Compressor Maint List

TECH brief
Compressor Maintenance List Should

audits can improve reliInclude Reevaluation > Detailed
ability, efficiency, environmental
soundness
By Herv Ferraris
eciprocating compressors are

long-lived machines whose basic
design has not changed over many
decades. Yet this longevity can cause operators to neglect updates that may cut operating costs and increase reliability.
Specialized audits of reciprocating compressors often reveal ways to cut energy
use significantly, reduce emissions and
improve process control, with payback periods measured in months (Figure 1).
Reciprocating compressors are workhorses. They have served the process
gas, petrochemical, refinery and natural
gas industries for more than a century,
performing some duties that are still beyond the capabilities of rotary compressors. It is not unusual to find recips in serv
ice with the same company for 30 years.
While the basic design of the reciprocat- n Figure 1. A wide range of products and services are available to improve compressors.
ing compressor has changed little, some
volves modifying selected components and design with
of its technologies notably controls, valves, piston rings
proven and innovative technology. The result is substantial
and packings, monitoring systems have improved a
lifetime extension, higher energy efficiency and lower envigreat deal.
ronmental impact. With a well-planned modernization, the
The plant environment is changing, too. Energy costs
plant is usually up and running much sooner than it would
continue to rise; maintenance departments are under preshave been if new equipment were bought and installed.
sure to be as lean as possible; environmental rules grow
More complex requirements such as process changes,
more stringent; and downtime that was tolerated in the past
stability and control improvements, repair of serious damis no longer acceptable. In these circumstances, an audit
age, troubleshooting, machine protection and standardizaby compressor specialists often shows how to save money
tion also fall within the scope of modernization projects.
with rapid payback.
Even major new parts such as pistons and cylinders, made
from scratch, are often fitted more quickly and at a lower
Machinery modernization
cost than ordering a new compressor.
Balancing economic and environmental considerations is
a priority for many companies. In general, old equipment no
Requirements in practice
longer operates economically and also can damage the enThe demands on reciprocating compressors are as difvironment unnecessarily. On the other hand, new machinferent as their areas of application. Oil and gas production,
ery is expensive to buy and complex to install.
for example, typically requires compressors to operate unParticularly for reciprocating compressors, customerder harsh environmental conditions. Depending on the apspecific modernization is an attractive alternative. This in
plication, exposure to abrasive solids and corrosive gases
such as wet CO2 and H2S may be unavoidable. For such
Herv Ferraris is a Reliable, Efficient, Environmentally sound
challenging duties, modern components with proven high
(REE) auditor for Hoerbiger. His experience includes business
reliability offer significant savings in terms of maintenance
development and engineering management for the company.
and operation.
Contact him at: Herve.Ferraris@Hoerbiger.com
2015 EDITION
WWW.CTSSNET.NET CTSS
TECH brief
ate for periods ranging from 8000 hours to
more than 24,000 hours between maintenance shutdowns, but they all have one thing
in common: their reliability depends on the
reliability of its individual parts. The weakest
link in the chain of components determines
the overall performance of the compressor.
The possibilities for upgrading start with
simply replacing valves, packings or piston
rings. More complex, yet still often cost-effective, is to improve the design of any problem
components these include rods, pistons,
cylinders and crossheads.
Careful attention to a few key components and how they match process and
operating conditions can often improve the
reliability of older reciprocating compressors dramatically.
n Figure 3. The HydroCOM control system

n Figure 2. This shows a CP profiled
plate valve.
saves energy by compressing only the required amount of gas.
One example is the profiled plate valve (Figure 2). By

combining optimized seat geometry with an extra-large
cross-section, this design reduces pressure drop compared
to conventional valves, and also largely eliminates the
build-up of deposits. Retrofitting with profiled plate valves
enables existing compressors to operate more efficiently
and reliably, even at increased capacity.
Better control saves energy

