A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO COMPRESSOR TECHNOLOGY Second Edition HEINZ P. BLOCH
Compressors are a vital link in the conversion of raw materials into refined products. Compressors also handle economical use and transformation of energy from one form into another. They are used for the extraction of metals and minerals in mining operations, for the conservation of energy in natural gas reinjection plants, for secondary recovery processes in oil fields, for the utilization of new energy sources such as shale oil and tar sands, for furnishing utility or reaction air, for oxygen and reaction gases in almost any process, for process chemical and petrochemical plants, and for the separation and liquefaction of gases in air separation plants and in LPG and LNG plants. And, as the reader will undoubtedly know, this listing does not even begin to describe the literally hundreds of
services that use modern compression equipment.
The economy and feasibility of all these applications depend on the reliability of compressors and the capability of the compressors selected to handle a given gas at the desired capacity. It is well known that only turbocompressors made large process units such as ammonia plants, ethylene plants, and base-load LNG plants technically and economically feasible. Conversely, there are applications where only a judiciously designed positive displacement compressor will be feasible, or economical, or both. These compressors could take the form of piston-type reciprocating machines, helical screw machines intended for true oil-free operation, liquid-injected helical screw machines, or others. All, of course, demand performance of the highest reliability and availability. These two requirements
form the cornerstone of the development programs under way at the design and manufacturing
facilities of the world’s leading equipment producers.
Today, the petrochemical and other industries are facing intense global competition, which in turn has created a need for lower-cost equipment. Making this equipment without compromising quality, efficiency, and reliability is not easy, and only the industrial world’sbest manufacturers measure up to the task. Equally important, only a contemplative, informed, and discerning equipment purchaser or equipment user can be expected to spot the right combination of these two desirable and seemingly contradictory requirements: low cost and high quality.
thanks for your visit