Short Course 1

Centrifugal Compressors 101

For availability of Short Course 1 please contact Amy Zalmanek, Registrar, 979-862-1012.

• Monday, September 8, 8:30-5:00, Room 360A
• Limited Seating reserved on first-money-received basis!
• Register for this short course online

Instructors:
Mark Kuzdzal and Jay Koch, Dresser-Rand Co., Olean, NY

This course is aimed at engineers and operational personnel who need a broad-based introduction to centrifugal compressor design and analysis. This course starts with the basics and builds to provide a full understanding of a centrifugal compressor. The course will include the following topics: reciprocating and centrifugal compressor similarities/differences; centrifugal compressor configurations; design consideration; and balancing aerodynamic, rotordynamic, and mechanical consideration. The course will answer the question "How do they work?"

This course will help with procurement engineers, rotating equipment engineers, and operation and maintenance engineers. In addition, the course is also well suited for compressor OEM engineers. At the completion of the course, the attendees will hold a strong understanding of basic concepts. This knowledge will act as a springboard to further growth understanding of more complex centrifugal compressor concepts. An emphasis is placed on providing practical information with minimal theory.

- Reciprocating and centrifugal compressor similarities/differences
- History of compressors
- Timeline, major advances
- Configurations, straight-through, back-to-back, compound, side streams, double flow
- How do they work (potential energy, kinetic energy, PE, KE, ...)
- Markets served
- Pressure containment
- Case
- Nozzles and flanges
- Selection process
- Frame selection
- Impellers
- Impeller bore
- Coupling size
- Bearing and seal sizes
- Impeller
- Basic of creating velocity -- tie back to "How do they work"
- Blade design
- Shrouded and unshrouded
- Stationary aerocomponents
- Single stage:
Inlet, inlet guide
Diffuser, vaned and vaneless, LSD
Volute and collector
- Multistage:
Return bend
Return channel
- Aerodynamics
- Head, efficiency, work input, stall, surge, overload, stability
- Gas variations -- affect on aero
- Operation -- recycle loop
- Rotordynamics
- Critical speed maps
- Synchronous unbalance response
- Stability, log decrement
- Damper seals
- Bearings, seals
- TP, sleeve, magnetic
- Squeeze film damper
- Steady-state and transient torsional
- Stress analysis
- Impeller dynamics
- Acoustics
- Seals
- Gas seals
- Oil film seals
- Laby
- API requirement
- Performance testing
- Mechanical testing
- Vibration signatures of classic problems, surge, stall, bearing whirl, SSV, forced vibration
- Materials considerations
- Effects of fouling
- Wear