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The overall design of high-pressure centrifugal compressors is largely influenced by rotordynamic aspects. Rotor instability may restrict operating speed and/or maximum discharge pressure if the destabilizing effects have not been considered accurately during the design phase. A test rig for high pressures has been designed and operated successfully in order to achieve dynamic labyrinth seal coefficients through simulation of original conditions in every aspect. Details are given of the full-scale test rig, which uses active magnetic bearings as a key feature, as well as results from the comprehensive test program. Later on, these results are employed for the design of a compressor for very high pressures, demonstrating the complexity of this design task. Validation of the labyrinth test data and the rotor dynamic analysis is provided by the results from a PTC class I test on a reinjection compressor. During shop testing, this machine has been run with and without swirl brakes and the test results agree very well with the predictions.

The overall design of high-pressure centrifugal compressors is largely influenced by rotordynamic aspects. Rotor instability may restrict operating speed and/or maximum discharge pressure if the destabilizing effects have not been considered accurately during the design phase. A test rig for high pressures has been designed and operated successfully in order to achieve dynamic labyrinth seal coefficients through simulation of original conditions in every aspect. Details are given of the full-scale test rig, which uses active magnetic bearings as a key feature, as well as results from the comprehensive test program. Later on, these results are employed for the design of a compressor for very high pressures, demonstrating the complexity of this design task. Validation of the labyrinth test data and the rotor dynamic analysis is provided by the results from a PTC 10 class I test on a reinjection compressor. During shop testing, this machine has been run with and without swirl brakes and the test results agree very well with the predictions.

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