Paper:

System Performance Affected by Dynamic Pressure Drop

Check one: ? Technical Paper (45 minutes)

Author(s) & Title(s):

 Kelly Eberle & Gordon Sun PhD, (Principal Engineers – Beta Machinery)
 Dwayne Hickman (Director of Software Development, ACI Services, Inc.),
 Tom Stephens (Ariel Corporation)?

Presenter(s)*
 Chris Harper/Kelly Eberle (Principal Engineer):
 Dwayne Hickman (ACI)
 Tom Stephens (Ariel)?

Company: Beta Machinery Analysis/ACI ….

Address: 300, 1615 – 10th Ave SW
Calgary AB Canada T3C 0J7

Telephone : 403-245-5666
E-mail : keberle@betamachinery.com

*Include a brief biography for each presenter.

Has this paper been presented or published previously? ? Yes ? No

This page must be included with your informative abstract.

Unique, new or useful information presented by the course
1. Understanding the total pressure drop losses through the piping system has direct impact on
capacity and HP requirements. Total pressure drop requires accurate calculation of dynamic
losses, as well as static losses. Based on feedback from last year’s GMRC, the industry would like
more information on dynamic pressure drop and its effect through the piping system.
2. A case study of an existing compressor installation will illustrate the importance of static and
dynamic losses and demonstrate the impact on compressor performance.
3. Recommended approach to assess system performance

ABSTRACT:
Industry practice for compressor performance modeling is to make generic assumptions about pressure
drop through the piping system. These assumptions can lead to large errors in the calculated compressor
performance resulting in the compressor not meeting the original design requirements for capacity.

Analytical tools are now available which can accurately calculate the static and dynamic pressure drop
through all components of the system. Therefore, the compressor application design can be verified in the
design stage thus avoiding costly redesign or retrofit after installation.

A number of case studies will be used to illustrate the impact dynamic pressure drop can have on the
system performance.

This paper will describe the analytical tools used in accurately calculating the system static and dynamic
pressure drop. The effect of dynamic pressure drop on the compressor performance will be demonstrated.
A design approach will be recommended to ensure the compressor is designed appropriately for the
application.

The benefit of this paper for owners and packagers includes the following:
 ability to accurately assess system performance;
 avoid surprises when the actual capacity is less than required;
 a recommended design approach for new systems;