| dc.description.abstract | One of the primary functions of the rotating machinery engineer is the application and selection of turbomachinery. During the early stages of a project, the process engineer needs to know the performance of turbomachinery, the horsepower, etc., in order to complete the arrangement of equipment in the process. As the project progresses, selection of the turbomachinery becomes focused on materials of construction, rotor design, bearings, and seals. The configuration of a centrifugal compressor employing radial flow type impellers in a typical refinery process is presented, along with the methods used to select, compute estimated performance and mechanical design parameters, including materials of construction. A discussion is included on the nondimensional quantities of aerodynamic (rotating) elements; specific speed, suction specific speed, and flow coefficient. The compressor selection discussions are directed primarily to radial flow type compressors that are commonly used in hydrogen rich services for a refinery unit. Here, "selection of turbomachinery" is considered to be computation (estimation) of thermodynamic performance, metallurgy and rotor arrangement (shaft, bearings, seals, etc.). The selection process occurs before the machinery is purchased from the OEM. On many projects however, that are so called front end engineering only some of the details of hardware design are not considered. | en |
