DYNAMIC COMPRESSORS

Centrifugal compressor
:Construction

Thrust Bearings

Gear couplings can transmit thrust to the compressor

because of the tooth friction.
The standard uses an arbitrary friction coefficient of 0.25,
which can be a design basis.
Diaphragm couplings transmit thrust because of the
flexing element axial stiffness.

DYNAMIC COMPRESSORS

Centrifugal compressor
:Construction

Thrust Bearings

The basic type of thrust bearing

consists of a thrust collar
attached to the shaft running
against a flat land.
The land is normally a steel ring
with a babbitted surface.
This bearing is used in double
helical gearboxes and is not
commonly found in centrifugal
compressors.

DYNAMIC COMPRESSORS

Centrifugal compressor
:Construction

Thrust Bearings

The load carrying capacity of

this bearing is quit limited,
making the bearing suitable only
for locating purposes.
Thrust collar

Thrust ring

DYNAMIC COMPRESSORS

Centrifugal compressor
:Construction

Thrust Bearings

A thrust bearing that physically

resembles the flat land bearing is
the tapered land bearing.
The land is grooved radially dividing
the land into segments, which are
individually tapered to form a
wedge.
As the collar rotates, relative to the land, oil is carried
past the tapered wedges, developing pressure in the oil
film resulting in an outward force.

DYNAMIC COMPRESSORS

Centrifugal compressor
:Construction

Thrust Bearings

This force generates a load

carrying capacity. Theoretically, the
tapered land bearing is capable of
handling large axial loads, but it can
only do so at a single speed.
The bearing also requires good
perpendicular alignment between
the shaft and the land to maintain a
uniform face gap.

DYNAMIC COMPRESSORS

Centrifugal compressor
:Construction

Thrust Bearings

This bearing is used only for limited

applications in the centrifugal
compressor and when used is
highly dreaded.

DYNAMIC COMPRESSORS

Centrifugal compressor
:Construction

Thrust Bearings

The tilting pad thrust bearings is

available in two forms:
The first form consists of a collar or thrust
runner, attached to the shaft with the collar
either integral or separable and the
stationary carrier in which the pads reside.
It is named alternately for one or other of the
inventors, Albert Kingsbury and Michell.

Various numbers of pads are used, with six

or eight being the most common.

DYNAMIC COMPRESSORS

Centrifugal compressor
:Construction

Thrust Bearings

The pad consist of a babbitted segment,

normally made of steel. The load is
transmitted to the carrier by way of a
button at the back of the pad which also
acts as the pivot point.
The button may be centered or offset.
The bearing is suitable for variable speeds
because the pivoting feature .

DYNAMIC COMPRESSORS

Centrifugal compressor
:Construction

Thrust Bearings

The second form of the multiple

segment or tilting pad thrust bearing
retains all the features of the first type,
but includes a further refinement.
This bearing is referred to as a selfequalizing bearing.
Instead of a simple carrier to house the
pads, each pad rides against an
equalizing bar.

THRUST COLLAR

DYNAMIC COMPRESSORS

Centrifugal compressor
:Construction

Thrust Bearings

Between each pad's equalizing bar is a

secondary bar which carries the ends
of two adjacent pad bars and transmits
the load to the carrier ring.
All bars are free to rock and thereby
adjust themselves until all pads carry
an equal share of the load .
The advantage of the self-equalizing
bearing is obvious-that can adjust for
minor irregularities of the rotor-tobearing position.

THRUST COLLAR

DYNAMIC COMPRESSORS

Centrifugal compressor
:Construction

Thrust Bearings

Each bearing described requires

a certain amount of axial
space, with the simple thrust ring using the least and the selfequalizing bearing the greater amount.
The thrust carrying capability of the latter two bearings is theoretically
the same and proponents of the Michell bearing cite deflections in
the carrier ring as providing sufficient adjustment to achieve full
potential load within the practical limits of bearing misalignment.
Compressors built to the API standard are required to have duplicate
thrust capability in both directions, that is, the bearing is to be
symmetrically constructed.

DYNAMIC COMPRESSORS

Centrifugal compressor
:Construction

Thrust Bearings

The thrust bearing is responsible for large portions of the mechanical

horsepower losses, however, it is the sophisticated multiple-segment
bearing that has the highest losses of all the thrust bearing types.
The power consumption is due to the churning of the oil in the
essentially flooded bearing therefore care must be used in sizing the
bearing to maintain margins for reliability.

DYNAMIC COMPRESSORS

Centrifugal compressor
:Construction

Thrust Bearings

The bearing support system is normally separable from the casing,

as mandated by API 617 and should be made of steel, particularly
when used with a steel case.
The housing should be horizontally split and non-pressurized with
provision for circulation of bearing lubrication.
Care should be taken to prevent foaming of the lubricant. The
housing is the desirable place to locate radial vibration probes as
required by API 617.

