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Axial Thrust calculation in High Pressure Centrifugal Compressors

The main difficulty of axial thrust calculation lies in the correct prediction of the static pressure distribution over the external surface of the impeller hub and shroud. This distribution depends on a large set of parameters, including rotor geometry, operating conditions, properties of the process gas, leakages flows across the rotor-stator seals. A detailed fluid-dynamic model of the gas in the cavities between impeller and diaphragm was developed and applied first to stage model tests and then to high-pressure centrifugal compressors, and its predictability was assessed by direct comparison with experimental data. The compressors were tested in full load conditions, with thrust bearing pads equipped with load cells, and the thrust values were recorded for several points across the operating envelope.

Axial Thrust calculation in High Pressure Centrifugal Compressors
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