Vertical Type Reciprocating Compressor for LNG Boil

Off Gas (BOG) Injection

Katsuhiro SEYAMA＊1, Satoshi TEZUKA＊1, Takashi OKUNO＊1, Kenji NAGURA＊1, Naoki AKAMO＊1
*1
Rotating Machinery Engineering Department, Rotating Machinery Business Unit, Compressor Division, Machinery Business

As the shipbuilding industry is enforcing environmental

regulations, low-speed dual-fuel engines, such as ME-GI,
are attracting rising attention. Such an engine requires
a gas-injection compressor (GIC) to supply LNG boil
off gas (BOG), and the demand for GICs is expected to
grow. Hence, KOBE Steel has developed a vertical type
LNG BOG reciprocating compressor suitable for GIC for
ME-GI engines. In developing the compressor, we have
utilized proven technologies, such as low temperature
suction, high pressure discharge, and a high-performance
oil-separation system. A vertical type suited to the
installation space on a ship has been adopted, and ease
of maintenance has been ensured. This paper describes its
development. Fig. 1 Gas supply unit of ME-GI engine for LNG carrier

Introduction pressurized up to 30 MPa and supplied to the ME-GI

engine for propelling the LNG carrier, with a portion
The environmental regulations set by the of the gas being pressurized up to about 1 MPa to
International Maritime Organization (IMO) were be supplied to a dual-fuel diesel engine (DFDE)3) to
strengthened. As a result, new low-speed, dual- power the on-board auxiliary machinery.
fuel engines fueled by heavy oil and natural gas A carrier may be equipped with a re-liquefaction
for direct propulsion are attracting attention in the unit for collecting and liquefying surplus BOG
shipping industry; they have begun to be adopted on and returning it to the tank when the fuel gas
LNG carriers. In the case of a low-speed, dual-fuel, consumption of the engine is less than the amount
electronically controlled, gas-injection diesel engine of BOG generated from the LNG tank, or when
(hereinafter referred to as an "ME-GI engine"1)), fuel the carrier is stopped. The efficiency of such a re-
must be supplied into its combustion chamber at a liquefaction unit increases as the pressure of the
pressure as high as approximately 30 MPa; hence, a supplied gas increases. When a re-liquefaction
gas-injection compressor (hereinafter referred to as a unit is installed with an ME-GI engine, BOG at a
"GIC") is required to pressurize the gas. pressure of approximately 30 MPa is supplied to
There also is a prospect that more than 150 LNG the re-liquefaction unit. This increases the efficiency
carriers will be newly constructed between 2017 and of re-liquefaction, improves the fuel efficiency and
2021,2) and the demand for compressors for LNG demonstrates excellent economy.
carriers is expected to grow correspondingly. Hence, A compressor unit for supplying BOG to an
Kobe Steel has been promoting the development of ME-GI engine must be reasonably compact, since
compressors for ships to expand the applications in it is installed in a limited space onboard. The unit
the compressor business. This paper describes the also is required to be capable of directly suctioning
product development of GICs for ME-GI engines. BOG at about -160 C and raising it from atmospheric
pressure to 30 MPa. Thus, various other technologies
1. Gas supply system for LNG carrier equipped are also required: e.g., a technology to extract gas
with ME-GI engine from an intermediate portion and a technology to
efficiently respond to the amount generated and to
Fig. 1 shows a gas supply system for an LNG the amount of BOG supplied, the amounts changing
carrier equipped with an ME-GI engine. The amount depending on the engine load. The re-liquefaction
of boil-off gas (hereinafter referred to as "BOG") unit requires an oil-separation unit for supplying gas
generated from an LNG tank varies depending on with the oil appropriately removed.
the capacity and thermal insulation performance The following describes the features of a
of the tank and usually falls in the range of reciprocating compressor, which Kobe Steel
approximately 3.0 to 5.0 t/h. The generated BOG is developed for ME-GI engines.

