ROTARY COMPRESSORS

ROTARY COMPRESSORS

COMPRESSORS
Intermittent flow Continuous flow

Positive displacement

Dynamic Ejector
Reciprocating Rotary

Radial Mixed Axial

Mechanical •Helical lobe flow flow flow
piston
•Straight lobe
•Sliding vans
• Liquid piston
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

COMPRESSORS
Intermittent flow Continuous flow

Positive displacement

Dynamic Ejector
Reciprocating Rotary

Radial Mixed Axial

Mechanical •Helical lobe flow flow flow
piston
•Straight lobe
•Sliding vans
• Liquid piston
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Rotary compressors as a group make up the balance of the

positive displacement machine.
This group of compressors has several features in common
despite differences in construction.
Probably the most important feature is lack of valves as
used on the reciprocating compressor.
The rotary is lighter in weight than the reciprocator and
does not exhibit the shaking forces of the reciprocating
compressor making foundation requirements less rigorous.
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Even though rotary compressors are relatively simple and

single rotor construction is found. Rotor design is one of
the main items that distinguish the different types. Size and
operating range is another area unique to each type of
rotary.
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

COMPRESSORS
Intermittent flow Continuous flow

Positive displacement

Dynamic Ejector
Reciprocating Rotary

Radial Mixed Axial

Mechanical •Helical lobe flow flow flow
piston
•Straight lobe
•Sliding vans
• Liquid piston
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Helical lobe
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Helical lobe
Features of the Screw Compressor
Another name for the helical lobe compressor is the Screw
compressor.
The rotary screw compressor is a positive displacement
machine that operates without the need for suction or
discharge valves.
It has the ability to vary suction volume internally while
reducing part load power consumption.
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Helical lobe
Features of the Screw Compressor
Screws provide a much wider operating range and lower
maintenance costs than conventional reciprocating
machines.
The machines are much smaller and create much lower
vibration levels than piston machines as well.
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Helical lobe
Features of the Screw Compressor
Reduced There are no valves, pistons, rings, or
Maintenance: connecting rods that require regular
maintenance.
Turn Down: Screw compressors offer turn down
capabilities up to 90% of full load with very
good part load power requirements.
This turn down capability occurs within the
machine and is independent of engine speed
or bypass.
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Helical lobe
Features of the Screw Compressor
Turn Down: This makes the machine an attractive
alternative for areas where flow rates and
operating conditions are not constant.
The capacity control can typically be handled
manually or automatically within the machine
to meet the exact demands of the overall
system.
The screw compressor can vary capacity
automatically where the reciprocating machine
must have the variable volume pockets
adjusted manually.
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Helical lobe
Features of the Screw Compressor
High Compression Ratios: Screw compressors can operate from roughly
2 to 20 ratios of compression on a single
stage while maintaining high volumetric
efficiencies.

These efficiencies are achieved by injecting

large quantities of lube oil into the machine
during the compression process.

