Monitoring solutions for reciprocating compressors

Specialized Techniques (Performance Monitoring)

Speaker: Michael Hastings
Contents
Recip maintenance requirements
Recip monitoring requirements
Monitoring strategies
Specialized monitoring techniques (performance)
Process conditions
Diagnostics Array, scalars
Summary
Recip Maintenance Requirements Challenge
Critical role in petrochemical processes (like centrifugal and
axial compressors)
Cyclic and reciprocating movement with several moving parts
More prone to failure
Requires more maintenance
Recip Maintenance Requirements Fault summary
Recip Monitoring Requirements Challenge
Subject to special kinematics and dynamic forces
Complex vibration signatures
Sensitive to operating conditions
Difficult to detect and diagnose developing faults early and trend
these using overall vibration measurements
Recip Monitoring Requirements Summary
Component Failure Mode Fault Detection
Valves Wear, breakage Vibr., Temp, PV, Pres.
Piston rings Wear, breakage Vibr., PV, Pres.
Wear rings Wear, breakage Vibr., Rod position
Packing Wear, breakdown Vibr., PV
Crosshead Wear, rubbing, lack of lubricant,
overheating
Vibr., Temp. Rod load,
Rod reversal
Piston, cylinder,
piston rod
Water ingestion impact, breakage,
bending, overloading
Vibr., Rod load, Rod
position
Main bearings Wear, lack of lubricant, overheating Vibr., Temp.
Frame Wear, bending, looseness Vibr.
Cooling water,
lube oil system
Faulty function Vibr., Temp., Pres.
Monitoring Strategies
Basic monitoring solution Minimum safety and
basic condition monitoring requirements
Specialized monitoring solution (performance) -
Early fault detection and diagnosis concept
Specialized Monitoring Solution - Performance
More maintenance lead-time, accuracy,
reliability for:
Valves, reciprocating component defects
Cylinder leaks
Rod, cross head pin defects
Valves, Reciprocating Components
Cylinder head, rod position and crosshead vibration vs. crank angle
monitoring
Cyl. Head and Crosshead Vibration vs. Crank Angle
Technique
Vibration is monitored at different crank angles for each sensor
Diagnostic spectrum plots
Each segment trended and monitored to alarm limits
Faults detected
Head-end sensor can detect impacts due to liquid ingestion,
faulty valves, damaged piston rings (or rider rings)
Crosshead sensor can detect loose/worn crosshead pins,
crosshead shoes, damaged piston rod
Crosshead Monitoring Vibration vs. Crank Angle
Simultaneous display of
crosshead vibration at different
crank angles
Crosshead Vibration vs. Crank Angle Trend
Crosshead
vibration trend
of 4 segments
Displayed:
0-19
20-39
40-59
60-79
Cyl. Head & Crosshead Vibration Time Signal
Crosshead and
cylinder head
vibration
Rod Position (Rod Drop) vs. Crank Angle
Technique
Rod displacement/vibration is monitored at different crank
angles
Displacement and vibration is compensated by a geometric
factor at the wear rings for the different positions of the rod
Diagnostic time waveform plot
Each segment trended and monitored to alarm limits
Faults detected
Worn wear rings, worn crosshead pin/shoe, damaged or
overloaded piston rod
Rod Position (Rod Drop) Geometric Factor
L
2
Fixed
L
1
Variable
GF = L
2
/L
1
RD
meas
RR
meas
RR
meas
= (RD
meas
Offset) x GF + Shift
Cylinder Leaks
PV plot, monitoring
PV Analysis Purpose
Technique
Pressure is plotted against the corresponding swept volume at
different crank angles
Shape of plot is influenced by process conditions, capacity
control and leaks
Diagnostic display with theoretical PV
Automatic diagnostic monitoring (polytropic exponent)
Faults detected:
Leaking valves, piston rings and seals
PV Plot
Actual PV
Theoretical PV
Pressure vs. Crank Angle Plot
Differential Polytropic Exponent
Differential Polytropic Exponent
2
1 1
n
2
1
n
InP
2
-InP
1
Inv
1
-Inv
2
A
P
1
, V
1
B
P
2
, V
2
P
1
, V
1
P
2
, V
2
n
A
n
B
C
Differential Polytropic Exponent
A
B
C
D
1,22
1,21
1,22
1,20
A
B
D
1,31
2,73
2,57
1,30
A
B
C
D
1,22
1,19
1,22
1,20
A
B
C
D
1,20
1,21
1,19
1,22
C
Cylinder 1 CE Discharge valve leak
Rod, Cross Head Pin
Rod load, rod reversal monitoring
Rod load, Rod Reversal
Technique
Rod load is calculated from gas load and inertia of piston/rod
components, and plotted at different crank angles
Affected by capacity control, speed, gas composition, P
S
and
PD, compression ratio, leaking valves, rings and seals
Diagnostic plot display
Automatic trending and monitoring of peak load and rod reversal
Faults detected
Rod overloading
Load balance
Rod reversal
Monitoring Rod Load Concept
Monitoring Rod Load F
inertia
Calculation
F
nctu
= m
ccp
i
2
cos t +
i
l
cos(2t)
Where:
m
recip
= mass of reciprocating
components (piston/piston rod,
crosshead shoe/pin)
r = crank radius (stroke/2)
= angular velocity,
l = connecting rod length

