RECIPROCATING

COMPRESSORS
(Operation)

1
 Contents
 Important Concepts
 Gas Compression
 Classification of Compressors
 Positive Displacement Compressors
 Reciprocating Compressors
 Principles of PD Compressors
 Types of PD Compressors
 Pressure-Volume Diagram
2
 Contents
 Compressor Capacity Control by:
 Throttling
 Capacity Pocket
 Unloading
 Speed Control
 Recycle / Bypass Control
 Cylinders Jacket Cooling Methods
 Cylinders & Bearings Lubrication
 Operation of Reciprocating Compressor
 Case Study of K-211 & K-101A
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Important
Concepts

4
 Introduction to Compression
 The purpose of Compressors is to move gases
from one place to other place.
 Fans
 Move air or gas at a sufficient pressure to

overcome static forces. Discharge

pressure range from a few inches of
water to about 1 psi.
 Blowers
 Move large volume of air or gas at pressure

up to 50 psi.
5
 Introduction to Compression
 Compressors

Move air or gas in higher differential

pressure ranges from 35 psi to as high
as 65,000 psi in extreme cases.

6
 Purpose of Compression
 In chemical process industry some reaction take
place at certain pressure and temperature
condition.
 Compression of gases to liquefy for storage
purpose.
 Compression and subsequent expansion of gases
for the purpose of cooling.
 Pressurized air is used for measuring and
control system.
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 Compression
 Molecules always travel at high speed, they strike
against walls of enclosed vessel and produce
pressure.
 Temperature affects average molecules speed.
When heat is added in fixed volume of gas, the
molecule travel faster, and hit the containing
walls of vessel more often and with greater force.
 If the enclosed vessel is fitted with a piston so
that the gas can squeezed into smaller space, the
molecule travel is now restricted and pressure
increased. 8
Confined Gas before and after heating

9
Volume Reduces and Pressure Increases

10
 What is a compressor ?

 Before further discussion, it will be helpful

to consider some key terms and basic gas
laws and how they effect compressors.

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 Definition of Terms-Flow
 CAPACITY (Actual Flow) of a compressor
 It is the volume rate of flow of gas compressed and
delivered referred to conditions of pressure, temperature
and gas composition prevailing at the compressor inlet.

 STANDARD or NORMAL FLOW

 It is the rate of flow under certain ‘standard’ conditions,
for example 60 deg F and 30”Hg (US Standard) or
0 deg C and 1.01325 bar (SI Normal).

 MASS FLOW
 It is the rate of flow in mass units.
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 Gas and vapor
 Gas is a state of matter above its Critical
Condition and can’t be liquefy by applying
pressure.
 All gases can be liquefied under specific
temperature and pressure conditions there for
they can also be called as vapor.
 There is one temperature above which a gas
will not liquefy with pressure increase is
critical temperature.

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 CRITICAL CONDITIONS
 The pressure require to compress and
condense a gas at this critical temperature is
critical pressure.
 Critical Condition of Water.
 Tc = 374.14°C
 Pc = 220.48 bar, 3206 lb/inch2
 Vc = 0.003155 m3/kg

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16
 GAS LAWS
 Boyle’s Law
 Charles’ Law
 Amonton’s Law
 Dalton’s law
 Amagat’s Law
 Avogadro’s Law
 Ideal Gas Equation

17
 Boyle’s Law
 Pressure is inversely proportional to the volume
at constant temperature.
PV = Constant

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 Charles & Gay – Lussac Law
 In 1810 Charles and J. Gay – Lussac,
experimentally determined that at low pressure
the volume of a gas is proportional to its
temperature.
V / T = Constant

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 Amonton’s Law
 At constant volume, the pressure of an ideal gas varies
directly with absolute temperature

P2/P1= T2/T1 V= constant

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 Dalton’s law
 Total pressure of a mixture of ideal gases is equal to
the sum of partial pressure of the constituent gases
Partial pressure is the pressure each gas will exert if
it alone occupied the volume of the mixture at the
mixture temperature
P = Pa + Pb + Pc + Pd + …..

