LARGE IDGH PRESSURE CENTRIFUGAL COMPRESSORS FOR OXYGEN SERVICE

by
Kenneth W. Geiser
Manager, Compression Equipment Division
American Demag Corporation
New York, New York

dependent upon the inlet pressure. These single casing units

K. W. Geiser graduated from Pratt In­ were applied to plants with a capacity of300 to400 short tons of
stitute wit h a Bachelor of Mec hanical oxygen per day. Plants in the range of600 short tons per day of
Engineering degree in 1952 after a two­ oxygen allowed adequate flow in the last impeller to justify
year training program at v arious en­ pressures between 28 and 34 bar. This necessitated a two­
gineering and manufacturing locations casing compressor, and as plant sizes increased eventually al­
with Allis C halmers. He became a sales lowed for the utilization of the second casing to the nominal41
engineer primarily involved with the pet­ bar discharge pressure.
roleum and c hemical industry which in­
cluded t he air separation industry. He Many of these 28 and41 bar pipline pressures were used
joined American Dernag Corporation in to serve the steel industry. The steel industry requirements
1969 as a sales engineer with specific re­ were lower, normally in the 17 to 21 bar level; however, the
sponsibility for the air separation industry. In 1972 he assumed higher pressures were used to provide gaseous storage. In1970
his present position as manager of the Compression Equipment two centrifugal compressors discharging oxygen at65 bar were
Division of American Demag Corporation and is responsible furnished for a partial oxidation process at a plant in Germany.
for sales, engineering, and sertlice functions of that division. A limited number of high pressure compressors are now on
He is a member of A SME. order, however successful operation of the initial units built
five years ago has prompted the same customer to order
another unit in the past year. Figure 1 shows such a unit.

ABSTRACT
Centrifugal compressors have been used to compress oxy­
gen for at least 25 years. Until ten years ago, the flows were
relatively small and discharge pressures were relatively low. In
the mid 1960's the size of single train oxygen plants increased
dramatically, and this allowed discharge pressures from the
centrifugal machine in the 28 to 41 bar range.
Change in the design and installation of centrifugal oxygen
compressors evolved in the late 1960's as a result of the in­
crease in both size and discharge pressure. It also made con­
sideration of 69 bar discharges possible after experience was
gained with the 41 bar discharge level.
The rapid change in the state of the art of application of
centrifugal compressors to oxygen service in conjunction with
the known hazards of the gas has prompted this discourse.
Consideration will be given to the application including safety
features, materials of construction, cleanliness required, desir­
able installation and maintenance features and the present and
projected design limits for these centrifugal compressors.

INTRODUCTION
Oxygen as a component of the atmosphere in which we
live is vital to our existence and relatively safe and easy to deal
with. In its pure form, however, it can be extremely dangerous
if not handled properly. Since the very early days of the air
separation industry, oxygen has been compressed to high pres­
sures, (69 to 138 bar).
However, at that time, the volumes of gas were relatively Figure 1. Oxygen Compressors. Two-casing Centrifugal Oxy­
small and compression was accomplished by the means of gen Compressors installed in an air separation plant in Ger­
either reciprocating compressors or liquid pumps. The in­ many.
crease in air separation plant sizes in the past ten years has Flow = 47088 m3/h , inlet pressure 1. 03 kp/cm2, discharge
=

made the use of centrifugal compressors for oxygen service pressure = 67 kp/cm2, Power =11000 kW, Speed =

more attractive. In the early 1960's applications of centrifugal 7840/12450 RPM

compressors for oxygen service involved a single casing com­ The compressor casings are surrounded by fire walls, and cov­
pressor with discharge pressures of between 17 and 21 bar, ered on the top with sound absorption parts.

1
2 PROCEEDINGS OF THE FIFTH TURBOMACHINERY SYMPOSIUM

From the finegoing you can see that the application of

centrifugal oxygen compressors has evolved over the past quar­
ter of a century with plateaus ten years ago when the industry
went to two-casing units and then within the last five years
when 69 har oxygen compressors were built.

Currently the U.S. production of gaseous oxygen is over

25 billion cubic feet per month averaged quarterly, and with an
expected growth rate of approximately .5% per year. A trend to
larger plants to more economically satisfy these needs will give
preference to the application of centrifiigal compressors.
\Vith this background, J will now discuss the four 4
( ) areas
which atfect the application ami operation of the centrifugal
compressors for this service. The areas to he covered include:
machine design: .installation considerations: operation of the
compressor; and maintenance of the compressor.

