GAS COMPRESSION

INTRODUCTION
In gas production operations, it is sometimes necessary for the pressure of the gas
to be raised to a higher value. Some of these reasons are shown below:
1. To supplement the reservoir energy (as the gas reservoir depletes) so as to
overcome all the pressure losses in the system and the pressure of the line into
which the gas is being delivered.
2. To overcome the losses incurred in the long distance transportation of natural gas
through transmission lines.
3. For re-injection of gas for pressure maintenance, gas cycling or gas lifting 4. For
injection of gas into storage fields.

TYPES OF COMPRESSORS
To achieve this step change in the pressure of the gas, a compressor is used.
Compressors can be classified into two main types:
1. Positive-displacement, or intermittent flow units and
2. Continuous flow units.

Continuous flow units are those in which a rapidly rotating element accelerates the
gas as it passes through the element, converting the velocity head into pressure.
Centrifugal compressors are continuous flow units in which one or more rotating
impellers, usually shrouded on the sides, accelerate the gas.

CENTRIFUGAL COMPRESSORS

Compression in a centrifugal compressor depends on the transfer of energy from a

rotating set of blades to the gas. The rotor accomplishes this energy transfer by
changing the momentum of gas. In the process, the momentum (related to kinetic
energy) is converted into useful pressure energy by slowing the gas down in a
stationary diffuser.
The centrifugal designation is used because the gas flow is radial, and the energy
transfer is predominantly due to a change in the centrifugal forces acting on the
gas.
The centrifugal compressor has an impeller with radial or backward slanted vanes.
The gas is forced through the impeller by the mechanical action of the rapidly
rotating impeller vanes. The velocity generated is then converted into pressure.
The attached diagram below illustrates a single-stage centrifugal compressor with
radial vanes. This utilizes a radial diffuser and a volute gas collector ending in a
volute diffuser.
Multistage centrifugal compressors utilize two or more impellers arranged for series
flow, each with a radial diffuser and return channel separating impellers. A section
of a typical uncooled multistage compressor is attached.

Single-Stage Centrifugal Compressor with Radial Vanes

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THE AIM OF THIS PROJECT IS TO CALCULATE THE

HORSEPOWER REQUIRED BY A CENTRIFUGAL
COMPRESSOR.
The question was taken from, Gas Production Operations, Beggs 1984:
Example5-5: Using the following data, estimate the horsepower required for a
centrifugal compressor to compress 50MMscfd of a 0.6 gravity gas.
p1 = 100psia
p2 = 400psia
Psc = 14.65psia
Z1 = 0.988
T1 = 80oF
k =1.28
Tsc =60oF
Bg = 0.131 ft3/scf

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MEASUREMENT AND CALCULATIONS

Step 1: Calculate the Actual Inlet Volume.
Actual Inlet Volume, q = qwBg = 50 x 10

scf
day

x 0.131

ft 3
scf

day
1440 min

= 4548.61

ft
min

Step 2: Determine the Polytropic Efficiency of the Dynamic

Compressor.
Using Figure 1 in the Appendix:
3

ft
With an inlet capacity of 4548.61 min

, the approximate polytropic efficiency is

72%

Step 3: Calculate (n-1)/n

Adiabatic compression is obtained when there is no heat added to or removed from
the gas during compression. The compression process is expressed by:

p1 V 1k =p 2 V 2k
Dynamic units generally are designed based on the polytropic cycle where the pV
relationship is:
n

p1 V 1 =p 2 V 2

; Where n k

The quantity (n-1)/n is frequently needed as can be obtained from the equation
below

n1 k 1
=
n
k p
Therefore:

1.281
1.28 (0.72)

= 0.304

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Step 4: Calculate Discharge Temperature of the gas.

T 1 = 80oF = 460 +80 =540oR
r=

p2
p1

400
100

=4

Discharge Temperature,

T 2 =T 1 r (n1)/n =

0.304

540 (4 )

= 822.96 oR

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Step 5: Calculate Average Compressibility of the gas

Calculate the discharge compressibility, Z 2 using the Figures 2 & 3 shown in
Appendix.
Determine the Pseudo Critical Pressure and Pseudo Critical Temperature from
Figure 2 using the Specific Gravity, g = 0.6:
Pseudo Critical Pressure, Pc = 670 psia
Pseudo Critical Temperature, Tc = 360 oR
Pseudo Reduced Pressure, Ppr = 400/670 = 0.597
Pseudo Reduced Temperature, Tpr = 822.96/360 = 2.286
Determine the Discharge Compressibility from Figure 3 using the Pseudo Reduced
Pressure and the Pseudo Reduced Temperature:
Discharge Compressibility, Z2 =0.991
Average Compressibility,

0.988+ 0.991
2

= 0.99

Step 6: Calculate the Atomic Mass of the gas

Atomic Mass, M= 28.96 g
Atomic Mass, M = 28.96 (0.6) = 17.38 lbm/lb-mole

Step 7: Calculate Polytropic Head

Polytropic Head, Hp =

r
((n1)/n)1

R T 1 n z

M (n1)

; where R is the gas constant

540
()(0.99)

4
( 0.304)1

1545

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ftlb
lb m

= 81,911.26

Step 8: Calculate the Mass Flow Rate

Mass Flow Rate, w = 50 x 106

scf 17.38 lb m 1 day

day 379 scf 1440 min

= 1591.91

lbm
min

Step 9: Calculate the Power Required Horsepower

Horsepower, Hp =

w Hp
33,000 p

1591.91( 81,911.26)
(33,000)(0.72)

= 5490.02 Hp

APPENDIX

Figure 1: Approximate polytropic efficiency vs inlet volume

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Figure 2: Pseudo critical properties of natural gas

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Figure 3: Compressibility factors for natural gas

References:
(Beggs, 1984)
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