Determination of high-speed turbo compressor's heat recovery qualities

Abstract

This thesis was commissioned by Tamturbo Oyj, a Finnish high-speed turbo compressor manufacturer. It studied the physics and thermodynamics of centrifugal air compressors and emphasized heat recovery systems incorporated into them. The goal was to analyze the factors influencing the thermal energy recovery from air compression and to create a user-friendly calculation tool. Using the data sets from the prior tests conducted by Tamturbo, an Excel-based tool was developed with a simplified interface for easy usability.

The case study focused on a Tamturbo TT325 turbo compressor, calculating the heat recovery in four scenarios representing summer and winter months in Houston, Texas, and Tampere, Finland. The results indicated a higher heat recovery in the hot, humid summer months relative to colder winter seasons. The tool enables the sales team to showcase the heat recovery qualities and compare the compressors’ performance based on site location and parameters set for the unit, like pressure output and flow rate. The calculation tool streamlines the presentation of recovery capabilities to customers and offers a quick and easy method to perform comparisons.