THE CATASTROPHIC EFFECT OF CHOKE INAXIAL COMPRESSORS AND PREVENTION MEASURESBY LEYDEN LOPEZAxial compressors are used in large-scale processes where a significant amount of gas is required at a relatively low pressure. Typical applications are at the oil refinery’s fluid catalytic cracking unit (FCCU) as the main air blower, at the steel-mill as the blower for the blast furnace or as part of an industrial or aeroderivative gas turbine. Centrifugal compressors are more commonly used due to their versatility: they can compress a wide range of flows to a high dischargeSEE DETAILS

Most gas turbines have axial flow compressors with multiple rows of rotor blades and stator vanes that number into the thousands. Failure of any blade or vane can lead to severe collateral damage in both the compressor and turbine section of the engine.Root cause analyses (RCA) often find foreign and domestic object damage and operational issues as among the usual suspects. However, shim protrusion and liberation and stator vane fretting wear are also becoming common reasons for failure. Other factors that can accelerate fretting wear include flow disruptions from casingSEE DETAILS

An obvious objective is to confirm the compressor will perform as predicted. But an equally important goal is to minimize the risk of unexpected aero-mechanical issues during field installation, especially in remote locations such as offshore platforms. It is far better to uncover potential problems before the equipment leaves the original equipment manufacturer’s (OEM) facility.High-pressure and high-power density compressors typically experience rotordynamic (instability) and aerodynamic (stall) complications more often than compressors intended for petrochemical service. Thus, the demand for more rigorous in-house testing has grown. In response, OEMs and theSEE DETAILS