Assistant Editor, Turbomachinery International Magazine

Timothy Lukac

Part two of the TurboTime podcast with Myth Busters  Klaus Brun and Rainer Kurz, dives further into the limiting factors involved in the LNG production process. There are various components involved, and each requires gas turbine-driven or electric motor-driven compressors. The pair also address current events involved in gauging and limiting the amount of CO

released into the atmosphere. Cost, cost, cost is on everybody's mind and is a major hurdle in solving the issue of bolstering LNG production levels.

Podcasts

Discover the biggest limiting factors behind ramping up LNG production in the latest episode of the TurboTime podcast.

TurboTime: Part 2: Busting the Myth of Fast LNG Production

In this episode, Klaus and Rainer give a basic rundown of LNG, how it's used, and the process of creating it. Gas turbines that push the refrigeration compressors are the heart of LNG production. The dynamics of the liquid become more complicated when integrating pipeline transportation due to increased filtration requirements.

The United States currently needs to see 2-3 million more compressor horsepower in the next 12-18 months to meet the current demand. The manufacturing limits imposed by these very long-lead time machines make the current expectations on LNG production increases wholly unrealistic.

In this TurboTime podcast special, Myth Busters Klaus Brun and Rainer Kurz tackle the myth that more LNG can be quickly made. 

TurboTime: Part 1: Busting the Myth on Fast LNG Production

Carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS)—which aims to reduce carbon emissions while simultaneously contributing to the development of a circular carbon economy—is set to play a diverse role in meeting global climate goals. With green initiatives on the rise and regulatory bodies becoming more imposing on emitters, curtailing emissions is now a top concern for carbon-producing entities. To solve this problem, innovative solutions are entering the industry. Fueled by direct support from world leaders and governments, CCUS technologies are one pathway to achieving net-zero emissions. So, what role is the turbomachinery industry playing?

Caption: Centrifugal compressors like this STC-GV can benefit from the further implementation of carbon-capture technology. Credit: Siemens Energy

HOW DOES TURBOMACHINERY PLAY A ROLE IN CCUS?

) compression can be seen as a critical element in carbon-capture storage applications, which makes it an essential building block in the larger picture of global decarbonization.

“Among compression methods, integrally geared centrifugal compressors are a preferred rotating hardware because of the special behavior of CO

 applications,” said Ulrich Schmitz, Vice President Marketing at Atlas Copco Gas and Process.

, like other high mole-weight gases, increases its temperature during compression, making the interstage cooling provided by integrally geared compressors an energy-efficient and cost-effective characteristic, Schmitz explained. Turbomachinery plays an important role in CCUS processes, for example enabling the transportation of the gas by compressing it. Without this essential component, handling CO

 in the long term would be much more difficult. Compressors also come into play later in the value chain with the creation of aftermarket products. Thus, compressors can be seen as the crux of carbon-capture value generation.

Large-scale adoption is a challenge in both the United States and Europe. One way to increase adoption is through regulatory avenues. The United States passed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which includes $369 billion in green energy grants and subsidies to accelerate the reduction of carbon. In March, Europe proposed the Net-Zero Industry Act, which aims to establish a framework of measures for strengthening Europe’s development of net-zero technologies.

Following the passage of the IRA, Aniruddha Sharma, Chair and CEO of Carbon Clean, a UK-based company focused on carbon capture solutions, said: “Carbon Clean has experienced a 64% leap in inquiries, and we expect the United States to become one of our largest markets,” Sharma said. “In March, we announced a significant expansion in North America to meet this booming demand. [We opened] a U.S. headquarters in Houston and are currently developing a local supply chain.”

Sharma said government support is needed to push CCUS at a significant scale, including policies to economically support these endeavors. This includes setting financial rewards, simplifying the permitting and planning process, ensuring storage sites are developed quickly, and putting a focus on regulation that supports the growth of CO

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), through the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), is working on promoting and developing carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies. In a recent panel at PowerGen 2023, representatives from the governmental body spoke on the role CCS plays in promoting carbon neutrality.

