COMPRESSORS (2/10/02) A compressor’s capacity rating is generally based on the volumetric flow rate of gas entering the compressor. Ideal compression is a reversible adiabatic process. Using subscripts 1 and 2 refer to the compressor’s inlet and discharge, respectively Haa@C\(Rg~ hy) oe CAGE) ana tla where Haq = adiabatic head, ft-1bf/1bm (kJ/kg) hh = enthalpy per unit mass, BTU/lbm (kJ/kg) V= velocity, ft/s (m/s) Cy = 778 (1) (constants outside parentheses are used with USCS units; those in parentheses are used with SI units) Je = 32.2 ft-1bm/1bE-s? (1) c2 = 1 (2000) Pag = power required for reversible adiabatic compression, hp (ki) cy = 550 (1) rit = mass flow rate, Lbm/s (kg/s) If the change in kinetic energy across the compressor is ignored and substitutions are made based on ideal gas laws, the power required to arive a single-stage compressor equals reg See AL ae at)where Po = power required to drive a compressor, hp (ki) Cy = 229.2 (3600) Tig = isentropic adiabatic compression efficiency, +/100 mechanical efficiency of compressor, ¥/100 Nie = compressor efficiency based on isentropic adiabatic compression, %/100 P= pressure, psia (kPa abs) Zp = compression ratio = p2/p1 q = volumetric flow rate, cfm (m3/nr) k = gas specific heat ratio (1.395 for air) Although the above equation is for a single-stage compressor, it can be used to calculate the power required to drive a multistage compressor when there is no cooling within or between the stages. When a multistage compressor is fitted with intercoolers, which reduce the temperature of the gas being compressed as it travels from one stage to the next, the entire compression process is no longer adiabatic. However, the compression occurring within each stage prior to intercooling can be compared to an adiabatic process. Based on this, together with an equal compression ratio in each stage, the power required to drive a multistage compressor fitted with intercoolers (based on a comparison to adiabatic compression) equals 7 a(S Fe (-F-1) where n= number of compressor stagesAlternatively, the compression within each stage of a compressor may be compared to a reversible nonadiabatic polytropie process, which resulte in the following: P pots Pon oe ea feats pen where Ppoly = power required for ideal polytropic compression, hp (ki) y = polytropic exponent Npety © Polytropic compression efficiency, +/100 oof EE] ‘The power required to drive a compressor when y = 1, which represents isothermal compression, equals and where Pigo = power required for ideal isothermal compression, hp (kW) No = isothermal compression efficiency, ¥/100 ‘The above equations are based on the assumption that the gases being compressed follow the ideal or perfect gas laws, which generally results in sufficient accuracy for lower pressure applications. However, with high discharge pressures, compressibility factors should be incorporated into the equations.If the volume displaced by piston rods is ignored, the average capacity entering a reciprocating compressor can be estimated as follows: = _Co[ n(a,,)? ane “ > Joona where @ = average capacity entering the compressor, cfm (m3/nr) 5 = 1728 (1.6787) (6 = 1 for single-acting pistons, 2 for double-acting pistons dp1 = first-stage piston outside diameter, in. (wm) S$ = stroke length, in. (mm) = operating speed (equal to strokes per min/2), rpm my = number of cylinders in first stage volumetric efficiency = actual inlet capacity/theoretical capacity, %/100 Ww REFERENCES 1 Compressed Air and Gas Handbook, Compressed Air and Gas Institute, New York, 1973. 2.R.N. Brown, Compressors, Selection and Sizing, Gulf Pub. Co., Houston, TX, 1986. 3 Modern Marine Engineers Manual, Vol. I, 3rd ed., B.C. Hunt, ed., Cornell Naritime Press, 1999. 4 Marine Engineering, Roy L. Harrington, ed., SNAME, 1992.