7.2 Centrifugal Compressors

Just 100 years ago, in May 1922, the world’s first water-cooled centrifugal chiller developed by Dr. Willis Carrier was unveiled in New Jersey, the United States.1) The centrifugal compressor developed at that time was a four-stage type driven by a steam turbine using a low-pressure refrigerant called dielene, which had a completely different concept from conventional reciprocating compressors that used ammonia refrigerant. The development of centrifugal compressors has paved the way for large space air conditioning systems. No other compressor that surpasses centrifugal compressors in terms of efficiency, cost, and compactness for large capacities can be found.