Jose Figueroa, Carbon Capture Team Supervisor at NETL, informed attendees about the capture technologies his department is helping to develop, such as direct air capture. He said that technologies such as CCS and collaboration across different sectors—government, academia, industry, and research organizations—will help support the goal of achieving net zero by 2050 seem more attainable.

Currently, geological storage is the most mature technological option for storing CO

 and offers significant capacity for sequestering CO

 storage in geologic formations includes oil and gas reservoirs, unmineable coal seams, and deep saline reservoirs.

However, the Clean Air Task Force (CATF) said among the carbon capture, transport, and storage value chain, storage is the key bottleneck impeding the development of carbon capture and storage in Europe. According to the authors of Europe’s Net-Zero Industry Act: What does it mean for carbon capture and storage, “As CATF determined last year, Europe could face up to a 50% shortfall in storage capacity available to capture projects in 2030.” However, the Net-Zero Industry Act is creating better conditions and opportunities for clean-energy technologies in Europe.

In the United States, according to the Congressional Research Service, the DOE estimates the country’s total storage capacity to range between about 2.6 trillion and 22 trillion metric tons of CO

Dr. Marcus Brücher, Senior Vice President of Compression at Siemens Energy, said the company is focusing on storage rather than utilization. “The amount of CO

 produced from one large power plant is more than the entire beverage industry could consume per year,” Dr. Brücher said. “This example furthers the assertation that the viability of such products has yet to find a clear pathway when stress testing a business plan from a financial perspective. Theoretically and scientifically, many products are achievable; storage of CO

 can provide source points later when economics and financial returns are more favorable for products derived from CO

The “store-for-later” idea runs in tandem with what has been seen in the past with enhanced oil recovery (EOR) production, which, according to an article published in Reservoir Engineering, are processes that are “implemented to increase the ability of oil to flow to a well by injecting water, chemicals, or gases [such as CO

] into the reservoir or by changing the physical properties of the oil.”

Daniela Abate, Vice President of CCUS at Baker Hughes, explained that CO

-EOR has demonstrated its effectiveness, particularly in the United States where it has been adopted in several projects. According to the CCS Institute’s Global Status of CCS 2022 report, 11 out of 13 operating CCS projects in the United States are based on EOR.

The type of carbon-capture technology employed is what determines the role that turbomachinery plays. “Its role becomes critical for membrane-based, cryogenic, and hot potassium carbonate-based capture technologies, since they are operated with gas streams at medium/high pressures,” Abate said.

According to Office of Scientific and Technical Information, membrane-based capture uses semi-permeable membranes to separate CO

 from a gas stream. Cryogenic capture cools the gas stream to very low temperatures (around -100°C or lower) to distinguish the CO

 from other gases. Hot potassium capture uses a hot potassium carbonate solution to absorb CO

Further considerations when determining which turbomachinery to use include “whether it is a retrofit project with limited available space and whether the site already has sufficient energy to run compression or if a new power generation unit will be needed,” Abate said.

In these installations, operating profiles are often challenging to manage (largely due to turndown), which can lead to the need for parallel units. However, these obstacles create opportunities, such as developing modular solutions to address plot availability issues and creating more efficient machinery equipped with energy-recovery solutions.

Managing the operating profile is directly tied into the efficiency, reliability, and overall performance of both carbon-capture systems and the associated power generation or industrial process equipment. Here, it’s important to compensate for load fluctuations through advanced control strategies or the use of variable speed drives.

Further, beyond turbomachinery considerations, the CO

 capture method must also be determined. CCUS technologies can remove CO

 a few ways, including pre-combustion and post-combustion methods.

“Pre-combustion capture has high efficiency, and the increased CO

 concentration in the syngas significantly enhances absorption efficiency,” Dr. Brücher said. “However, the overall capital cost of the base gasification process is high.”

He said it comes down to evaluating which technology is fit for a specific application based on the management of the mass from the emitting and capture device. The capital cost can be attributed to the complexity of the process, the need for specialized equipment, the high operating temperatures and pressures found, and the challenges associated with feedstock handling and gas cleanup.

