pressure to the high pressure specified by each
highly reliable and unaffected by the type of gas. The application requires a compressor with a high
following section introduces typical applications that pressure ratio. However, hydrogen, with its small
can employ oil-flooded screw compressors. molecular mass, is prone to leak, making it difficult
to boost the gas with a high pressure ratio. Thus,
2.1 Compressors for desulfurization hydrogen is conventionally compressed in more than
one stage. Fig. 6 shows a hydrogen compressor.
Sulfur in gasoline and diesel fuels is a global The lubricating oil poured into the rotor chamber
environmental concern, and reducing the sulfur of an oil-flooded screw compressor during the run
content poses challenges to petroleum companies decreases the gas leakage from the rotors and
around the world. Desulfurization is a process for suppresses the temperature rise caused by gas
removing sulfur from fuel using hydrogen and compression. This enables single stage compression
requires a hydrogen compressor, commonly known with a high pressure ratio. In addition, Kobe Steel's
as a "recycled gas compressor". The gas consists
mainly of hydrogen, but also contains a small amount
of hydrogen sulfide, which is corrosive. Occasionally,
the gas also contains heavy hydrocarbons, such as
methane, propane and butane, which can dissolve
into the lubricant and lower the oil's viscosity.
Nitrogen may be used during the start-up of a plant.
The gas content can be affected by the desulfuration
process. Thus, the compressors must be able to
respond to various gas and operation patterns. In
addition, the compressors are required to achieve
high reliability and to run continuously for extended
periods. Fig. 5 Screw compressor for desulfurization process

9 KOBELCO TECHNOLOGY REVIEW NO. 29 DEC. 2010


valves and spill-back valves, for controlling the gas
volume and pressure. Slide valves decrease power
consumption during partial loading, while spill-back
valves have improved stability and load following
capability.
Now, an increasing number of oil-flooded screw
compressors are being used for gas compression for
gas turbines.

Fig. 6 Screw compressor for hydrogen process


3. Advantages of oil-flooded screw compressors

3.1 Pressure fluctuation and capacity control

Fig. 8 shows the typical load characteristics of


an oil-flooded compressor running at a constant
discharge pressure with fluctuating suction pressure.
In an oil-flooded screw compressor running at a low
pressure ratio, increased suction pressure decreases
power and increases the gas volume processed. The
compressor type is usually selected based on the
minimum suction pressure. In reality, however, the
compressors run with higher suction pressures and
Fig. 7 Screw compressor for gas turbine fuel gas
at lower capacities than the designed conditions
(100%).
Kobe Steel's oil-flooded screw compressors, with
original tandem arrangement enables dual stage their volume control capability using the slide
compression in a single casing using neither valves, save energy during operations.
connecting piping, nor an intermediate gas cooler.
The new arrangement simplifies the entire compressor, 3.2 Energy-saving
improves the reliability, eliminates the need for
reserve machines and decreases the footprint. Under the conditions where the suction pressure
The newly developed oil separation technology fluctuates significantly, as in the case of the source
using a coalesce filter does not affect the downstream pressure of gas pipeline, compressors often operate
of the compressors and enables oil purification by with higher suction pressures and with lower
activated carbon adsorption up to a 50 ppb level if pressure ratios than the designed points. In addition,
required. the source pressure may vary greatly and may
exceed the discharge pressure of a compressor. Oil-
2.3 Screw compressor for gas turbine fuel gas flooded screw compressors consume less power in
such situations where the pressure conditions vary
Another example of an application taking the significantly.
advantages of the oil-flooded screw compressors is Fig. 9 shows an example of a system employing
fuel gas compressors for gas turbines. Recent fuel gas
compressors require high discharge pressure to
improve turbine efficiency. The series of oil-flooded Design point Discharge press.: 5.0MPaG
screw compressors made by Kobe Steel, including 100 100% Suction temp.: 25℃

the newly developed compressor with 100 barG Suction pressure


Power ratio %

81%
3.0MPaG 3.5
discharge pressure, achieve the gas volumes and MPaG 4.0
62%
MPaG
pressures required by almost all the modern gas 50 4.5
MPaG 43%
turbines. Fig. 7 shows the appearance of a fuel gas
compressor unit.
Power reduction by slide valve
A fuel gas compressor for gas turbines must be
0
able to maintain a constant discharge pressure 0
100 116 132 148
regardless of the variations in the turbine load and Capacity* (%)
supply pressure (suction pressure). Kobe Steel * Temperature 0℃, ambient pressure 101.3kPa abs

exploits the combined features of two valves, slide Fig. 8 Typical load characteristics of an oil-flooded compressor

