Oil Free, Compact Compression Systems

Gilarranz, José

Compact, oil-free compression systems have been around for quite some time but the benefits of the technology are usually not well understood. This technical paper is intended to provide a detailed discussion on the different technologies and options that are available from the OEM, and how they can be used as individual building blocks to adapt the compression train solution to the needs of a particular application. Some of the technologies that will be covered are: active magnetic bearings (AMB), high-speed electric motors with variable frequency drives (VFD), advanced dry gas seals and gas conditioning systems. A novel and compact integrated gas/liquid separation stage will also be introduced as an alternative to conventional gravity-based scrubbers, in offshore or remote applications