One advantage of post-combustion carbon-capture technology—such as absorption, adsorption, and membranes—is its maturity compared to other carbon-capture alternatives.

“It’s viable to retrofit the technology into new and existing plants,” Dr. Brücher said.

The downside of post-combustion carbon capture is that it has a low carbon-capture efficiency due to low CO

 concentration in the flue gas, as well as large parasitic loads of thermal and electrical duties. However, Abate said that “Once the CO

-rich flue gas has been compressed and has the CO

-lean flue gas stream (which typically accounts for more than 80% of the flue gas volume initially compressed) can be expanded to recover energy, which can partially offset the energy required by the CO

As an example, energy recovery devices, such as turbo-expanders or gas expansion turbines, can convert the pressure energy of the aforementioned gas into useful work, such as electricity generation. This recovered energy can then be used to power the compression process or other parts of the carbon-capture system.

Dr. Brücher concluded: “There is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ in these technologies. Each has its own strengths and weaknesses that must be considered. Siemens Energy is developing strategies in each technology area to design and provide products that contribute efficiency gains to each carbon-capture technology.”

OVERCOMING INEFFIENCIES AND INDUSTRY COLLABORATIONS

Implementing carbon-capture tools can impact the overall efficiency of turbomachinery. There’s also further value that can be extracted from the process.

 capture requires both heat and power, and CO

 compression requires power which, if supplied directly by the power plant, will reduce its overall efficiency,” Sharma said.

Some ways of mitigating this inefficiency include using solvents such as CDRMax, which reduce the amount of heat required for CO

 is being used in a down-stream process, e.g., methanol or other fuel/chemical products, there are opportunities to integrate with the CO2 capture plant to meet a large portion of its heat requirement,” he said.

 can be used in the downstream process is through collaborations such as the Flue2Chem project (FIGURE 1). Carbon Clean is collaborating with 14 other organizations, including BASF, Proctor & Gamble, and Unliever, on the Flue2Chem project in the UK: a two-year project that aims to convert industrial waste gases to more sustainable consumer products. The project could result in a saving of 15-20 million tons of CO

 emissions a year in the UK. As part of the project, Carbon Clean’s CycloneCC carbon-capture technology will capture 10 tons per day of CO

“Collaboration among OEM; CCS technology provider; engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC); and end users to maximize process efficiency is essential to the success of carbon-capture projects,” Dr. Brücher said. “OEMs can provide performance finesse by leveraging machine design details which are then tightly aligned to process performance.”

All parties can bring unique expertise and capabilities to the table, and their collaboration could lead to innovations, optimized designs, reduced costs, and more efficient implementation of these technologies.

Efficiency here is created at the machine level, which means reviewing the continuity of that efficiency at the carbon-capture level and then confirming that efficiency at the global facility level.

Dr. Brücher calls it a “create-review-confirm” approach, which can help keep carbon emissions at the lowest GJ/ton possible.

To further emphasize the importance of collaboration, Abate said how partnering with project developers from an OEM perspective, including CO

 transport infrastructure developers, will help in defining a cost-effective solution. Baker Hughes was recently awarded a contract with Malaysia Marine and Heavy Engineering to supply CO

 compression equipment to PETRONAS’s Kasawari offshore CCS project in Sarawak, Malaysia.

“The project is expected to be [one of] the largest offshore CCS facilities, with a capacity to reduce CO emissions by 3.3 MTPA,” she said.

This case shows the benefits of supporting projects in the CCUS space via collaboration. While the industry can reap the rewards associated with regulatory compliance, it also demonstrates its capability of promoting market and technological growth.

Articles

Carbon capture, utilization, and storage technologies are set to play a diverse role in net-zero emissions goals.

The ‘Green New Era’ for Turbomachinery?

