Theory at the Glance

Introduction to compression

Introduction

Compression is used in process plants to:

  • Supply energy to the process fluid (gas) to allow its flow towards and across the plant
  • Allow physical changes in the process fluid (i.e. condensation, liquefaction, polymerization, etc.)
  • Foster the yield of a chemical reaction

Several different types of compressors were developed along the history of technology and are nowadays employed for different environments and applications.

The following figure shows the various types of compressors available.

FIG1

The field of application of the main types of compressors is shown in the following figure.

FIG2