KOBELCO TECHNOLOGY REVIEW NO. 29 DEC. 2010 10


IN IN
Compressor bypass valve Compressor
Fuel gas Fuel gas −1
Spill back 2nd oil
Suction valve separator
Scrubber
Electric
Suction Compressor motor
pressure To 3sets Suction
−1 OUT
of gas turbine Scrubber 2nd oil
control valve
separator
Electric Bulk oil separator Compressor
motor To 3sets
−2 OUT
Oil of gas turbine
Oil temp Oil pump
filter control Electric
valve motor Bulk oil separator
Oil cooler 2nd oil
separator
Compressor Compressor Oil temp Oil pump
−3 control valve
−2
Electric Bulk oil separator Electric Oil
motor motor
filter
Oil Oil cooler
Oil temp Oil pump
filter control
valve
Oil cooler Fig.10 Oil-flooded screw compressor system (case 2)

Fig. 9 Oil-flooded screw compressor system (case 1)


must be removed before use. Kobe Steel's oil-flooded
screw compressor has been adopted in this COG
more than one compressor. The depicted system application, which has attracted attention because
employs two compressors supplying fuel gas to this has not been done anywhere else in the world.
three gas turbines. A bypass line allows the fuel gas The lubricating oil, flooded into the rotor chamber
to be fed direct, without passing through the of the screw compressor, serves to clean the tar and
compressors, when the source pressure becomes dust in the COG being compressed. The oil separator
high. The system integrates a suction pressure and lubricant filter on the discharge side remove the
control valve with a spill-back valve to achieve a dust and pass the cleaned gas to the downstream.
small footprint. The unified pipeline, connecting the Injecting the lubricant into the compressed gas
two compressors and the three gas turbines, not only cools, but also cleans the gas and thus adds
simplifies the site installation work. value to it. This application is an exemplary case,
exploiting the features of oil-flooded screw
3.3 Cost-saving compressors, and indicative of the future.

Fig. 10 shows a system having three compressors Conclusion


for supplying fuel gas to three gas turbines, one of
which is for reserve. Thus the three compressors Kobe Steel will continue to expand the applications
share apparatuses, such as an oil recovery tank, by further improving the intrinsic features of oil-
separator and lubricant pump, designed for the gas flooded screw compressors, as well as their
volume for two turbines. This construction decreases applicability to high discharge pressures.
the system cost, as well as the footprint. Furthermore, Kobe Steel will strive to develop new
applications exploiting their features and thus
3.4 Adding values to the process gas contribute to the industry.

Coke oven gas (COG) is a by-product of the References


coking process and is commonly used, for example,
for hydrogen Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA), gas 1) T. OHAMA et al.: R&D Kobe Steel Engineering Reports, Vol.49,
cutting and fuel. COG contains a considerable amount No.1(1999), p.32.
2) T. OHAMA et al.: R&D Kobe Steel Engineering Reports, Vol.50,
of impurities, e.g., tar, naphthalene, BTX (benzene, No.3(2000), p.99.
toluene and xylene) and hydrogen sulfide, which 3) Y. AMANO: R&D Kobe Steel Engineering Reports, Vol.55,
No.2(2005), p.109.

11 KOBELCO TECHNOLOGY REVIEW NO. 29 DEC. 2010

You might also like

pFad - Phonifier reborn

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.

Note: This service is not intended for secure transactions such as banking, social media, email, or purchasing. Use at your own risk. We assume no liability whatsoever for broken pages.


Alternative Proxies:

Alternative Proxy

pFad Proxy

pFad v3 Proxy

pFad v4 Proxy