Centrifugal Air Compressor Waste Heat Recovery

Centrifugal Air Compressor Waste Heat Recovery

Centrifugal air compressor is driven by the impeller to do high-speed rotation of the gas, so that the gas produces centrifugal force, due to the expansion of the flow of gas in the impeller, so that the flow rate and pressure of the gas through the impeller is increased, continuous production of compressed air. The centrifugal air compressor consists of two main parts: the rotor and the stator. There are blades on the impeller, in addition to the balance plate and part of the shaft seal, the main body of the stator is the casing (cylinder), the stator is also arranged on the diffuser, bend, refluxer, inlet pipe, exhaust pipe and part of the shaft seal, etc..

The working principle of the centrifugal compressor is that when the impeller rotates at high speed, the gas rotates with it, and under the action of centrifugal force, the gas is thrown to the back of the diffuser, and a vacuum is formed at the impeller, when the fresh gas from outside enters the impeller. As the impeller continues to rotate, the gas is continuously drawn in and thrown out, thus maintaining a continuous flow of gas. Centrifugal air compressors rely on changes in kinetic energy to increase the pressure of the gas. When the rotor with blades, i.e. the working wheel, rotates, the blades drive the gas and transfer the work to the gas, so that the gas gains kinetic energy. After entering the stator part, due to the stator of the expansion of the role of speed energy pressure head into the required pressure, speed reduction, pressure increase, while using the stator part of the guide into the next level of impeller to continue to increase pressure, and finally discharged by the worm shell. For each compressor, in order to achieve the required design pressure, each compressor has a different number of stages and sections, and even several cylinder components.

Air compressor heat recovery refers to the recovery of heat generated during the operation of the air compressor. Air compressors generate a lot of heat during operation, which is usually dissipated into the air, resulting in a waste of energy. With heat recovery technology, this heat can be recovered and used to improve energy efficiency.

Heat recovery in air compressors can be achieved in different ways, some of the more common methods include the following:

Air-cooled heat recovery: the heat generated by the air compressor is transferred to the air or water that needs to be heated through a heat exchanger to achieve the transfer and utilisation of energy.

Water-cooled heat recovery: the heat generated by the air compressor is transferred to the water that needs to be heated through a water cooler to achieve the transfer and utilisation of energy.

Steam recovery: the heat generated by the air compressor is transferred through a steam generator to the water that needs to be heated, heating the water into steam for other uses.

With air compressor heat recovery technology, energy consumption can be reduced, production efficiency improved and environmental pollution reduced. In addition, heat recovery reduces the operating temperature of the air compressor, extending the service life of the equipment, shortening the maintenance cycle of the equipment and reducing maintenance costs.