Why?
Oil will work as a liquid piston
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Helical lobe
Features of the Screw Compressor
Accommodates Wide The screw compressor itself can operate over
Operating Ranges: a very wide range with little or no changes
required to the machine.
In contrast, screws are designed to operate
over the entire range with no changes to the
machine.
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Helical lobe
Features of the Screw Compressor
Smaller Package Sizes: Rotary screws provide high capacities with
minimal installation space compared to piston
machines.
Based on a full speed design of 3,600 rpm, a large
screw machine can provide over 50 MMSCFD of
gas based on a 100 psig suction pressure.
The physical size of the compressor is much
smaller than a comparable piston type
machine.
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Helical lobe
Features of the Screw Compressor
Lower Vibration : With only two major moving parts operating in
a circular motion, screws create much lower
vibration levels than reciprocating machines.
Although the slide valve assembly also moves
to control capacity, it happens at such a slow
rate that we do not consider it a maintenance
concern.
In general, screw compressors are
considered to provide very high reliability,
resulting in lower maintenance costs and
reduced down time compared to reciprocating
machines.
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Helical lobe
Description
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Helical lobe
Basic Operation Principle Suction process
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Helical lobe
Basic Operation Principle Suction process
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Helical lobe
Basic Operation Principle Compression
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Helical lobe
Basic Operation Principle Compression
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Helical lobe
Basic Operation Principle Discharge Process
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Helical lobe
Basic Operation Principle Discharge Process
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Helical lobe
Basic Operation Principle Discharge Process
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Helical lobe
Applications
The rotary screw compressor is designed for low pressure
applications with inlet pressures ranging from vacuum
pressure up to 100 psig and discharge pressures up to 350
psig.
These pressure ranges are typical for most process style
machines and can vary depending on manufacturer, frame
size and operating speed.
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Helical lobe
Applications
There are some screw machines available capable of
operating at higher pressures by using cast steel casings
but these are not yet commonly used in the natural gas
industry due to capital cost and availability.
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Helical lobe
Applications
Screw compressors are commonly used in:
A variety of air
Process gas
Process refrigeration
Natural gas applications
Although most natural gas applications are based on a
specific gravity of 0.57 – 0.65, screw compressors can be
used on very light gases such as hydrogen and very heavy
mole weight gases where specific gravities exceed 2.0.
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Helical lobe
Applications
The most common applications for screw compressors in
natural gas service range in horsepower from roughly 90 to
1,500 and are available in both engine and electric drive.
Screws were originally developed to operate with electric
drive two pole motors at 3,550 rpm. As they have become
more popular in the natural gas industry, engine drive
applications have become much more common.
On most of these applications, the screw is operating direct
drive at 1800 rpm, or half the rated speed.
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Helical lobe
Volume Ratio
In a reciprocating compressor, the discharge valves open
when the pressure in the cylinder exceeds the pressure in
the discharge manifold.
Because a screw compressor does not have valves, the
location of the discharge ports determine the maximum
discharge pressure level that will be achieved in the screw
threads before the compressed gas is pushed into the
discharge pipe.
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Helical lobe
Volume Ratio
Volume ratio is a fundamental design characteristic of all
screw compressors.
The internal volume reduction ratio of the compressor (Vi) is
defined as :
The comparison of the volume of trapped gas at suction,
(Vs) to the volume of trapped gas remaining in the
compression chamber when it opens to discharge, (Vd).
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Helical lobe
Volume Ratio
"Vi" determines the internal pressure ratio of the
compressor and the relationship between them can be
approximated as follows:
Vs
Vi = Pi = Vik
Vd
:Where :Where
Vi =Volume ratio or index. Pi = Internal pressure ratio.
Vs= Volume at suction. k = specific heat ratio of the
gas being compressed.
Vd= Volume at discharge.
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Helical lobe
Volume Ratio
Internal
If the internal volume ratio (Vi) Pd
Lost work
of the compressor is too high
for a given set of operating System
Pd
conditions the discharge gas
will be kept trapped too long
and be raised above the
discharge pressure in the
piping. Ps

This is called overcompression.

Vd Vs
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Helical lobe
Volume Ratio
If the discharge port opening occurs before the internal
pressure in the compressor trapped pocket has reached
the system discharge pressure level, the higher pressure
gas outside the compressor flows back into the lower
pressure pocket, raising the thread pressure immediately to
the discharge pressure level.
This is called undercompression.

What happens then?

ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Helical lobe
Volume Ratio
The compressor then has to pump against this higher
pressure level, rather than pump against a gradual build up
to discharge pressure level if the volume ratio had been
higher, keeping the trapped pocket closed longer.
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Helical lobe
Volume Ratio
System
The compressor then has to Pd
Lost work
pump against this higher
pressure level, rather than Pd
Internal

pump against a gradual build

up to discharge pressure level
if the volume ratio had been
higher, keeping the trapped
pocket closed longer. Ps

Vd Vs
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Helical lobe
Volume Ratio
Internal
Pd System
Pd
Lost work Lost
work
System Internal
Pd Pd

