Compressor Over-Lubrication Presentation

Compressor Over
Lubrication:
Is It a Problem?
Gulf South Rotating Machinery Symposium

John P. Miguez
March 20, 2007
Sealing Solutions
We Will Discuss
# Costs of the problem
# History of compressors
# Review of how packing works
# Why are we now having a problem?
# Types of over lubrication
# How to determine if you are over lubricating
# What to do about over lubrication
Costs of Over Oiling

We often dont think of the additional costs involved with over
lubrication. The chart below lists several average compressors
and the cost of oil, along with the cost of over lubrication by twice
as much. It does not include hidden costs, such as disposal
costs, packing, downtime and mechanics labor.
A Brief History of Compressors

P First compressors were steam engines
P Early packing rope and axle grease
P Late 1800s - Charles Cook: Mechanical Packing
P 1900 - A. O. France: Modern Packing Design
P 1960 - Ray Farrell: Liquid Cooled Packing Case
P 1980s - Ariel Compressors dominates market
P 1990s - Faster speeds and shorter strokes
How Packing Works

Mechanical packing uses the cylinders
internal pressure to collapse the three ring
segments around the rod. As the pressure
rises in the cylinder, the three segments are
squeezed tighter and tighter around the rods
OD, keeping the gas from escaping along the
rod and into the distance piece and
atmosphere.
How Packing Works - 2

As the pressure is released with the opening
of the discharge valve(s), pressure behind
the rings will cause the ring segments to
move forward toward the piston end of the
cylinder. At the same time, the rod reverses
direction with the start of the suction cycle.
The resulting drag of the ring on the surface
of the rod will result in the rings OD moving
faster than the ID, causing the ring to bow.
You can also get a torque effect on the ring,

which causes it to spin around the rod.
The end result is a three dimensional opening,
closing, flexing and spinning of the rings
before they close up again to seal on the next
compression cycle.
Why Problem?
#
#
#
#
#
Faster Speeds
Shorter Strokes
Type of Packing
Rods
Lack of Education on Oil System
Why Problem?
Faster Speeds and Shorter Strokes
As compressor speeds have gotten shorter

and the RPM increased, the time the packing
rings have to seat themselves upon the start
of the compression cycle has decreased.
A quick example will help to illustrate.
Speed & Stroke
P A compressor with a 12" stroke running at

400 RPM will take (60/400)/2 = 0.075 second
or 5/64th of a second to complete the
compression cycle, then reverse itself.
P At 1000 RPM, it takes 0.03 or 1/32nd of a
second to travel the same 12".
P At 1800 RPM, we get 0.016 or 1/64th of a
second.
Stroke
To further compound the rings problems, as the time to seal
gets shorter, the stroke goes from 12" to 5-6" to 3-4".
So, not only do the rings need to

collapse around the rod in 1/64th of
a second, they have only 3" in
which to do so.
It is a tribute to engineering and

manufacturing that this happens more
or less correctly 99% of the time.
Rod Condition
Out of Roundness
Rod Condition - 2
RMS - Roughness of Surface
We want rods to have some roughness to them. The roughness allows the packing to
wear to the proportions of the rod and seal better. The roughness also provides
something for the oil to grab and hold on to as the gas pressure attempts to blow it out
of the back of the compressor cylinder.
Importance of Lubrication
P Serves as a coolant
P Washes away particle matter and
helps sealing
P Prevents corrosion
P Reduces friction
The difference between perfect lubrication and no lubrication can be as high as a
factor of 40. What this means is, the friction generated between a ring and rod with
no lubrication vs. a properly lubricated ring would be the same as having 40 times
more gas pressure on the same ring and rod.
As an example, at 100 psi internal pressure, a frictional factor of 40 would generate
the same amount of heat as having 4000 psi of pressure on the ring.
Importance of Oil - 2
Under normal circumstances, oil should be evenly applied to a film thickness of about
0.002 inches.
Oil Distribution System

Divider Block Systems
Yesterday
Drops per minute
Drop size varies
depending on
pressure,
temperature and
viscosity of oil.
Today
Pints per day
28.876 cu in. in a pint
0.002 cu in. in a drop
Divider Blocks
distribute so many cu
in. of oil per stroke.
Potential Problems with Divider

Block Systems
P Blocks wear out
P Wrong size blocks
P Pump not adjusted correctly
Too much oil can lead to over lubrication problems!
Two Types of Over Lubrication

Too much oil is used during assembly
Can lead to failure to seal properly
Two Types of Over Lube - 2

Too much oil going into cylinder can lead
to excessive heat, wear and premature
failure of packing.
Symptoms of Over Lubrication
If rings dont seal on start-up, look for little or no

sign of wear marks on bore of packing rings.
Packing that has been in a while will often be
saturated with oil. Sometimes the radial and
tangent rings will be stuck together.
You may see forward extrusion and overheating.
Examples of Over Lubrication
Before anything else!

