TECHNICAL BULLETIN

SELECTING A COMPRESSOR FOR PROCESS & SPECIALTY

GAS APPLICATIONS
INTRODUCTION
The question often asked of us is which type of gas compressor is the BEST? The answer
is not which type is best, but which is best suited for a specific application.
To intelligently select a gas compressor many factors must be considered:
What is the composition of the gas being compressed?
What is the specific gravity or molecular weight of the gas?
What is specific heat ratio of the gas?
Is the gas explosive?
Is the gas corrosive?
Is the gas toxic?
Is the gas reactive?
Is it a dry gas or a wet gas?
What is the available suction pressure?
What discharge pressure is required?
What volume of gas must be compressed?
What will the duty cycle be?
What materials are compatible with the gas?
What is a permissible degree of impurities (lubricating oil carry over etc.)?
What ambient temperature will the compressor operate on?
What will be the suction temperature of the gas itself?
Is there an inexpensive source of cooling water or is air-cooling required?
What elevation will the compressor operate at?
To understand which type of compressor suits an application, we must first understand the
operation of each type of compressor.
Three methods are used to compress a gas:
1. Trap consecutive volumes of gas in a chamber and reduce the volume of the chamber
to increase pressure, and then open the chamber to allow the gas out (reciprocating &
rotary screw, guided rotor, vane compressors etc.)
2. Trap consecutive volumes of gas in a chamber; carry it without a change in volume to
the discharge and build-up pressure against backflow in the piping (lobe type blowers).
3. Accelerate the velocity of the gas using high-speed impellers and then reduce the
velocity suddenly, to create pressure (centrifugal, axial compressors).
COMPRESSOR CLASSIFICATIONS
From these compression methods compressors and blowers are classified into two
categories these are POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT units which use the first two methods and
ROTARY DYNAMIC units (sometimes simply called dynamic) which use the third method.
Each has its own individual features, benefits and drawbacks.
Positive Displacement Compressors
These Compressors or blowers compress by trapping consecutive volumes of gas in a
chamber and then increase the pressure by decreasing the size of the chamber.
Positive displacement units generally consist of the following types:
1. Reciprocating Compressors are available in either lubricated or oil-free versions and
compress through the reciprocating motion of a piston.
Their ability to be multi-staged for high pressures make reciprocating units one of the
most common types of compressors.
Because of their reciprocating motion some attention must be given to piping pulsation
and unit vibration, particularly in larger frame machines.
Pressures as high as 6000 PSIG are attainable.
Reciprocating Compressors
Single Acting Reciprocating Compressors
With a SINGLE-ACTING reciprocating compressor, compression takes place at one end of
the cylinder only. The other end of the cylinder is normally open to the crankcase or a
distance piece. In other words, there is only one compression stroke for every revolution of
the crankshaft.
A SINGLE-ACTING compressor brings gas in through intake valve A during the suction
stroke, as the piston moves to the right. Gas is compressed during the second half of the
crankshaft revolution when the piston moves to the left. Compressed gas goes out discharge
valve B.
Single Acting Compressor
Double Acting Reciprocating Compressors
DOUBLE-ACTING compressors provide TWO complete compression cycles per revolution of
the crankshaft. Compression stroke for intake A acts as the suction stroke for intake C and
vice versa.
Double Acting Compressor
Both ends of the cylinder are enclosed and the piston rod is fitted with a packing gland
where it enters the cylinder to prevent a loss of efficiency from blow-by.
Double Acting Compressor
Cylinder Configurations
The earliest reciprocating compressors were of vertical design and required heavy concrete
foundations to absorb the inertia forces and movements caused by the reciprocating
movement.
Many modern compressors now use a 90
o
V-type cylinder formation in which the inertia
forces of one cylinder is compensated by the corresponding component of the other cylinder.
As a result, these compressors can be operated at up to about 1800 RPM, which was not
possible with the original one cylinder vertical design. For the most part however, piston
compressors operate in the 400 900 RPM range.
Besides inertia compensation, the compact design is another advantage of the V-type
compressor described above, in particular in the case of the two-stage compressors,
because there is space between the cylinders for the accommodation of the intercooler.