Ps Ps

Vd Vs Vd Vs
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Helical lobe
Volume Ratio
In both cases the compressor will still function, and the
same volume of gas will be moved, but more power will be
required than if the discharge ports are correctly located to
match the compressor volume ratio to what the system
needs.
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Helical lobe
Capacity Control
Capacity control is used in screw compressors to vary the
amount of gas drawn into the compressor.
Common capacity control methods are:
•Slide valve controlling discharge port.
•Slide valve controlling discharge port and volume ratio.
•Slide valve not controlling discharge port.
•Plug valves.
•Variable speed.
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Helical lobe
Capacity Control
Slide valves controlling the discharge port are a very
common type of capacity control device used in screw
compressors.
They are popular because they can give infinitely adjustable
control of capacity, often from 10 to 100%.
This type of slide valve works by opening a recirculation
passage in the high pressure cusp which allows a portion of
the trapped gas in the "V" shaped compression chamber to
be recirculated back to the suction cavity before it begins
compression.
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Helical lobe
Capacity Control
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Helical lobe
Capacity Control Slide valve controlling discharge port.
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Helical lobe
Capacity Control Slide valve controlling discharge port and
volume ratio.
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Helical lobe
Capacity Control Slide valve not controlling discharge port.
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Helical lobe
Capacity Control Plug valves.
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Helical lobe
Capacity Control
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Helical lobe
Capacity Control
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Helical lobe
Capacity Control
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Helical lobe
Application note Dry compressors
Screw compressors of the dry type generate high
frequency pulsations, which move into the system piping
and can cause acoustic vibration problems.
These would be similar to the type of problems
experienced in reciprocating compressor applications,
except that the frequency is higher. While volume bottles
will work with the reciprocator, the dry type screw
compressor would require a manufacturer-supplied
proprietary silencer, which would take car of the problem
rather nicely.
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Helical lobe
Application note Dry compressors
While on considerations of the dry compressor there is one
problem, the compressor can handle quite well. Unlike
most other compressors this one will tolerate a moderate
amount of liquid.
The compressor also takes reasonably well to fouling
service, if material is not abrasive. The foulant tends to
help seal the compressor and in time, may improve
performance.
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Helical lobe
Application note Dry compressors
One other application for which the dry machine is
particularly well suited, is for hydrogen rich service, where
the molecular weight is low, with a resulting high adiabatic
head.
For larger flow streams, within the centrifugal compressor's
flow range, the screw compressor is a good alternative.
While the high adiabatic head requires expensive, multiple
centrifugal casings, the positive displacement characteristic
of the screw compressor is not compromised by the low
molecular weight.
An Introduction to Pumping Equipment

200

Multistage
Pressure ratio

Reciprocating

20
Single stage
Recip. Multistage
Centrifugal Multistage Axial
Rotary
compressors
2 .Single S Cen

102 103 104 105 106

)Flow rate )CFM
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Helical lobe
Application note Dry compressors
For very low molecular weight gas, such as pure hydrogen
or helium, a good seal is important to keep the slip in
control. This can be tedious and in extreme cases a liquid
injection is used for leakage control to maintain
performance.
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Helical lobe
Dry compressors Flooded compressors )lubrication)
Fine filter
Oil pressure
regulating valve Oil separator

Manifold Oil level

Oil sight glasses
pump
B & CC
Oil heater and thermostat

Injection ports

Oil strainer Water supply

Oil cooler
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Helical lobe
Dry compressors Flooded compressors )separation)
Suction
Discharge
Suction
valve

