120

Rules of Thumb for Mechanical Engineers

Centrifugal Compressor Performance Calculations

Centrifugal compressors are versatile, compact, and generally used in the range of 1,000 to 100,000 inlet cubic ft per minute (ICFM) for process and pipe line compression applications. Centrifugal compressors can use either a horizontal or a vertical split case. The type of case used will depend on the pressure rating with vertical split casings generally being used for the higher pressure applications. Flow arrangements include straight through, double flow, and side flow configurations. Centrifugal compressors may be evaluated using either the adiabatic or polytropic process method. An adiabatic process is one in which no heat transfer occurs. This doesn't imply a constant temperature, only that no heat is transferred into or out of the process system. Adiabatic is normally intended to mean adiabatic isentropic. A polytropic process is a variable-entropy process in which heat transfer can take place. When the compressor is installed in the field, the power required from the driver will be the same whether the process is called adiabatic or polytropic during design. Therefore, the work input will be the same value for either process. It will be necessary to use corresponding values when making the calculations. When using adiabatic head, use adiabatic efficiency and when using polytropic head, use polytropic efficiency. Polytropic calculations are easier to make even though the adiabatic approach appears to be simpler and quicker. The polytropic approach offers two advantages over the adiabatic approach. The polytropic approach is independent of the thermodynamic state of the gas being compressed, whereas the adiabatic efficiency is a function of the pressure ratio and therefore is dependent upon the thermodynamic state of the gas. If the design considers all processes to be polytropic, an impeller may be designed, its efficiency curve determined, and it can be applied without correction regardless of pressure, temperature, or molecular weight of the gas being compressed. Another advantage of the polytropic approach is that the sum of the polytropic heads for each stage of compression equals the total polytropic head required to get from state point 1 to state point 2. This is not true for adiabatic heads.
Sample Performance Calculations

Determine the compressor frame size, number of stages, rotational speed, power requirement, and discharge temperature required to compress 5,000 lbm/min of gas from 30 psia at 60F to 100 psia. The gas mixture molar composition is as follows:

Ethane Propane n-Butane

5% 80 % 15%

The properties of this mixture are as follows:

= 45.5 611 psia T, = 676"R cp = 17.76 kl = 1.126 Z1 = 0.955

MW

P,

Before proceeding with the compressor calculations, let's review the merits of using average values of Z and k in calculating the polytropic head. The inlet compressibility must be used to determine the actual volume entering the compressor to approximate the size of the compressor and to communicatewith the vendor via the data sheets. The maximum value of 8 is of interest and will be at its maximum at the inlet to the compressor where the inlet compressibility occurs (although using the average compressibility will result in a conservative estimate of e). Compressibility will decrease as the gas is compressed. This would imply that using the inlet compressibility would be conservative since as the compressibility del s o decreases. If the variacreases, the head requirement a tion in compressibility is drastic, the polytropic head re-

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121

quirement calculated by using the inlet compressibility would be practically useless. Compl.essor manufacturers calculate the performance for each stage and use the inlet compressibility for each stage. An accurate approximation h e stageby-stage calculation by may be substituted for t calculating the polytropichead for the overall section using the average compressibility. This technique d t s in overestimatingthe first half of the impellers and Underestimating the last half o f the impellers, thmby calculating a polytropic head very near that calculated by the stapbystage technique. Determine the inlet flow volume, Q1:

np = 77% (polytropic &iency)

, , N

= 5,900 rpm

Determine the pl.iessure ratio, rp.

rp = PB/P1 = 100/30 = 3.33

Determine the approximate discharge temperature, Tg.

n h - 1 = [Wk
=

- 11% [1.126/(1.126- 1.000)](0.77) = 6.88

T2 = Tl(rp)(n-l)/n = (60+ 460)(3.33)"f3.88 = 619"R = 159F where m = mass flow Z 1 = inlet compdbility factor R = gas constant = 1,545/MW TI .- inlet temperature "R Pi = inletpresfllre

Determine the average compressibility, Z,.

Z 1 = 0.955 (from gas properties calculation) Q1 = 5,OOO[(O.955)(1,545)(80 + ~ 8 0 ) / ( ~ 5 . 5 ) ( 1 ~ ) ~ ~ ) ] = 19,517 ICFM where Z1= inlet compressibility
(PJ2 =

Refer to Bible 3 and select a compressor frame that w i l l

handle a flow rate of 19,517 ICFM. A n a m e C Compressor will handle a range of 13,000 to 31,000 ICFM and would have the following nominal d a k
! & , =1 0 , O O O ft-lb/lbm (nominal polytropic head)

pzlp, 100/611 = 0.164

= = TdTC = 619/676

(TJB

= 0.916

nble 3
Typical Centrifugal Compressor Frame Data*
Nominal Inlet Volume Flow Frame English (ICFM) Metric Nominal Polytropic Head
Engllsh Ift-lbf/lbml Metric (k-Nm/kg)

Nominal Polytropic Efficiency

Im'/h) 1 . 7 o O 1 2 . O O O 10.000-31 ,000 22,000-53.000 39.000-75.000 56.000-1 10,000 82.OCS170.000

1%)
76 76

Nominal Rotational Speed IRPM)

Nominal Impeller Diameter Engllrh (in)

MeMc Imm)

A B
C

1 ,ONk7,000
6,000-1 8,OW 13,ooO-31 .OOO 23,000-44.000 33,ooo65.OOO 48.000-100.000

1o.ooo
10,000 10,ooo

30

11,000 7 . 7 0 0
5.900

1 6

406
584 762 914

3 0
30 30

23
30 3 6 44
54

D E F
coincidental.

