For A Compressor

Screw Compressor Preventative Maintenance

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By Lee Levisay

Lee Levisay is the sales manager for The PROS Company in Lubbock, Texas. He is a graduate of Texas A&M University.

Shown here are two compressor packages that include separators. There are four stages for successful separation.

Gas Expands And Slows In Velocity

screw compressor can be a very fickle piece of equipment, or it can be your best piece of equipment and make your operations very profitable. It all depends on the proper fit for the application and the maintenance program. Screw compressors were not designed for the natural gas industry. They have been adapted for the natural gas industry from the industrial air and refrigeration industries, where the compressor works in a clean, closed system. The natural gas industry is totally opposite, utilizing an openended system that will feed the compressor package whatever comes from the well. Operators must be ready for all the different gases, liquids and trash that the well will throw at the compressor. To ensure that you have a successful screw compressor you must first make sure the compressor package is designed properly. The screw compressor package must be designed to control three items for a successful and profitable piece of equipment separation of the liquids from the gases, the filtration system and the temperature of the gas. There are as many separation system designs as there are compressor packagers and manufacturers. Some work better than others. continued on page 26 24

The First Stage of Separation

APRIL 2013

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Illustration by Kathy Buxkemper of PROS Co.

The Second Stage of Separation

The Third Stage of Separation

The temperature of the gas This is where the gas analysis is required. The operating temperature must be 10 to 20 above the highest dew point in the gas stream. This will ensure that the gas variables will stay in a vapor state and not liquefy. By keeping the gas stream variables in vapor form, they will move out of the system with the discharge gas. If any of the gas variables liquefy and stay in the oil, they will dilute the oil and create lubrication problems. continued on page 28 APRIL 2013 26

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Illustration by Kathy Buxkemper of PROS Co.

The filtration system The filtration system removes any particulate matter from the gas stream so as to not damage the screw compressor. The suction filtration filters should have a minimum rating of no larger than 10 to 20 , the smaller the better. If you have iron oxide or coal dust in your system then it is recommended no larger than 1 to 3 . If your filters keep getting plugged up, that means they are working properly. Filters are designed very differently and have maximum differential pressure allowances. Be sure to check with your filter supplier and never allow the differential pressure to exceed the maximum design for that filter. If it does exceed the maximum, the filter could collapse and send particulate matter into your compressor to damage the rotors and bearings. That is not good and normally will lead to excessive downtime and a screw compressor rebuild or replacement. Filters should be checked regularly for proper operation. Once the gas passes through the separator and is headed to the screw compressor it should be free of liquids and particulate matter. This is not always the case with an open ended natural gas application.

Gas Passes Through Mist Pad

Illustration by Kathy Buxkemper of PROS Co.

The separation of the liquids from the gases There are two separation systems on a typical natural gas screw compressor package the gas suction separator from the well and the oil discharge system to separate the gas and oil after the compression process. We will discuss both because they both have to be working properly to insure success. The majority of the liquids from the well should be separated prior to the gas stream coming to the compressor package. Sometimes this is not the case for wellhead compression systems. The gas suction separator should be designed with the four stages of separation working properly; this will ensure the minimum amount of liquid carryover to the compressor. It does not matter if the system has a horizontal or vertical separator system as long as it is designed correctly for the application. The first stage of separation is to have the gas enter and immediately hit an inlet deflector, which forces the gas to expand, change direction and slow down in velocity. This will drop out a lot of the heavier fluids. The second stage is to have the gas change direction and continue to slow in velocity. The third stage is to have a mist pad so the finer droplets of liquid can collect and drop out. The fourth stage is to have the gas stream run through a filtration system.

Gas Slows And Changes Direction

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Prior to the gas stream entering the screw compressor, it is mixed with the oil. The oil serves multiple functions in the screw compressor compression process. It is the lubricant, sealant and coolant. It will lubricate the bearings and other moving parts. In the screw compressor, there are very tight tolerances and the oil will act as the sealant between moving parts to create a seal for compression. As with any compression process, heat is created and the oil will help disperse the heat and remove it from the compression process to prevent excess heating. If the compressor has too much gap in the clearances between the rotors and housing from excessive wear or damage, the oil cannot seal and there will be a loss in efficiency. After the compression process, the oil and gas must be separated so the gas can be sent down line and the oil can be reused. The oil must be kept clean and free of foreign material, whether it is liquid or particle, therefore the importance of the discharge separation system being designed properly and well maintained. The discharge system works similar to the suction gas separation system with a more refined fourth stage of separation. On the discharge separation system the filtration is designed specifically for separating the oil and gas. This is called a coalescing filtration system. The coalescing filter is designed for the separation of the oil from the gas and will allow the oil to return to the system. Coalescing filters should not be rated for greater than 1 to 5 microns and should be checked regularly. In the opinion of the author, the smaller the better. This will prevent accumulation of particulate matter in the oil and damaging bearings over time. The oil is the life fluid of the screw compressor package. Selection of the right type of oil for your application is very important. Please consult a trusted oil supplier to get the right kind of oil for your application. If the screw compressor package is designed for petroleum-based oil and a decision is made to change to synthetic-based oil, you could experience many problems, because the discharge system was not designed for the lighter synthetic oils. Be aware that a major APRIL 2013

change in the type of oil will also come with a major change in the discharge oil separation system. Regularly scheduled oil analysis is the key to maintaining consistent oil throughout the life cycle of the oil. Oil analysis is the method for determining the useful life cycle of the oil and compressor. By analyzing the components in the oil you will be able to determine problems before they become catastrophic events. Oil analysis will point you in the direction where issues need to be addressed, whether they are excessive liquids in the oil (separation and temperature) or too much particulate matter (filtration). If there is a high metallic flag on the analysis, this may tell you that the compressor is getting near the end of its life cycle, parts are wearing out and that a rebuild or exchange needs to be scheduled.

No well-balanced, preventative maintenance program can be complete without the incorporation of the vibration analysis. Vibration analysis can show the operator the existence of an issue well before it becomes a major problem. In summary, a well-designed and implemented preventative maintenance program will incorporate oil analysis, vibration analysis and control of the separation, filtration and temperature of the screw compressor system. These factors will allow the operator to schedule downtime for maintenance and equipment exchanges, eliminating the midnight call alerting the operator to a catastrophic event. When all this is done properly, the screw compressor will become a very dependable and profitable asset for natural gas production. CT2

Coalescing And Filtration

The Fourth Stage of Separation

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Illustration by Kathy Buxkemper of PROS Co.