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 Amagat’s Law
 Total volume of a mixture of ideal gases is
equal to the sum of partial volume of the
constituent gases
Partial volume is the volume each gas will
occupy if it alone is under same pressure
temperature condition of mixture
V = Va + Vb + Vc + Vd + …..

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 Avogadro’s Law
 Avogadro’ states that equal volumes of all
gases, under the same conditions of pressure
and temperature, contain the same number of
molecules.

23
 Ideal Gas Equations
 Any equation that relates the pressure,
temperature and specific volume of a substance is
called an equation of state.
 The simplest and best known equation of state for
substances in the gas phase is Ideal Gas equation.
 This equation predicts the P-V-T behavior of gas
quite accurately
P1V1/T1 = P2V2/T2
PV = RT

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Deviation from Ideal – Gas Behavior
 Practically it was observed that gases follow
the ideal gas behavior under certain
conditions.
At low pressure
At high temperature.
Low density gases

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 Compressibility
 Gases deviate from ideal – gas behavior
significantly at states near the saturation
region and the critical point:
 This deviation from ideal-gas behavior at a
given temperature and pressure can accurately
be accounted for by the introduction of
correction factor called the compressibility
factor “ Z”.

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 Gas
Compression

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 Compressor
 A machine that does work to increase gas
pressure
 A compressor takes in gas at a certain
pressure and discharges it at a higher
pressure
 The difference between suction and discharge
pressure represents the work done on the gas
by the compressor

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 Compression Ratio
 The ratio of absolute discharge pressure to the
absolute suction pressure
R = Absolute discharge pressure
Absolute suction pressure
 If compressor doubles absolute discharge
pressure, R is 2
 R per stage is generally limited to 4, although low
capacity compressors may operate with value of 8
or higher.
 Maximum R is determined by the maximum
allowable discharge gas temperature.
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Pressure Ratio

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 Heat Of Compression
 A compressor forces gas molecules close together ,
increasing their speed and collisions, thus increases
gas temperature.
 The temperature increase depends upon nature of
gas, suction temperature, pressure and ratio of
compression.
 Increasing R increases temperature of the
discharge gas

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 Types Of Compression
 Isothermal
 Adiabatic

 Polytropic

Isothermal Compression
 It occurs when the temperature is kept
constant as the pressure increases. This requires
continuous removal of the heat of compression.
p1V1 = p2V2 = constant

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 Types Of Compression
Adiabatic (Isentropic) Compression
 It is obtained when there is no heat added to
or removed from the gas during compression.
p1V1k = p2V2k

k = Ratio of specific heats

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 Types Of Compression
Polytropic Compression
 Compression is neither isothermal nor adiabatic.
Actual compression therefore takes place along a
polytropic cycle.
p1V1n = p2V2n

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 Types Of Compression
Gas Exit Temperature
 When the pressure on a compressible fluid is
increased adiabatically, the temperature of the
fluid also increases.
 For isentropic pressure change of an ideal gas,

the relation is:

35
 Types Of Compression
(γ–1)
Tb pb γ

Ta pa

 For a given gas, the temperature ratio

increases with increase in compression ratio
pb / p a
 This ratio is a basic parameter in the
engineering of compressors.
 With increase in compression ratio, the
isentropic temperature becomes excessive.
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 Types Of Compression
 Since actual compressors are not frictionless, the
heat from friction is also absorbed by the gas,
and the temperatures well above the isentropic
temperatures are obtained.
 Therefore cold water or refrigerant is circulated
through jackets for cooling.
 In small cooled compressors, the exit gas
temperature may approach that at the inlet, and
Isothermal compression is achieved.
 In very small ones, air cooling by external fins
cast integrally with the cylinder is sufficient.
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 Types Of Compression
 In larger units, where cooling capacity is
limited, a path different from isothermal or
adiabatic compression, called Polytropic
compression, is followed.

