Hermetically Sealed Oil-Free Turbocompressor Technology.

LecturePg. 63-76The reciprocating compressor and the traditional centrifugal compressor have been the workhorses of the natural gas industry. However, new demands placed on gas distribution infrastructure by spot market activity necessitates the development of a more flexible and reliable unit that can efficiently and quickly respond to t fluctuating market requirements. This paper presents a hermetically sealed, oil-free turbocompressor system that was developed to fulfill the current natural gas compression demands of flexibility and reliability. The original targeted market for this system was the gas storage industry. However, the resulting design provides an excellent platform for compression applications that are constrained by low emission requirements, available space, location, or health and safety concerns