Crank Angle () C
o
m
p
r
e
s
s
i
o
n
T
e
n
s
i
o
n
Inertia Load
Load
(N)
C
o
m
p
r
e
s
s
i
o
n
T
e
n
s
i
o
n
Monitoring Rod Load Plot Display
Load
(N)
Crank Angle () C
o
m
p
r
e
s
s
i
o
n
T
e
n
s
i
o
n
Gas Load
Load
(N)
Crank Angle () C
o
m
p
r
e
s
s
i
o
n
T
e
n
s
i
o
n
Rod Load
Gas Load
Inertia Load
Load
(N)
Crank Angle () C
o
m
p
r
e
s
s
i
o
n
T
e
n
s
i
o
n
Rod Load
Cross-over
Peak Load:
Compression
Peak Load:
Tension
Cross-over
Rod Load Plot
Inertia force
Gas force
Combined rod load
Monitoring Rod Load Rod Reversal
Affected by:
Change in speed (F
inertia
)
Change in compression ratio
Capacity control
Monitoring Rod Load Rod Reversal
Monitoring Rod Load Standards
API 618
Compressive and tensile peak load difference 3%
Minimum rod reversal 15%
Max. rod load < less than 80% of design load
Process Classes
Recips can operate under variable conditions:
Input process conditions
Capacity control (step-less, clearance volume, unloaders,
variable speed, recycle/bypass, etc.)
Gas composition (for theoretical PV or discharge temperature
calculations)
Under such conditions it is difficult to diagnose gradual
changes in PV shape, identify trends of a developing fault
or monitor to alarm limits. To facilitate this B&K Vibro
offers:
Machine states
Gas composition classes
Diagnostics Specialized Monitoring Array Plots
Measurement Technique vs.
Time
vs. Swept volume
(Calculated)
vs. Crank Angle
(Calculated)
Cyl. head and crosshead
vibration

Rod position (rod drop)
HE/CE pressure
Suction/discharge
pressure

Valve temp. spread
Rod load
Gas discharge temp.
Diagnostics Scalar Values Converted from Arrays
Measurement Technique Scalar Trend Alert, Danger
Alarm Limits
Differential polytropic
exponent

Rod position (rod drop)
Crosshead vibration
Cylinder head vibration
Rod reversal
Peak load
Differential peak load.
Diagnostics Summary: Array vs. Scalar Value
Diagnostic plots
Specialist needed to look at
plots at intervals
No monitoring
Diagnostic monitoring
Array converted to scalar data
Easier to diagnose
Easier to trend
Monitored to process classes
Specialist needed only when
alarm occurs
Summary
Condition monitoring strategy important for recips
Specialized monitoring techniques give early detection of faults,
greater lead-time to maintenance, more reliability
Automatic monitoring and diagnostics of PV, rod load, rod
reversal, etc. (array parameters)
Summary Performance: PV, Rod Load
Mon. Tech. Faults
Pressure vs.
crank angle
Over-pressure, under-
pressure
Pressure vs.
Swept volume
Leaking valves, piston
rings, seals
Suction and
discharge
pressure
Used for calculating
theoretical PV, valve
losses, etc.
Flow balance,
volumetric eff.
Leaking valves
Rod load vs.
crank angle
Overload, insufficient rod
reversal
Discharge
Temperature
Capacity control and
suction valve problems
Note: A number of other parameters available
Flow
Gas Comp.
Pressure
Pressure
Temperature
Tacho
Summary Condition & Safety Monitoring Strategy
References
Borealis, Germany
Cylinder Head and Crosshead Vibration vs. Crank Angle
Rod Position (Rod Drop) vs. Crank Angle
Linde, Germany
Cylinder Head and Crosshead Vibration vs. Crank Angle
Shell Pohokura, New Zealand
PV plot
Differential polytropic exponent