TEST CAMPAIGN AND APPLICATION STUDY FOR A HIGH PRESSURE COMPRESSOR WITH MODULAR ROTOR

Barrel style centrifugal compressors are widely used for high pressure gas compression applications in the oil and gas industry. Using a modular rotor in a high pressure centrifugal compressor for Oil and Gas Service is a method that is distinctly different from ubiquitous solid shaft machine designs. It is accepted in the governing standards, for example API 617, and allows for significant flexibility under changing operating requirements. Using a modular rotor allows to avoid splitting diaphragms, but it also requires different assembly, balancing and test methods. The machine described in this study is a single compartment compressor capable of 340 bar discharge pressure. The study provides aerodynamic test data for a series of closed loop tests at discharge pressures of over 220 bar, using Nitrogen, CO2 and natural gas as test gases, to validate compressor performance, rotordynamic stability and mechanical integrity. An important feature of the test campaign is the detailed evaluation of the transient behavior during tests to verify the machine integrity at rapid shutdowns at high discharge pressures. The paper also discusses the applications for such centrifugal compressors in the oil and gas industry, considerations on standardized designs, and its integration in a modular design system.