EXXON Compression Selection Guide
EXXON Compression Selection Guide
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CONTENTS
Section Page
SCOPE ............................................................................................................................................................ 2
REFERENCES ................................................................................................................................................ 2
BACKGROUND .............................................................................................................................................. 2
TABLES
Table 1A Comparison Of Compressor Driver Types ..................................................................... 6
Table 1B Comparison Of Compressor Driver Types (Torque, Size, Weight) ................................ 7
Table 2 Summary Of Major Considerations In Driver Type Selection......................................... 8
FIGURE
Figure 1 Classification Of Compressor Driver Types ................................................................... 5
Revision Memo
12/01 Added VFD comment to special situations.
SCOPE
This section presents comparative information on various types of compressor drivers commercially available and the basis for
driver type selection. Details on various driver types and construction styles and on mechanical design features are presented
in Sections XI-L, XI-M, and XI-N.
REFERENCES
GLOBAL PRACTICE
GP 10-11-1 Sizing of Drivers and Transmissions for Compressors, Fans, and Pumps
OTHER REFERENCES
Gibbs, C. W., Compressed Air and Gas Data, Ingersoll-Rand Company, 1969.
Ludwig, E. E., Applied Process Design for Chemical and Petrochemical Plants, Volume III, Gulf Publishing Company, 1965.
BACKGROUND
Selection of the optimum type of driver for a compressor unit involves a qualitative screening of the circumstances surrounding
the overall plant design, followed by an economic evaluation of the most likely choices. Driver type selection is sometimes so
obvious as not to require the detailed evaluation study. However, where significant competition exists between rival types, the
comparative study and selection must be made early in the process design stage because a great many aspects of the plant
utility system design and compression services design are dependent on this decision.
The basic types of drivers used for process plant compressors are classified in Figure 1. The driver classification system most
relevant to process plant design is based on the driver's source of energy. With electric motors, energy is supplied via power
transmission cable from an electric power distribution network. With combustion engines, liquid or gaseous fuel is supplied to
the machine for internal conversion to shaft work via combustion. With expanders, energy is added to a working fluid medium
within one discrete unit operation (steam generator, regenerator, nitric acid plant converter, etc.), and extracted via the
expander at some convenient location downstream of the energy source.
For a comparison of driver types see Table 1.
DRIVER SIZING
Actual Size - Selection of actual driver power rating or “sizing" is performed during detail engineering, following compressor
model selection. The basis for driver sizing is specified by GP 10-11-1. This basis should also be used to estimate the
required driver size during the process design phase, so that the utility supply system can be designed. Per GP 10-11-1:
Driver power rating shall be the larger of 1 and 2 below:
2. Driven Equipment Power Requirement of Specified Alternate Operating Condition(s) x Load Factor
Mechanical Efficiency of Separate Power Transmission
Load factors, specified in GP 10-11-1, vary between 1.0 and 1.15. Mechanical efficiency of a gear unit between compressor
and driver ranges between 95 and 98.5%, as shown in Section XI-D. When a gear unit is not used (driver and compressor
operating at same speed), the transmission efficiency is 100%.
Driven equipment normal operating point is the point at which normal operation is expected and optimum efficiency is desired.
ECONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS
Driver type selection is always based on economic considerations. The most important factor is the operating cost of the
energy supply. The key factors determining the energy cost are the base fuel value, and the overall efficiency at which the
available fuel energy is converted to mechanical work.
Other critical factors in the economic evaluation are:
• Number of units required, as dictated by the continuous run length and availability potential of the practical driver choices.
• Cost of downtime for maintenance.
• Investment requirement for both the driver and its utility supply system: equipment prices plus installation costs.
• Cost of maintenance.
Of relatively little influence in driver type selection are:
• Process control requirements, since adequate control systems can be designed for all driver types.
• Operator monitoring requirements, since, with proper instrumentation, the differences are small in comparison to other
economic considerations.
• Noise level, since satisfactory attenuation can be engineered at low cost for all types.
• Size, weight and complexity, since the direct economic impact is often small compared to other factors. However, size and
weight are important considerations in offshore applications.
• Driven equipment speed, since gearing can be included to perform any speed change necessary.
SPECIAL SITUATIONS
Steam turbines can be applied to a variety of inlet/exhaust pressure levels within the plant to balance process steam needs.
Optimum matches of individual turbine power requirements to expansion energy availability should be sought.
Gas turbines have been justified for process plant service only when the exhaust heat is utilized to generate steam or can be
recovered in a process furnace. Investments and operating credits for the exhaust heat recovery equipment must be included
in the overall evaluation.
Starting Drivers - The steam turbines normally employed as starting drivers for gas turbines can be used for continuous power
contribution, if designed for continuous operation. The starting turbine rating can be specified for more than the minimum
required for starting, if dual drive is the economic way to meet a high driver load requirement.
FIGURE 1
CLASSIFICATION OF COMPRESSOR DRIVER TYPES
Compressor Driver
Wound Rotor
Induction (1)
Back Pressure Condensing Power Recovery Cryogenic
Turboexpander
Extraction/Induction (5)
Reciprocating Dynamic
Notes:
(1) Rarely used for compressor drive.
(2) Impulse blading, reaction blading, and combinations of the two are all commonly used.
(3) Almost all are supercharged, rather than naturally aspirated. Both 2- and 4-stroke cycle designs are used for all
three types.
