The development of wet gas compressors will enable increased oil and gas production rates and enhanced profitable operation by subsea well-stream boosting. A more fundamental knowledge of the impact of liquid is essential with regard to the understanding of thermodynamic and fluid dynamic compressor behavior. An open-loop impeller test facility was designed to investigate the wet gas performance, aerodynamic stability, and operation range. The facility was made adaptable for different impeller and diffuser geometries. In this paper, the wet gas test facility and experimental work concerning the impact of wet gas on a representative full-scale industrial impeller are presented. The centrifugal compressor performance was examined at high gas volume fractions and atmospheric inlet conditions. Air and water were used as experimental fluids. Dry and wet gas performance was experimentally verified and analyzed. The results were in accordance with previous test data and indicated a stringent influence of the liquid phase. Air/water tests at atmospheric conditions were capable of reproducing the general performance trend of hydrocarbon wet gas compressor tests at high pressure.

This paper evaluates the performance analysis of wet gas compression. It reports the performance of a single stage gas centrifugal compressor tested on wet gas. These tests were performed at design operating range with real hydrocarbon mixtures. The gas volume fraction was varied from 0.97 to 1.00, with alternation in suction pressure. The range is representative for many of the gas/condensate fields encountered in the North Sea. The machine flow rate was varied to cover the entire operating range. The compressor was also tested on a hydrocarbon gas and water mixture to evaluate the impact of liquid properties on performance. No performance and test standards currently exist for wet gas compressors. To ensure nominated flow under varying fluid flow conditions, a complete understanding of compressor performance is essential. This paper gives an evaluation of real hydrocarbon multiphase flow and performance parameters as well as a wet gas performance analysis. The results clearly demonstrate that liquid properties influence compressor performance to a high degree. A shift in compressor characteristics is observed under different liquid level conditions. The results in this paper confirm the need for improved fundamental understanding of liquid impact on wet gas compression. The evaluation demonstrates that dry gas performance parameters are not applicable for wet gas performance analysis. Wet gas performance parameters verified against results from the tested compressor is presented.

Development of wet gas compressors is challenging due to the liquid phase impact on performance. Experimental investigation of airfoil behavior in wet condition contributes to a revised compressor design and increased understanding of multiphase flow mechanisms. The performance of an airfoil was investigated in wet gas flow. An air-water mixture was used as the experimental fluid. The influence of wet gas flow on airfoil performance was investigated at different angles of incidence and gas volume fractions. A qualitative description of the complex physical process observed when liquid is introduced into the flow field is given. Airfoil performance was degraded at increased liquid mass flow rate owing to premature boundary layer separation. The initiation of separation was observed as a local film thickening, followed by increased liquid film fluctuations. A continuity wave was observed surrounding the airfoil, forming a U shape of increased liquid concentration. The wave was initiated by deposited droplets and the formation of secondary droplets. The investigation reveals that compressor operating range, surge and stall margins are affected by the wet gas fluid. Reviewed literature and experiments confirm a reduced stall and surge margin when a compressor is exposed to wet gas. Further investigation will involve sub-scale impeller tests to determine the effects on the performance and stability ranges.