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
Intercooling
When the pressure on a compressible fluid is increased
adiabatically, the temperature of the fluid also increases.
 Intercoolers are used to remove heat of compression from gas

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 Intercooling
 The temperature rise of the gas has a number of
disadvantages.
 Because the specific volume of the fluid increases
with temperature, the work required to compress a
pound of fluid is larger than if the compression were
isothermal.
 Excessive temperatures lead to problems with
lubricant, stuffing boxes, and materials of
construction.
 The fluid may be one that cannot tolerate high
temperatures without decomposing.
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 Application of Partial Pressure in
case of compression
 Partial pressure is used to determine the
moisture removed in intercooler and after
cooler.
 The practical application of partial pressure
in compression problem is the determination
of mixture volume or weight to be handled at
the intake of the each stage of compression

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 Classification of compressors
COMPRESSOR

INTERMITTENT FLOW CONTINOUS FLOW

POSTIVE DISPLACEMNT DYNAMIC EJECTOR

ROTARY RECIPROCATING RADIAL MIXED AXIAL

FLOW FLOW FLOW

SLIDING VANE MECHANICAL

LIQUID PISTON PISTON CENTRIFUGAL MIXED AXIAL
HELICAL LOBE FLOW
SCREW LOBED
BLOWER 42
Positive Displacement
Compressors

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 Positive Displacement Compressors
 Operates by volumetric displacement
 Most Positive displacement compressors operate
with reciprocating motion
 Some Positive displacement compressors use
rotary motion
 Rotary for lower compression ratio and large
volumes comparatively
 Un-like the reciprocating machines the rotary
machine do not have high vibration problem
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 Principles
of
Positive Displacement
Compressors

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 Principles Of Positive Displacement
Compressors
 Pressure increases when a gas is forced to occupy
a smaller volume, this is the principle of a PD
compressor
 PD compressor first traps a certain volume of gas
in a cylinder or casing.
 Then the gas is displaced into a smaller volume
 The greater the reduction in volume, the greater
the increase in pressure

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Principles Of Positive Displacement
Compressors

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Principles Of Positive Displacement
Compressors
 In a rotary
compressor or
blower the part
that displaces
the gas, rotates.

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Principles Of Positive Displacement
Compressors
 Gas is displaced with back-and-forth or up
and down movement in a reciprocating
compressor
 Both rotary and reciprocating compressors
operate by first trapping a certain volume of
gas and then compressing the gas into a
smaller volume.

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 Types
of
Positive Displacement
Compressors

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Reciprocating
Compressors

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 Reciprocating Compressors
 Used for high pressure head and low flow.
 Single stage or multistage.
 No. of stages determined by the required pressure
ratio
 Maximum compression ratio is determined by the
maximum allowable discharge gas temperature
 These machines are single acting or double acting
depending on the size of machine or number of
stages.
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 Reciprocating Compressors
 Compressors with horizontal cylinders are most
commonly used because of their accessibility
 Machines are also built with vertical cylinders and
other arrangements. Such as right angle , one
horizontal and one vertical cylinder and v-angle
 Inter coolers are provided between stages for
multistage compressors & reduces the power
required for compression and keeps the
temperature with in safe operating limits

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 The Reciprocating Compressor
 In a reciprocating compressor, a volume of gas is
drawn into a cylinder

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 The Reciprocating Compressor
 The gas is trapped inside the cylinder
 The gas is compressed when the piston forces it to
a smaller volume

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 The Reciprocating Compressor
 Compressed gas is discharged into the discharge
line
 The flow of gas through the cylinder is controlled
by the cylinder valves

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 The Reciprocating Compressor
 Cylinder valves act as check valves, they permit
gas flow in only one direction
 The valves open due to pressure difference

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 The Reciprocating Compressor
 For the valve to open, the pressure in the suction line
must be higher than the pressure of the gas inside
the cylinder
 When pressures across the valve are equal, the valve
seats & prevents backflow
 Suction valve opens when cylinder pressure is lower
than the pressure in suction line
 Discharge valve opens when cylinder pressure is
higher than the pressure of gas in discharge line

