What is the major advantage and disadvantage of a centrifugal ...

1. What is a centrifugal air compressor?

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The Centrifugal Air Compressor is also known as Radial Compressor, Centrifugal Turbo Compressor or Turbo Air Compressor. This kind of compressor is a type of dynamic compressor.

The centrifugal compressor brings the air into the center through a rotating impeller, which pushes forward the air through centrifugal, or outward force. By increasing the velocity of the air using this rotating impeller, the centrifugal air compressor imparts kinetic energy into the air stream and then converts this energy into potential energy in the form of pressure.

There can be a multi-stage type centrifugal turbo compressor and between each stage of compression, the air is cooled and the excess moisture is removed. This design allows the turbo air compressor can be used to produce large quantities of air in small packages. Besides, this multiple-stage design makes the centrifugal compressor more suitable for applications above 200 total horsepower.

2. Is centrifugal air compressor oil-free?

Compared with other types of air compressors, The centrifugal air compressor is featured by an advanced life cycle cost and lower maintenance due to its simple structure, continuous and steady airflow production, and less vibration and noise.

As it’s mentioned before, the working principle of the centrifugal compressor is transferring the energy from a change to the centrifugal forces. And due to this unique design, the oil lubricant inside the units does come in contact with the air stream, which results in 100% oil-free air downstream. This oil-free air compression doesn’t only mean the purity of production and environmental benefit but also a reduction of overall ownership cost, which is very important.

As a professional centrifugal air compressor manufacturer, Sollant has been dedicated to providing the oil-free centrifugal air compressor of high efficiency. Compared with other centrifugal compressor manufacturers, we offer a wider range of products suitable for many applications.

For more information about Sollant Centrifugal Compressors, please check: Centrifugal Air Compressor and Centrifugal Turbo Compressor

3. What are centrifugal air compressors used for?

The centrifugal air compressor can be used to compress air of high volume and low compression ratio; it can also be used to compress air of very high flow. However, this turbo air compressor isn’t very suitable for high ratio and low-volume applications.

More specifically, the main applications are the followings:

*Petrochemical Industry:

As we mentioned before, the centrifugal air compressor offers an absolutely oil-free compression, which is very important for the chemical medium compression as the purity is essential in the petrochemical industry. Besides, the centrifugal air compressor helps to reduce the emission in the compression process, which makes it environment-friendly.

*Power Plant:

A centrifugal turbo compressor is also a cost option for the power plant: nowadays more and more power plants work on integrating the compression systems for an efficiency optimization, which makes requires a high capacity of the single air compressor. The centrifugal compressor meets this requirement for it can offer an oil-free and high-efficient compression.

*Automobile Industry:

Many types of air compressors can be used in the automobile industry. Compared with other types, the centrifugal air compressor is a more ideal choice due to its simpler installation, high degree of automation, large volume, and high quality of compressed air.

*Food and beverage industry :

The centrifugal compressor provides oil-free compressed air for some sensitive applications such as food processing.

4. What are the advantages of the centrifugal air compressor?

Low weight, easy to design and manufacture.

Suitable for continuous compressed air supply, such as the cooling unit.

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They have fewer rubbing parts and require low maintenance.

It renders a high-flow rate than the positive displacement compressor and offers a higher pressure ratio per stage than the axial flow compressor.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Each Compressor Type

Advantages and disadvantages of any compressor are based on its characteristics and application.

Advantages and disadvantages listed below are for a typical compressed air system in an industrial plant. The estimated full‐load bhp requirement of each compressor type at 100 psig discharge pressure at the compressor, a main drive motor typical efficiency of 92 percent and 0.746 kilowatts (kW)/bhp, the approximate operating costs of operation are obtained.

Single‐Acting, Air‐Cooled Reciprocating Air Compressors

Advantages include

• Small size and weight
• Generally, can be located close to point‐of‐use avoiding lengthy piping runs and pressure drops
• Do not require separate cooling systems
• Simple maintenance procedures.

Disadvantages include:

• Lubricant carryover as piston rings wear, which should be avoided
• Relatively high noise
• Relatively high cost of compression
• Generally, are designed to run not more than 50 percent of the time, although some can be at 80
• percent
• Generally, compress and store the air in a receiver at a pressure higher than required at the point‐of
• use. The pressure then is reduced to the required operating pressure but without recovery of the energy
• used to compress to the higher pressure.
• Operating Efficiency: 22 to 24 kW/100 cfm*

Double‐Acting, Water‐Cooled Reciprocating Air Compressors

Advantages include:

• Efficient compression, particularly with multi‐stage compressors
• Three‐step (0‐50‐100 percent) or five‐step (0‐25‐50‐ 75‐100 percent) capacity controls, allowing
• Efficient part‐load operation
• Relatively routine maintenance procedures.

Disadvantages include:

• Relatively high first cost compared with equivalent rotary air compressors
• Relatively high space requirements
• Lubricant carryover on lubricant cooled units
• Relatively high vibrations require high foundation costs
• Seldom sold as complete independent packages
• Require flywheel mass to overcome torque and current pulsations in motor driver
• Repair procedures require some training and skills.
• Operating Efficiency: 15 to 16 kW/100 cfm*

Lubricant‐Injected Rotary Screw Compressors

Advantages include:

• Compact size and complete package
• Economic first cost
• Vibration‐free operation does not require special foundation
• Part‐load capacity control systems can match system demand
• Routine maintenance includes lubricant and filter changes.

Disadvantages include:

• Less efficient full‐ and part‐load operation compared with water‐cooled reciprocating air compressors
• Lubricant carryover into delivered air requires proper maintenance of air/lubricant separator and the lubricant itself.
• Operating Efficiency:

18 to 19 kW/100 cfm, single‐stage*

16 to 17 kW/100 cfm, two‐stage*

Lubricant‐Free Rotary Screw Air Compressors

Advantages include:

• Completely packaged
• Designed to deliver lubricant‐free air
• Do not require any special foundations.

Disadvantages include:

• Significant premium over lubricant‐injected type
• Less efficient than lubricant‐injected type
• Limited to load/unload capacity control and VSD
• Higher maintenance costs than lubricant‐injected type over the life of the machine.
• Operating Efficiency: 18 to 22 kW/100 cfm*

Centrifugal Air Compressors

Advantages include:

• Completely packaged for plant or instrument air up through 500 hp
• Relative first cost improves as size increases
• Designed to deliver lubricant‐free air
• Do not require any special foundations.

Disadvantages include:

• Limited capacity control modulation, requiring unloading for reduced capacities
• High rotational speeds require special bearings, sophisticated monitoring of vibrations and clearances
• Specialized maintenance considerations.
• Operating Efficiency: 16 to 20 kW/100 cfm*

* By taking the estimated full‐load bhp requirement of each compressor type at 100 psig discharge pressure at the compressor, a main‐drive motor with a typical efficiency of 92 percent and 0.746 kW/bhp, the approximate efficiencies are obtained.

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