Design And Full Load Testing Of A High Pressure Centrifugal Natural Gas Injection Compressor

Abstract

This paper discusses the design of a high pressure reinjection centrifugal compressor. This compressor was tested in the manufacturer’s shop under full load to simulate the field operating conditions in terms of inlet/discharge pressures, flows, horsepower, gas density, etc. The test data indicates that with the proper design analysis, stable rotor/bearing systems can be designed for high pressure applications. The pressure transducer data verifies that the pressure pulsations at the inlet and discharge of a centrifugal compressor are very small even at high operating pressures. Reliable centrifugal compressors can be manufactured with the use of state of the art technology.