Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Screw Compressor Pulsation & Vibration: Case Histories
Screw Compressor Pulsation & Vibration: Case Histories
Screw Compressor
Pulsation &
Vibration
Ethan Clark, Signet Monitoring & Analysis Inc.
• Component Failures
• Pipe and fittings
• Instrumentation
• Vessel internals
• Compressor bearings
• Extreme Noise
• Vessels make excellent “speakers”
• Damage to off-line equipment
Solutions
• Adjust Vi close to ideal
• Adjust speed away from resonance
• Modified or thicker wall vessels (rather costly)
• Orifice plate at compressor outlet flange
Notes:
• Size orifice plate for allowable pressure drop.
• Position hole at bottom if oil collection is a concern.
Case History #1
Refrigeration Compressor
• New package
• Propane Service
• Coalescing filter internal and external failures
• Broken oil diverter caused excessive oil loss
Extreme Pulsation Levels
• 95 psi pk-pk in 200
Talisman EGP North Refridge Pressure FFT Comp Discharge Line Pulsation Run 5 FFT at 3580.0 RPM 03/08/2012 10:09
Peaks
pressure!!!!
Y: 04 = 2.726 @ 42571.8 11
05 = 2.554 @ 70911.8 19
Phase: 06 = 1.238 @ 63829.1 17
07 = 1.151 @ 21288.8 5
08 = 1.148 @ 35433.4 9
09 = 1.001 @ 71990.3 20
80 10 = 0.636 @ 13417.3 3
psi (p-p)
60
40
20
4 3 5
10 7 8 6 9
00
20000 40000 60000
CPM
Coalescing Vessel Shell Deformation
• 4 lobe deflected shape amplifies
pulsation and unit vibration
• High vibration destroyed vessel
internals Talisman EGP Refridge Phased Vibe Coalescer Seam 180/225/270 Run 6 Channel 4 FFT at 3564.0 RPM 03/22/2012 11:25
1.4 Peaks
Overall = 1.255 in/sec (peak) # Mag. Freq. Orde
01 = 1.232 @ 14233.8 3
X: 02 = 0.179 @ 118.3 0
03 = 0.144 @ 28460.4 7
1 Y: 04 = 0.028 @ 28325.8 7
1.2 05 = 0.026 @ 28605.3 8
Phase: 06 = 0.022 @ 7216.2 2
07 = 0.010 @ 7109.7 1
08 = 0.010 @ 9479.1 2
09 = 0.008 @ 14832.1 4
10 = 0.008 @ 14961.6 4
1.0
0.8
0.4 2012
0.2 2
3
45
76 8 910
00 10000 20000 30000
CPM
Case History #1 – Solution & Results
• Installed orifice plate at compressor discharge flange
• Repaired coalescing filter
• Pulsation and vibration reduced to acceptable levels
• It was so good, they didn’t need us to come back!
• No more reported failures.
Case History #2
CO2 Compressor
• Spared process compressors
• Normal operation is one unit operating
• Premature bearing failures
High Vibration on Common Suction Piping
• High pulsation-induced vibration on
shut down machine causes bearing
damage.
• Very short bearing life
Case History #2 – Solution & Results
• Installed orifice plate at
compressor discharge flange
• Suction piping vibration reduced
by >90%
• Bearing life has increased from
days to years
After Orifice
Case History #3
Coalbed Methane Field Booster
• New compressor with high bearing vibration.
• Not bearing faults – pulsation frequencies.
Case History #3 – Solution & Results
• Monitoring for bearing wear
is impractical with high
vibration from pulsation.
• Installed orifice plate at
compressor discharge flange After Orifice
and reduced overall vibration
by >70%.
• Still running!
Before Orifice
Conclusions
• Screw compressors produce pulsation that can be destructive.
• Discharge orifice plates can be a valuable solution.
• Orifice pressure drop should be well-understood!
• Consider lube oil in pressure drop calculations
• Consider hole location in orifice plate
Ethan Clark ethan.clark@signetma.com 1(403)391-1921