This space can also be used for an additional cylinder which results in an even more space
saving and compact W-type unit, making foundationless installation possible with a V-angle
of 60
o
between the cylinders.
Single and Double Acting Configurations
2. Twin Rotor Screw Compressor (also called helical or spiral-lobe compressor) uses
TWO intermeshing helical rotors to compress the gas. Screw compressors are
available as oil-flooded units, that are most commonly used or oil-free units for
applications requiring completely contamination free gas. Multi staging is possible by
placing units in series.
Twin Screw Compressor
Speed increasing gears are generally used to turn the drive rotor at the correct speed.
In conventional oil lubricated screws, the female rotor is driven by the male rotor, with the
male rotor absorbing approximately 85% of the input power. A thin film of oil, which is
injected into the compressor, prevents metal-to-metal contact.
The use of one rotor driving the other is known as a pitch line drive system. The stronger
male rotor being used as the drive rotor, while the female rotor acts as an idler.
A clearance of 3 to 5 thousandths of an inch is maintained between the rotors, by an injected
fluid film, therefore, there is no metal-to-metal contact.
Sealing strips consisting of a raised lip and a groove on the male rotor, and a raised lip on the
tip of the female rotor, reduces the amount of gas that leaks back into the previous cavity.
In most units the inlet is located at the top of the compression element and at the drive end,
while the discharge port is located on the bottom on the opposite end.
GAS INLET

DRIVE COUPLING GAS DISCHARGE

Gas is compressed in much the same way that it would be done if a bowling ball were rolled
through a pipe with very tight tolerances. The ball would advance like a piston, compressing
the gas that is trapped in front of it as it moves forward.
As the two rotors revolve in opposite directions, gas is trapped in the pockets between the
rotors and compression is accomplished by moving the trapped volume of gas away from the
inlet and towards the discharge.
As the position of the lobes completes the discharge phase, the voids at the opposite (inlet)
end began to fill with gas through the inlet port. When the female lobe is filled with gas along
its entire length, the intake phase is completed.
Further rotation causes the male lobe to mesh with the female rotor, trapping the gas that has
been taken in.
The male rotor then begins to squeeze the trapped gas toward the discharge end of the
compressor. As the male rotor progressively reduces the trapped gas volume, oil is injected
into the compression chamber.
Upon reaching its maximum discharge pressure the rotors pass over the discharge port and
the gas is discharged.
Intake
Compression
Discharge
Twin Screw Compression Cycle
In oil-free rotary screw compressors the compression cycle is identical to a lubricated unit
however, the rotating screws are synchronized by means of external timing gears. Since the
rotors do not touch each other, lubrication is not required within the compression chamber
and the gas is therefore oil-free.
For oil-injected compressors discharge pressures of up to 350 PSIG can be achieved in
single stage versions and up to 500 PSIG on two-stage units.
Oil-free models are limited to approximately 150 PSIG.
Twin Rotor Screw Compressor
3. Single Screw Compressors (often called a monoscrew)
Although similar in operation to a twin-screw, the more recently developed monoscrew
design consists of a single female rotor and two intermeshing male gate-rotors
mounted on opposite sides of the main rotor.
The compression cycle begins after inlet gas fills the top and bottom grooves of the
main screw at the suction end of the casing. Because the screw compressor has two
gaterotors, the compression process occurs simultaneously on opposite sides of the
screw. As the main screw rotates, it drives the gaterotors. The meshing of the
gaterotor with a screw groove traps the gas and begins the compression process.
As the screw rotates, the engagement of the gaterotor continues, reducing the initial
volume of the groove and increasing the pressure. This occurs simultaneously on
opposite sides of the screw. As the main screw rotates towards completion of the
compression cycle, the groove aligns with a port in the housing at the discharge end of
the casing. The gas in the groove is discharged radically through the discharge port.
One advantage of the single screw compressor is that there are no radial or axial
forces exerted on the main screw. Because the compression process occurs
simultaneously on opposite sides of the screw, the forces caused by compression are
cancelled out.
Also, because the monoscrew compressor has six compression strokes per revolution
and generally operates at 3600 rpm, the amount of gas compressed with each groove
is a very small percentage of the total flow. The number of strokes and the speed of
rotation result in very low pulsations at the compressor outlet and negligible pulsations
downstream of the compressor.
