Propylene compressors

Propylene (C₃H₆) is a basic raw material in the petrochemical industry belonging to the olefin family, alongside ethylene. It has a molecular weight of 42.08 and is a colorless gas with a slightly sweet odor at ambient temperature and pressure. Its critical temperature is approximately 92.3°C, and its critical pressure is about 4.56 MPa. It can be easily liquefied under moderate pressure at room temperature, which facilitates storage and transportation but also introduces a "liquefaction" risk that must be strictly guarded against during the compression process. Propylene is widely used in the production of polypropylene, synthetic rubber, synthetic fibers, and other chemical products. Additionally, in cascade liquefied natural gas (LNG) processes, it often serves as a key working fluid for the high-temperature stage refrigerant.

DIAPHRAGM COMPRESSOR

PISTON COMPRESSOR

Propylene Diaphragm Compressor Advantages:

01

Gas Purity without Contamination, Ensuring Product Quality:

The unique structure of the diaphragm compressor completely isolates the gas within an independent compression chamber via the diaphragm, ensuring zero contact with hydraulic oil and the lubrication system. This guarantees that the compressed propylene has extremely high purity without any oil contamination. This is crucial for propylene used as a polymerization feedstock or for high-purity chemical applications, directly safeguarding the quality and performance of downstream products.
02
Absolute Sealing & High Safety:

Utilizing the static seal principle, the diaphragm compressor achieves zero leakage from the compression chamber. As a flammable gas, any leakage of propylene poses a serious safety hazard. This characteristic of the diaphragm compressor significantly enhances the safety of the entire compression system, making it particularly suitable for plant areas, laboratories, or special gas filling scenarios with extremely stringent leakage control requirements.

Key Design Points for Propylene Diaphragm Compressors:

01

Precise Thermodynamic Design & Temperature Monitoring:

Given the relatively high critical temperature of propylene (92.3°C), accurate thermodynamic calculations must be performed during the design phase to ensure that the discharge temperature at each stage of compressor operation always remains above the dew point temperature of propylene at that stage's pressure, with a sufficient safety margin. A highly sensitive discharge temperature monitoring and alarm system must be installed. This is the core measure to prevent internal cylinder liquefaction that could lead to "liquid slugging" and damage the diaphragm.
02

Optimized Diaphragm Cavity Cooling & Material Selection:

The heat generated during the propylene compression process must be efficiently removed. The cooling channel design of the diaphragm head must be optimized to ensure uniform and adequate cooling, control the working temperature of the diaphragm, and extend its fatigue life. High-performance alloys such as Inconel 718 are recommended as diaphragm material to withstand alternating stresses and provide good corrosion resistance. Wetted parts should preferentially be made of 316L stainless steel.
03

Comprehensive Safety Monitoring & Protection System:

A three-layer diaphragm rupture alarm device must be configured to provide timely warning in case the inner layer diaphragm fails, preventing gas and oil from mixing or external leakage. The system should integrate multi-parameter safety interlock shutdown functions, including low suction pressure, low lubricating oil pressure, and cooling water failure. Given the flammability of propylene, it is additionally recommended to configure combustible gas concentration detection probes and an emergency ventilation interlock to establish a multi-layered safety protection system.

Certificate

MODEL SELECTION

Model G70Z/G95Z/G110Z/G130Z	Piston Stroke 70mm~130mm	Maximum Piston Force 10KN~30KN
Maximum Discharge Pressure 70Mpa	Flow Range 1~500Nm³/h	Motor Power 2.2KW~30KW
Crankshaft Speed 420rpm	Cooling Method Water Cooled/Air Cooled

Model G70V/G95V/G130V	Piston Stroke 70mm~130mm	Maximum Piston Force 10KN~30KN
Maximum Discharge Pressure 50Mpa	Flow Range 1~200Nm³/h	Motor Power 2.2KW~30KW
Crankshaft Speed 420rpm	Cooling Method Water-cooled / Air-cooled

high purity Propylene Diaphragm Compressor

Model G110L/G130L	Piston Stroke 110mm~130mm	Maximum Piston Force 20KN~40KN
Maximum Discharge Pressure 100Mpa	Flow Range 10~1000Nm³/h	Motor Power 7.5KW~90KW
Crankshaft Speed 420rpm	Cooling Method Water-cooled / Air-cooled

Model G110D/G130D/G150D/ G180D/G182D/G210D	Piston Stroke 110mm~210mm	Maximum Piston Force 20KN~160KN
Maximum Discharge Pressure 100Mpa	Flow Range 30~2000Nm³/h	Motor Power 22KW~200KW
Crankshaft Speed 420rpm	Cooling Method Water-cooled / Air-cooled

Diaphragm type compressor

Piston stroke 70mm

Flow(Nm3/h)

Inlet pressure(barg)

Outlet pressure(barg)

No.	Model	Cooling water	Flow	Inlet pressure	Outlet pressure	Dimensions L×W×H	Weight	Motor Power
No.	Model	(L/h)	(Nm³/h)	(MPa)	(MPa)	(≈mm)	(≈kg)	(kW)
1	GZ-50/10-20	500	50	1	2	1200×800×1100	900	5.5
2	GZ-35/32-65	500	35	3.2	6.5	1100×800×1100	800	7.5
3	GZ-63/（4.7-16）-22	1500	63	0.47-1.6	2.2	2400×1800×1600	2600	15
4	GV-10/1.2-25	600	10	0.12	2.5	1500×780×1080	850	5.5
5	GV-100/3-12	2000	100	0.3	1.2	26000×1600×1700	2200	18.5
6	GV-550/10-20	2000	550	1	2	2600×1800×1600	3000	22
7	GV-72/5-36	1500	72	0.5	3.6	2000×1500×1700	3000	15
8	GL-60/1-25	2000	60	0.1	2.5	2300×1800×1600	2800	22
9	GL-400/20-50	3000	400	2	5	4000×2500×2200	4500	30
10	GD-850/4-12	5000	850	0.4	1.2	3500×2300×1500	4500	45
11	GD-1300/6-12	8000	1300	0.6	1.2	3800×2300×1800	6000	75
12	GD-450/1-12	9000	450	0.1	1.2	3800×2300×2000	100000	90

The equipment size and weight are for reference only, and the final design shall prevail.

