After 10 Years, DATUM Continues To Make Noise (The Good Kind)  In the Energy Industry Ten years ago, the unprecedented buzz of activity and interest generated by Dresser-Rand at the Turbomachinery Symposium in Houston, created a lasting impression at D-R, as well as with our clients. The occasion was not simply the introduction of a new piece of equipment, but new technologies and a new approach to the marketplace.  And the buzz continues.  As we celebrate the tenth anniversary of the DATUM line of centrifugal compressors, it’s appropriate to measure how far we’ve come from that initial success. Since its introduction, the DATUM compressor has demonstrated superior efficiency, reduced emissions and has allowed us to provide clients with the lowest life cycle costs – all of which help us deliver the highest value to our clients.  The 28,000 pounds of steel on display that week in the George R. Brown Convention Center – a DATUM D-16 module – can be likened to a magnet, drawing clients and competitors alike. The unit represented the first in our new compressor line – and a new era in compression solutions. Three years in development, DATUM was a true concurrent engineering project that not only involved international teams of D-R engineers and decisionmakers, but also open lines of communication with our clients and vendors, collecting data that were critical to our efforts.  We set out to achieve the highest flange-to-flange polytropic efficiencies available in multistage compressors, with peak values in the mid to upper 80 percent range, while dramatically reducing delivery cycle times to six months when required, and reducing production costs. In addition, we sought to develop a unit that was far easier to maintain than the technology available on the market at that time. In order to achieve dramatic improvements in efficiencies, we developed a new family of impellers and matched stationary flowpath components using the latest aerodynamic design and analysis technology with three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics. More than $50 million was invested in new machine tools, and our manufacturing processes for flowpath components were modified for increased dimensional accuracy and improved surface finishes. Standardization in the product line allowed us to scale most components from the media units, thereby reducing design and production lead times. In addition, standardization provided clear maintenance advantages, allowing clients to easily stock replacement components. Another major advancement in enhancing on-site maintenance was the design of the modular bundle. The DATUM module, consisting of rotor, diaphragms, stationary flowpath components, bearing, seals and instrumentation, is designed to be installed in the outer casing as a complete assembly. The most significant advantage of the module design is that all components can be assembled in the shop where environmental conditions are controlled and critical dimensions, fits and clearances can be checked more easily. In addition, clients could now store a spare module for use when a unit was being serviced. Many of these approaches have now become industry standards. But at that time, this was clearly a huge leap forward for the industry because one of our greatest obstacles was introducing a line of compressors that had not been proven in the marketplace. Fortunately, our three-year development program included extensive single-stage testing to determine if the new aerodynamic stage design performed up to expectations. This was confirmed through the conclusive results of multi-stage testing.