Turbomachinery & Pump Symposia

SwRI will be exhibiting at the Turbomachinery & Pump Symposia, booth no. 2627.

Southwest Research Institute^® (SwRI^®) is an independent, nonprofit, applied research and development organization founded in 1947 and headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, with more than 3,200 employees and an annual research volume of $966 million. SwRI provides quick-response field consultation and design services to solve vibration, pulsation, and performance problems associated with plant machinery and piping systems. SwRI is also recognized for its turbomachinery development services from concept design and rig testing to full-scale prototype fabrication and evaluation.

Come by our booth to see these demos!

STEP Model

This is a physical 3D model of the Supercritical Transformational Electric Power (STEP) Demo 10MWe supercritical carbon dioxide pilot scale power plant. This facility, built on SwRI’s campus, is the largest indirect fired plant in the world and was funded by the U.S. Dept of Energy, GTI, SwRI, GE Vernova, and Joint Industry Partnership.

Rotordynamics Rig

This rotordynamics test rig demonstrates rotordynamic mode shapes and critical speeds with vibrations you can see. It was a SwRI-sponsored capstone project designed and built by students at Texas A&M University.

Hot Potato

This is the turbo expander developed for the world’s first operating Pumped Heat Energy Storage (PHES) system developed by SwRI. Think battery, but on a utility scale!

Please join us for the following:

Discussion Groups

Wednesday, Sept. 23

“Reciprocating Compressors,” Ben White
8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Room 362C
Suggested Topics:

• Advanced Condition monitoring
• Modern wear components design, reliability and failures
• Maintenance strategy / Best Practices
• Industry standards API 618, API 688, API 670 annex P, ISO 13631, etc.
• Capacity Control speed, recycle, unloaders (all types)
• Process gas quality and conditioning
• Couplings
• Pulsation, vibration and torsional issues
• Valve design, reliability, and fouling
• Packaging / Size and Speed Considerations / Installation Type
• Field Testing
• Synchronous motor starting issues

“Hydrogen Compressors and Pumps,” Buddy Broerman
10:30 a.m. – Noon
Room 361A
The suggested topics are the following:

• Direction of the hydrogen economy/industry
  • Higher flow machinery needed
• Materials issues
• Seals
• Ball bearings for pumps

Short Courses

Monday, Sept. 21
8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

“Advancing Reciprocating Compressor System Design: Principles, Modeling, and Practical Strategies,”
Room 371A
Buddy Broerman, Sarah Simons
Reciprocating compressors are critical for the entire oil and gas infrastructure but they are some of the most misunderstood and overlooked pieces of equipment. This course is designed to introduce engineers, operations, and maintenance personnel to reciprocating compressors and their performance defining components, as well as the underlying theory for their operation. This course will also cover the most common issues encountered and provide the tools to identify and troubleshoot these concerns. Upon course completion, the participants will have a basic foundation in reciprocating compressors and the knowledge to troubleshoot the most common concerns encountered.

“Centrifugal Compressors 201,”
Room 372A
Jeff Moore
This course supplements the Centrifugal Compressor 101 course by covering in greater detail four key areas related to compressors: aerodynamics, rotordynamics, performance and mechanical testing, and surge control. It is intended for those who attended the 101 course and wish to learn more about these topics. The course is also structured for those practicing rotating machinery engineers who have a basic understanding of the topics covered in CC101 but wish to further their understanding in these key areas.

1. Aerodynamic compressor design and analysis, CFD and its role, performance issues, rotordynamics, basic vibration theory, modeling procedures, bearing and seal analysis, API requirements, instrumentation, used sample vibration phenomena, and case studies
2. Performance and mechanical testing, API 617 and ASME PTC-10 requirements, instrumentation, test methods, test gas considerations, sample testing pitfalls, and aerodynamic case studies
3. Surge control, answering what surge is, scenarios, surge control system components, surge control system operation in different scenarios, modeling of the surge control system, surge control system design considerations, integration of compressors, and compression systems

“From Concept to Detailed Mechanical Design & Analysis—Turbomachinery Design,”
Room 372C
Evan Bond, Aaron Rimpel, Jonathan Wade, Jason Wilkes
This training course covers the key topics to consider when designing turbomachinery. The course details the design process starting from a brief introduction on cycle analysis and how that cycle design is used to determine the appropriate size, speed, and number of compression or expansion stages. Next the audience will be introduced to the concurrent design process where trades between rotordynamics, performance, machine load capacity, and casing design are iteratively refined in the 2-D layout stage until a conceptual design is complete. While the subjects of aero design and rotordynamics are included, the focus of this course is largely based on the design process for turbomachinery and a holistic view of the design process. Detailed aspects of mechanical design including thermal pressure analysis using ASME BPV codes (Section 1 and 2), casing retention methods, bolting design, piloting, mechanical attachments, and materials will be the focus, along with implications on the aerodynamic and rotordynamic design. This class is intended for engineers and designers who already have some turbomachinery experience. Instruction will be provided by experienced machinery designers with firsthand experience designing, building, and testing turbomachinery. This class is unique due to the comprehensive content for turbomachinery design and the detailed design methods presented.

For more information, please contact Eugene Broerman.