Ensure system is operating according to
manufacturers specification.
P Check pump size

P Check pump rate
P Check divider blocks
P Cigarette paper test
Checking Divider Block Sizing

Assumes the blocks are working correctly
P Measure divider block cycle time.

P Calculate the recommended oil rate in
pints per day.
P Calculate time needed to inject above pints
of oil into your cylinder.
Divider Block Checking - Step 1

Measure divider block cycle time
Using a stopwatch or the second hand of a watch,

measure the time for one complete cycle of the pin or
LED flash. Record this time.

Calculate the recommended oil rate in pints per day.
Each manufacturer has published formulas used to calculate the
normal rate of oil for its compressors.
Most manufacturers call for one pint of oil per every 2,000,000 ft2 of
cylinder surface area to provide a 0.002" oil film. Arial Compressors
is the major exception to this formula.
Example of CP/EI/Gemini compressor FE650 (D Series):
(Bore (in) x Stroke (in) x RPM)/31,800
10"x 6.0" x1000 = 60,000
60,000/31,800 = 1.89 pints/day
To this we must add the packing case needs.
2" rod uses 1.5 pints/day.
Total oil needed is 3.38 pints per day for this cylinder.

Calculate time needed to inject 3.38 pints of oil into your
cylinder.
1. Record the numbers stamped on the divider blocks. Add the

numbers and multiply by 6.
2. Divide the result by the recorded cycle time and compare the two.
Example of CP/EI/Gemini compressor:
(Value of divider blocks) x 6/number of pints per day
(9 + 6) = 15, 15 x 6 = 90
90/3.38 = 26.6 seconds
Divider Block Checking

Your measured time and calculated times
should be the same or close.
If the timing is way off, you should get a

qualified person to inspect the system.
Checking an Ariel Compressor

Example of an Ariel JGC 10" cylinder:
Cylinder bore x factor of 0.5 (Factors are 0.3, 0.4, & 0.5 according to
frame model)
10" x 0.5 = 5
For the rod, the OD is doubled and the same factor is used.
2.5 x 2 = 5
5 x 0.5 = 2.5
So the number of pints recommended by Ariel is 5 + 2.5 = 7.5 pt/day.
Solving the Problem

Remember, packing is cheaper than rods & pistons.
P
Warning: Oil usage should not be reduced

without considering each operating factor. Gas
composition, gas pressure and separation
equipment must all be factored into the equation.
It is best to get a lubrication system expert involved

before reducing lubrication levels.
Always follow the manufacturers recommended

procedures for reducing lubrication.
Solving the Problem - Part 2

P When you lower the pump rate, you lower the
oil rate to each part of the system.
< Consider resizing divider blocks.
P Only reduce oil flow by about 5% at a time.

Allow the compressor to run a week or two.
Then inspect for excessive ring wear before
lowering the rate once again.
< Too little oil will produce rapid wear of piston rings.
Grit from the rings may plug up valves and be
seen on packing rings.
Thank You!
The following companies helped me with this presentation,
Listing their names is not meant to imply endorsement of
any kind. It is to thank them for helping.
Any errors are mine, and mine alone.
P Ariel Compressor (arielcorp.com)
P AAVOLYN Corp. (aavolyn.com)
P
P
P
P
Hanover Compression (hanover-co.com)

M&J Valve Services (mjvalve.com)
Pro-Gress (progressive-equipment.com)
Hasu Gajjar & Assoc. (Hasugajjar@aol.com)
Ariels Response
Ariel engineers were asked why they recommend so much
more oil than other compressor manufacturers?
Ariels Response - Part 2

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Compressor Over

Gulf South Rotating Machinery Symposium

Costs of Over Oiling

A Brief History of Compressors

How Packing Works

How Packing Works - 2

How Packing Works - 3

How Packing Works - 4

You can also get a torque effect on the ring,

How Packing Works - 5

As compressor speeds have gotten shorter

Speed & Stroke

P A compressor with a 12" stroke running at

So, not only do the rings need to

It is a tribute to engineering and

Oil Distribution System

Potential Problems with Divider

Too much oil can lead to over lubrication problems!

Two Types of Over Lubrication

Two Types of Over Lube - 2

Symptoms of Over Lubrication

If rings dont seal on start-up, look for little or no

Examples of Over Lubrication

Before anything else!

P Check pump size

Checking Divider Block Sizing

P Measure divider block cycle time.

Divider Block Checking - Step 1

Using a stopwatch or the second hand of a watch,

Divider Block Checking - Step 2

Divider Block Checking - Step 3

1. Record the numbers stamped on the divider blocks. Add the

Divider Block Checking

If the timing is way off, you should get a

Checking an Ariel Compressor

So the number of pints recommended by Ariel is 5 + 2.5 = 7.5 pt/day.

Solving the Problem

Warning: Oil usage should not be reduced

It is best to get a lubrication system expert involved

Always follow the manufacturers recommended

Solving the Problem - Part 2

P Only reduce oil flow by about 5% at a time.

Hanover Compression (hanover-co.com)

Ariels Response - Part 2

Ariels Response - Part 3

Ariels Response - Part 4

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