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 Single-Acting Compressor
 If gas is discharged on only the forward stroke
or only the back stroke, the compressor is called
single-acting.
 One forward stroke and one back stroke
completes one revolution
 Forward stroke is the compression stroke
 The back stroke is the intake stroke

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 Double-Acting Compressor

 In a double-acting
compressor, gas is
compressed on both
sides of compressor
 Two discharge strokes
per revolution

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 Double-Acting Compressor
 On a forward stroke, the piston compresses gas at
the head end of the cylinder and traps the gas at its
crank end

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 Double-Acting Compressor
 On the back stroke, gas is compressed into the
crank end, and a fresh charge of gas is being
drawn into the head end

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 Rotary
Compressors

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 Rotary Compressors

 These are often called “Blowers”, when they are

used for moving large volumes of air or gas
through low compression ratios
 Lobed blower
 Sliding vane compressor
 Screw compressor
 Liquid piston compressor

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Lobed Blower

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 Lobed Blower
 A lobed blower has two impellers
 Each impeller has two or more lobes
 Lobed impellers rotate inside a casing
 Rotate in opposite direction
 Rotating impellers displace gas from suction port
into discharge port
 Displacing gas into discharge port increases its
pressure

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 Lobed Blower
 Gas leaves the blower when the pressure in the
discharge port increases than the pressure in the
discharge line
 There remains a small clearance space between
the lobes and the casing
 No requirement of internal lubrication
 Cannot develop high discharge pressure because
some gas leaks backwards through the clearance
spaces

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Sliding Vane Compressor

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 Sliding Vane Compressor
 In the sliding vane compressor a set of vanes is
mounted in the slots of a rotor
 Vanes slide in and out of the rotor
 As the rotor turns, centrifugal force moves the
vanes out against the walls of the casing
 Gas is trapped in the pockets between each pair of
sliding vanes
 Rotor is mounted off- center in the casing
 The size of these pockets gets smaller as gas
reaches the discharge port
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 Sliding Vane Compressor
 Rotor and vanes force the gas into a continuously
smaller volume, thus increasing gas pressure
 Springs in rotor slots help to hold vanes against
casing wall
 Internal lubrication is required

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Screw Compressor

71
 Screw Compressor
 Its rotor resembles a set of screws
 Gas is displaced by helically lobed rotors
 Gas enters through a suction port and is
immediately sealed off by rotation of screws
 Each charge of gas is trapped between the screws
and the casing
 Gas is displaced by the rotating screws
 Gas volume decreases as it is displaced towards
discharge port

72
 Screw Compressor
 Reduction in gas volume increases the pressure
of the gas
 Rotors are driven by gears
 No metal-to-metal contact between rotors or
between rotors and casing
 No requirement of internal lubrication

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Liquid Piston Compressor

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 Liquid Piston Compressor
 Cupped blades are mounted on the rotor
 Casing is partially filled with liquid or water
 Rotor is perfectly round in shape
 Casing is elliptical or egg-shaped
 When compressor is not in operation the liquid
settles at bottom of the casing
 As the rotor turns, centrifugal force throws the
liquid out against the wall of casing
 Liquid acquires the shape of the casing
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 Liquid Piston Compressor
 Incoming gas is trapped between the blade ring
and whirling liquid
 The blades displace the gas towards the discharge
port of the casing
 Because the shape it acquires the liquid helps to
compress the gas and force it into the outlets of
smaller volume
 Some liquid is always carried over with gas
 A separator in the discharge line is required to
separate liquid from gas
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 Liquid Piston Compressor
 A source is required to keep sufficient liquid
level in the casing all the time
 No need for internal lubrication

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Reciprocating Compressor
Mechanical Parts