81 KOBELCO TECHNOLOGY REVIEW NO. 36 NOV. 2018

2. Compressors for ME-GI engines For this reason, the replacement frequency of rider
rings can be greatly reduced compared with that
2.1 Compressor specifications (vertical compressor) for a horizontal machine. There is also no damage,
such as seizure, due to the contact between a piston
Kobe Steel has delivered a number of high- and cylinder liner, which improves not only the
pressure LNG BOG compressors to LNG-receiving economic efficiency but also the reliability.
terminals. They adopt vertical GICs while exploiting
the technologies for producing high-pressure gas 2.2 Gas volume control
from the low-temperature BOG.
Each GIC consists of a 5-stage compressor The suction gas temperature of a compressor can
for pressurization up to 30 MPa and includes an be cryogenic (approximately -160 C) when the BOG
intermediate portion at the second stage to extract generated in an LNG tank is directly suctioned, or
the gas for a DFDE. The compressor unit comprises the temperature can rise to near room temperature
a BOG compressor, a main electric motor, a gas when the gas is re-liquefied utilizing the cold energy
cooler, an interconnect piping between the stages, of the suction gas. When a compressor that has been
an oil suppling device, and a drum for preventing shut down for a long period of time is restarted,
pulsation, all mounted on a common skid. The room temperature gas is suctioned immediately
dimensions of the unit for a process volume of after the restart, and the temperature lowers with the
5 t/h is 7 m x 10 m x 6.5 m. Table 1 compares the passage of time.
size (including the maintenance space) of vertical Such a significant change in the suction gas
and horizontal compressor units with equivalent temperature changes the amount of gas processed
function and performance. by each cylinder of the corresponding stage and also
In general, a vertical compressor tends to be affects the pressure balance. These are phenomena
subjected to an unbalanced force caused by the characteristic of low-temperature compressors. In
reciprocation of pistons, a force greater than that addition, as described above, the balance between
experienced by a horizontal compressor. In a the amount of BOG generated from the LNG
vertical machine with a crankshaft with 6 throws, tank and the amount of gas being consumed by
the unbalanced force can be cancelled out by a 120 the engine changes constantly, and the operation
angular phase shift between each pair of throws, conditions of the compressor change at the same
i.e., (i) #1 & #6 throws, (ii) #2 & #5 throws, and (iii) time. Stable operation in such an environment calls
#3 & #4 throws. This concept has been adapted for various measures including control methods
for the 5-stage compressor for ME-GI engines, and appropriate design margins. In this regard,
in which a balancing throw without a cylinder is Kobe Steel fully exploits its technology backed
provided to maintain the balance of the compressor up by its abundant operational experiences with
and minimize the unbalanced force exerted on the low-temperature compressors for LNG-receiving
foundation on the ship. terminals. In addition, the GIC is provided with a
Another advantage of vertical compressors exists volume adjustment device including a suction-valve
in their rider rings. In the case of a reciprocating unloader and a clearance pocket, while each stage is
compressor with piston rings, rider rings are provided with a spillback line, so as to cope with any
provided to prevent each piston from contacting rapid fluctuations of the engine load.
the corresponding cylinder liner during the
reciprocating motion of the piston. 2.3 Oil separation unit
Unlike the case of horizontal machines, rider
rings in a vertical compressor need not support the Fig. 2 depicts a flow diagram of a GIC system for
weight of the pistons and wear significantly less. an ME-GI engine. The BOG generated from an LNG
tank is pressurized to 30 MPa by the compressors
and supplied to the engine. Each compressor
Table 1 Unit size of vertical- and horizontal-type compressors
(including maintenance space) includes plastic sliding parts, such as piston rings,
rider rings, and piston-seal packings. In order to
ensure their durability and reliability, lubrication oil
is supplied inside the cylinder of the high-pressure
stage. This has enabled long-term continuous
operation.
Meanwhile, the oil contamination in the gas
supplied to an ME-GI engine must be minimized. To

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 Fig. 2 ME-GI GIC flow diagram

Fig. 3 Horizontal- and vertical-type reciprocating compressor units

this end, a high-performance filter for oil separation problems.

is installed in the downstream of the compressor exit The compressors for ME-GI engines also exploit
to remove the lubricant oil contained in the gas. these technologies to suppress the influence of oil
Furthermore, in the case where a re-liquefaction on the engine and re-liquefaction unit. Maximum
unit is installed, the gas supplied at a high pressure consideration was given so as not to deteriorate the
rapidly expands, liquefying the oil dissolved in the durability or the reliability of the sliding parts of the
gas. The oil content must also be removed. Hence, compressors.
this system has an additional activated carbon filter
in the downstream of the above-described high 2.4 Maintainability (maintenance requiring 24
performance filter to further strengthen the oil hours or less)
removal performance.
Kobe Steel has introduced an advanced oil- Fig. 3 shows the reciprocating compressors of the
separation unit as described above and has delivered horizontal type and vertical type. A horizontal-type
a number of oil-flooded screw compressors, each compressor comprises a crank case and cylinder
involving a large amount of oil flooded during that are fixed to the foundation and is less likely to
the compression process, for applications such as cause vibration. However, it has a drawback: a large
LNG-receiving terminals and helium liquefaction installation area must be secured, including a space
apparatuses, applications requiring processing for pulling out the pistons in the horizontal direction
without oil contamination. All these oil-flooded during maintenance.
screw compressors are operating without any A vertical-type compressor, on the other hand,