Strainer 3rd Stage Discharge

T valve
Relief
P valve 2rd Stage

1st Stage
Oil separator
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Helical lobe
Screw Compressor Package Components
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Helical lobe
Casings
Most casing on both flooded and dry compressors are cast,
normally of grey cast iron. API 619 limits the use of cast
iron by specifying steel for services in excess of 400 psig,
discharge temperatures in excess of 500 oF and for
flammable or toxic gases.
While extremely rare, austenitic and high nickel casings
have been furnished.
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Helical lobe
Casings
On dry compressors the casing normally includes a water
jacket. While referred to as a cooling jacket, the cooling
water or alternative fluid is used as a heat sink or casing
stabilizer to help control distortions and clearance changes.
While casting is used for the iron casings, steel casing
may be fabricated or cast.
Most casings are vertically split, using end closures and
withdrawing the rotors axially for maintenance.
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Helical lobe
Casings
On the larger dry machines, the casing is horizontally split,
to facilitate the removal of the heavier rotors.
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Helical lobe
Rotors
Some dry compressors are furnished with hollow rotors
through which cooling fluid is circulated.
Materials of construction are steel in most applications.
The material may be either a forging or bar stock, based on
size availability of the bar stock in the quality needed. Other
materials are used whenever carbon steel is not
compatible with the gas being compressed. These range
from stainless, either of the austenitic or 12 chrome type, to
more exotic nickel alloys.
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Helical lobe
Rotors
Some vendors furnish coatings for the rotors in order to
keep the rotor from wearing and losing seal clearance.
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Helical lobe
Bearing and seals
In the larger, dry process compressors, the radial bearings
are of the sleeve or tilting pad type.
API 619 requires the bearings to be removable without
removing the rotors or the upper half on the horizontally
split machine.
Thrust bearings are generally tilt pad type, though not
necessarily symmetric.
On standardized compressors for air or refrigeration, the
bearings are normally the antifriction type.
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Helical lobe
Bearing and seals
Some standardized dry compressors use a tapered land
thrust bearing.
Most of the flooded dry compressors and some of the
standardized dry compressors use antifriction thrust
bearings.
In all cases the bearings are pressure-lubricated with some
compressors using the gas differential pressure to circulate
the lubricant and thus pressurize the bearings.
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Helical lobe
Bearing and seals
For difficult services mentioned previously, unusual
bearings may be used, such as graphite with a sulfuric acid
flooding medium.
In dry compressors, shaft end seals are generally one of
four types:
Labyrinth
Restrictive ring
Mechanical contact
Liquid film
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Helical lobe
Bearing and seals
The labyrinth seal is generally ported at an axial point
between the seals in order to use an educator or ejector to
control leakage and direct it to the suction or a suitable
disposal area. Alternatively a buffer gas is used to prevent
the loss of process gas.
Probably the most common seal is the restrictive ring type,
normally used in the form of carbon rings. This seal
controls leakage better than the non-floating labyrinth type,
although it wears faster.
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Helical lobe
Bearing and seals
The carbon ring seal does not tolerate dirt as well as the
labyrinth seal.

The carbon ring seal and the labyrinth seal may be ported
for clean gas injection, ejection or a combination of both.

The mechanical contact seal is a very positive seal. The

seal may be oil or gas buffered.
The mechanical seal, which is the most complex and
expensive, is used where gas leakage cannot be tolerated.
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Helical lobe
Bearing and seals
This may be due to the cost of the gas, as in closed loop
refrigeration or where the process gas is toxic or
flammable.
The mechanical contact seal requires more power than the
other seals, which is a deterrent to its use on lower power
compressors.
The liquid film seal uses metallic sealing rings and is liquid
buffered to maintain a fluid film in the clearance area and
thereby preclude gas leakage.
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Helical lobe
Bearing and seals
It is not unusual in the screw compressor to find the radial
bearing and seal combined.
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Helical lobe
Timing gears
In screw compressors of the dry type, the rotors are
synchronized by timing gears.
Because the male rotor, with a conventional profile,
absorbs about 90% of power transmitted to the
compressor, only 10% of the power is transmitted through
the gears.
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Helical lobe
Timing gears
Timing gears are machined from low alloy steel, normally a
Chrome, Nickel and Molybdenum chemistry. The gears are
helical type which also helps control noise. The pitch line
run out must be minimized to control torsional excitation.
The gears are housed in a chamber outboard from the
drive end and are isolated from the gas being compressed.
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Helical lobe
Troubleshooting
Low Discharge Temperature
1. Discharge temperature could be too low because liquid
refrigerant is being carried into the suction or economizer
lines. Excessive foaming in the separator or frost appearing
far down the compressor suction housing can also indicate
this.
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Helical lobe
Troubleshooting
Low Discharge Temperature
1. Low discharge temperature may indicate condensing in the
discharge line during off cycle, running back into the oil
separator, and feeding excess liquid to the compressor until
the package warms up.
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Helical lobe
Troubleshooting
Low Discharge Temperature
1. Low discharge temperature could indicate oil flow above
design level. Is main injection adjusted properly or could
balance piston wear be increasing the flow of oil.
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Helical lobe
Troubleshooting
High Discharge Temperature
1. High discharge temperature can be caused by suction or
economizer superheat running above design level.
1. Restricted oil flow to the compressor will cause high
discharge temperature. Check for main injection valve, oil
orifice, or filter blockage.
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Helical lobe
Troubleshooting
High Discharge Temperature
1. Is the volume ratio and slide valve correctly calibrated and
working properly. If the compressor is running at the
incorrect volume ratio for the application, excessive
horsepower will be consumed in the compression. Excess
power consumption always shows up as too high a
discharge temperature.
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Helical lobe
Troubleshooting
High Discharge Temperature
1. Is the compressor in the early stages of failure or loosing
axial rotor position due to thrust bearing wear? Any condition
that causes a loss of rotor position will lead to excessive
thread to thread leakage and higher discharge temperatures.
If this is suspected, vibration analysis is the best way to
assess compressor condition. If vibration analysis is not
possible, teardown inspection may be called for if all other
possibilities have been investigated.
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Helical lobe
Troubleshooting
High Discharge Temperature
1. Is the oil cooling working correctly? This is easy to sort out
as a possibility with rating software for the compressors if the
actual operating oil temperature is input to the rating
program. If the measured discharge temperature at an
elevated oil temperature is still in agreement with predictions,
it is fairly certain the compressor is healthy but perhaps the
oil cooler should be investigated.
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

