PR015-23206-R01 Centrifugal Compressor Station Efficiency Optimization

The Compressor & Pump Station Technical Committee of Pipeline Research Council International (PRCI) has identified a need to reduce fuel and energy consumption at centrifugal compressor stations by improving the operating efficiency of centrifugal compressors at off-design conditions. It is commonplace for centrifugal compressors to operate well away from their original design point (and best efficiency point); this is generally due to (1) compressor stations needing to operate over an increasingly wide range of conditions and (2) economics favoring the installation of 1 or 2 large compressors as opposed to multiple smaller units. The objective of this project was to identify effective and impactful modifications that can be applied at centrifugal compressor sta-tions to improve operating efficiency and reduce the fuel/energy consumption. Case studies were evaluated for select technologies using historical operator data to demonstrate the performance improvement potential. For the top performing case studies, the net present value and emissions reduction were evaluated using the PRCI CO2 Economic Analysis Tool.