Patent ID: 8376718

Claim:
A multistage compressor installation comprising: a plurality of compression stages, including at least four compression stages, to compress a gas and intercoolers positioned between the compression stages to remove heat of compression of the gas between compression stages; each of the compression stages comprising a centrifugal compressor and a driver configured to independently drive the centrifugal compressor of each of the two compression stages, the centrifugal compressor having an inlet surrounded by a volute and the volute having an outlet oriented so as to discharge compressed gas at right angles to the inlet; pairs of conduits connecting the intercoolers to the compression stages; the compression stages, the intercoolers and the pairs of conduits arranged such that the inlet of a successive stage of the compression stages is located opposite to the outlet of a preceding stage of the compression stages and the conduits of each of the pair of the conduits are substantially in an in-line relationship to inhibit pressure drops in the conduits; an after-cooler connected to a final compression stage; and at least one of the pairs of the conduits sized longer than at least one other adjacent pair of the pairs of conduits and all of the compression stages, intercoolers and the after-cooler are substantially located in a common plane such that the compression stages, intercoolers and the after-cooler are arranged in a spiral-like configuration.