COMPRESSORS
Intermittent flow Continuous flow

Positive displacement

Dynamic Ejector
Reciprocating Rotary

Radial Mixed Axial

Mechanical •Helical lobe flow flow flow
piston
•Straight lobe
•Sliding vans
• Liquid piston
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Straight lobe
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Straight lobe
Compression cycle
Straight lobe compressors or blowers, as they are
commonly called, are low-pressure machines.
The features rotary compressors have in common are:
• They impart energy to the gas being compressed by way of an input
shaft moving a single or multiple rotating elements.
• They perform the compression in an intermittent mode.
• They do not use inlet and discharge valves.
• The rotors are timed by a set of gears.
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Straight lobe
Compression cycle
• As the rotors turn and pass the inlet port, a volume of gas is
trapped and carried between the lobes and the outer cylinder
wall.
• When the lobe pushes the gas toward the exit, the gas is
compressed by the backpressure of the gas in the discharge
line.
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Straight lobe
Compression cycle
Volumetric efficiency is determined by the tip leakage past
the rotors, not unlike the rotary screw compressor.
The leakage is referred to as slip.
Slippage is a function of the rotor diameter and differential
pressure, for a given gas. Slippage is determined by teat.
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Straight lobe
Compression cycle
For the test, the differential pressure is imposed on the
blower and the speed gradually increased until the point is
reached where the output just matches the slip leakage.
This point is detected by watching for the machine to just
begin to give a positive output.
The speed at which this occurs is called the slip speed. A
slip speed is determined for each of several pressure
differentials.
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Straight lobe
Sizing
Sizing for the straight lob compressor is normally done
using catalog data. Rotor lengths range from
approximately one to two times the rotor diameter.
Individual frame sizes within a given vendor's line may
exceed these limits. Maximum tip speeds are in the 125
fps range with some unit approaching 140 fps.
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Straight lobe
Applications
The straight lobe blowers are used in both pressure and
vacuum service.
Larger units are direct connected to their drivers and the
smaller units are belt driven. The drivers are normally
electric motors.
Some of the larger models offer an internal gear
arrangement to permit the direct connection of a two or
four pole electric motor.
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Straight lobe
Applications
The main limitation to this rotary compressor is the
differential pressure with the longer rotors where deflection
is large.
For a two lobe machine, caution should be used when the
rotor is more than 1.5 times the rotor diameter at
pressures in excess of 8 psi differential.
The three lobe compressors inherently have a stiffer rotor
and can sustain a higher differential with less difficulty.
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Straight lobe
Mechanical construction
Straight lobe compressor casing, also called housings or
cylinders by different manufacturers, are furnished in cast
iron by all vendors. There is an optional aluminum
construction available for special applications.
Rotors are cast from ductile iron. Again, the exception is
the aluminum construction. Shafts are steel and are cast
into the rotors or are pinned to the rotor in a stub shaft
construction method.
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Straight lobe
Mechanical construction
Straight lobe compressor casing, also called housings or
cylinders by different manufacturers, are furnished in cast
iron by all vendors. There is an optional aluminum
construction available for special applications.
Rotors are cast from ductile iron. Shafts are steel and are
cast into the rotors or are pinned to the rotor in a stub shaft
construction method.
An alternate design has the rotors drilled for through
shafts.
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Straight lobe
Mechanical construction
Rotors are supported by a set of antifriction bearings on
the outboard end of each rotor.
Lubrication is splash type. There are variations available
with internal pressure lubrication systems. Some models
can be equipped with an external lube system and for rare
cases, API 614 lubrication systems have been proposed.
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

