Questions regarding the structural design of casings for multi-stage low-pressure and multi-stage high-pressure centrifugal compressors
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In the third edition of \"System Design of Chemical Plants\", written by Chen Shuhui and Cai Erfu, there is a sentence that reads: \"Multi-stage low-pressure centrifugal compressors usually adopt a horizontally split structure with the casing hoisted from above, while multi-stage high-pressure centrifugal compressors often feature a cylindrical design in which the casing can be removed from the front.\" ”Are the differences in their structural design the sealing performance and pressure resistance? Are there any other differences? Thank you!
Haha, this is easy to understand. In simple terms, horizontal units have a mid-plane and are bolted together, so they cannot withstand high pressures. However, in the cylindrical type of unit, the partition inside first encloses the impeller. Then the entire core is placed inside a single-piece forged barrel, which can withstand very high pressures; there are gland plates on both sides.
What is meant is that in most cases the pressure exceeds 1.38 MPa, yet an axial split design is still chosen; therefore, the axial configuration becomes the standard option