Reciprocating compressors are true
large-scale energy consumers, so in these
days of high power costs and CO2 taxes it makes economic
sense to strive for high mechanical efficiency.
The biggest energy guzzler is inadequate flow control.
Many plants still use bypass control systems that recycle
part of the flow back to the compressor inlet. Such an arrangement usually wastes 12 to 50% of the energy used.
A good alternative is to install a HydroCOM control system,
which provides stepless flow control by adjusting the timing
of the inlet valves (Figure 3).
By compressing only as much gas as is actually required
by the process, HydroCOM often saves enough energy to
pay for itself in just a few months. Control response is rapid
the compressor capacity can change from 10 to 100% in just
three revolutions and process stability often improves, too.
Maintenance options
Compressor operators have several ways to address maintenance. The simplest is to allow the compressor to run until an
essential part fails, and then to overhaul it completely. This may
be acceptable for a machine that is not critical to production,
but it is clearly a bad idea when the compressor is essential
and the timing of the failure cannot be predicted.
The second option is to carry out maintenance based on
And so do modern components
experience, periodically examining known weak points and
Significant energy losses also occur at other points
replacing any worn or damaged components before they fail. The drawback is
that components may be replaced before
they reach the end of their useful lives.
The third method combines a dedicated monitoring system for reciprocating
compressors, such as RecipCOM, using
historical records and a proactive approach to optimize performance and reliability. This approach takes into account
both the long-term effects of the process
conditions and the current state of the
compressor. This, in turn, allows maintenance intervals to be extended and shutdowns to be scheduled for times that will n Figure 4. This shows the energy balance for a typical reciprocating compressor.
have the least impact on production.
Flow control losses typically dominate, but worthwhile savings are available from
Most reciprocating compressors oper- improved valves.
2015 EDITION
TECH brief
within the compressor (Figure 4).
The valves, for
instance, are responsible for energy
losses of 1 to 10%.
Valves with profiled
seat geometries,
such as Hoerbigers
CP valves, have
lower losses than
poppet or even plate
valves and can cut
energy consumption
by 3 to 8%.
For example, upgrading a 1290 hp
(962 kW) compressor operating 8253
hours a year at a
n Figure 5. This was the old hydrogen power cost of E93/
MWh (2013 induscompressor configuration.
try price according
to Eurostat) to a better control system combined with highperformance valves resulted in a 30% loss reduction and an
annual savings of E221,500.
Case study involving a hydrogen plant

A refinery needed to increase both the quantity and
pressure of the hydrogen supplied to its oil and wax hydrofinishing unit.
The oil-lubricated compressor (Figure 5) was running at
590 rpm, compressing hydrogen from 362 psi (25 bar) to
580 psi (40 bar).
The customer requested a capacity increase from 4500
m3/h to 6000 Nm3/h and a discharge pressure increase to
652 psi (45 bar). The capital budget was limited, and the
modified compressor had to conform to API 618.
An REE audit showed that the compressor in its current
state was suitable for the new operating conditions, but
a complete modernization was required, including a new
larger piston and cylinder. Improvements in efficiency were
also considered.
The key parts cylinder, piston and connecting rod
were redesigned to handle the increased capacity and
pressure, and subjected to careful risk analysis.
The upgrade project also addressed an existing problem
with pulsation and vibration, which would have become
even more serious under the new operating conditions. Following a pulsation analysis, Hoerbiger engineers designed
new larger dampers for both the suction and discharge side.
CE ring valves were specified to improve efficiency and reliability, along with piston and pressure packings rings made
from high-performance, HY series polymer compounds.
A new motor, clutch and transmission were installed to
provide the increased drive power. Hoerbiger managed all
the assembly work and the final acceptance test, complete
with full documentation.
The rebuilt compressor (Figure 6) has been running reliably since then. It supplies hydrogen at the required volume
and pressure, and the pulsation and vibration problems
have been eliminated. CTSS
REE audit provides a benchmark

The key to intelligent upgrades and retrofits lies in knowing how your compressor compares to others, how far it
could be improved, and what this would cost. This is the
thinking behind the Reliable, Efficient, Environmentally
sound (REE) audit process.
An REE audit involves a rigorous inspection by knowledgeable compressor engineers, backed up if necessary
by continuous monitoring. It provides an accurate yet easy-to-understand benchmark showing how
the compressor being analyzed
matches up to machines on similar
duties that are rated best in class.
Equally important, the REE audit shows how the compressor could
be improved, with a range of options
ranked by performance, savings, cost
and payback. It is a straightforward,
reliable way to make the most of a
valuable and often critical plant asset.
A complete REE-based modernization project begins with a thorough
inventory analysis and a list of potential improvements. Once an upgrade path has been chosen and followed, the system is reviewed again
to check that the predicted savings
have been achieved.
n Figure 6. Here are views of the new compressor configuration.
2015 EDITION

Compressor Maint List

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TECH brief

Compressor Maintenance List Should

eciprocating compressors are

n Figure 3. The HydroCOM control system

saves energy by compressing only the required amount of gas.

One example is the profiled plate valve (Figure 2). By

Better control saves energy

Case study involving a hydrogen plant

REE audit provides a benchmark

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