What are the advantages and disadvantages of centrifugal compressor

Release time：2026-01-06    Click：16

　　What are the advantages and disadvantages of centrifugal compressor? As the key equipment in the field of fluid machinery, centrifugal compressor has been widely used in petrochemical industry, energy and electricity, metallurgical mines and many other industrial scenes by virtue of its unique working principle. Compared with other types of compressors, it has both irreplaceable advantages and certain application limitations. Turbo-Tech will analyze the advantages and disadvantages of centrifugal compressor in detail, and provide reference for equipment selection and operation and maintenance of related industries.

　　Analysis of advantages and disadvantages of centrifugal compressor

　　1. Advantages of centrifugal compressor: Why is it so popular?

　　1. Large flow and continuous and stable gas supply.

　　The core advantage of centrifugal compressor lies in its superior energy efficiency when dealing with atmospheric volume. Because of its rotary working mode, there is no reciprocating motion of the piston like a reciprocating compressor, so it can realize the continuous transportation of gas without pulse phenomenon, and is especially suitable for the supply of main flow gas source in air separation units, large-scale smelting and chemical production. At the same time, stable airflow output can also effectively avoid the impact damage of subsequent equipment caused by airflow fluctuation, and improve the stability of the whole production system.

　　2. Compact structure and stable output.

　　Compared with the piston compressor, the centrifuge omits the complicated air valve and crank-connecting rod mechanism, and its structure is relatively simple, and its volume and weight are greatly reduced. More importantly, the gas it transports is continuous and pulse-free, which not only reduces the impact vibration on the pipeline system, but also creates conditions for the stable operation of the follow-up process and reduces the cost of infrastructure construction.

　　3. High reliability and low maintenance

　　Because there are few moving parts (mainly high-speed rotors) and there is no need for internal lubrication (oil-free design can be selected according to the medium), the friction loss is low. Its continuous operation cycle is long, usually up to several years without overhaul, and its daily maintenance mainly focuses on auxiliary systems such as bearings and seals, which significantly reduces the long-term operating cost and the risk of unexpected downtime.

　　4. Strong adaptability and clean transportation

　　It is suitable for pressurized transportation of air, nitrogen, oxygen, natural gas, carbon dioxide and other gas media. At the same time, it can adapt to special working conditions such as high temperature and high pressure by adjusting the impeller material and sealing form.

　　In addition, because the centrifugal compressor adopts oil-free design, it ensures the high cleanliness of compressed gas, which is very important for industries such as semiconductor manufacturing, food and medicine, precision instruments and so on that have zero tolerance for oil.

　　Second, the shortcomings of centrifugal compressor

　　1. Surge and blockage

　　When the flow rate is lower than the design value, the airflow will be seriously separated, resulting in severe vibration or damage of the unit. On the contrary, when the flow rate is too large to reach the "blocking" condition, the efficiency will also plummet. This requires a precise and rapid anti-surge control system, which increases the complexity and investment of the equipment.

　　3. High manufacturing cost and strict technology.

　　High-speed rotor (linear speed can reach hundreds of meters per second) requires extremely high dynamic balance, and the impeller often needs to be made of high-strength alloy and processed by precision numerical control or forging, which is expensive to manufacture. In addition, in order to achieve high performance, the flow channel design relies on complex aerodynamic calculation and trial and error, and the technical threshold is high.

　　To sum up, the "Analysis of Advantages and Disadvantages of Centrifugal Compressor" is here for you. When selecting, priority should be given to scenes with large flow, moderate pressure demand, stable operating conditions and high requirements for gas cleanliness or continuity. For enterprises that have adopted centrifugal compressors, by optimizing operating conditions and strengthening daily maintenance, their shortcomings can be effectively avoided, their advantages can be brought into play, and the stable and efficient operation of production systems can be guaranteed.