High-flow-capacity centrifugal hydrogen gas compression systems, methods and components therefor

A system, comprising:

• an inlet for receiving a stream of hydrogen gas;
• a hydrogen gas compressor for compressing a stream of hydrogen gas, said hydrogen gas compressor including a plurality of centrifugal compressors fluidly coupled with one another so as to provide a plurality of compression stages;
• at least one intercooler for cooling the stream of hydrogen gas between ones of said plurality of compression stages;
• a combustion turbine operatively coupled to said hydrogen gas compressor so as to drive said hydrogen gas compressor, wherein said combustion turbine produces exhaust during operation;
• and
• an absorption chiller system operatively connected to said at least one intercooler so as to provide a coolant thereto, said absorption chiller system including at least one absorption chiller that utilizes the exhaust of said combustion turbine during operation of the system to cool said coolant;
• wherein at least one of said plurality of centrifugal compressors includes an impeller having a plurality of blades and having an inlet region and an outlet region, wherein ones of said plurality of blades are forward-swept at said outlet region and at least some of said plurality of blades are forward-swept at said inlet region, further wherein said plurality of blades include longer blades, shorter blades and intermediate length blades, said longer, shorter and intermediate length blades being arranged in a dual-split impeller arrangement.

A multi-stage high-speed compressor comprising:

• a plurality of centrifugal compressors in fluid communication for providing sequential
• compression stages, at least one of the plurality of centrifugal compressors comprising:
• a centrifugal impeller having a plurality of blades, said plurality of blades including a plurality of first blades and a pair of equal-length splitter blades disposed between adjacent ones of said plurality of first blades;
• said centrifugal impeller further comprising a blind central bore that extends only partially into the impeller;
• wherein said centrifugal impeller further includes a plurality of second blades having a shorter length than said plurality of first blades, wherein one of said second blades is located between each of said pair of splitter blades;
• and
• wherein ones of said plurality blades have a leading end that are forward-swept and at least one of said plurality of blades has a trailing end that is forward-swept.