Helium screw compressor for 5tpd large-scale hydrogen liquefier

Abstract

Liquid hydrogen has promising applications in various industries. As an important heart role, compressors are essential for efficient hydrogen liquefaction. This study introduced a novel profile screw compressor employed in large-scale hydrogen liquefaction processes. The development addressed the challenges associated with large-scale rotors, high pressure differences, and demanding capacity or torque requirements. By utilizing a 5/7-lobe combination of male to female rotors, this technology effectively tackled issues related to rotor dynamics, such as heavy-load rotor stiffness and dynamic balance. The profile design followed hydrodynamics principles, reducing viscosity loss and oil–gas flow loss at high speeds, large flow rates, and significant pressure differences. The profile curve’s curvature and geometric configuration were tailored to the specific pressure state during compression. In high-pressure areas, the profile remained relatively flat to maintain machining accuracy. While in low-pressure areas, the curvature was increased, and the meshing clearance was reduced to minimize helium leakage. Experimental tests conducted under conditions similar to actual hydrogen liquefaction processes have successfully validated the theoretical profile design and the newly developed multi-point oil injection cooling technologies. These advancements have led to an impressive isothermal efficiency of 58.1 % for the entire screw set. Furthermore, the stability and reliability of the compressor were verified through noise and vibration signal testing. The results demonstrated that the compressor operated with noise levels below 96 dB (A) and vibration levels below 7 mm/s, further ensured its suitability for large-scale cryogenic applications. These compressors have successfully run stably on the 5.17 tpd (ton per day) hydrogen liquefier. Overall, this research would significantly contribute to the advancement of screw compressors and large-scale cryogenic technology.