CENTRIFUGAL COMPRESSORS

BHEL Hyderabad is the only organization in the public sector in India

actively involved in manufacturing high-pressure centrifugal compressors
for the industrial applications. These are employed for the use in Fertilizer
industry, Steel Industry, Refineries, Petrochemical plants, Pipe Line, Gas
booster for Gas Turbines etc.
BHEL started manufacturing compressors with technical know-how
from Nuovo pignone of italy, the world leaders in compressor technology,
BHEL - Hyderabad has been at the forefront of the latest developments in
compressor Technology. BHELs endeavour is to offer quality products,
designed to international standards, through dedicated service. A new
addition to the wide range of Centrifugal Compressors is the integrally
geared and packed SRL Compressors popularly known as API 672
Compressors .
TYPES AND FEATURES OF BHELS RANGE OF CENTRIFUGAL
COMPRESSORS
The entire product range of BHEL compressors is broadly divided
into fourteen models of MCL & 2MCL casings and eight models of BCL &
2BCL casings, making it possible to choose the optimum size of casing for
any capacity. For higher operating pressures, the casings of BCL & 2BCL
type have been further graded into five pressure levels, enabling selection of
right casing thickness.
Features of different models are discussed below
A) Horizontally Split Compressor
MCL / 2MCL / 3 MCL / DMCL
These are multistage compressors for low and medium pressures with
horizontally split casings. The horizontally split casing is either fabricated
from plates or made of steel castings according to the duty of the
compressor. The fabricated casing has several advantages and is preferred
over cast construction. The journal bearings and thrust bearings are of the
tilted pad type.

MCL TYPE : These compressors can be utilized in fertilizer plants, ethylene

plants, lube oil plants, refinery processes, city gas distribution etc.
2 MCL TYPE : These compressors are provided with intermediate suction
and discharge nozzles.
B) Vertically Split Compressor ( Process )
BCL / 2BCL / 3BCL / DBCL
C) Vertically split Compressor ( Pipeline )
PCL Compressures for high pressures.
D) Integrally geared
SRL 250 Compressors for low and medium pressures

Compressor Model Designation

2 BCL 40 7 / A
2 = No of phases
BCL = Constuctional feature ( Barrel type )
40 = Nominal Impeller dia ( cm )
7 = No of Impellers
A = Pressure rating ( Up to 350 Atm )
COMPRESSOR COMPONENTS:
-

Casing
Diaphragm
Rotor
End covers for barrel construction design
Sealing system

CASING:
The construction features of the two models in use are
- Horizontally split casing design
- Vertically split casing design
Horizontally split type design :
The horizontal plane in the middle and consists of an upper and lower
part. All necessary connections, such as suction and discharge nozzles,
intermediate suction and discharge nozzles, wherever required, and lube oil
inlet and drain connections are integral with the lower half. Internal parts can
be accessed just by lifting the upper part which needs no major dismantling
of piping. For inspection of bearings, there is no need to remove the upper
half. Only bearing cover removal is adequate. The MCL, 2MCL, 3MCL and
DMCL compressors are of horizontal split design.
Vertically split type design :
These are used when the working pressure and type of gas demand
such an arrangement. All internal parts are similar to the horizontally split
type casing, but the diaphragm seals and the rotor bundle are inserted axially
in a forged steel barrel casing. Ends are closed with end covers, the lower
half of the bearing housing is integral with the end cover. By removing the
end cover, it is possible to withdraw the complete internal assembly and
have access to the internals like seals, diaphragms and rotor, without
disturbing the outer casing. There is no need to remove end covers for
bearing inspection. The BCL, 2BCL, DBCL, 3BCL and PCL type casings
are of the vertical split design.
DIAPHRAGMS :
The function of the diaphragm is
i)
ii)

To form the dynamic flow path of the gas inside the compressor.
To form the separation wall between one Compressor stage and the
subsequent one.

iii)

To convert the kinetic energy of the gas leaving the impeller into
pressure energy.
They are of three types.