The long-anticipated Frame 6FA User Group Conference was recently convened in Budapest, Hungary, attracting a notable number of attendees who actively participated in comprehensive discussions and networked extensively. Participants were also offered a unique opportunity to visit the General Electric manufacturing and repair center in Veresegyhaz.

The GTUsers website provides information on the various webinars, conferences, and future meetings for those who were unable to attend this session.

The opening day was dedicated to end-users, showcasing engaging case studies and lessons learned, along with a dynamic Q&A session.

Two potential approaches to manage rotor life extension were presented: the first involves an analysis and overhaul of the original rotor, which may necessitate considerable downtime, whereas the second recommends a refurbished or new replacement rotor to minimize unit downtime.

Insights from users who operate a gas fuel DLN 2.6+ unit with backup Light Fuel Oil (LFO) were shared. The transition from gas to LFO and vice versa was successful, highlighting minor improvements needed for auxiliary systems, especially the flame detection and combustion dynamic monitoring system.

Details regarding compressor clashing during startup sequence and the condition of stator vanes and carrier rings as the fleet ages were also shared.

A discussion on the 6FA load gear, which is affected by various operating parameters like temperatures, speeds, oil quality and flow, load, and shaftline alignment, was presented. Proper inspections are important to determine and document the gear's condition.

Caption: 6FA Load gear barrelling issues were discussed. Credit: GTUsers.

Caption: There were many discussions about 6FA RLE and overhauled exchange rotor experiences. Credit: GTUsers.

In a dedicated session, GE addressed queries from end-users while providing updates on the latest technical developments, fleet status, and Technical Information Letters (TILs). Furthermore, GE arranged a visit to their workshop, including breakout sessions and a tour of the manufacturing and repair shop floor.

The conference covered multiple topics, including decarbonization and fuel flexibility for the 6FA DLN2.6, 2.6+, and new DLN EVO combustion systems, control system upgrades and cybersecurity, and Opflex opportunities.

A Q&A session, with questions collected from end-users in advance, concluded the event. GE experts addressed all inquiries, leading to comprehensive discussions and a deeper understanding of the topics presented.

The conference also welcomed presentations from several third-party service providers. MJB International highlighted the wide range of aftermarket maintenance, repair, and overhaul solutions it offers for the 6FA gas turbine fleet.

Mechanical Dynamics & Analysis presented on the repair and new manufacturing of DLN2.0 and DLN2.6 fuel nozzle assemblies with end covers. GTC Control Solutions discussed the role of an owner's engineer during a controls upgrade project.

Dekomte presented several case studies, including the transition of a 6FA gas turbine, where they efficiently installed a new expansion joint between the GT and HRSG, resulting in minimal outage duration and cost savings for the customer.

Additionally, several other third-party service providers, including Minimax, National Electric Coil, Trinity Turbine Technology, Emerson Controls, and Turbine Services Ltd., were present at the conference. During the Vendor Fair, end-users had the opportunity to interact with GE and third-party specialists.

Caption: End user day consisted of multiple end user presentations and discussions. Credit: GTUsers.

Caption: Vendor fair was running during breaks where vendors were able to present their services/solutions and answer end user’s questions. Credit: GTUsers.

The Conference held in Budapest, Hungary offered detailed insights on technical advancements, case studies and interactive sessions for participants.

Summary of the Frame 6FA User Group Conference 

In this episode of the TurboTime podcast, sponsored by Rentech Boilers, Kevin Slepicka, the VP of Heat Recovery Boiler Systems at Rentech, discusses repair and maintenance requirements of heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) boiler systems. He reviews the technical challenges associated with integrating HRSG boilers into an existing facility, the role that HRSGs play in emissions reduction, and a unique installation case.



More about our sponsor: Rentech Boilers, a Texas-based industrial provider, covers the manufacturing, repair, and maintenance of boiler systems and provides solutions to a range of industries.

In this episode of the TurboTime podcast, sponsored by Rentech Boilers, Kevin Slepicka, the VP of Heat Recovery Boiler Systems at Rentech, shares a comprehensive perspective of HRSG boiler systems.