DESIGN
The design of the centrifugal compressor is the responsi­
bility of the mannJ�wturer who in addition to good machine
desigll practices, must rely heavily upon his experience in ap­
plying centrifugal compressors for oxygen service. Particular
attention must he given to the following:

A. Rotor stability to j)lTclnde component rub within the

compressor is extremely important. The current state
of the art of rotor dvnamics calculation, whidJ is de­
scribed in an adviso.ry issued hy the Compressed Air
and Gas Institute, is a very significant tooL In order to
check the rotor dynamics calculations, some users will Figure 2. Bronze 1 nserts with Silver Tips for multi-chamber
conduct a full capacity Held test on the compressor labyrinth sealing sustem i11 the high pressure part of a two­
utilizing a mixture of 7.5% nitrogen and 2.5% carbon casing centrifi.tgal oxygen comprcosor
dioxiclC' to simulate the characteristics of oxygen with­ Flore = .1:375 1n"/h. inlet pressure= 18. 28 kp/cm', discharge
out the risk of the hazards of oxygen. prcssllrl' = 41.82 kp/cm', speed= 11,025 RPM.
B. Because of the nature of the gas its tcmperatmc must For this app/ir:ation (high pressure) the i111pe/lers arc also of
he limited, and this limit is defined by the Code of hronzl'.
Practice established hy the European Working Panel
at 200°C. To accomplish this, rnulit-stage centr.if\Jgal eally the bearing housings must b(� separate fi-om the
compressors must be intereooled. casing to provide atmospheric space between the
labvrinth seal and the hearing h(msing. Most recent
C. The materials of construction must be considered with
designs carry this further by adding a purge to the
regard to their compatibility with oxygen as well as
bearing housing seals to further assnre this separation.
their physical and thermal properties for both normal
Shafts are designed with either a step or a slinger
and abnormal operation. Silver f(>r instance is consi­
between bearing and the oxygen immersed portion of
dered as a material!()r labyrinth seals, so that in case
the shaft.
of a component rub its softness and low melting temp­
erature (900°C) allows it to relieve itself without igni­ The machinC' must also be designed so that .it can he
tion, whieh is estimated to be above 1.500°C in an easily cleaned h>r oxygen service. Cleanlim�ss is ex­
atmosphere of oxygen at 1 bar pressure. The high tremely important, and a machine that can he easily
conductivity properties of silver also contribute fitvor­ cleaned for oxygen service probably will be cleaned
ably in that it allows the heat to be carried away from better. Dead air spaces and blind areas, which must
the local area. For casing and casing parts, cast or be cleaned and flushed because thev are in contact
nodular iron is normally preferred to cast steel in that with the oxygen gas, should be avoid�cl. These design
the oxide of iron is normally in a fine powdered form, features should be developed in conjunction with shop
which has a reasonable chance of passing through the and service personnel to avoid pitblls. Figure3 shows
machine without incident, whereas steel under heavv a view of such a fitcility.
corrosion will have a tendency to flake. The casin g Because of the complexity of the design fimction and
material, of course, is a preference sinee there is a the hwt that this paper is directed toward the applica­
point at higher pressures where steel must be used tion of eentrifi.1gal compressors for oxygen service, the
because of its strength characteristic. items listed represent only the major considerations
The seal bodies fen· inserts are generally made of non that must be taken into account for the design of these
ferrous materials, so that if a massive rub should oc­ compressors.
cur, which would wipe out the silver labyrinth tips,
the contact between two ferrous materials would be INSTALLATION
avoided as seen in Figure 2.
The installation of a centrifugal oxygen compressor re­
D. The design of the machine must provide for a positive quires the same good engineering design practices that we use
separation of the gas and hydrocarbons (oil). Specifi- for other turbo-machinery installations. In addition, there are
 LARGE HIGH PRESSURE CENTRIFUGAL COMPRESSORS FOR OXYGEN SERVICE 3

