JOURNAL OF ENGINEERING POMITS Vol. 3, No.

2 (2014) ISSN: 2337-3539 (Print 2301-9271)

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Failure Analysis of Gas Compressor Bolt Piston

Vvcp Gemini Ds-504 Emp Sa Malacca Strait
Ilham Khoirul Ibad and Rochman Rochiem
Materials and Metallurgical Engineering Department, Faculty of Industrial Technology, Institute of Technology (ITS)
Campus ITS, Keputih, Surabaya 60111
E-mail: rochman@mat-eng.its.ac.id
Abstract-Starting from the failure of the bolt piston
gas compressor VVCP Gemini DS-504, the research
aimed to determine the cause of the failure. Stages of
the investigation includes macro observation, SEM
testing, tensile testing, hardness test, test and test
composition metalography besides do manual
calculations bolt stress analysis received. Macro
observation visible indication of crack, crack
propagation areas and areas broken end. In a test of
the composition there are some elements that should
not exist in the bolt. The test results show that the
tensile bolt high tensile strength exceeding the
specifications of the test results as well as seharusya
hardness value of hardness is also higher than it
should be. Metalography results show that the
microstructure is tempered martensite formed this
regard in accordance with their standard SEM while
test results showed in the crack there are striations
and in the broken end of the morphology looks
rough. In the calculation of stress analysis showed
the bolts still secure against criteria for fatigue
failure due to compression loads but in the
calculation of buckling theory does not fit the bolt.
From the results of the investigation bolt failure by
fracture type unidirectional bending, due to the
inability of the bolt receiving compression load
resulting in buckling and mnyebabkan bolt failure.
Keyword-Bolts, failure, buckling, bending
unidirectional.

compressor is one type of component that serves to

increase the fluid pressure (compressible fluid)
dengancara reduce its volume. Rising pressure
energizing fluid that can flow from one place to another
continuously. Nevertheless compressors also have the
risk of failure should be taken into account so that the
need for the examination-based reliability. Failure in an
industrial components such as compressors is extremely
important to avoid anticipated. In general, a component
of the design industry has a predetermined time with
working conditions and industrial component life
perawatannya.Walaupun limited but is mandatory for
the industry to keep all the components in order to
function properly and can reach the age that has been
targeted. One of the problems that occurred in the
Malacca Strait EMP SA is broken at bolt piston gas
compressor VVCP Gemini DS-504. Can not be
ascertained the cause of the failure because many
factors that influence it. The main cause is indicated
their continuous load that the bolt connection causing
the crack, with the crack will occur stress concentration
which makes it grow into large cracks and eventually
bolt failure. This study aims to determine the cause of
the failure. This research is expected useful for students,
companies and all parties, in addition, this research also
can be used as a reference for developing theories
related failure analysis.
II. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
I Stages of investigation

I. Introduction
SA MP Malacca Strait is an oil and gas exploration
company headquartered in Jakarta. In conducting its
business EMP Malacca Strait SA safety, health and
environmental management in order to become an
exploration company and a leading oil and gas
production in Asia.
In an exploration and production of oil and gas
reliability of supporting facilities, such as compressors,
pressure vessels, pipes and so absolutely necessary. The

Performed by direct testing in accordance with the

procedures and methods. As for the necessary testing in
this experiment are: chemical composition test, tensile
test, hardness test, test and metalography SEM. Test
SEM / EDX is done to determine the chemical
composition and morphology of the material screw
compressors that fail. The specimen is placed on the
holder had previously been attached to the carbon tape.
Carbon tape serves to attach the holder to smapel.
Furthermore holder is inserted into the machine and

JOURNAL OF ENGINEERING POMITS Vol. 3, No. 2 (2014) ISSN: 2337-3539 (Print 2301-9271)
ready to be observed. Metalography test is used to
determine the microstructure. Cutting is done by
using saws manual / machine with water cooling.
Samples dimounting to facilitate sanding. Type of
mounting used is acrylic resin. Sanding is done using
silicon carbide sandpaper until 2000. grade polishing
done using alumina polishing paste. Testing is done by
using a solution of nital then cleaned under running
water and dry them with a hair dryer. Observations were
made using an optical microscope. On the computer
screen will appear the surface of the specimen with
various magnification bias is set. Hardness testing is
done by using a Rockwell C hardness tester with an
indenter made of diamond. This test uses the standard
ASTM C E18.Untuk rockwell adjust the force exerted
total of 150 kgf and will get value in units HRc
hardness. Tensile test was conducted to obtain the
mechanical properties of the material the bolt, so that
can know the cause of the failure by comparing and
analyzing the received bolt load with tensile test results
.. Tests conducted to determine the chemical
composition of the chemical composition of the material
broken bolt to be confirmed with specs stated in the
manual book given gas compressor. This test uses
optical emission spectrometer.
2

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Results of testing the chemical composition

using optical emission spectrometer is shown in Table
1.
Table 1.
Comparison of the chemical composition of ASTM
A449 with the composition of the test

results from the test results obtained

composition of some elements that are not contained in
the standard ASTM A449 such as vanadium,
molybdenum, chromium etc. A large percentage of
these elements relaitif small.