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79
Pressure-Volume
Diagram

80
 Compressor Output
 Performance of a compressor can be represented
by a Pressure-Volume (P-V) diagram

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 P-V Diagram
 The diagram indicates the relation between
pressure in the compressor and cylinder volume
 As the piston moves back and forth in the
cylinder, the volume of cylinder changes
 Horizontal lines show the volume changes
 Vertical lines represents the changes in pressure
of the gas

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 P-V Diagram
 The Start of a Stroke Cycle
 The pressure in the clearance space is equal to
the discharge pressure

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 P-V Diagram
 The Start of Back Stroke

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 P-V Diagram
 The End of Back Stroke

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 P-V Diagram
 The Forward Stroke

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 P-V Diagram
 Complete Stroke Cycle

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Cylinder Clearance
&
Volumetric
Efficiency

93
 Cylinder Clearance & Volumetric
Efficiency
 Cylinder Clearance cannot be completely
eliminated.
 When a piston has completed the compression
and delivery stroke and is ready to reverse its
movement, gas at discharge pressure is trapped
in the clearance space. This gas expands on the
return stroke until its pressure is sufficiently
below intake pressure to open the suction valves.

94
95
 Cylinder Clearance & Volumetric
Efficiency
 Theoretical Formula for volumetric efficiency
as % age is:
ηv = 100 – C ( r1/k – 1 )
 Practical Formula for volumetric efficiency as
% age is:
ηv = 100 – C ( r1/k – 1 ) – L
L = Internal leakage, gas friction, ∆P through
valves, and inlet gas preheating. This value is
higher for a light gas than heavy gas due to
increased leakage. 96
 Cylinder Clearance & Volumetric
Efficiency
 Volumetric Efficiency decreases as:
 The clearance increases

 The compression ratio increases

 k decreases

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98
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100
 Compressor
Capacity Control

101
 Compressor Capacity Control
 Compressor Capacity Control by:
 Throttling
 Capacity Pocket
 Unloading
 Speed Control
 Recycle / Bypass

102
 Suction Throttling
 Capacity or rate of flow through the compressor
can be changed by suction line throttling
 Throttling is partial closing or pinching of a valve
at compressor suction line
 Less gas enters the compressor
 Throttling reduces suction pressure so gas density
also reduces helping in reduction of mass flow.
 Throttling reduces suction pressure without
changing discharge pressure
 Throttling always increase compression ratio R.
103
 Suction Throttling
 Increase in R tends to increase compressor HP
requirements
 Since throttling always increase R so it always
tends to increase temperature of discharge gas

104
Suction Throttling

105
 Control By Clearance Block
 At the end of every stroke some gas is left in a
clearance space in the cylinder
 It includes the space between the valves plus the
space that exists between the piston and cylinder
at the end of a stroke
 As the clearance increases capacity of a
compressor decreases
 Capacity can be controlled by varying clearance
in the compressor

106
Control By Clearance Block

107
Fixed-Volume Clearance Pocket

108
Hand Operated Fixed-Volume
Clearance Pocket

109
Flanged Clearance Pocket

110
Variable Volume Clearance Pocket

111
 Suction Valve Unloading
 In normal operation when compression stroke
begins the suction valve is full close
 If a suction valve disc is held open, the gas will
flow back through the open valve into the suction
gas jacket
 No gas will be discharged from the cylinder,
compressor is said to be unloaded

112
Manual Unloader

113
 Automatic Unloader
 Automatic unloaders
may be controlled by
suction or discharge
pressures
 Spring loaded
diaphragm may be used

114
 Control of Speed
 One way to change compressor capacity is to
change the speed of the compressor
 Reduction of compressor driver speed reduces
fuel consumption and operating costs of the
machine.
 On engine driven compressor driver speed
control is an efficient method of controlling
capacity
 Driver speed can be regulated automatically
115
Control of Speed

116
 Control of Speed
 Automatic controller regulates the engine speed
by controlling the engine’s throttle
 If the pressure in the discharge line drops the
throttle controller speed up
 A controller rate by automatically adjusting the
speed of the driver
 The controller maintains either a constant
pressure or a constant flow rate in the discharge
line of the compressor

