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What is the average energy efficiency of Steam turbine driven centrifugal compressor (Total Condensing)?
 
Answers
10/08/2016 A: Milorad Popovic, Retaired, milorad.popovic@gmx.com
Assuming a condensing turbine with load range 5,000-15,000HP take an efficiency of approximately 76%. If steam inlet/outlet conditions and turbine size at rated/part load, wear rate,. available we can do a better estimate. in our practice, the field instrument readings including turbine chest pressure, off-design operational conditions evaluation are so important to determine an actual efficiency.
Normally, a multi-stage condensing turbine is for large loads when the process required operational flexibility and reliability. Steam turbine sized with 110 % of expected load drives well the centrifugal compressor without any torsional problem.
Note, that our turbine is in the turbine-compressor system this steam extracted work is now performing compression work at assumed design efficiency of around 85 %, what should be accounted.