(4) Almost all for compressor drive are open cycle, rather than closed cycle; and non-regenerative, rather than
regenerative.
(5) Usually condensing. DP11KFF01
TABLE 1A
COMPARISON OF COMPRESSOR DRIVER TYPES(1)
APPROXIMATE COMPRESSOR
ORDER OF AVAIL. SPEED, Rpm SPEED TYPES TO WHICH
USAGE HORSEPOWER (60 CYCLE VARIATION COMMONLY
DRIVER TYPE FREQUENCY RANGE POWER)(2) POSSIBLE EFFICIENCY APPLIED
Induction 1 1 to 30,000 3,600/N*less 2% Constant speed 10 hp (7.5 kW) - 86% All types
Motor (N = 1 through 8) drive - 100% or 100 hp (75 kW) 91%
Variable Frequency 1,000 hp (750 kW) 94%
Drive – 100% down 10,000 hp (7500 kW)
to 70%(3) 95.5%
Steam Turbine 2 10 to 100,000 1800 to 35000 100% down to 70(3) 50 to 82% adiabatic Centrifugal, axial
(larger for fixed expansion efficiency flow, high pressure
speed, power rotary screw
generation services)
Combustion 3 5,000 hp (3750 kW) 100 to 90% single 26 to 29% over all Centrifugal, axial
Gas Turbine @ 10,000 rpm to shaft thermal efficiency for flow, and high
35,000 hp (26,250 100 to 80% two shaft simple open cycle 29 pressure rotary
kW) @ 4700 rpm. to 36 with regenerator screw
Many commercial
models available
below
3,000 hp (2250 kW)
for miscellaneous
applications.
Integral Gas 4 From 1700 hp (1275 100 to 75(4) 32 to 40% over-all Reciprocating
Engine kW) to 10,000 hp thermal efficiency
(7500 kW) @ 300
rpm
Notes:
(1) Tabulation limited to the commercially applied ranges of horsepower and speed. *N = Number of pairs of poles.
(2) For 50 cycle power, speed is 0.833 of 60 cycle speed.
(3) Larger speed variation possible except as limited by train critical speed locations.
(4) Consult with MACHINERY SPECIALIST before assuming wider speed range. Range limited by train torsional critical speed or engine turndown
considerations.
TABLE 1B
COMPARISON OF COMPRESSOR DRIVER TYPES
(TORQUE, SIZE, WEIGHT)
ROUGH WEIGHT
STARTING TORQUE & AMPERAGE, STALLING LEVEL, TYPICAL LENGTH
DRIVER TYPE % FULL LOAD TORQUE lb/hp (KG/kW) RANGE ft (m)
Induction Motor 100 to 150% torque, 400 to 800% amp 150 to 200% 10 (6) 5 - 15 (1.5 - 4.5)
Combustion Gas Turbine Both single and two-shaft gas turbines — 6 (3.6)(1) 20 - 50 (6 - 15)(1)
require a sizeable starting motor or steam
turbine. The single shaft requires much
larger starting driver because of its poor
part load torque characteristic.
Integral Gas Engine Nil, started by compressed air About 120% 80(48) 20 - 40 (6 - 12)
(INC. COMP.)
Coupled Gas Engine Nil, started by compressed air About 120% 50 (30) 20 - 40 (6 - 12)
Coupled Diesel Engine Nil, started by compressed air About 120% 50 (30) 20 - 40 (6 - 12)
Note:
(1) Heavy duty gas turbine weight and length shown. Comparable aircraft derivative engine weight is 2 lb/hp (1.2 kg/kW), length
20 to 35 ft (6 to 10 m).
TABLE 2
SUMMARY OF MAJOR CONSIDERATIONS IN DRIVER TYPE SELECTION(1)
SEPARATE
INTEGRAL DIESEL OR POWER
ELECTRIC STEAM GAS GAS GAS RECOVERY
CONSIDERATIONS MOTOR TURBINE TURBINE ENGINE ENGINE TURBOEXPANDER
Utility Considerations
Purchased power available, reliable, cheap X
Low process requirement for steam X X X
High process requirement for steam X X(2)
Steam generation within process system X
Fuel Considerations
Low cost fuel gas available X X
Heavy fuel oil is principal fuel X
Process Integration
Hot exhaust gas available X(3)
Process furnace can utilize hot, oxygen rich X
exhaust gas
Load Level
Compressor load < 6,000 hp (4500 kW) X X X X X
Compressor load 6,000 to 20,000 hp (4500 - X X X X
15000 kW)
Compressor load 20,000 to 30,000 hp (15000 - X X X
23000 kW)
Compressor load 30,000 to 40,000 hp (23,000 - X X
30,000 kW)
Design Objectives
Minimum energy or fuel cost (5) X X X X
Minimum utility supply system cost (6) (6) X X X
Minimum number of units required X X X X
Minimum driver cost X X
Minimum total plant investment X(7)
Minimum maintenance requirement, long runs X X X
Minimum operator manning X X (8)
Minimum driver physical size, weight X X
Notes:
(1) X indicates consideration tends to favor this driver type.
(2) Steam generated in exhaust heat recovery boiler.
(3) Supplemental tandem driver sometimes required.
(4) Drive train requires special engineering to assure operable torsional vibration characteristics.
(5) Usually highest energy cost.
(6) For low power compressors, incremental utility supply system costs are low.
(7) Assuming use of purchased power.
(8) Higher operator manning than motors and steam turbines, but much lower than reciprocating engines.