Analysis of the voltage

B.

Should be waged loading and stress analysis

received VVCP bolt piston gas compressor to know
what the actual cause of the failure in the component.
Based on obtained from the operational data standards
do failure analysis on steel due to dynamic loads with
three methods: Gerber method, Goodman method and
Soderberg besides performed stress analysis due to
buckling because experience shows that in certain
circumstances
the
components
that
undergo
compression loads are not failed by crushing but failed
to bending loads it is commonly called buckling.

Observations macro

From the results of visual observation of macro

with the help of the camera shown in Figure 1 below:

III. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

All bolts are made in accordance with the standard
SAE grade 5 are shown in Figure 1 and by Deutschman
(1975) in reference to the American standard ASTM
A449 are quenched and tempered medium carbon steel
with a carbon content of 0.25 to 0.58. This material is
devoted to the bolts that require high tensile strength.
A. The test results of compositions

Figure 1. Surface fracturing bolts

JOURNAL OF ENGINEERING POMITS Vol. 3, No. 2 (2014) ISSN: 2337-3539 (Print 2301-9271)

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C. Results of hardness testing

Rockwell hardness testing using C with standard ASTM
E 18, in the form of a diamond indenter with a
distribution from the center to the outside diameter to
the diameter and the results are shown in Table 2.
Table 2. Values Violence in areas near fault

Here is a test result of violence on the part of a much

of the fracture surface is shown in Table 3, below.

Figure 3. Temper martensite magnification 1000

near fault.

Table 3. Values of violence in regions far from the

fault

F. The result of SEM

After the macro observation then necessary to
analyze the micro with the help of a scanning electron
microscope on the surface of the fracture, ranging from
crack indications shown in Figure 4, Figure 5 and the
propagation area regional final fracture in Figure 6. The
results of these observations are shown in the following.

D. Results of tensile test

Using a tensile testing machine tensile testing in
accordance with ASTM E8 sandard and tensile test
results broken bolt ASTM A449 are shown in Figure 2
below.

Figure 2. Graph of the stress-strain fracture bolt

blistering
From the test results can be made a comparison of
mechanical properties of bolts broken the original
specifications of ASTM A449 as shown in Table 4
below:
Table 4. Comparison of mechanical properties

Figure 4. SEM Results area early indications cracked

E. The test results microstructure

Microstructure testing conducted to determine the
phase at the broken bolt ASTM A449 in testing using
ASTM E3-95 and obtained results similar to Figure 3
below.

Figure 5. SEM Results area perambaan crack

JOURNAL OF ENGINEERING POMITS Vol. 3, No. 2 (2014) ISSN: 2337-3539 (Print 2301-9271)
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Table 5. Results of calculation of loading and load
voltage

Figure 6. Results of SEM in the broken end of

The EDX testing was conducted to determine what
elements are present in the fracture surface. Results of
testing SEM with EDX ditunjukka Figure 7 below.

Figure 7. Results of EDX surface of the bolt

G. Analysis of voltage and charging
Need load and stress analysis waged received VVCP
bolt piston gas compressor to know what the actual
cause of the failure in the component. The results of the
calculation load and tegagan received bolts as shown in
Table 5 below.

From the calculation is done as simple as a table five

largest voltage obtained based on the theory that is
equal to 250.4689 MPa Soderberg this value is still far
below the allowable voltage is equal to 587.5 MPa.
Although the value of the stress concentration is already
included in the calculation for the third criterion of good
Gerber mothod, Soderberg Method and Goodman
method bazaar voltage maximum none exceeds much
voltage the maximum permitted so that the material bolt
piston VVCP which can be considered safe against
fatigue failure due to compressive stresses based on the
three criteria the. When the component receives
compression load is possible other than that the bending
fatigue due to compression loads or commonly called
buckling. Here are the results of the design calculations
bolt piston gas compressor VVCP can see in Table 6.
Table 6. The results of the design calculations bolt