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CASE STUDY

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Propylene Piston Compressor Advantages:

01

Mature Technology and High Efficiency, Suitable for Large-Scale Applications:

Reciprocating piston compressor technology is well-developed, offering high volumetric efficiency and broad operating condition adaptability, with low sensitivity to changes in suction pressure and gas composition. Its large displacement capability effectively meets the large-scale, continuous propylene compression needs of main petrochemical processes, such as product gas compression in catalytic cracking units or feedstock gas boosting in large polymerization plants.
02

Broad Pressure Range, Outstanding Economy:

Piston compressors can cover a wide range of pressure requirements from medium to high pressure (tens of MPa), achieved flexibly through multi-stage compression design. While meeting process requirements, their initial investment and long-term operation and maintenance costs are often more economical compared to other compressor types, making them suitable as core equipment for mainstream industrial installations.

Key Design Points for Propylene Piston Compressors:

01

Precise Design of Multi-Stage Compression with Inter-stage Cooling/Separation:

To prevent propylene liquefaction, multi-stage compression is mandatory. The key lies in the reasonable distribution of the pressure ratio across stages, coupled with the configuration of efficient inter-stage coolers and gas-liquid separators. The gas temperature after cooling at each stage must be strictly controlled to ensure it is above the dew point at the corresponding partial pressure. The separators must efficiently remove any droplets that may form, absolutely preventing liquid propylene from entering the next stage cylinder to avoid catastrophic "liquid slugging."
02

Oil-Free or Micro-Oil Lubrication Design and Seal Optimization:

To meet the purity requirements of chemical-grade propylene, oil-free lubrication designs or labyrinth-sealed piston compressors are prioritized. If oil-lubricated, the system must be equipped with an efficient cylinder oil injection system and advanced packing seal technology to minimize oil migration into the gas chamber, with provisions for oil removal equipment in downstream processes.
03

Enhanced Vibration Control and Pulsation Suppression:

Propylene has a higher density than air, which can generate strong gas flow pulsations when flowing at high speed within the compressor. The design must include detailed piping pulsation analysis, with pulsation dampeners or buffer tanks reasonably placed at the cylinder inlet and outlet, among other locations. For large units, an opposed balanced design (Type D) is preferred to effectively balance inertial forces, reduce foundation vibrations, and ensure the long-term stable operation of the compressor unit and its connecting piping.

Certificate

MODEL SELECTION

Z Type

V / W Type

M Type

D Type

Piston stroke 80mm, 95mm	Piston force 10KN～25KN
Power 7.5KW-55KW	Number of cylinder banks 1/2
Crankshaft speed 740 rpm, 980 rpm	Number of compression stages 1/2/3/4
Drive mode Electric motor, diesel engine, natural gas engine

Piston stroke 92mm, 95mm, 105mm, 120mm	Piston force 25KN, 45KN, 65KN
Number of compression stages 1/2/3/4	Number of cylinder banks 2/3/4
Crankshaft speed 740 rpm, 980 rpm	Power 15KW-220KW
Drive mode Electric motor, diesel engine, natural gas engine

Piston stroke 92mm~315mm	Piston force 45KN~660KN
Number of compression stages 1/2/3/4	Number of cylinder banks 4
Crankshaft speed 300rpm~980rpm	Power 160KW-3000KW
Drive mode Electric motor, diesel engine, natural gas engine

Piston stroke 92mm~315mm	Piston force 25KN~200KN
Number of compression stages 1/2/3/4	Number of cylinder banks 2
Crankshaft speed 300rpm~980rpm	Power 30KW-1000KW
Drive mode Electric motor, diesel engine, natural gas engine

Vertical type

Oil-free / F: Air-cooled

0.15

Actual volume flow (m3/min)

6.5

Inlet pressure(barg)

Outlet pressure(barg)

S/N	Model	Flow	Inlet pressure	Outlet pressure	Motor power
S/N	Model	(Nm³/h)	(Mpa)	(MPa)	(kW)
1	ZW-0.15/6.5-25	55	0.65	2.5	7.5
2	ZW-0.12/50-60	300	5	6	11
3	ZW-0.85/0.4-25	60	0.04	2.5	15
4	VW-10/8	600	Atm	0.8	75
5	VW-15/13	780	Atm	1.3	132
6	VW/20/8	1020	Atm	0.8	132
7	DW-6/15-21	6000	1.5-2.0	2.1	185
8	D-13.3/3-7	3000	0.3	0.7	110
9	D-2.34/14-40	2000	1.4	4	110
10	MW-15/3.5-28	3000	0.35	2.8	400
11	MW-9.0/3-40	1500	0.3	4	250
12	MW-130/1.5	6800	0	0.15	250