DYNAMIC COMPRESSORS

Centrifugal compressor
:Construction

Thrust Bearings

For the multistage which has the seals outboard of the bearings, it is
recognized that the housing will assume some pressure level used in
the compressor, therefore provision should be made to minimize the
amount of lubricant entering the gas stream.
Also for maintenance purposes, a port access to the bearing should
be furnished. This type of compressor is generally limited to
fluorocarbon refrigerant service and is not recommended for general
gas service.

DYNAMIC COMPRESSORS

Centrifugal compressor
:Construction

Balance Piston

It is desirable to have
additional axial-load control on
the multistage compressor.
A balance piston, also referred
to as the balance drum, can be
located at discharge end .
The balance piston consists of
a rotating element, which has
a specified diameter and an
extended rim for sealing.

Balance
Piston

Carbon
Ring Shaft
Seal
Liner-Type
Sleeve
Bearing

DYNAMIC COMPRESSORS

Centrifugal compressor
:Construction

Balance Piston

The area adjacent to the

balance piston (opposite the
last stage location). Is vented,
normally to suction pressure.
The differential pressure
across the balance piston acts
on the balance piston area to
develop a thrust force opposite
that generated by the
impellers.

Balance
Piston

Carbon
Ring Shaft
Seal
Liner-Type
Sleeve
Bearing

DYNAMIC COMPRESSORS

Centrifugal compressor
:Construction

Balance Piston

The pressure on the lowpressure side of the balance

piston is higher than the
reference pressure by an
amount equal to the resistance
of the balance line, the line
taking the flow from the low
pressure cavity to the
reference point.

Balance
Piston

Carbon
Ring Shaft
Seal
Liner-Type
Sleeve
Bearing

DYNAMIC COMPRESSORS

Centrifugal compressor
:Construction

Balance Piston

Line resistance, of course, is a

function of the flow in the line.
To permit efficient balance, an
effective seal must be used at
the rim of the balance piston
as the leakage also represents
parasitic power loss.

Balance
Piston

Carbon
Ring Shaft
Seal
Liner-Type
Sleeve
Bearing

DYNAMIC COMPRESSORS

Centrifugal compressor
:Construction

Balance Piston

While full control of the thrust

can be developed by
controlling the diameter, limits
are in order.
Generally, the balance force is
kept less than that developed
by the impellers, with the thrust
bearing taking the remainder
of the load.

Balance
Piston

Carbon
Ring Shaft
Seal
Liner-Type
Sleeve
Bearing

DYNAMIC COMPRESSORS

Centrifugal compressor
:Construction

Balance Piston

This keeps the rotor on one

face of the thrust bearing for all
load conditions and is the
recommended practice.

Balance
Piston

Carbon
Ring Shaft
Seal
Liner-Type
Sleeve
Bearing

DYNAMIC COMPRESSORS

Centrifugal compressor
:Construction

Balance Piston

An alternative philosophy
overbalances the thrust with
the balance piston, arguing
that balance piston seal
deterioration will unload the
thrust bearing for more
conservative design.

Balance
Piston

Carbon
Ring Shaft
Seal
Liner-Type
Sleeve
Bearing

DYNAMIC COMPRESSORS

Centrifugal compressor
:Construction

Balance Piston

The problem with this

approach is that the rotor will
tend to shift its operation
position from one side of the
thrust bearing to the other for
varying loads and conditions.

Balance
Piston

Carbon
Ring Shaft
Seal
Liner-Type
Sleeve
Bearing

DYNAMIC COMPRESSORS

Centrifugal compressor
:Construction

Balance Piston

Because the thrust bearing

has 0.012 to 0.015 inches of
float, the rotor will not be in a
fixed position, making
instrumentation for rotor
position difficult to judge.

Balance
Piston

Carbon
Ring Shaft
Seal
Liner-Type
Sleeve
Bearing

DYNAMIC COMPRESSORS

Centrifugal compressor
:Construction

Balance Piston

Also, over sizing the balance

piston means a larger seal
diameter making the potential
seal leakage greater.

