Engineeer's Notebook: The VIP Compressor - A Solution to Reliable High Speed Operation  

by William C. Wirz
Vice President -
Development Engineering
Dresser-Rand Company
Painted Post, N.Y. U.S.A

Editor's Note: The following paper was presented at the European Forum for Reciprocating Compressors, November 4 - 5, 1999 in Dresden, East Germany.

The Recip - a State of the Art Compressor

Abstract

High Speed Compressors offer opportunities for clients to lower total installed cost by having a smaller compressor in physical size, but equal the flow (MMSCFD) of larger, slower speed reciprocating compressors. While lower total installed cost cannot be disputed with high-speed compressors, there is an overriding concern of lifetime costs and maintenance due to the high rotative speed. It is clear that development of a true high speed, reliable, reciprocating compressor is needed to provide consumers with the opportunity to compress gas at lower cost. This paper will identify the Dresser-Rand "VIP" compressor as a solution to the need to compress gas reliably at very low cost.

Introduction

Dresser-Rand Company has a long history in providing equipment for the oil and gas, and petrochemical markets. In the areas of gas compression many years of design and operating experience are brought to bear in the development of new solutions to meet specific needs of the client. Specific compression solutions include: non-lubricated service, high pressure, gas transmission, gas gathering, sour gas service, hazardous gas compression. To specifically address the need for a solution to reliably compress gas at higher rotative speeds, Dresser-Rand embarked on the design of the "VIP - (Valve-In-Piston)" compressor. After nearly five years of applying this cylinder design in a variety of compression applications, clients have experienced increased reliability and lower operating costs than other high speed units in similar service.

The "VIP" Design

Cylinder Design

Until the introduction of the "VIP" cylinder there were basically two types of compressor cylinder designs: Barrel and Valve-in-Head. The "Barrel" cylinder configuration (Figure 1.) is designed with the compressor valves radially around the cylinder bore. These cylinders typically have the highest percent of clearance due to the need to feed the valves via scallops or cylinder liner port cuts. Piston design is conventional, cylindrical in shape, and attached to a piston rod with collars and a piston nut.

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