Improve reciprocating compressors

to fit new benchmarking requirement

for reliability and efficiency
HOERBIGER Compression Technology

Hervé Ferraris
Is reliability independent of refinery age?
Reliability and Maintenance (RAM)
Effectiveness Index, %

Equivalent Refinery Age, year

Source: Refining conference Bangkok 2015
Solomon Associates, Mr. Paul Kennedy

9/17/2018 2
Path to best performance on compressor’s basis

Index for Reliability, Efficiency,

Environmental Soundness
Compressor Objective: sustainable
„DNA“  high reliability,
 efficiency and
Traditional  environmental soundness
Practice Best Practice  low total cost ownership
keep the improving the
„Status Quo“ design of the
compressor for
its purpose

Situation: traditional
 low reliability,
Reactive  low efficiency
Response  high operating cost

9/17/2018 3
 Which process use reciprocating compressors?
Natural gas H2 Unit
Hydrogen
(SMR+PSA)

Gas Plant
Fuel gas, LPG,
Petro-chemicals
Gas Olefins Alkylation

Light Naphta Hydrotreating

(Desulfurization)
Isomerization

Light distillates
Heavy Naphta Hydrotreating Catalytic Reforming
Gasoline
(Desulfurization) (CCR)
Atmospheric Crude
Distillation (CDU)
Middle distillates

Desalted, Distillate /
Dewatered Light Gasoil Hydrotreating Kerosene,
(Desulfurization)
Crude Oil Jet Fuel, Diesel

Heavy Gasoil Hydrotreating Fluid Catalytic

(Desulfurization) Cracking

Residue
Fuel Oil
Light Vacuum Gas Oil
(LVGO)

Heavy Vacuum
Vacuum Gas Oil (HVGO)
Hydrocracking
distillation
Vacuum
Residue
Coker
Coke
Hydrotreating

Conversion Asphalt

Octane Process

9/17/2018 4
 Recips are the heart of hydrogen compression
Natural gas H2 Unit
Hydrogen
(SMR+PSA)

Gas Plant
Fuel gas, LPG,
Petro-chemicals
Gas Olefins
Alkylation

Light Naphta Hydrotreating

(Desulfurization) Isomerization

Light distillates
Heavy Naphta Hydrotreating Catalytic
Gasoline
(Desulfurization) Reforming (CCR)
Atmospheric Crude
Distillation (CDU)
Middle distillates

Desalted, Distillate /
Dewatered Light Gasoil Hydrotreating Kerosene,
(Desulfurization)
Crude Oil Jet Fuel, Diesel

Heavy Gasoil Hydrotreating Fluid Catalytic

(Desulfurization) Cracking
Residue
Fuel Oil
Light Vacuum Gas Oil
(LVGO)

Heavy Vacuum
Vacuum Gas Oil (HVGO)
Hydrocracking
distillation
Vacuum
Residue
Coker
Coke
Hydrotreating

Conversion Asphalt

Octane Process
Reciprocating Compressor (w. stages) Hydrogen need in process Hydrogen output from process

9/17/2018 5
Average OPEX of a refinery hydrogen compressor
Annual OPEX average savings potential per compressor
26% savings potential

Planned Maintenance
Increase Maintenance Interval to 24,000hrs
Major Turnaround 5 years

Corrective Maintenance
Reduction of unexpected trips per year
- in 40% of case valve failures

LPO
Reduction of unexpected trips per year
Configuration 2oo3 compressors in operation
In case of compressor outage: 100% production
capacity, LPO due to process upset during
switch over

Electricity Consumption
21% spillback average opening – Flow control

Source: HOERBIGER Compressor Life cycle calculator

Based on 1380 REE audits since February 2013
REE = reliability, environmental soundness, efficiency

9/17/2018 6
Case Study – Residue Hydrodesulphurization

Total compressor flow 104.000

115 normalized
required Nm³/h
Compressor overdesign
5
due to spillback
2 compressors in
Flow output per compressor
57,5 parallel 52.000 Nm³/h
Incl. overdesign
1 stand-by
Ind. Power per compr. incl.
5.395 kW
oversizing

