Page 107 - Air and gas Drilling Field Guide 3rd Edition
P. 107
98 CHAPTER 5 Compressors and Nitrogen Generators
In
Out
FIGURE 5-4. Single-stage centrifugal compressor [2].
compressor is the use of centrifugal forces on the gas created by high velocity flow
of the gas in the cylindrical housing. Figure 5-4 shows a diagram of a single-stage
centrifugal compressor [2]. The gas to be compressed flows into the center of
the rotating impeller. The impeller throws the gas out to the periphery by means
of its radial blades rotating at high speed. The gas is then guided through the dif-
fuser where the high velocity gas is slowed, which results in a higher pressure in
the gas. In multistage centrifugal compressors, the gas is passed to the next impel-
ler from the diffuser of the previous impeller (or stage). In this manner, the com-
pressor may be staged to increase the pressure of the ultimate discharge (see
Figure 5-5)[2]. Because the compression pressure ratio at each stage is usually
In
Out
FIGURE 5-5. Multistage centrifugal compressor with intercooler [2].