From the simple calculation of buckling as shown in

Table 6 shows that large diameter bolts of minimum
54.59210526 mm Both ends when the condition is
fixed. Large diameter bolt that there is a 1.5 inch or
38,1mm, based on calculations of the fourth bolt design
assumptions given the value is still far from the
minimum design assuming Both ends fixed in the
amount 54.59210526 mm thereby however pedestal
types that exist in VVCP bolt piston gas compressor can
be categorized as unsafe for failure caused by buckling.
H. Discussion
In the gas compressor manual book [9] provided
indicates that the material used as a bolt piston gas
compressor VVCP is SAE grade 5 [5] material

JOURNAL OF ENGINEERING POMITS Vol. 3, No. 2 (2014) ISSN: 2337-3539 (Print 2301-9271)
The equivalent to ASTM A449 are quenched and
tempered medium carbon steel dengankadarkarbon 0.25
to 0.58. This material is dikhususkanuntuk screws that
require high tensile strength. Results of testing the
chemical composition using optical emission
spectrometer machine shown in Table 1 shows that
there are some chemicals that should not be on the bolt.
The presence of these elements will affect the
mechanical properties, especially hardness, with the
addition of alloy elements will increase the
hardenability of the material or hardened formability
and other properties to a certain extent be changed.
Observations at the macro level bolt conducted to
determine fracture pattern. Observations as shown in
figure 1 are early indications of cracking in the
outermost experiencing stress concentration then the
crack grows until finally the final fracture occurs. Based
on the characteristics of fatigue failure fracture pattern
shown in Figure 2 as the fracture characteristics
including unidirectional broken due to bending. To
determine the standard dimensions of the bolt was
measured using calipers can be determined that the
standard dimensions of Yag used in bolt proficiency
level is the standard American results of testing
hardness of the inside diameter to the outside using the
ASTM E18 method Rockwell C was found that the
average value of hardness in an area close to the fault is
36.09778 Hrc this value is greater than the value of
violence in areas far from the fault that is approximately
34.18667 Hrc this could have been caused by internal
stress due to compression loads in areas close to the
fault so that resulting in hardness ride. While the
standard ASTM A449 hardness value should range
between 19 to 30 HRc. Both in areas near fault and far
from the fracture hardness value exceeds the standard
that should be so we can say the violence is not
according to standards.
From the results of tensile tests using ASTM E8
value of the tensile strength of a maximum of 1206 MPa
and the strength values luluhnya 1147 MPa this value so
far in excess of standard given ASTM A449 is the
tensile strength of a maximum of 725 MPa and strength
luluhnya at 560 MPa it could be due to other elements
that should not be on the bolt and also the influence of
the internal stress that causes its strength values are
higher than the specifications in ASTM A449 test
results using ASTM E3-98 microstructure is shown in
Figure 3 are the traits of microstructure tamper medium
carbon martensitic steel [3], so that it can be said
microstructure broken bolt in accordance with the
specifications given.

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Observations made with the help of micro Scanning

electron microscope SEM equipped with EDX testing
shown in Figure 7 in the area of crack propagation
indicates that there are no elements of reaction products
in the area so that it can be said almost no corrosion
occurs in the area.
IV. CONCLUSION
Based on the results of investigations that have been
done then it was concluded as follows:
1. Based on the data obtained cause of the bolt failure
VVCP piston gas compressor due to compression loads
that cause bending or buckling.
2. Initial cracks originated from parts that have large
concentrations of teganngan then grow and eventually
fracture, fracture pattern including unidirectional
bending.
SUGGESTION
1. Replace with material that has a modulus of elasticity
higher.
2. Reduce the distance between the pedestal (l) and
enlarge the diameter of the bolt
BIBLIOGRAPHY
[1] __. 2002. ASM Handbook Vol. 09 Metallography
And microstructures. Material park. Ohio. USA. ASM
international.
[2] __. 2002. ASM Handbook Vol. 11 failure analysis
and prevention. Material park. Ohio. USA. ASM
international.
[3] __. 2002. ASM Handbook Vol. 12 Fractography.
Material park. Ohio. USA. ASM international.
[4] __. 2002. ASM Handbook Vol. 19, failure analysis
and prevention. Material park. Ohio. USA. ASM
international.
[5] AA D. Deutchman, Walter J. Michels, Charles E.
Wilson ,. 1975 Machine Design - Theory and Practice.
Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc.
[6] ASTM 2003: quenched and tempered steel bolt and
studs A 449. ASTM International, USA,
[7] ASTM2003. : Standard Test Method for Rockwell
hardness of metallic materials E18. ASTM
International, USA,
[8] ASTM E8-04, Standard Test Methods for Tension
Testing of Metallic Materials. ASTM International,
2004
[9] Houston 2006 GE Oil & Gas - high speed
reciprocating gas compressors west loop south, USA.
[10] Khurmi RS Gupta, JK., 2005, Text Book of
Machine Design Eurasia, Publising House, ltd Ram
Nagar, New Delhi