Best compression: Reciprocating or rotary?
A compressor is a device used to increase the pressure of a compressible fluid. The inlet pressure can vary from a deep vacuum to a high positive pressure. The discharge pressure can range from subatmospheric levels to tens of thousands of pounds per square inch. Compressors come in numerous forms, but for oilfield applications there are two primary types, reciprocating and rotary. Both reciprocating and rotary compressors are grouped in the intermittent mode of compression. Intermittent is cyclic in nature, in that a specific quantity of gas is ingested by the compressor, acted upon and discharged before the cycle is repeated. Reciprocating compression is the most common form of compression used for oilfield applications. Rotary screw compressors have a long history but are relative newcomers to oilfield applications. The rotary screw compressor-technically a helical rotor compressor-dates back to 1878. That was when the first rotary screw was manufactured for the purpose of compressing air. Today thousands of rotary screw compression packages are being used throughout the world to compress natural gas.
- OSTI ID:
- 576363
- Journal Information:
- Hart`s Oil and Gas World, Vol. 89, Issue 7; Other Information: PBD: Jul 1997
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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