COMPRESSORS
Intermittent flow Continuous flow

Positive displacement

Dynamic Ejector
Reciprocating Rotary

Radial Mixed Axial

Mechanical •Helical lobe flow flow flow
piston
•Straight lobe
•Sliding vans
• Liquid piston
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Sliding vane
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Sliding vane
Compression cycle
A sliding (rotary) vane compressor has a solid rotor
mounted inside a water jacketed cylinder, similar to that of
a jacketed water section of a reciprocating cylinder.
The water jacket around the cylinder is used for cooling.
The rotor is filled with blades that are free to move in and
out of the longitudinal slots in the rotor.
Blade configurations range from 8 to 12 blades,
depending upon manufacturer and pressure differentials.
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Sliding vane
Compression cycle
A sliding (rotary) vane compressor has a solid rotor
mounted inside a water jacketed cylinder, similar to that of
a jacketed water section of a reciprocating cylinder.
Vanes which are free to move in slots in the rotor are kept
in contact with the cylinder wall by centrifugal force,
sometimes augmented by springs or oil pressure.
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Sliding vane
Applications
Rotary vane positive displacement machines are typically
used either as compressors or as expanders.
When used as compressors the gas or vapour fills the
compressor chambers during the period that these
chambers are increasing in volume.
No more fluid is admitted through the intake port when the
chamber volume has reached its maximum volume.
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Sliding vane
Applications
The chamber volume reduces during further rotation of the
compressor causing the pressure to rise.
When the required pressure has been reached the
compressor empties the high pressure vapour or gas
through a controllable discharge port while the
displacement volume is reduced to zero.
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Sliding vane
Applications
When the rotary sliding vane machine is used as an
expander, this process is reversed. The higher density gas
or vapour fills a chamber of relatively small volume.
The volume of this chamber
increases with rotation thus
reducing the fluid pressure.
When the required lower exit
pressure has been reached the gas
or vapour leaves the expander.
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Sliding vane
Applications
The slide vane compressor is used in gas gathering and
gas boosting applications in direct competition with the
reciprocating compressor.
Sliding (rotary) vane compressors are designed to be
utilized in very harsh environments.
When it comes to vapor recovery, landfill gas, and other
low ratio and discharge pressure applications, the sliding
vane compressor is typically the most commonly used due
to the lubrication system.
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Sliding vane
Mechanical construction:
The cylinder is generally constructed of cast iron and
includes the water jacket.
The bore is machined and brought to a good finish to
reduce the van sliding friction.
The inlet and outlet connections are flanged. The heads,
which also house the bearings and stuffing box, are also
made of cast iron.
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Sliding vane
Mechanical construction:
The rotor and shaft extension are machined from a single
piece or bar stock or from a forging in all but the largest
sizes where the rotor and shaft may be made as two
separate parts.
The rotor body is attached to the shaft using a press fit.
Keys are used to lock the rotor body to the shaft. Vanes
attach to the rotor body by means of milled slots.
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Sliding vane
Mechanical construction:
For the lubricated machines vanes are made of a
laminated asbestos impregnated with phenolic resin. For a
non-lubricated design, carbon is used. The vane number
influences the differential pressure between adjacent vane
cells. This influence becomes less as the number of vanes
increases.
Roller bearings are widely used, generally the antifriction
type.
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Sliding vane
Mechanical construction:
Seals are either a packing or mechanical contact type.
Packing and bearings are lubricated by a pressurized
system.
For the non-flooded, lubricated compressor a multiplunger
pump, similar to the one used with reciprocating
compressors, is used.
Lubrication is directed from the lubricator to drilled
passages in compressor cylinder and heads. One feed is
directed to each of the bearings.
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Sliding vane
Mechanical construction:
Other feeds meter lubrication onto the cylinder wall.
As the vanes pass the oil injection openings, lubricant is
spread around the cylinder walls to lubricate the vane tips
and eventually the vanes themselves.
The oil entering the gas stream is separated in the
discharge line. Because of the high local heat, the
lubricant may have broken down and therefore, is not
suitable for recycling.
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Sliding vane
Mechanical construction:
Flooded compressors pressure feed a large amount of
lubricant into the compressor where it both cools the gas
and lubricates the compressor. It is separated from the
gas at the discharge line and recycled.
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