Balance
Piston

Carbon
Ring Shaft
Seal
Liner-Type
Sleeve
Bearing

DYNAMIC COMPRESSORS

Centrifugal compressor
:Construction

LP

HP

Normal thrust
on rotor

Balance Piston

LP

LP

HP

LP

HP

LP

HP

LP

Normal thrust
on rotor

DYNAMIC COMPRESSORS

Centrifugal compressor
:Construction

LP

HP

Normal thrust
on rotor

Balance Piston

LP

HP

LP

HP

HP

LP

Normal thrust
on rotor

DYNAMIC COMPRESSORS

Centrifugal compressor
:Construction

LP

HP

Normal thrust
on rotor

Balance Piston

LP

HP

LP

HP

HP

LP

Normal thrust
on rotor

DYNAMIC COMPRESSORS

Centrifugal compressor
:Construction

LP

HP

Normal thrust
on rotor

Balance Piston

LP

HP

LP

HP

HP

LP

Normal thrust
on rotor

DYNAMIC COMPRESSORS

Centrifugal compressor
:Construction

LP

HP

Normal thrust
on rotor

Balance Piston

LP

HP

LP

HP

HP

LP

Normal thrust
on rotor

DYNAMIC COMPRESSORS

Centrifugal compressor
:Construction

LP

HP

Normal thrust
on rotor

Balance Piston

LP

HP

LP

HP

HP

LP

Normal thrust
on rotor

DYNAMIC COMPRESSORS

Centrifugal compressor
:Construction

LP

HP

Normal thrust
on rotor

Balance Piston

LP

HP

LP

HP

HP

LP

Normal thrust
on rotor

DYNAMIC COMPRESSORS

Centrifugal compressor
:Construction

LP

HP

Normal thrust
on rotor

Balance Piston

LP

HP

LP

HP

HP

LP

Normal thrust
on rotor

DYNAMIC COMPRESSORS

Centrifugal compressor
:Construction

LP

HP

Normal thrust
on rotor

Balance Piston

LP

HP

LP

HP

HP

LP

Normal thrust
on rotor

DYNAMIC COMPRESSORS

Centrifugal compressor
:Construction

LP

HP

Normal thrust
on rotor

Balance Piston

LP

HP

LP

HP

HP

LP

Normal thrust
on rotor

DYNAMIC COMPRESSORS

Centrifugal compressor
:Construction

LP

HP

Normal thrust
on rotor

Balance Piston

LP

HP

LP

HP

HP

LP

Normal thrust
on rotor

DYNAMIC COMPRESSORS

Centrifugal compressor
:Construction

LP

HP

Normal thrust
on rotor

Balance Piston

LP

HP

LP

HP

HP

LP

Normal thrust
on rotor

DYNAMIC COMPRESSORS

Centrifugal compressor
:Construction

Interstage Seals

Interstage and balance piston seals of the labyrinth type

are universally used in centrifugal compressor service.
Multistage compressors are equipped with impeller eye
seal and interstage shaft seals to isolate the stages.
Labyrinth seals consist of a tooth-like form with spaces in
between.
Leakage is a function of both the tooth or fin clearance
and the spacing.
The fins can be stationary or rotating.

DYNAMIC COMPRESSORS

Centrifugal compressor
:Construction

Interstage Seals

Interstage and balance piston seals of the labyrinth type

are universally used in centrifugal compressor service.
Multistage compressors are equipped with impeller eye
seal and interstage shaft seals to isolate the stages.
Labyrinth seals consist of a tooth-like form with spaces in
between.
Leakage is a function of both the tooth or fin clearance
and the spacing.

DYNAMIC COMPRESSORS

Centrifugal compressor
:Construction

Interstage Seals

DYNAMIC COMPRESSORS

Centrifugal compressor
:Construction

Interstage Seals

DYNAMIC COMPRESSORS

Centrifugal compressor
:Construction

Interstage Seals

DYNAMIC COMPRESSORS

Centrifugal compressor
:Construction

Interstage Seals

The shape of the rolled edge gives the name J-Strip,

which is sometimes used by the manufacturers who use
the seal .

DYNAMIC COMPRESSORS

Centrifugal compressor
:Construction

Shaft End Seals

The shape of the rolled edge gives the name J-Strip,

which is sometimes used by the manufacturers who use
the seal .

DYNAMIC COMPRESSORS

Centrifugal compressor
:Construction

Shaft End Seals

DYNAMIC COMPRESSORS

Centrifugal compressor
:Construction

Shaft End Seals

DYNAMIC COMPRESSORS

Centrifugal compressor
:Construction

Shaft End Seals

DYNAMIC COMPRESSORS

Centrifugal compressor
:Construction

Shaft End Seals

DYNAMIC COMPRESSORS

Centrifugal compressor
:Construction

Shaft End Seals

DYNAMIC COMPRESSORS

Centrifugal compressor
:Construction

Shaft End Seals

DYNAMIC COMPRESSORS

Centrifugal compressor
:Construction

Capacity Control

Probably the most widely used capacity control for the

centrifugal compressor is speed control. The capacity
curve when used with speed first impeller. If the
compressor has more than a few stages or is more
complex in arrangement the idea is not practical.