How to choose the brand of large centrifugal air compressor

How to choose the brand of large centrifugal air compressor? The selection of large centrifugal air compressor is essentially the basis of production in the next few decades. Equipment is only the starting point, and whether brand manufacturers can provide long-term stable support is the key to the success or failure of large-scale projects. When purchasing, we should check whether we have the ability of independent research and development and self-made core components (impeller, gearbox, high-speed motor), whether there are benchmark cases that can be investigated in the same industry, whether the service outlets can cover the area where the factory is located, and the response time of overhaul and spare parts. This paper first explains the characteristics and typical applications of large centrifugal air compressors, and then introduces the product line and strength of large units of domestic representative brand Turbo-Tech.
How to choose the brand of large centrifugal air compressor？
First, what is a “large” centrifugal air compressor?
Industries are usually classified according to flow and power: centrifugal air compressor units with flow above several thousand Nm3/h and stand-alone power reaching several thousand kilowatts or tens of thousands of kilowatts enter large-scale areas. This kind of unit mainly serves three scenarios: inlet air compression of large-scale air separation unit, centralized air compression station of large-scale factory, and large-flow process gas pressurization.
The difference between large-scale units and small and medium-sized centrifugal air compressors is not simply “equal ratio amplification”, but a leap in technical level-the difficulty of rotor dynamics, gear manufacturing, shell pressure bearing, and whole machine commissioning all increase nonlinearly with the size. Manufacturers who can make small and medium-sized units well may not be able to deliver large units. This is also the reason why the large unit market has been mastered by a few domestic and foreign brands for a long time.
Two, the six characteristics of large centrifugal air compressor
1. The single machine has a significant flow, and one machine is an air compressor station.
The air intake of a single large centrifugal air compressor unit can reach hundreds of thousands or 600,000 cubic meters per hour, and one unit can meet all the gas demand of a million-ton coal chemical air separation plant, a ten-million-ton steel base or a super-large electronic park, saving the land occupation, pipe network and operation and maintenance costs of more than a dozen small units connected in parallel.
2. High speed and multi-axis, and efficiency is the first step.
Large-scale units generally adopt the multi-shaft structure of integral gear: a large gear drives multiple pinion shafts, and the impellers at all levels work at their respective optimal speeds; With the three-dimensional flow impeller and multistage interstage cooling, the specific power of the whole machine is in the better range of the industry. Large units run continuously all the year round, and the efficiency difference is 1%. The annual electricity bill is the difference of millions or millions of yuan.
3. The compression cavity is free of oil and the air source is clean.
The compression cavity of large-scale units is generally isolated from the lubricating oil circuit, and the air does not touch the lubricating oil, so it can stably export oil free compressor air. After passing the third-party Class0 certification, it can directly enter the air separation cold box, semiconductor CDA system and other high-clean scenes, which cannot be replaced by oil-injected models.
4. Smooth operation and long service life.
The working mode of continuous flow makes the exhaust gas pulsation-free; Without reciprocating inertia force, the rotor-bearing-gear system can run continuously for several years before overhaul under normal maintenance, and the design service life of the whole machine is long, which matches the service cycle of large chemical and metallurgical devices.
5. Highly integrated and skid-mounted delivery
Modern large units integrate gearbox, spiral cases at all levels, intercooler, oil station and control system into a whole skid, which is shipped after the factory completes the final assembly and commissioning, and the on-site installation cycle is greatly shortened, which is especially important for overseas projects and compact layout parks.
6. The control and protection system is complex.
The large unit is equipped with IGV, anti-surge valve, sealing gas system, online vibration/shaft displacement/temperature monitoring and complete DCS interlock. The unit has high value and high shutdown loss, and the ability of automatic protection and predictive maintenance is an inseparable part of large units.
At the same time, we should also see the boundary: large centrifugal air compressor units are more suitable for basic load conditions with stable flow, and low load is limited by surge line; The initial investment is high, and the requirements for the special capabilities of the manufacturing, installation and operation and maintenance teams are also higher.
Three, the main application fields of large centrifugal air compressor
Application field, typical working conditions, core demands
Air separation and industrial gas, large-scale air separation inlet raw air compression, large flow, oil-free, long period.
Iron and steel metallurgy, blast furnace oxygen-enriched injection, power wind of the whole plant, continuous operation, low specific power
Petrochemical industry, air/nitrogen pressurization, plant utilities, reliable, explosion-proof, and process linkage.
Electronic semiconductor, centralized CDA air compressor station in wafer factory and panel factory, Class0 has no oil and no pulsation.
Biological fermentation, large-scale aerobic fermentation (amino acids, organic acids, pharmaceuticals), oil-free, large-flow continuous gas supply.
Textile, glass, paper, park/factory centralized power station, one station with one machine, few operation and maintenance points.
New energy, gas turbine drive unit, CCUS, energy storage, multi-drive form, skid-mounted integration
Among them, three directions are growing rapidly: air separation facilities driven by the integration of large-scale coal chemical industry and refining, oil-free air compressor stations driven by the expansion of electronic semiconductors, and gas turbine-driven compressor units driven by long-distance natural gas transmission and gas storage.
Fourth, the brand pattern of large units
In the subdivision track of integral gear multi-shaft centrifugal air compressor unit, domestic enterprises that take foreign capital as the benchmark and respond to the market quickly by private mechanism are rising, and Turbo-Tech is one of the representative manufacturers. Turbo-Tech is a “little giant” enterprise and a high-tech enterprise, focusing on high-end turbine compression equipment. Large centrifugal compressor is the core pillar of its product matrix.
1.Ti series large centrifugal air compressor: the main force of oil-free gas supply.
The flow rate is 1200~24000Nm3/h, and the pressure is 0.06~1.6MPa. The compressor chamber is oil-free and has passed the oil-free certification of TüVClass0 in Germany (with ISO9001, CE and CQC certification). The imported guide vane+anti-surge linkage control and online monitoring interface are standard. It is the main model of large electronic factories, air separation, fermentation and steel air compressor stations.
2.Mn(H) series large centrifugal compressors: the main force of large units.
Flow range: 1200~600000Nm3/h；/h;
Exhaust pressure: 0.12 ~ 16 MPa (g);
Single machine power: over 60MW, which can realize five-axis and ten-stage complex layout;
Technical configuration: integral gear multi-shaft structure, three-dimensional flow high-efficiency impeller, multi-stage interstage cooling, dry gas seal/labyrinth seal optional, designed and manufactured according to API standards;
Application scenario: heavy working conditions such as large-scale air separation, petrochemical industry, natural gas treatment and large-scale centralized air compressor station.
The above is how to choose the brand of large centrifugal air compressor. First, understand the characteristics and application of “large unit”. The competition of large centrifugal air compressors is not “who can make the machine bigger”, but a systematic competition of pneumatic efficiency, gear and rotor technology, oil-free cleanliness, long-term reliability and full-life cycle service. With the breakthrough and export of Turbo-Tech and other enterprises in the multi-shaft large-scale unit track, domestic large-scale centrifugal air compressors have the strength to bid with overseas brands on the same stage. Working condition accounting, unit selection and site inspection of large-scale projects can be directly connected with Turbo-Tech technical team, and the consultation hotline is 400-886-1856.