Rated motor power 6.200 kW

Operating hours per year 7300 h

Costs of electric energy per

60 € / MWh
kWh

Period evaluation 1 Year

 Specification1: “Indicated flowrate is design flow rate. 15% overdesign

corresponding to 5% of spill-back, hydrogen guaranteed consumption, mechanical losses, …”
 Specification 2: “Compressor to be equipped with valve unloaders or equivalent
to be able to operate at 0 (for start up only), 50, 75 and 100% of design capacity”
eRecip platform – www.erecip.com
delivers lean footprint and reliability and efficiency index

10
9 < 9.0
New compressor design with 
8 advanced technologies

7
6
10 5
9 4
8 3
7 2
6 <  6.4 1
Compressor design
5 with traditional technologies 0
4
3
2
Objective: sustainable
1  high reliability,
0  efficiency and
 environmental
soundness
 low total cost
ownership

9/17/2018 8
General specificities from step control

Pneumatic actuators

Clearance pocket

 Allows 0, 50, 75 and 100% capacity variation

 Additional steps by adding clearance, or with two cylinders per stage
 Spillback provides control between the steps
 Need of 5% additional overdesign due to spillback inherent tolerance
 Load step changes can cause process offset

9/17/2018 9
Chosen configuration – the reverse-flow control

eHydroCOM
electric actuators

 Allows 0 (..20) to 100% stepless continuous capacity variation

 Lean sizing is possible with only one cylinder per stage
 Every stage controlled independently
 Spillback (recycle) valve is closed
 Load change within less than 0.5 sec faster than spillback valve

9/17/2018 10
What are the benefits for the process?

Step control reverse-flow control

Bumpless and smooth control

 No interference with process
 Easy start-up, switch over and shut down
 Stepless and fast capacity variation

9/17/2018 11
Working principle

12
How reverse-flow control modify the design?

Step Control 0, 50, 75, 100%

1
1
2
2

3
3
Cylinder End loaded at 100%
¾=75% Cylinder End loaded at 0%

Spillback minimum ( 5%)

13
9/17/2018 13 13
Reverse-flow makes compressor design leaner
Step Control 0, 50, 75, 100% Reverse Flow Control
needs two cylinders per stage Stepless from 0(..10)-100%

1
2
1 1
2
2 3
1
3 70%
3
Cylinder End loaded at 100% Cylinder End loaded at 70%
¾=75% Cylinder End loaded at 0%
Spillback closed
Spillback minimum ( 5%)

 Spillback valve is closed  energy saving and more compressor capacity

 New compressor designs need less cylinders  lean footprint

9/17/2018 14
Which valve solutions to select?

Profiled Plate Valve

 Profiled plate valve outstanding
efficiency allows reduction in
Ring Valve the number of valves – and
/A

their losses

Plate  Profiled plate valve have less

Valve wear and use of high-
performance materials this
means an increases of
Poppet compressor MTBF
Valve

 = *A

 .. Valve
efficiency

9/17/2018 15
 Case study: total cost of ownership over 10 years
€ million
100
90
80
70
60

Valves & Control

50

Maintenance
Compressor

40

Operation
Electricity
30
20
10
0
Traditional Advanced
HydroCOM reduces 10 years TCO
Specification Technologies
by € 24.733.000.- for the 3 compressors
Asumption for the forecasted: € 110.- Cost of electricity
Average load forecast of process unit 21%
Life cycle calculator based on 1204 REE Audits

9/17/2018 16
Case study: Refinery of Taranto
Three hydrogen units upgraded with a stepless reverse flow control

Stepless reverse flow

 …closed the different

spillback
K4121 D/E - startup 2012 valves – improved
20 to 196 bara process efficiency
1.870 KW
 …got the flexibility to run
at full
K1601 A/B - startup 2013 capacity – 5..10% more
16 to 57 bara capacity
1740 KW
 …process output follows
setpoint
K1501 A/B - startup 2014 value – improved process
3 to 13 bara reliability
680 KW
Reported annual opex
saving for the
operators in 2016:
1.380.000.- €
Advanced design reduces total cost of ownership

 Necessity of sizing check and

specification check at an early stage
of the design

 Reverse-flow control combined

with profiled plate valve are elements
that ensure profitable operation of
Hydrogen compression unit over the
complete turn down range of
production

 Smooth start-up, reliable operation,

easy switch over and shut down are
one of the benefits

www.erecip.com