AIChE Equipment Testing Procedure - Centrifugal Compressors (PDF)

AIChE's first manual for testing and measuring performance of
centrifugal compressors

The newest addition to AIChE's long-running Equipment Testing
Procedure series, Centrifugal Compressors: A Guide to
Performance Evaluation and Site Testing provides chemical
engineers, plant managers, and other professionals with helpful
advice to assess and measure the performance of a key component in
a number of chemical process operations. From petrochemical
refining and natural gas production to air separation plants,
efficient, safe, and environmentally-sound operations depend on
reliable performance by centrifugal compressors.

The book presents a step-by-step approach to preparing for,
planning, executing, and analyzing tests of centrifugal
compressors, with an emphasis on methods that can be conducted
on-site--and with an acknowledgement of the strengths and
limitations of these methods. The book opens with an extensive and
detailed section offering definitions of relevant terms explained
not only in words, but also with the equations used to determine
their values. The book then goes on to address:

* Selection of instrumentation and identification of elements to
be measured

* Strategies for data collection and evaluation

* Recommendations for when to schedule testing

* Pre-test, in-test, and post-test considerations (i.e.,
equipment, safety, process, and environmental)

* Computation and interpretation of results, including guidelines
for field modifications and analysis of results

The book concludes with appendices for applicable codes and
standards, relevant symbols and nomenclature, and values generated
from a sample performance test. With its engineer-tested procedures
and thorough explanations, Centrifugal Compressors is an
essential text for anyone engaged in implementing new technology in
equipment design, identifying process problems, and optimizing
equipment performance.