This paper considers the criterion of minimum compression work to derive an expression for the interstage pressure of a multistage compressor with intercooling that includes the gas properties, pressure drops in the intercoolers, different suction gas temperatures, and isentropic efficiencies in each compression stage. The analytical expression for the interstage pressures is applied to estimate the number of compression stages and to evaluate its applicability in order to estimate interstage pressures in the operation of multistage compressors, which can be especially useful when their measurements are not available.
Keywords: intercooling; interstage pressures; multistage compressors.