ponent rubs within the compressor as well as being

the vehicle for lifting dirt from corners or their settling
places within the system. Surge also because of the
turbulence it generates will raise the temperature of
the gas within the system.
D. The fire protection system is probably the most un­
ique to an oxygen compressor system. The nature of
oxygen compression is such that should an incident
occur, the duration of the fire will probably be less
than 1 minute however, the potential energy released
within that short period of time can cause extensive
damage. A fire detection system ideally should pro­
vide the back-up for a well-designed compressor sys­
tem. Its function is to detect a temperature increase at
the earliest possible time and react with sufficient dis­
patch to contain the conflagration within the compres­
sor casing and minimize damage. The detection sys­
tem in most common use today utilizes temperature
sensing devices at each stage.
Several centrifugal oxygen compressors have been
Figure 3. "Clean-Room" in the large assembly h all of the Duis­ equipped with melting fuse sensing devices for faster
burg factory. It fulfills the cleanliness conditions necessary for action. Photo sensing devices are being developed and
the final assembly of turbo compressors for oxygen. All equip­ tested to provide even faster response. The signal
ment can easily be kept clean; an overpressure inside the tent from the sensing devices is used to automatically shut
room prevents the entry of dust. down the compressor, isolate the compressor from the
system and vent the gas pressure. In many cases it also
several features requiring special attention when considering is used to actuate a deluge system to avoid the spread
an oxygen compressor application. These fall into two general of the fire as seen in Figure 4 .
categories, one being the accessory equipment, and the second The environment, in which the compressor will operate,
the environment of the compressor. is the result of the design of the air separation plant. Again as
with the design of the compressor, good engineering practice
First of all, let's consider the accessory equipment: should be utilized in planning and laying out the compressor
A. The lube oil system in addition to providing adequate building. There are, however, several unique requirements of
lubrication for the compressor and its accessories must an oxygen compressor installation, which must be considered.
also be designed to prevent the mixing of hydrocarbon A. Since oxygen is heavier than air, it will tend to collect
vapors and oxygen. The removal of hydrocarbon vap­ in low areas, pits, and trenches. Places where an oxy-
ors from the area of the compressor is provided for by
the proper design of lube oil drain piping utilizing
partially full drain lines to allow carry-over of vapor
and a purge system backed up by an eductor or vac­
uum blower on the lube oil tank. These vapors should
be piped to the outside of the compressor house away
from the oxygen producing equipment.
Another factor to be considered is the operation of the
auxiliary lube oil pump. An auxiliary lube oil pump,
designed to start on low oil pressure, can in the case of
a compressor incident contribute to the proliferation
of a fire. This can be avoided by an automatic shut­
down of the auxiliary oil pump should the compressor
be taken off the line by the fire protection system.
B. A filter or strainer should be installed at the inlet to
the compressor. This filter according to the European
Code of Practice should remove all particles larger
than 150 microns in diameter. It must be made of
material compatible with the oxygen, and it must be
adequately designed and braced to be able to with­
stand the maximum differential pressure and/or turbu­
lence that it may be subjected to. In his paper de­
livered at the CGA Symposium on oxygen compres­
sors, bibliography reference four page 26, Mr. Con­
nally of AIRCO Industrial Gases offered a suggested
design for an inlet filter.
C. Careful attention must also be given to the antisurge Figure 4. Oxygen compressors at an air separation plant built
and by-pass control system. Surge should be carefully in 1966. This shows the open construction prevalent at the time
avoided in an oxygen compressor since it is an unsta­ without barriers but with a deluge system. Open grating is not
ble operating condition which can contribute to com- recommended by the Code of Practice.
4 PROCEEDINGS OF THE FIFTH TURBO MACHINERY SYMPOSIUM