83 KOBELCO TECHNOLOGY REVIEW NO. 36 NOV. 2018

 Fig. 4 3Ｄ-CAD model for FE analysis

only requires installation space for the crank case, amount of deformation and strength were confirmed
and the installation area can be small. In addition, for each principal component.3) Fig. 4 shows the 3-D
each piston is pulled out in the vertical direction CAD model used for the analysis.
during maintenance, so it therefore has the In addition, a load test using a prototype machine
advantage of effectively utilizing the limited space was conducted to quantify the stress generated in
on board and allowing, for example, the installation each principal component and to verify whether
of other apparatuses adjacent to the compressor unit. sufficient rigidity was secured. The natural
Maintenance work on compressors is presumed frequency of the compressor was also confirmed by
to be conducted while the ship is in dock. For any the analysis. It was measured using the prototype
maintenance that should be performed on board, a machine (a compressor having the size of the actual
structure that allows the replacement of a cylinder machine), and the vibration phenomena with
and piston as a set was adopted so as to recover changing RPM were confirmed to make sure that the
the compressor during a short period of time in the natural frequencies of the compressor and the RPM
berth. In other words, the structure allows a cylinder component do not coincide (or resonate).
to be separated from the cross guide with a piston
inserted in it. Short-term maintenance could not 2.6 Class authentication
be realized with the conventional method, which
requires the separate tasks of removing cylinder Vessel equipment can be mounted on ships only
valves, the main expendable parts of a reciprocating after authentication by ship classification societies.
compressor, from the cylinders, removing A compressor cannot be installed on a ship unless
replacement parts such as piston rings, rider rings, it is approved by the classification organization
piston-seal packings after pulling out the pistons, and has passed the inspections required for class
and so on. The newly developed compressor system certification.
has a structure that allows collective replacement, To develop a compressor to be installed
by means of which the maintenance work period on a ship, a type approval was obtained from a
for all the cylinders is expected to be shortened to classification agency, DNV-GL, in June 2016. Fig. 5
approximately 24 hours. shows the certificate.

2.5 Verification using prototype machine 3. Other applications related to LNG carriers

In this development, a three-dimensional analysis An X-DF 4) engine is another type of low-

model combining the principal components of a speed dual-fuel engine of a new direct propulsion
compressor, including the crank case, was prepared system adapted for LNG carriers. From the
to ensure strength reliability; and a stress analysis aspect of compressor specifications, the pressure
by the finite element method (FEM) was carried out of the BOG to be supplied to this engine is
under the analysis conditions based on operating about 2 MPa: the main feature of the engine
states, including the actual gas pressure during is a pressure lower than that for ME-GI engines,
operation and the inertia force (i.e., load generated while its other characteristics, such as processing
by the reciprocating motion of pistons, etc.) The volume, are almost the same. It should be noted,

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 Fig. 5 Type approval certificate from DNV-GL

however, that the pressure of 2 MPa is not high

enough to re-liquefy BOG, and there also is a need
for a compressor to perform re-liquefaction in
addition to GICs. Many of the requirements for
these compressors are held in common with the
compressor for the ME-GI engine, mentioned above.
Fig. 6 is the overview of the fuel supply system for
an X-DF engine. In this case, a system combining
a Kobe Steel's screw compressor for GIC and a
reciprocating compressor for re-liquefaction was
adopted, and the company received the order for the
first machine in 2016.
As in the case of the gas supply system for
an ME-GI engine, this gas supply system for an
X-DF engine is also required to have a compressor
Fig. 6 Gas supply system for X-DF engine of LNG carrier
control system that ensures a stable fuel supply and
optimum re-liquefaction for the amount of BOG
generated and for a load that varies with the load supply system of these new propulsion engines.
of the engine. The system, which couples the screw In developing this compressor, the company's
compressor and reciprocating compressor to control proprietary technologies, involving low
the flow rate, could only be developed with Kobe temperature, high-pressure oil separation, are used
Steel's unique technology and know-how that work to realize improved maintainability. In addition, the
on both types of compressors. company has received an order for the compressor
for a re-liquefaction unit attached to the fuel supply
Conclusions system and are building a control system combined
with the screw compressor for GIC.
Under increasingly stringent environmental Kobe Steel will strive to further refine these
regulations, LNG carriers are inclined to employ compressor units, continue development so as
new propulsion engines using natural gas as to respond flexibly to the need for compressors
their fuel. Kobe Steel has developed a vertical required for the various gas supply systems of ships,
reciprocating compressor used for the fuel and contribute to the field of LNG carriers.

85 KOBELCO TECHNOLOGY REVIEW NO. 36 NOV. 2018

References

1) MAN Diesel SE. LNG Carrier Power: Total Fuel Flexibility&

Maintainability with 51/60DF Electric Propulsion. http://
marine.man.eu/docs/librariesprovider6/technical-papers/
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2) Douglas Westwood. DW Monday: A Sea Change In
LNG.19th September 2016. http://www.douglas-westwood.
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2017-07-07).
3) N. AKAMO. R&D Kobe Steel Engineering Reports. 2009,
Vol. 59, No. 3, p. 55.
4) Marcel Ott. WinGD, 2015-09-08, X-DF dual-fuel engines
-Technology Review/Marcel Ott. https://www.wingd.
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(reference made on 2017-07-07).

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