Reciprocating Compressors: Get To Know

Your Gas - Carbon Dioxide

May 31st, 2016

By: Michael Dennison, Mechanical Engineer

Reciprocating compressors are used to compress several different types of gases. This
article focuses on Carbon Dioxide (CO2) and items to look out for during reciprocating
collection and analysis to ensure your compressor operates safely.

CO2 compressors are used in many applications such as injection, rejection for oils wells,
and in production of fertilizer and CO2 . These compressors have a variety of ranges of
pressures and temperatures depending on the process and may have a CO2 gas
composition with different hydrocarbon constituents along with a different percentage of
relative humidity. These different parameter ranges can be an area of concern in regards to
the compression of CO2 .

How does CO2 cause damage to reciprocating equipment?

A potential cause of damage to reciprocating compressors is through the formation of

condensation. In the case of high relative humidity CO2 , the possible formation of
Carbonic Acid (H2CO3) can occur, creating a very corrosive environment for the
equipment. Many packagers address this issue by using certain types of stainless steels in

the piping, pulsation bottles, and valves when creating a

compressor package. If carbon steel is used instead of the correct stainless steel, the
corrosive environment will cause pitting, which weakens the integrity of the metal. If the
condensation is able to make a substantial amount of liquid, the possible threat of liquid
slugging could happen as well as lubrication washout. Liquid slugging has the potential to
destroy the pistons, cylinder walls, sealing elements of the valves, as well as valves’ seats
and guards. An example of valve damage caused by liquid slug can be seen in the image to
the left. Large amounts of condensation could also washout the lubrication inside the
cylinder. The liquid dropout displaces the lubrication along the cylinder lining, increasing
the chance that scoring along the lining will occur. The scoring will create passages for gas
to leak by the piston rings making the compressor less efficient. High viscosity oil can be
used to minimize the damage if the present of liquids are suspected.

How can you prevent damage to your reciprocating equipment caused by

CO2?

The easiest way to prevent these types of damage is to make sure your suction scrubbers
and drainage protocol are in specification, and by looking at the phase envelope graphs of

the gas compositions and determine were the compressor

operates to avoid the formation of liquid dropout. Data from the National Institute of
Standards and Technology (NIST) shows the phase regions of pure CO2 at different
pressures and temperatures in the image to the right. Using similar charts, operators
should make efforts to stay away from the liquid region to reduce damage to the
compressor. Additional data, such as actual gas composition and percent of relative
humidity, will help fine tune the phase envelope. Taking actual temperature and pressure
data from the compressor and using the phase envelope will help determine if your
compressor is at risk, as shown in the figure to the left. Using both charts, it can be

concluded as a general guideline that the suction

temperature of the CO2 composition should be above the cricondentherm, the temperature
at which liquid cannot form regardless of pressure, in most cases the suction temperature
needs to be above 110 ° F.
The critical temperature of a substance is the temperature at and above which vapor
of the substance cannot be liquefied, no matter how much pressure is applied.

Every substance has a critical temperature. Some examples are shown below.

substance critical temperature (oC)

NH3 132

O2 -119

CO2 31.2

H2O 374

Critical Pressure

The critical pressure of a substance is the pressure required to liquefy a gas at its
critical temperature. Some examples are shown below.
substance critical pressure (atm)

NH3 111.5

O2 49.7

CO2 73.0

H2O 217.7
If you are simulating a 5-stage reciprocating compressor, your staged pressures should be something in the
vicinity of:

1st Stage suction = 29 psia

2nd Stage suction = 78 psia
3rd Stage suction = 208 psia
4th Stage suction = 557 psia
5th Stage suction = 1,490 psia
5th Stage discharge = 3,989 psia

You’ve failed to state whether your pressures are absolute or gauge; I’ve opted for absolute; otherwise the
compression ratios can’t be calculated since they are in absolute pressure.

Contrary to what you state, the CO2 starts to go “critical” after 4th stage, not the last stage. This is assuming
the above discharge pressures, which are based on the normal and conventional method used to determine
the number of stages: that the work is equal in each stage. That means you’ve got a special situation and, as
dcasto says, the best (&most efficient) bet is to pump liquid CO 2 instead of compressing supercritical fluid.

Regarding dehydration, we don’t know what your other requirements are, but you’ve a need to separate liquid
water prior to each compression stage. After the 4th stage, the remaining water of saturation will probably go
into solution. At this stage you are in the supercritical and a lot of funny and strange things that aren’t
documented, start to happen. You may get by with minimal carbonic acid corrosion; I would research this
before being certain. If you can’t tolerate any subsequent corrosion, then you’ll have to dehydrate – probably
with an adsorption unit using activated alumina. This can drop your water content down to less than -90 oF
dew point, if you want it that low. I would dry the gas at the 3rd stage discharge, after intercooling. You have
to state your constraints or accept the basis.