What are the centrifugal compressors in the chemical industry

Release time：2026-09-11    Click：8

　　What are the centrifugal compressors in the chemical industry？In million-ton ethylene, synthetic ammonia, and coal chemical plants, the centrifugal compressor is called the "heart" of the entire production line-once it is shut down, the entire plant will shut down. In chemical scenarios with large flow, continuous operation, flammable and explosive media, or toxic and harmful, centrifugal compressors have become the main force due to their characteristics of large flow, stable operation, oil-free compressed gas, and high single-machine power. The following Turbo-Tech compressors systematically sort out the main types of centrifugal compressors in the chemical industry according to the dimensions of process use and other dimensions.

　　What are the centrifugal compressors in the chemical industry？

　　Ⅰ. Why do chemical plants prefer centrifugal compressors?

　　The chemical process has three rigid requirements for the compressor:

Huge flow: a large ethylene plant processes hundreds of thousands of cubic meters of gas per hour, and the volume and airflow pulsation of the reciprocating machine cannot bear it;

　　Keen medium: the process gas contains hydrogen, chlorine, olefins, CO2, etc. The entry of lubricating oil into the system will lead to catalyst poisoning or reliable accidents, and the compression process is required to be clear and oil-free;

　　Long-term continuous operation: The device is usually "repaired every two years" or longer, and the unit is required to operate uninterrupted and stable for more than 8,000 hours.

Centrifugal compressors rely on high-speed impellers to do work on the gas, and then convert kinetic energy into pressure energy through the diffuser. There is no gas circuit and no natural oil, which just meets these three requirements.

　　Ⅱ. Divided by process use: six major roles in chemical plants

　　1. Centrifugal air compressor (factory wind/instrument wind)

　　It provides instrument gas source and device gas for the whole plant, and requires oil-free, clean, continuous and stable, which is the "standard configuration" of chemical plants. The raw material air compressor of large-scale air separation unit also belongs to this category, and the flow rate can reach hundreds of thousands of cubic meters per hour.

　　2. Cracking gas compressor (ethylene plant)

　　The high-temperature multi-component mixture (hydrogen, methane, ethylene, etc.) from the compression cracking furnace is usually compressed in five stages, cooled and separated between stages, and the power of a single unit can reach more than 80MW. It is one of the equipment with high technical content in ethylene plants.

　　3. Refrigeration compressors (propylene/ethylene refrigeration)

　　To provide cooling capacity below-100 ℃ for cryogenic separation of cracking gas, a wide range of operating conditions is required to adapt to seasonal and load fluctuations.

　　4. Syngas compressor (synthetic ammonia/methanol/coal chemical industry)

　　The hydrogen-nitrogen or carbon-hydrogen-oxygen mixture is pressurized to 10-30MPa in multiple stages and sent to the synthesis tower. The difficulty lies in the high pressure ratio, strong hydrogen permeability and easy leakage, and the flammable and explosive medium. Modern large-scale devices mostly use cylinder centrifuges driven directly by steam turbines.

　　5. Recirculating gas and special process gas compressors

　　Including polyethylene/polypropylene plant circulating gas, ethylene oxide circulating gas, hydrogenation circulating hydrogen, etc.; The medium covers corrosive or highly toxic gases such as chlorine, hydrogen chloride, vinyl chloride, ammonia, CO, CO2, etc., and has extremely high requirements for sealing (dry gas sealing), corrosion-resistant materials and leakage prevention.

　　6. Special models for emerging fields

　　CCUS carbon capture: multi-stage compression of CO2 to supercritical state transport and storage;

　　Hydrogen energy: hydrogen pressurization, compression of the middle and low pressure section of the hydrogen refueling station;

　　LNG/natural gas: BOG (low temperature flash vapor) compressor, pipeline pressurization;

　　MVR evaporation: water vapor recompression, used in methanol rectification, saline wastewater evaporation and other energy-saving processes.

　　Ⅲ. Domestic representatives: Introduction to centrifugal compressors for Turbo-Tech chemical industry

　　Turbo-Tech Compressor Wuxi Co., Ltd. (Turbo-Tech) focuses on the independent research and development of high-end centrifugal compressors, and has realized the localization of core equipment. The products have passed ISO9001, German TüV oil-free certification, CE, CQC and other certifications, and are designed and manufactured in accordance with API standards. For the chemical industry, Turbo-Tech has formed a complete series layout:

　　Ti Series Centrifugal Air Compressor

　　Flow rate 1200 ~ 24000Nm3/h, pressure covers common factory wind/instrument wind conditions, oil-free and clean, suitable for chemical utility workshops.

　　Mn (H) Series Large Centrifugal Compressor

　　The flow rate is 1200 ~ 600000Nm3/h, the pressure is 0.12 ~ 16MPa (G), and the power of a single unit exceeds 60MW. It can achieve five-axis and ten-stage compression. It is oriented to large-scale air separation, petrochemical, air energy storage, wind tunnel experiments and other ultra-large flow and high-pressure scenarios. A representative model of a high-pressure large-flow centrifuge.

　　Ra Series Process Gas Compressor (Core Model of Chemical Industry)

　　Flow rate 1200 ~ 600000 Nm3/h, pressure 0.25 ~ 40.0 MPa (G), compressible natural gas, olefin gas, hydrogen, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, chlorine, vinyl chloride, hydrogen chloride, nitrogen oxides and other process gases, using dry gas Seal/labyrinth seal optional scheme, corrosion-resistant material and special sealing structure, standard anti-surge control, has been applied in batches in petrochemical, coal chemical, natural gas treatment, CCUS and other fields.

　　Ni Series Water Vapor Compressor

　　Used for methanol rectification, evaporation crystallization, wastewater treatment, etc. Recovery of low-temperature waste heat, large steam consumption.

　　The above is an introduction to "What are the centrifugal compressors in the chemical industry? A thorough introduction to classification, working conditions and selection". There are many types of centrifugal compressors in the chemical industry and different working conditions, but the core logic is the same. Domestic centrifugal compressor manufacturers represented by Turbo-Tech are realizing batch replacement of process gas compressors, a field dominated by imported brands, providing chemical companies with independent and controllable options with high energy efficiency, short delivery time, and fast response.