gen concentration can accumulate must be avoided in rial will be propelled by the pressure of the gas. At
the vicinity of the oxygen compressor. points where this burning material has the potential
B. Because of the need for cleanliness, an area should be for burning through the casing piping elbows, or other
provided around the machine which can be isolated vulnerable areas, sufficient space must be allotted be­
during erection and maintenance of the oxygen com­ tween that part and the enclosure to prevent a burn­
pressors. This area must be adequately sized to allow through of the enclosure with the appropriate consid­
for setting down oxygen cleaned parts of a disassem­ eration given to the material of the enclosure and
bled compressor. The area must also be protected pressure of the gas in the part. Appropriately pro­
from overhead cranes that have a potential for drip­ tected inspection ports should be provided and in­
ping oil or grease into the area or on the compressor. strumentation should provide readout on the outside
C. As a mafter of safety, should an incident occur, a clear of the enclosure.
level operating floor without obstructions and/or steps As with the compressor itself, the oxygen piping system
and doors that allow easy egress must be provided. should be designed for ease of cleaning and to minimize dirt
D. On the subject of enclosures, current practice among buildup within the system. The use of welding backup rings
air separation plant builders ranges from minimal bar­ should be avoided where possible, and likewise bellows type
riers to a total enclosure as seen in picture of the high expansion joints should be provided with appropriate liners in
pressure oxygen compressor installation. Although the order to avoid places for dirt and foreign matter to build up.
frequency of incidents involving oxygen compressors Gas velocities within the piping system should be kept rela­
is relatively low for the number of compressor hours tively low in order to avoid carrying dirt and foreign material
operated, and because the units are usually unat­ with the possibility that it would impinge on containing sur­
tended, the frequency of personal injury is relatively faces where the direction of the gas is changed. 'Vhile the
low. However, because of the potential energy release allowable maximum velocity is a function of the oxygen pres­
in case of an incident, many users now utilize barriers sure within the pipe, there are no firm agreed upon limits
or enclosures to protect other equipment and person­ because of the number of variables involved. Although the
nel. The materials of construction for these barriers European Code of Practice recommends a relatively high limit,
include flame resistant insulating panels, sandwiched most oxygen plant builders will limit the velocities to some­
metal and insulation panels and cinder block. In the thing in the range of6 to8 meters per second. Figure 5 shows
case of an incident, the molten slag or burning mate- an air seperation plant in Antwerp.

Figure 5. Air Separation Plant in Antwerp for 1540 tons per day
oxygen with 1 turbo compressor for air and a two-casing turbo compressor for oxygen.
Oxygen Compressor: (in foreground)
Two-casing turbo compressor
Flow= 36,150 m3/h , inlet pressure= 1.105 kp/cm2, discharge pressure 41.5 kp/cm2,
Power= 7900 kW (electric motor), speed= 7600 /12,100 RPM
 LARGE HIGH PRESSURE CENTRIFUGAL COMPRESSORS FOR OXYGEN SERVICE 5

OPERATION CONCLUSION
Safe operation of the centrifugal oxygen compressor in­ Oxygen has been successfully compressed to discharge
volves limiting the operation to the flows and pressures for pressures in the range of 70 bar provided that certain design
which it was designed. This means that a close and clear com­ features and operating procedures are incorporated into the
munication between the user and the manufacturer of the installation. As plant sizes and discharge pressures increase,
compressor is imperative to properly define all normal and the importance of these special design features and operating
potential abnormal operating conditions. In the case where the procedures becomes more important; however, the economics
abnormal operating condition might result in unstable opera­ of centrifugal compression for large air separation plants, which
tion of the compressor, then the appropriate controls must be are being built and projected for future needs, makes these
designed and provided to limit the compressor's operation. special considerations worthwhile.
During startup and shut-down of any turbo compressor,
the machine experiences unstable operation. Because of this,
almost all users now start and shut down oxygen compressors
using an inert gas such as nitrogen. During normal schedule REFERENCES
shutdowns, safety devices should be checked for proper opera­ 1 . Turbo Compressors for Oxygen Service Code of Prac­
tion. Recording devices are desirable to allow the engineers to tice/European Working Panel. Second Printing 1974.
evaluate the performance of the machine should trouble occur.
2. Rotor Dynamics Advisory, Compressed Air and Gas Insti­
tute.
MAINTENANCE
3. Equipment Cleaned for Oxygen Service, Compressed Gas
Maintenance and the original installation of the compres­ Association Inc.
sor have one important common requirement and that is clean­
4. Oxygen Compressors and Pumps Symposium Atlanta,
liness. A suitable work area must be provided with a set of tools
Georgia, November 1971 . Compressed Gas Association
appropriately cleaned and with a work crew trained to "think
Inc.
clean." As with operation of the machine, maintenance records
must be kept regarding the condition of parts within the 5. Safe Practices Guide Air Separation Plants. Compressed
machine with particular emphasis on clearances. Gas Association Inc.
6 PROCEEDINGS OF THE FIFTH TURBOMACHINERY SYMPOSIUM