Two-Stage Screw Compressors for Biogas Upgrading Efficiency

By Curtis Smith, Sales Engineer – Biogas/RNG Account, Mayekawa USA

Mayekawa, a global leader in efficient and reliable gas compression across many sectors and applications, offers compression products that are particularly effective within biogas upgrading systems. These products provide unrivalled efficiency and reliability in feed compression applications, backed by over 100 years of compression experience and expertise. Mayekawa’s two-stage MYCOM compressor is an oil-flooded screw compressor driven by a single electric motor that offers two stages of compression within a single compressor frame. This is achieved by using two sets of screw rotors arranged in a series, with the low stage rotors feeding the high stage rotors.

By splitting the compression process into two stages, the adiabatic efficiency of the compression process in applications requiring a high compression ratio, which is calculated by dividing absolute discharge pressure by absolute suction pressure, can be significantly increased.

The process also extends the life expectancy of the compression equipment by reducing the axial and thrust loads on the rotors realized when using a single-stage compressor.

Mayekawa’s two-stage C-Series compressors can provide an additional 5-10% adiabatic efficiency when compared to their single-stage counterparts in medium compression ratio biogas applications of 8:1.

This efficiency gain spikes to 16-20% on compression ratios of 14:1 or higher, depending on the required flow rate and compressor size.

Consider the example of a jurisdiction where power costs $0.15/kWh. This saves the end-user almost $1,000 per year in OPEX for every HP saved by their innovative two-stage compressor design!

Mayekawa’s two-stage C-Series compressors are also available with a wide range of upgrades and optional materials construction to allow for higher maximum pressures, high H2S gas streams, and other situations.

This offers further opportunities for OPEX reduction throughout the upgrading process and ensures customers have robust, highly reliable equipment providing minimal downtime over a long operational lifespan.

As a result of these efficiencies, Mayekawa boasts some of the longest major equipment service intervals in the industry, with approximately 25,000 hours of runtime before a screw compressor overhaul is recommended.

Mayekawa’s MYCOM compressors are available through multiple third-party industry suppliers, as well as directly through their North American compressor packaging facility in Katy, TX.

Ask your preferred compression provider about how to incorporate MYCOM compressors into your next project!

For more information, read our Efficiency Magazine.