Design and Testing of a Unique Compressor Test Facility

Jörgen Olsson

STARCS Proprietary

Outline of the presentation

» Introduction» Specifications» Design» Hardware» Test Compressors» Testing» Summary

STARCS Proprietary

STARCS Proprietary

What type of compressors are tested?

Low Pressure Compressor

RM 12 (GE F404)

STARCS Proprietary

Why are compressors tested?

» Measure the performance of a new design

» Map the operational envelope

» Establish the operational limits to avoid stall, surge and flutter

» Verification of design models

Main design criteria for the Compressor Research Facility

» Drive power 4.3 MW

» Rotation speed ranges: 0-5500 rpm and 0-25000 rpm, continuously variable

» Variable inlet pressure

» Variable outlet pressure

» Air flow through the test facility without a test compressor installed

» Efficient sound proofing of the control room and to the external environment.

» Control system with safety monitoring and logging

STARCS Proprietary

Envelope of the Compressor Test Facility

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

0 5000 10000 15000 20000 25000 30000

Torque[Nm]

n [rpm]STARCS Proprietary

STAL-LAVAL (Siemens Turbomachinery Finspång Sweden) Compressor Test Facility

6 MW

In service fall 1973

STARCS Proprietary

First sketch

STARCS Proprietary

STARCS Proprietary

Compressor Test Facility Overview

Side view of the Compressor Test Facility

0 1 2 3 m

Utloppsventil (2 st)1300

Provobjekt

Inloppsventil

Nät

motvikt

Asynkronmotor 4.3 MW

Test object (rig)

Asynchronous motor 4.3 MW

Counter weight

Inlet valve

Outlet valve (2)

Control valve for ejector primary flow

STARCS Proprietary

The Compressor Test Facility seen from the motor

Golvnivå

0 1 2 3 m

Inloppsventil

UtloppsventilUtloppsventil

EjektorReglerventil för injektortryckluft

Till utloppsskorsten

Inlet valve

Outlet valveFloor levelTo acoustic baffles

and exhaust tower

Outlet valve

Ejector Control valve for ejector primary flow

STARCS Proprietary

Inlet flow manipulators

Perforated plate

Net

NetNet

STARCS Proprietary

Modified ejector

Insert

STARCS Proprietary

Gearboxes

Cut away sketch of the gearbox for 5500 rpm

Sketch of the gear box for 25000 rpm

STARCS Proprietary

Torque meters

0-10 kNm

0-8000 rpm 0-1400 Nm

0-30000 rpmSTARCS Proprietary

Situation plan

STARCS Proprietary

External view of the building

STARCS Proprietary

Motor and 25000 rpm gear box

STARCS Proprietary

Gear box and exhaust annular collector

STARCS Proprietary

Air inlet with inlet valve and stagnation chamber

STARCS Proprietary

STARCS Proprietary

Hardware needed to adapt a test compressor

Inlet pipe

STARCS Proprietary

STARCS Proprietary

Diffuser

Vital booster and instrumentation rack

STARCS Proprietary

Overview of the control and measurement system

ZephyrRecording of fast

response dataBandwidth: 30 kHz On-line monitoring

IDARecording of dataBandwidth:10 Hz

On-line monitoring.

Electronic Pressure Scanners

(ESP)Recording of ”slow” pressures. (10 Hz)On-line monitoring.

ABB 800Control system for motor

and valvesOn-line monitoring.

FFA 1260Signal conditioning

Alarm SystemCompilation of data and

presentation online of data, RMS, FFT etc. Alarm can invoke emergency stop

FFA 1220Signal conditioning

Strain gauges

Temperatures

Instationary Pressures

Facility fixed transducers

Stationary Pressures

Data to customer

Bearing temperature and

vibration

Emergency stop

Motor control sensors

MAESTROTest sequence control

STARCS Proprietary

Control Room

STARCS Proprietary

Control System Display

STARCS Proprietary

STARCS Proprietary

On-Line Compressor Performance Map

Hulda low pressure compressor

STARCS Proprietary

Vital LPC

STARCS Proprietary

AIDA Aggressive Duct With Hulda Compressor

STARCS Proprietary

Test compressor for max 5500 rpm

Front view of SiemensIndustrial Turbo-machinery test compressor with first stage guide vanes.

(inlet hub not present)

STARCS Proprietary

What is measured?

» Inlet and outlet pressures and temperatures» Mass flow, rotational speed and drive shaft torque» Vibration and loads on the rotor blades using strain gauges or tip-timing» Vibration and loads on the stator vanes and the inlet guide vanes using strain

gauges» Stall detection using temperature sensors and unsteady pressure transducers» Static pressures in the flow channel» For monitoring: Rotor tip clearance, shaft position, temperature and vibration of

the compressor bearings, lubrication oil pressure, temperature and mass flow» Flow properties in the channel using traversing probes: pressure, temperature

and flow angles

Summary

» STARCS in-house designed and built Compressor Test

Research Facility

» Today a well proven concept

» Drive power and mass flow capabilities in parity with

customer demands

» Unique capabilities with sub atmospheric outlet

STARCS Proprietary