117
 Control of Speed
 Control by varying driver speed is normally
used only when the driver is an engine
 Most electric motors are constant speed drivers
 Turbines are high speed drivers
 Most reciprocating compressors run at slow to
moderate speeds

118
 Control of Speed
 To control speed in turbine or motor driven
compressors gears and belts are used

119
Cooling Arrangements
For
Cylinders Jacketing

120
 Cylinder Jacket Cooling
 During compression cycle, cylinders generate
considerable amount of heat.
 The heat comes from the work of compression
plus the friction of the piston rings against
the cylinder wall.
 Unless some of this heat is dissipated,
undesirably high operating temperatures will
occur.

121
 Cylinder Jacket Cooling
 Advantages of Cylinder Jacket Cooling
 Reduces losses in capacity and horsepower.
 Longer valve life and reduced formation of
deposits.
 Reduce hot spots which could cause uneven
thermal expansion and undesirable deformation
of the cylinder.
 Better lubrication increases rings life and less
maintenance.

122
 Cylinder Jacket Cooling
 Demerits of too much Cylinder Jacket
Cooling
 Condensation will occur in the bore; thus,
washing the lubricant from the cylinders walls
will cause accelerated wear of the piston and
rider rings.
 Even worse, a large quantity of condensed liquid
could collect in the inlet gas passage and be
introduced into the cylinder as a slug of liquid
resulting in broken valves and may be a broken
cylinder.
123
 Cylinder Jacket Cooling
 Good Practice
 To avoid this condensation problem, cylinder
coolant temperature is kept approx. 6 oC warmer
than the inlet gas temperature.

124
 Methods of Cooling

 Noncooled

 StaticCooling
 Thermosyphon Cooling

 Full Circulation Cooling

125
 Methods of Cooling
 Noncooled
 For cylinder operating in cryogenic service
where gas temperatures are below -60 oC, no
cooling is required.
 Cylinders are designed with no cooling water
jacket.
 Cylinders are simply insulated from the ambient
air to avoid severe temperature differentials or
frost formation on the cylinder exterior.

126
 Methods of Cooling
 Static Cooling
 Used where gas discharge temperatures are below 88
o
C.
 Applied where there will be no unloaded cylinder
operation that could create abnormally high
temperatures.
 Cylinder water jacket is simply filled with cooling
medium such as water-glycol mixture.
 No attempt is made to circulate the mixture.
 A small reservoir vented to atmosphere is provided to
allow for thermal expansion.
127
 Methods of Cooling
 Thermosyphon Cooling
 Used where discharge temperatures are moderate ( 88
to 90oC)
 Applied where there will be no extended period of fully
unloaded operation that could increase operating
temperature.
 Similar to static cooling; however, there is a small
section of pipe connecting top cooling medium outlet
to the bottom of the cylinder.
 Warm water in the radiative sections cools, it will flow
to the bottom of cylinder, creating slight circulation
through the cylinder jackets.
128
129
 Methods of Cooling
 Full Circulation Cooling
 Used where gas discharge and mean temperatures are
above mentioned previous ranges.
 Applied where there will be extended period of fully
unloaded operation that could increase operating
temperature.
 The coolant temperature must be 6oC above the inlet
gas temperature.
 Flow through the cylinder is controlled by throttling
coolant outlet to ensure that cylinder is flooded.

130
 Methods of Cooling
 Thermometer and sight flow indicator are
located immediately upstream of the discharge
globe valve for adjustment coolant flow.

131
 Methods of Cooling
 Advantages :
 Higher volumetric flow rate

 Required for heat of compression and the friction of

the piston rings against the cylinder wall removal
 Power reduction

 Parts longer life.