1 0 , o o o 10,000 10.000

n
78 78

4.900
4,000

30 30

i . i m
1 . 3 7 0

3 . 3 0 0

*While this table i s based on 8 survey of c u r r e n t l y available equipment, the instance o f any machinery duplicating this table would be purely

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Rules of Thumb for Mechanical Engineers

Figure 10. Maximum polytropic head per stageEnglish system.

Refer to Figure 5 to find Zz, discharge compressibility. Z z

=

temperature but also at the estimated discharge temperature. The suggested approach is as follows:

0.925 0.94

z, = (Z, + Z2)/2
=

Determine average k-value. For simplicity, the inlet value of k will be used for this calculation. The polytropic head equation is insensitive to k-value (and therefore nvalue) within the limits that k normally varies during compression. This is because any errors in the n/(n - 1)multiplier in the polytropic head equation tend to balance corresponding errors in the (n - l)/n exponent. Discharge temperature is very sensitive to k-value. Since the k-value normally decreases during compression, a discharge temperature calculated by using the inlet k-value will be conservative and the actual temperature may be several degrees higher-possibly as much as 2540F. Calculating the average k-value can be time-consuming, especially for mixtures containing several gases, since not only must the mol-weighted cp of the mixture be determined at the inlet

1. If the k-value is felt to be highly variable, one pass should be made at estimating discharge temperature based on the inlet k-value; the average k-value should then be calculated using the estimated discharge temperature. 2. If the k-value is felt to be fairly constant, the inlet kvalue can be used in the calculations. 3. If the k-value is felt to be highly variable, but sufficient time to calculate the average value is not available, the inlet k-value can be used (but be aware of the potential discrepancy in the calculated discharge temperature).
kl
=

k,

1.126

Determine average n/(n - 1) value from the average kvalue. For the same reasons discussed above, use n/ (n - 1) = 6.88.

Table 4 Approximate Mechanical Losses as a Percentage of Gas Power Requirement.

~

Gas Power Requirement English (hp) 0-3.000 3.000-6.000 6,000-10.000

10,000+

Metric IkWI
0-2,500 2,500-5,000 5,000-7.500 7,500+

Mechanical Losses, L,

(%I
3 2.5 2 1.5

*There is no way to estimate mechanical losses from gas power requirements. This table will. however, ensure that mechanical losses are considered and yield useful values for estimating purposes.

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123

Determine polytropic head, H,:

Mechanical losses (L,)

2.5% (from Table 4)

L,
Hp = Z,RTl(n/n - l)[rp(n-L)'n -1 1 = (0.94) (1,545/45.5)(520)(6.88)(3.33)'/".88 -1 1 = 21,800 ft-lbf/lbm
Determine the required number of compressor stages, 8:
8 = [(26.1MW)/(kiZ1T1)]0.5 = [(26.1)(45.5)/(1.126)(0.955)(520)]0.5 = 1.46

= (0.025)(4,290) = 107 hp

PWR,

= = =

PWR, + L,,, 4,290 + 107 4,397 hp

Determine the actual discharge temperature:

T Z = Tl(rp)(n-l)/n
520(3.33)"6.88 619"R = 159F
=

max Hp/stagefrom Figure 10 using 8 = 1.46 Number of stages = Hp/max. H,/stage = 21,800/9,700 = 2.25 = 3 stages Determine the required rotational speed: N
= =

The discharge temperature calculated in the last step is the same as that calculated earlier only because of the decision to use the inlet k-value instead of the average k-value. Had the average k-value been used, the actual discharge temperature would have been lower.

N,,[HP/Hpn,, 5,030 rpm

x no.

= 5,900[21,800/(10,000) (3)]0.5

Determine the required shaft power:

Source
PWR, mHp/33,000np = (5,000)(21,800)/(33,000)(0.77) = 4,290 hp
=

Lapina, R. P., Estimating Centrifugal Compressor Performance, Houston: Gulf Publishing Company, 1982.

Estimate hp required to compress natural gas

To estimate the horsepower to compress a million cubic ft of gas per day, use the following formula: BHPlMMcfd = where R compression ratio. Absolute discharge pressure divided by absolute suction pressure J = supercompressibility factor- assumed 0.022 per 100 psia suction pressure
=
Compression Rotio

Example. How much horsepower should be installed to raise the pressure of 10 million cubic f t of gas per day from 185.3 psi to 985.3 psi? This gives absolute pressures of 200 and 1,000.
=

- 5.0 1,000 then R = 200

Substituting in the formula: BHP/MMcfd = 5.0 5.0 + 5 X 0.044 5.16 + 124 x .699 .97 - .03 x 5

106.5 hp 1,065 hp

BHP for 10 MMcfd

Where the suction pressure is about 400 psia, the brake horsepower per MMcfd can be read from the chart. The above formula may be used to calculate horsepower requirements for various suction pressures and gas physical properties to plot a family of curves.