RECIPROCATING COMPRESSORS

Compressors
Reciprocating
Pressure P Flow Rate Q S.R.V
V. HIGH
LOW YES LOW V. HIGH YES NO

Centrifugal
HIGH
HIGH NO HIGH LOW NO YES

Axial
LOW
V. HIGH NO V. HIGH LOW NO YES

Efficiency
Maint. Cost Pulsation Surging

Crank

Con-rod

Distance Piece

Piston

Suction Valves

Piston Rod

Stuffing Crosshead Wiper Rings Box Packing

Discharge Valves

VARIABLE CLEARANCE VOLUME

 VARIABLE CLEARANCE
Before operating C=
Total Clearance Volume

CF = 2 C
3 3

CF + CR

CR = 1 C

CF

CR

Pd

c g

Ps

M c1

a v

Pd Pressure ratio (ABSOLUTE) = Ps Vag ag Volumetric efficiency = = V cylinder aM

Compression ratio = V cylinder = Vb M
aM bM

Vag Volumetric efficiency = = V cylinder

Pd
c b

ag aM

Ps

c1

Vag Volumetric efficiency = = V cylinder

Pd
c b

ag aM

Ps
M

STUFFING BOX

PRESSURE RINGS

RIDER RINGS

RECIPROCATING COMPRESSORS INTERMEDIATE PRESSURES

Example 1
4 Stages Reciprocating Air comp has outlet pressure P4 = 80 bar what are the intermediate pressures
1st stage 2nd stage 3rd stage 4th stage

P0
0 bar

P1

P2

P3

P4
80 bar

1st stage

2nd stage

3rd stage

4th stage

P0
0 bar

P1

P2

P3

P4
80 bar

RT = P4 / P0 = (80 +1) / (0 +1) = 81/ 1 = 81 R =

N

RT =

81

= 3 = 3 bar = 2 = 9 bar = 8 = 27 bar = 26 = 81 bar = 80 bar bar bar bar

P1 = R * P0 = 3 * 1 P2 = R * P1 = 3 * 3 P3 = R * P2 = 3 * 9 P4 = R * P3 = 3 * 27

Example 2 3 Stages Gas compressor has Outlet pressure = 255 bar g Inlet pressure = 3 bar g What are the intermediate pressures
1st stage 2nd stage 3rd stage

P0
3 barg

P1

P2

P3
255 barg

P0
3 bar
3

1st stage

P1

2nd stage

3rd stage

P2

P3
255 bar

RT = R = R = RT

P3
P0
3

=
64

256 (255 +1) = 4 = 64 (3+1)

= 4

P1 = R * P0 = 4 * 4 = 16 bar = 15 bar P2 = R * P1 = 4 * 16 = 64 bar = 63 bar P3 = R * P2 = 4 * 64 = 256 bar = 255 bar