Is there a minimum operating pressure for centrifugal circulating hydrogen compressors?
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The background is that due to the instability of our plant’s coal-to-hydrogen production unit, it has been shutting down urgently frequently recently. Before the reactor temperature had dropped to the desired level, the pressure in the reaction system fell below 2 MPa; at that point, my circulating hydrogen flow rate dropped to 0. My understanding is that perhaps the flow rate of recycled hydrogen is too low at this time, causing the compressor to surge, which leads to this phenomenon. So, is there a minimum operating pressure for the compressor?
The question wasn’t clear just now, so I’ll explain it again here. The background is as follows: due to the unstable operation of our coal-to-hydrogen plant recently, it has caused our diesel hydrogenation plant to shut down urgently on multiple occasions. Before the reactor temperature had dropped to the desired level, the pressure in the reaction system fell below 2 MPa, at which point the flow rate of recycled hydrogen dropped to 0. I think it’s probably because the flow rate of recycled hydrogen is too low at this time, causing this phenomenon due to compressor surge. So I would like to ask here: does a centrifugal compressor have a minimum operating pressure?
Centrifugal compressors have a minimum operating pressure that is related to the minimum surge flow rate. Generally, to prevent surge in centrifugal compressors, control valves on the inlet and outlet return lines are used to maintain an inlet flow rate to the compressor that is greater than the surge flow rate.