Despite these advantages, the single screw compressor is just beginning to be widely
used because until recently the machining of the rotors for single screw compressors
required the use of specially designed machine tools and the utilization of expensive
manufacturing processes.
With the exception of the compression element, the flow and downstream components
used on both the twin-screw and mono-screw compressors are identical.
Single Rotor Screw Compressor
Rotary Sliding Vane Compressors Rotating within a cylindrical compression chamber or
stator is an eccentrically mounted slotted rotor, which is fitted with sliding vanes. As the rotor
spins, the vanes are held in contact with the stator wall by centrifugal force, or in some cases
by springs. They are generally of single stage design and suitable for pressures up to 150
PSIG, but are most widely used for pressures in the 50 100 PSIG range.
The gas is compressed by the decreasing volume of the compartments formed by the rotor,
stator and vanes, until the delivery port is uncovered by the vanes.
As one of the blades passes a sealing point between the inlet and discharge ports, it prevents
any of the compressed gas from leaking back to the suction.
Rotary Vane Compressor
4. Guided Rotor Compressors. In a Guided Rotor Compressor the compression
volume is defined by a trochodally rotating rotor mounted on an eccentric shaft.
A single rotor GRC compressor assembly is made-up of a housing, a rotor, roller
seals, suction side plate, discharge side plate, shaft bearings, end covers and a
ceramic face seal. The compressor is modular in construction and can be configured
as a multi-rotor and multi-stage assembly.
There are no compressor valves in the GRC, which instead uses simple inlet, and
discharge parts, which are opened and closed as the rotor passes over them.
A wide range of construction materials (including stainless steel), make them well
suited to a variety of gases including: natural gas, hydrogen, carbon dioxide, biogas,
syngas etc.
These compressors are more tolerant of contaminants such as water in the gas, they
are compact in size and have a low parts count (no compressor valves, no piston
rings, no linear strip seals).
Because liquid lubricant is introduced and is present within the compression volume,
the GRC experiences a degree of isothermal cooling during compression. As a result,
discharge temperatures experienced with the GRC are significantly lower than for
comparable reciprocating compressors.
Discharge pressures are generally limited to around 800 to 1000 PSIG.
5. Hydraulic Driven Gas Pressure Boosters
Most of these compressors are designed using a double-acting hydraulic cylinder with
a high-pressure barrel attached to each end. As the hydraulic cylinder is cycled, the
high-pressure pistons alternately compress and eject the gas from one barrel while
simultaneously filling the opposing one. In the case of a two-stage compressor, gas
from the first stage is used to fill the second and then further compressed by the
second stage piston.
The direction of the flow of the gas is controlled by inlet and discharge check valves.
The hydraulic fluid is isolated from the gas being compressed and the section between
the two is vented to the atmosphere.
These compressors are particularly well suited for booster applications and are
capable of discharge pressures as high as 60,000 PSIG.
Interstage Cooler
LP Gas Inlet HP Gas Outlet
6. Diaphragm-type Compressors In a diaphragm compressor, oscillating hydraulic
pressure on one side of the diaphragm causes it to move inside a chamber,
compressing the gas on its other side. Inlet and discharge valves allow low pressure
gas to enter the compressor, and the pressurized gas to be discharged to the system.
The oscillating pressure is generated by a piston moving in a cylinder.
The crankcase of the compressor is essentially a hydraulic pump. The piston moves
in the cylinder and pulses the hydraulic fluid in the head producing an oscillating
movement of the diaphragm.
The diaphragm group consists of three diaphragms clamped and sealed at the
periphery between the gas plate and orifice plate.
The orifice or channel plate has the role of distributing the hydraulic fluid uniformly
under the diaphragm and the gas plate. Contains the suction and discharge check-
values. They are generally limited in output although some larger units are used in
specialized applications.
Pressures as high as 10,000 PSIG are attainable.
Diaphragm Compressor
7. Scroll Compressors
In a scroll compressor, two spiral-shaped members fit together, forming crescent-
shaped gas pockets. One member remains stationary, while the other orbits around
the stationary one. The orbiting motion causes continuous crescent-shaped gas
pockets to be formed and become smaller in volume as they near the center of the
form.
