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Reciprocating Compressor Suction and Discharge Valve Monitoring
Reciprocating Compressor Suction and Discharge Valve Monitoring
P
ROGNOST Systems failure mode survey of Description of the methods
most common reciprocating compressor Highlighting these completely different methods,
failure modes in 2009 is showing valve fail- it becomes obvious that valve monitoring can be
ures as the most frequent root cause for improved regardless whether it is delivered with
unplanned compressor shutdowns. New valve a new machine or retrofitted to an existing
designs and improved materials have been intro- machine. In any case it is the main objective to
duced in the past 10 years and have reduced the detect a leakage of a valve that is causing a loss
percentage significantly. However, for many in efficiency of the compressor. Other damages
compressor operators valve monitoring is a main such as broken valve springs or cracks in the
concern when evaluating condition monitoring valve plate or rings are considered as early
systems to reduce unplanned downtime. stages of a leaking valve.
While the high percentage against other • Valve temperature monitoring
machine failures calls for further improvement, In compressor thermodynamics it is considered
valve leakages in an early stage are usually not that a gas leakage in either a suction or discharge
safety relevant. Undetected suction valve failures valve is causing an increase of the gas tempera-
might lead into a complete loss of compression ture in the valve pocket. Two installation options
causing more dangerous failures, e.g. seizing are common to monitor the valve temperature:
crosshead wrist pins resulting
from missing rod load reversal.
In the early days of reciprocat-
ing machine monitoring,
maintenance strategies were
mainly based on temperature
measurement. Today, different
methods of online condition
monitoring can be applied to
create precise diagnostic informa-
tion of the valves and other
components.
By comparing strengths and
weaknesses of temperature moni-
toring with cylinder acceleration
vibration measurement and pV
diagram analyses this article
provides a decision making guide-
line to identify the best suitable Figure 1 PROGNOST Systems failure mode survey 2009; an evaluation of
permanent monitoring technology 524 compressor damage records detected at 192 machines, located in
for a specific compressor. 72 different plants
a) Temperature sensor mounted into the valve requires the installation of one pressure sensor
cover for each compression chamber to monitor the
b) Temperature sensor mounted in a sleeve condition of suction and discharge valves. The
installed in the valve pocket through a drilled sensors can be installed on indicator taps
valve cover. prepared by the machine manufacturer and may
In both cases, typically one temperature sensor not be mixed up with the suction and discharge
is installed on each valve cover. The valve pocket cylinder pressure sensor installed in the pulsa-
temperature b) provides a higher quality of the tion dampers or piping. Such taps are required
measurement in terms of early detection of the for API 618 machines and typically indicator
leakage. Valve cover temperatures are subject to valves are installed between the sensor and the
bigger influences from environmental conditions cylinder to allow easy replacement of sensors
such as sunlight or wind. Temperature sensors without machine shutdown. If indicator taps are
installed through the valve cover into the valve not available, e.g. old machines, suction or
pocket provide an earlier indication of changing discharge valves can be modified with a special
temperatures. The signal coming from e.g. RTD centre bolt.
or thermocouple sensors can be transferred to pV diagram analyses are based on dynamic
the Distributed Control System (DCS), to a PLC pressure measurement and require sensors that
or machine monitoring system (MMS). In the allow sampling rates in the kHz range to allow
DCS or MMS, temperatures can be trended to detect small leakages and high frequency pres-
generate long-term information about the valve sure pulsations caused by valve dynamics or
condition. Condition monitoring systems provide stepless unloaders. The pV diagram can be visu-
additional analyses for the signals such as the alized with suitable software. Intelligent
group deviation analysis to maximize the value diagnostic systems automatically monitor the pV
of valve temperature monitoring, no matter at diagrams. In addition to the suction/discharge
which position (cover or pocket) the sensor is valves, the pV diagram analysis indicates leakage
mounted. of various other sealing elements such as piston
• pV diagram monitoring pV diagram analyses sealing rings, piston rod packing etc.
Low cost for instrumentation pV, vibration _ Temperature High cost for instrumentation
Early detection of component
condition changes pV, vibration _ Temperature Slow detection of component condition changes
Definite assignment of failing
component Temperature pV, vibration _ Vague assignment of failing component
Versatile usage of signal for
monitoring additional components pV Vibration Temperature No usage of signal for monitoring additional
components
No CMS required Temperature _ pV, vibration CMS required
Figure 3
(head end or crank end). However, this is dismounted before valve maintenance can take
achieved by installing only one sensor on a place with further time spent to install them
double-acting cylinder and applying segmented back and checking the installation for proper
vibration monitoring of the acceleration signal. sealing.
This method allows to locally and functionally While pV diagram analyses and cylinder vibra-
determine impending valve failures at a very tion monitoring call for a suitable monitoring
early stage. Vibration impacts are measurable software, the temperature measurement is a
before e.g. a broken valve plate causes a signifi- simple parameter that can be trended even in
cant increase in gas or valve cover temperature. less sophisticated systems such as PLC or DCS.
Unlike valve temperature sensors, the accelera- However, a temperature increase can be caused
tion sensors mounted on the cylinder do not by other reasons than leaking valves e.g. an
have to be removed during valve replacements increase in differential pressure. Such changes in
and no gas sealing needs to be checked and operating conditions can cause false warnings.
maintained after servicing the valves. Furthermore temperature crosstalk between
Figure 4 shows the temperatures of a suction neighbouring valves mounted in angles of 90
and a discharge valve (blue/red) along with two degrees or smaller can cause uncertainty on the
monitoring parameters derived from the pV leaking valve. Only with a more sophisticated
diagram (purple) and one segment of the maxi- monitoring method that compares valve temper-
mum cylinder acceleration vibration (black) for atures of the same function, a reliable failure
one cylinder.. The change to bad condition assignment can be produced.
became noticeable with the pressure and the While valve temperature monitoring focuses
cylinder vibration signals. The temperature did on the valve condition information, pV diagram
not change significantly before the machine was and cylinder vibration monitoring provide condi-
stopped by the operator. tion information of additional components as
Taking into account the downtime of the well. Vibration monitoring provides information
machine which is related to the MTTR, the cylin- about the piston rings, the piston and the cylin-
der vibration is most convenient, as the valves der liner due to specific changes in the
can be exchanged without disassembling the vibrational behaviour.
sensors. Using temperature measurement, all With pV diagram analyses, piston rings and
temperature sensors have to be carefully packing leakages are monitored in addition to the