TurboTime: Insights on HRSG Boilers with Special Guest Rentech Boilers

Turbomachinery International sat down with John Bartos, CEO of Rotating Machinery Services (RMS), to talk about the company’s history, metrology services, the role of digital twins, and more.

Caption: Interior of equipment being worked on in the RMS shop. Credit: Turbomachinery International.

 RMS was established in 1998 with the goal of providing the turbomachinery aftermarket with service based on established relationships, solid engineering, and technical expertise. Our company is the OEM for the former Siemens fluid catalyst cracking unit (FCCU) hot gas expander product line. RMS secures equipment support led by experienced engineering staff to our customers. We are also the OEM for the AC compressor line of centrifugal, axial, and oil-free-screw compressors. RMS offers three ISO 9001:2015 certified locations where work on critical rotating equipment is completed. RMS is headquartered in an engineering and manufacturing facility in Bethlehem, PA. There is also a turbomachinery repair and service center in Houston, Texas, and a machining center in North Houston for large rotating equipment. We also provide aftermarket engineering, repair, overhaul, parts, and field services to all makes and models of rotating equipment. RMS-Breaux Machine Works provides the petroleum, industrial, and service industries with turnkey machining. We also offer milling and turning services.

Q: How is RMS involved in turbomachinery?

 We provide support to customers with critical rotating equipment, small rotating equipment, and field service support. Our customers experience our commitment to quality and engineering support. This involves repairs, overhauls, turnarounds, rerates, and upgrades for every type of rotating equipment including centrifugal compressors, oil-free screw compressors, steam turbines, and others. RMS’s experienced staff is also constantly in the field supporting customers with field service support globally. Every day an RMS field service representative is helping a customer with their critical rotating equipment. RMS’s field service team also offers rotating equipment planners who are onsite at customer facilities where they provide expertise in the planning of rotating equipment outages. RMS serves markets that include refineries, chemical plants, steel, food, beverage, mining, industrial, gas transmission, and aerospace.

Q: What problems do your metrology services help solve?

 Metrology’s most exciting use case is virtual assembly. RMS is using 3D digital mapping for maintenance performance analysis. We can digitally map a rotor and casing and virtually overlay that rotor into its casing to evaluate internal clearances. This allows us to adjust components such as internal labyrinth seal clearances and thrust bearing stack-up prior to physically installing the rotor. Metrology is allowing us to rethink historical maintenance practices. For instance, we can now align diaphragms throughout a steam turbine without ever installing the rotor or mandrel. We simply scan the rotor and overlay it onto the steam turbine bearing journals. Then we can virtually evaluate diaphragm positions and optimize placement in a fraction of the time.

Q: What do digital twins do for the industry?

 Let’s say a customer sends us an axial compressor. We leverage metrology to execute the work quicker and with higher accuracy versus historical methods. However, we also leverage the data that we collect to create a digital replica of each component and its assembled position. We can use that data to fabricate new components or offer upgrades to those components. We can also develop an optimized maintenance plan for future downtimes, fully integrating virtual assembly technology to significantly reduce the overhaul duration. We can even create 3D animated maintenance and operations procedures with this data, again to enable a more visual way of working for the customer.

Q: How can increased digitalization impact turbomachinery applications?

 At RMS, digitalization isn’t just an offering that we leverage within certain applications. We are standardizing it across every aspect of our business. Leveraging metrology and digital twins enables a completely new way of thinking about designing, operating, and maintaining turbomachinery. The data is no longer siloed apart. Digitalization allows us to put all relevant information into the hands of our customers in real-time within a centralized location. This enables RMS and our customers to make informed decisions quickly, whether that is re-rating a machine for a different operating context or simply assembling a machine to get it back in service to minimize production loss.

Q: Can you discuss the need for equipment modernization?