Air is drawn into the outer pocket created by the two members, sealing off the open
passage. As the spiral motion continues, the gas is forced toward the center of the
scroll as the pocket continuously becomes smaller in volume, creating higher gas
pressures. When the compressed gas reaches the center of the fixed scroll member,
it is discharged.
Several pockets of gas are compressed simultaneously. The result is a smooth,
nearly continuous compression cycle.
There is space remaining between the scrolls at the completion of the discharge phase
but this is not a capacity inhibitor like clearance volume on a reciprocating compressor.
This is because this volume is never opened to the suction.
At present, scroll compressors are limited to relatively low capacities and pressures of
approximately 100 150 PSIG.
Scroll Compressor Cycle
Scroll Compressor
Hook and Claw Compressors The hook and claw compressor is an OIL-FREE,
positive displacement, rotary machine.
Steps on two meshing rotors form the equivalent of cylinders in a reciprocating
compressors, however no inlet or discharge valves are used.
Instead, gas enters the casing through an inlet port located at the center, between the
rotors. The gas is drawn is into a recessed zone of FIVE interconnected pockets on
the rotor. This pocket is then sealed off as the rotor turns past the inlet.
Hook and Claw Compressor
Raised protrusions on the opposite rotor enter the recessed pockets and force the gas
into the last central pocket, compressing the gas.
By the time all of the gas is in the last pocket, this pocket has rotated to the discharge
port, located at the top of the casing and near the center of the rotors.
Four of these cycles per revolution result from two series of pockets on each rotor.
Because the stepped rotor has no oil injection for sealing, close machining tolerances
are necessary for efficient operation. The steps on the rotor are separate machined
blocks, bolted to a cylindrical roller.
At present the largest of these machines has a capacity of about approximately 500
CFM and pressures are limited to approximately 50 PSIG for single stage units, but
can be multi-staged for higher pressures.
Two-lobe and Three-Lobe Rotary Blowers (often called Roots principle blowers) use
straight mating lobed impellers to trap gas and carry it from intake to discharge. There
is no compression or reduction of gas volume during the turning of the rotors.
Compression is by backflow into the casing from the discharge piping when the
discharge port is uncovered. Then the compressed gas is displaced into the discharge
system. These are generally single-stage units used for pressures up to about 12 15
PSIG. Three-lobe designs are also available, but operation is similar to two-lobe
designs. Sealing is by close clearances and lubrication is not required within the
compression chamber.
GAS DISCHARGE
GAS INTAKE
Rotary Lobe Blowers
8. Liquid Ring Compressors (or liquid piston) compressors use a rotor with multiple
blades driving a captive ring of liquid (usually water) around the inside of an elliptical
casing. The liquid acts as a piston to compress and displace the gas. Discharged gas
is saturated at the discharge temperature. Excess liquid is removed by passing the
gas-liquid mixture through a baffle or centrifugal separator to remove the free liquid.
Final discharge temperature of the gas can be close to the temperature of the inlet
cooling water, providing a continuous flow of cool compressed gas.
Liquid Ring Compressor
Rotary Dynamic Compressors
Dynamic compressors are centrifugal (radial) type or axial types and gain their name
because they operate on the principle of DYNAMIC compression. Although this term sounds
complicated, their design is very simple and straightforward.
Dynamic compression takes place when the velocity of the gas is accelerated to a very high
speed, and then passed through a diffuser that decelerates (slows down) the high-speed gas
resulting in a pressure increase.
This is different from positive displacement compressors because it does not use a
compression chamber to trap consecutive volumes of gas.
As their name implies, flow through radial or centrifugal compressors is in a radial direction,
while flow through an axial compressor is in an axial direction.
For the most part, dynamic compressors are not widely used for gas compression, except for
large capacities.
Radial Flow Centrifugal Compressor
Axial Flow Compressor
CANADIAN PURCELL MACHINERY
400 Industrial Road A
Cranbrook, BC V1C 4Z3
Phone: (866) 517-3180
Fax: (250) 417-3183
Email: info@canadianpurcell.com
Web Site: www.canadianpurcell.com
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