1. Suction diaphragm
2. intermediate diaphragm
3. Discharge diaphragm
The diaphragm are generally made of cast steel. However, based on
operating conditions, alloyed cast iron, forged steel or stainless steel
materials are also used. In small and medium size casings, the diaphragms
are fabricated from plates.
ROTOR:
The basic function of the centrifugal compressor rotor is to impart the
required compression energy to the gas.
The rotor forms the heart of the centrifugal compressor, consisting of
the shaft, Impellers, spacers, bushes, Balancing drum, thrust collar, Coupling
hub and thrust bearing. The impellers are hot shrunk and keyed. The
shrinking of impeller and balancing piston is necessary to ensure that the
impeller does not get slackened due to the centrifugal forces during start up
and normal running of the compressor. This would otherwise result in
vibrations on the rotor system. Rotor must perform its function with a
deflection less than the minimum clearance between rotating and stationary
parts. The loads involved are the torques, the weight of the parts, and axial
gas forces. The rotor, during assembly is balanced stage wise.
SHAFT:
The shaft is made out of forged alloy steel and the impellers, spacers
and the balancing drum are shrunk fitted on it . Spacers of stainless steel
material are used to protect the shaft against gas erosion and corrosion. The
shaft is made by turning and grinding operations. journal bearing zones of
the shaft is ground and burnished with the diamond burnishing technique to
improve the surface finish and to keep the total run outs within the
permissible limits.

IMPELLER:
When the impeller is rotating at high speed, air is drawn through the
eye of the impeller. The absolute velocity of the inflow air is axial. The
magnitude and the direction of the entering relative velocity depend upon the
linear velocity of the impeller at the radial position of the eye considered, as
well as the magnitude and the direction of the entering absolute velocity. The
impeller vanes at the eye are bent to provide shock less entrance for the
entering flow at its relative entrance angle. The air then flows radially
through the impeller passages due to centrifugal force. All the mechanical
energy driving the compressor is converted into kinetic energy, pressure and
heat due to friction. The purpose of the diffuser/diaphragm is to convert the
kinetic energy that leaves the impeller into pressure. The air leaving the
diffusers is collected in a spiral passage from which it is discharged from the
compressor.
Impellers are most stressed components of the compressors
demanding highly precise manufacturing methods. Impellers are identified
depending on the methodology used during manufacturing. The different
types of impellers, which are being manufactured, are:
1) Welded type of impeller
Welding technology is adopted for the impellers having gas passage width
more than 30 mm. In this type of impeller, disc and counter disc are
machined out of two separate forgings and vanes are bent to the required
shape out of plate. Vanes are welded to the disc and counter disc from inside,
followed by stress relieving, testing of welded parts, heat treatment and
machining to correct profiles.
2) Milled & welded type of impeller (Internal welded type)
This technology is adopted for the impellers having gas passage width
varying from 7 to 30 mm. In this type of impellers, vanes are milled on to
the disc (or counter disc) and then counter disc (or disc) is welded to the disc
followed by heat treatment, testing, finish turning and balancing. The critical
operation involved is the milling of vanes on disc (or counter disc) by
special 3 dimensional milling machine.
3) Milled & welded type of impeller (External welded type)

This is the latest technology, which has been adopted for impeller
manufacturing. The impellers having low outlet angles, small radius of
curvature of vanes and narrow gas passages, could not be manufactured as
mentioned above because of the limitations involved in the impeller
manufacturing techniques. Subsequently, new technology is developed
established i.e. External welded impellers.
In this type the impellers are manufactured out of two separate forgings for
disc and counter disc. The critical operations involved in manufacturing of
external welded impellers are
i)

Machining of vanes on counter disc and corresponding blind

grooves on disc.

Milling is carried out on CNC machine center. This operation is critical

in the sense that there should be perfect matching of the axis of the blind
groove on disc and axis of vanes on the counter disc. This is being ensured
by drilling peepholes on every blind groove.
ii)

Welding of disc on to the counter disc

Disc is diametrically located on to the counter disc, coaxiality of

groove and vanes axis is ensured through peepholes. The job is preheated
and gas passages are closed by seal welding circumferentially to avoid the
leakage of inert gas. Job is mounted on the special welding fixture, vanes
curvature is centered w.r.t manipulator center and clamped. Root welding is
done by TIG by fusing disc material on to the vanes and subsequently metal
is filled up externally in the groove of disc by TIG pulse. This operation will
be carried out special automatic welding machine having pulse generator
and a special fixture.
4) Electro- eroded impeller:
This method is used where welding technology is not suitable for the
impellers of small width gas passages. The impellers are manufactured out
of a single forging. Gas passages are eroded in the forging & vanes are
created by adopting EDM (Electrical discharge Machining) technique. The
critical operation in manufacturing this type of impeller is the Electroerosion of gas passages. Electrodes are machined to the shape similar to that

of gas passages, and fed vertically downwards through a pilot hole. The pilot
hole guides the electrode. Material is eroded by spark discharges between
the electrode & the job across a gap usually filled with die electric medium
and gas passages are created.
END COVERS :
BCL type of casing are closed at both ends with end covers which has
got integral bearing and seal housing. End covers are always manufactured
out of forgings.