In most of the instances where RMS performs work, the equipment is critical to service, and in many cases is un-spared (as an entire unit). There is a trend in the industry that is driving operators to extend intervals between maintenance and equipment overhauls. This potentially adds the risk of unplanned outages and even failures. Modern engineering analysis and advancements in metallurgy, coatings, and surface treatments are important to utilize. Using techniques such as frequency analysis, cyclic fatigue can be minimized. By improving aerodynamic matching to process conditions, efficiency and throughput can be honed.

Preventive maintenance can be a hassle. Digitalization provides a framework to simplify the process, leading to better asset reliability.

Q&A: The Impact of Digitalization on Turbomachinery Maintenance

Rotoflow, an Air Products business, is known for technological innovation in the development and production of turbomachinery over the last 65 years. The first Air Products turboexpander was developed in 1952, and the first practical application of radial turboexpanders in hydrocarbon processes by Rotoflow took place shortly thereafter. Its product range encompasses rotating equipment, alongside after-market services and support.

The company’s work is involved in turboexpander technology for the hydrocarbon, LNG, petrochemical, and industrial gas markets. Phillip Schuepbach, Business Development Manager – New Products and Aftermarket at Rotoflow, said, “Rotoflow’s designs have millions of successful hours of operation with over 3,000 units currently worldwide. Our core products include compressor-loaded expanders (companders), generator-loaded expanders, energy dissipative expanders, and specialty turbomachinery.”

Its full-service aftermarket solutions include field service, shop and field repairs, spare parts inventory, upgrades and rerates, performance and reliability assessments, remote monitoring, and training. Rotoflow’s service technicians can service turbomachinery at all phases of equipment lifecycle and plant types.

“Rotoflow equipment is efficient and reliable, which is a huge factor for oil and gas industry customers tasked with maintaining plant onstream availability. Our power recovery expanders are utilized to recover electrical energy from the expansion of the process stream fluid.” Schuepbach said. This recovered power can be used to offset other electrical usage in the plant, increasing the sustainability of a facility. By eliminating the costly gearbox for low power applications under 500 hp (<370 kW), customers can increase the sustainability of their facilities and recover more power, according to Scheupbach.

Caption: The Rotoflow EC 40 turboexpander is available in two types: oil-bearing or mag-bearing. Rotoflow’s high-pressure compressor-loaded turboexpanders (companders) provide refrigeration for the most efficient air separation and liquefaction facilities in the world. Credit: Rotoflow.

As an OEM, Rotoflow can provide both machinery solutions and turnkey support. “With service centers and field service technicians around the globe, we can mobilize quickly to safely and efficiently repair your equipment no matter where you are,” said Schuepbach. Rotoflow’s field service technicians and engineers handle everything from expander overhaul and changeouts to pump and compressor work, in addition to construction assistance and start up/commissioning activities.

One example of Rotoflow’s global reach is the Shanghai Solution Center. Rotoflow opened the new center in the Qingpu district of Shanghai, China to better serve the turbomachinery needs of customers throughout Asia, reported Schuepbach. In addition to servicing turboexpanders, centrifugal compressors, reciprocating compressors, cryogenic pumps, small steam turbines, gearboxes, fans, and blowers, the facility will also be used to build new expanders for small nitrogen generation plants. Finally, it will support Air Products equipment for the company’s Hydrogen for Mobility initiative.

Caption: Rotoflow’s full-service OEM capabilities enable local service, reliable spare parts inventory, and quick access to system upgrades for turbomachinery. Credit: Rotoflow.

Setting up inspection and service schedules can help preemptively identify repairs and overhauls. Onsite assessments serve as one of the best strategies for ensuring the overall performance of rotating equipment, said Schuepbach. Rotoflow’s experience as an owner/operator can be leveraged to get the most out of equipment. Proper training alongside product and operating knowledge minimizes downtime, maximizing safety, productive operations, and reliability.

Rerates and rebuilds also provide an opportunity to improve the longevity of turbomachinery. Rotoflow can identify causes of damage, recommend performance upgrades that reduce wear and tear, and help prevent future problems. “We have immediate access to materials and equipment and can rapidly dispatch a technician to complete your maintenance needs or get you back online as soon as possible,” said Schuepbach. Routine maintenance involving dirt cleaning, dust, debris, relubrication, and others must be considered, even in the cleanest work environments.