COMPRESSORS
Intermittent flow Continuous flow

Positive displacement

Dynamic Ejector
Reciprocating Rotary

Radial Mixed Axial

Mechanical •Helical lobe flow flow flow
piston
•Straight lobe
•Sliding vans
• Liquid piston
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Liquid piston
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Liquid piston
Operation :
The liquid piston compressor is a unique type of rotary
compressor in that it performs its compression by use of a
liquid ring acting as a piston.
As with the sliding vane compressor, the single rotor is
located eccentrically inside a cylinder or stator. The rotor
has, extending from it, a series of vanes in a purely radial
or radial with forward curved tips orientation.
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Liquid piston
Operation :
Gas inlet and outlet passages are located on the rotor. A
liquid compressant partially fills the rotor and cylinder and
orients itself in a ring moves in an oscillatory manner.
The center of the ring communicates with the inlet and
outlet ports and forms the gas pocket. As the rotor turns
and the pocket is moving away from the rotor, the gas
enters through the inlet and fills the pocket.
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Liquid piston
Operation :
As the rotor turns it carries the gas pocket with it. Further
turning takes the liquid ring from the maximum clearance
area toward the minimum side.
The ring seals off the inlet port and traps the pocket of gas.
As liquid ring is taken into the minimum clearance area the
pocket is compressed. When the ring uncovers the
discharge port the compressed pocket of gas is
discharged.
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Liquid piston
Operation :
The cooling of liquid-ring compressors is direct rather than
through the walls of a casing. The required additional
cooling liquid is fed into the casing where it comes into
direct contact with the gas being compressed. The excess
liquid is discharged with gas.
The discharged mixture is passed through a conventional
baffle or centrifugal type separator to remove the free
liquid. Because of the intimate contact of gas and liquid,
the final discharge temperature can be held close to the
temperature of the inlet cooling water.
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Liquid piston
Operation :
However, the discharge gas is saturated at the discharge
temperature of the compressing liquid.
The amount of liquid that may be passed through the
compressor is not critical and can be varied to obtain the
desired results. The unit can handle saturated vapors,
entrained liquid and occasional foreign matter.
The unit will not be damaged if a large quantity of liquid
inadvertently or by intent, enters its suction.
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Liquid piston
Operation :
Lubrication is required only in the bearings, which are
generally located external to the casing. The gas or air
being compressed is therefore oil free. The liquid itself acts
a lubricant, sealing medium and coolant for the stuffing
boxes.
Two-staging is possible by putting two machines in series.
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Liquid piston
Performance :
Efficiency of the liquid piston is about 50%, which is not
very good compared to the other rotary compressors.
Because of significant differences in the construction of the
various competitive makes of this compressor, no
universal sizing data are available.
The mechanical or process engineer will therefore have to
rely on catalog data for sizing estimates.
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Liquid piston
Performance :
The liquid ring compressor is most often used in vacuum
service although it can also act as a positive pressure
compressor.
The liquid piston machine can be staged when the
application requires more differential pressure than can be
generated by a single stage.
The liquid piston compressor can be used to compress air
to 100 Psig. Vacuums of 26 inhg are possible. Flow
capacity ranges from 2 cfm to 16,000 cfm.
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Liquid piston
Mechanical Construction :
Standard materials for the compressor are cast iron for the
cylinder and carbon steel for the shaft.
The rotor parts are steel.
The liquid piston compressor has another feature that
compensates for low efficiency. By using special materials
of construction and compatible liquid compressant,
unusual or difficult gases may be compressed.
ROTARY COMPRESSORS

Liquid piston
Mechanical Construction :
Both antifriction and split sleeve bearings are used.
Normally, packing is used for shaft sealing or for special
services, mechanical contact seals can be used.