Rotoflow delivers design, engineering and production, and custom solutions. The company’s turbomachinery capabilities service the gasification, air separation, helium, LNG, hydrocarbon, petrochemical, and energy market segments. “In addition to broadening our footprint across the United States, we are enlarging our presence in many previously under-served local markets abroad,” said Schuepbach. Turbomachinery operators demand higher levels of reliability and efficiency. OEMs like Rotoflow—with investments in product development, vertical integration, and skilled teams—will subsequently see further growth. Demand in underserved markets like China and India will also be a strong driver for aftermarket turbomachinery service and support. 

Rotoflow, a manufacturer and operator of turbomachinery, is comprehensive in its approach to support the industry and provide machinery solutions. 

Vendor Spotlight: Rotoflow: Putting the Flow in Rotating Machinery

Aeristech, a company specializing in compressor technology, has recently introduced a series of oil-free compressor prototypes. These prototypes are suitable for various applications due to their small footprint.

The company's technology focuses on high-speed electric motors, with mechanical limits determining the speed. Aeristech has achieved up to 160,000 RPM with rapid acceleration. The compressors utilize air bearings, eliminating the need for oil and reducing the risk of contamination. Furthermore, the compressors can maintain full power across a wide voltage range, drawing power directly from fuel cells to enhance efficiency and decrease costs.

Caption: CAD rendering of the 6kW oil-free compressor model. Credit: Aeristech.

The compressor’s compact design is achieved through Aeristech's controller architecture, which separates torque and speed control, using fewer components. This design results in a power-dense package with high performance. By employing the company's technology to switch at a lower frequency, the optimized motors and inverters enable high-speed, continuous compressor operation.

Aeristech's Engineering team has previously developed solutions for suppliers, OEMs, and other customers. The oil-free compressor samples cater to customer evaluations and low-volume applications, providing a range of compressor maps and input voltages.

The 6kW oil-free compressor model delivers a pressure ratio of 1.9 at 160,000 RPM and weighs less than 4kg. Its high-speed motor and compact design offer a power-dense solution. The 10kW oil-free compressor provides a pressure ratio of 2.5 at 115,000 RPM, weighs 5.4kg, and accepts a wide range of input voltages (260-700V), allowing direct power in fuel cell applications without needing a separate DC/DC converter. The 25kW oil-free compressor features a pressure ratio of 3.0 at 95,000 RPM and weighs less than 10kg, providing a compact solution for higher power, continuous operation.

New oil-free compressor prototypes feature improved efficiency. 

Aeristech Develops Oil-Free Compressor Technology

In Part 2 of this episode of the TurboTime podcast, we cap off our discussion on energy storage systems in the turbomachinery industry. Klaus Brun and Rainer Kurz lay out the details on how hydrogen plays into it all, outline the California duck curve, and give insight into the costs of running and operating traditional versus alternative energy sources. What incentives are there for providers to produce electricity if the costs of doing so are prohibitively expensive and there's no guarantee that you will be able to sell that electricity in a couple years? We face this difficult question and more on the final chapter of the energy storage conversation.

In this episoode of the TurboTime podcast, the Myth Busters close out their conversation on energy storage in the turbomachinery industry.

TurboTime: Part 2: Myth Busters Talk Energy Storage 

In this episode of the TurboTime podcast, we interview longtime 

columnists Klaus Brun and Rainer Kurz on the state of energy storage in the industry. Existing technologies such as the natural gas pipeline system are crucial compared to alternative energy storage solutions, such as batteries or wind. The intermittency of newer storage systems puts into question their reliability, especially in terms of meeting peak demand. Natural gas can be ramped up or down depending on demand and doesn't heavily rely on exterior factors such as wind, water availability, or sunshine to reach optimal efficiencies.

In this episode of the TurboTime podcast, longtime columnists Klaus Brun and Rainer Kurz discuss the state of energy storage in the industry. 