 Reduces hot spot which could cause uneven

thermal expansion.
 Better lubrication

 Extended ring life

 Less maintenance
132
 Lubrication
Arrangements
For
Crankcase - Bearings

133
134
 Lubrication
Arrangements
For
Pistons - Cylinders

135
 Lubrication Arrangements

 Lubricated Cylinder Design

 Non-lubricated Cylinder Design

136
 Lubricated Cylinder Design
 About 80% of all process reciprocating compressor
cylinders are lubricated.
 It reduces friction between piston rings & cylinder bore.
 Reduces frictional heat and wear of both cylinder bore
and piston rings.
 It lubricates the cylinder valves, helping them to survive
the cycles they go through in a year’s operation.
 Lubricant film in the cylinder also helps in protecting
the cylinder components from the effects of corrosive
gases.

137
 Non-lubricated Cylinder Design
 About 20% of all process reciprocating compressor
cylinders are non-lubricated because of process demands.
 Some processes do not tolerate oil entrained in the gas
stream.
 Oil in gas stream could lead to catastrophic problems in
an oxygen compressor or even in high pressure air
compressor.

138
 Operation
Of
Reciprocating
Compressor

139
 Startup and Shutdown
 Operator must know the startup and shutdown
procedures of the compressor
 Operator should study and memorize the
operation and maintenance manuals before
starting a compressor
 Experienced operator can detect malfunctions

and correct them before they become serious

 Operator’s must be familiar with the start-up and
shutdown feel of the compressor.

140
 Pre-Startup
 Check that all maintenance jobs on the compressor
are completed and work permits returned.
 The compressor is unloaded before startup
 Before startup the setting of the valves should be as
follows:

141
 Pre-Startup
 Suction block valve should be open.
 Discharge block valve should be closed.
 Final Discharge Pressure Control valve
should be closed and on Auto Mode while its
block valve should be open.
 Compressor Recycle valves should be full
open and their block valves / bypass valves
are open.

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 Pre-Startup
 A compressor that is new, reconditioned or one
that has been idle for a long time should be
thoroughly checked before startup
 The gas supply to the compressor must be
Continuous, Clean and Dry
 Make sure that there is no liquid in gas suction
line
 All bearings must be lubricated with oil
 For an air compressor its suction filter must be in
place and clean
143
 Pre-Startup
 Check the crank case must be filled with oil up to
the specified level
 If pre-lubrication system is available, start lube oil
pump 5 to 10 min before startup
 Check that cooling water is in service and flowing
in each cooling system e.g. intercoolers, cylinders
jacketing, lube oil coolers
 When an oil cooler is used, make sure that all oil
and water valves are in their correct operating
positions.
144
 Pre-Startup
 Motor driven unit can be loaded immediately
 If compressor driver has separate lubrication and cooling
system, make sure that these are in normal operating
position
 When lube oil circulation is established, check the ∆P of the
filter
 If the compressor is motor driven, check the bearing oil level
of the motor.
 Check all safety controls and alarms are in service and in
good operating condition
 Any oil spills or other possible hazards must be removed or
cleared from the area
145
 Startup
 To begin loading the compressor, slowly close its
final stage recycle valve.
 Compressor discharge pressure will start
increasing slowly.
 When discharge pressure slightly increase the
downstream system pressure, take compressor
flow on venting.
 Alternate between discharge block valve and vent
valve until vent valve is fully closed and discharge
valve is fully opened
146
 Normal Operation
 After loading make sure that the compressor
valves are not leaking or overheating
 The operator observes the compressor and its
driver
 Readings of pressure, temperature and flow rate
through compressor are logged.
 If these conditions remain steady, the
compressor probably is running normal
 Any change in these readings at the same
capacity indicates a faulty operation
147
 Shutdown
 Unload the compressor before shutting down the
driver
 Unloading is reverse of loading operation
 Slowly open its vent valve and start closing its
final block valve.
 With fully closed its final block valve, take full
control on vent valve.
 Start unloading the compressor by opening its
final recycle valve if available, otherwise stop the
compressor.
148
 Trouble shooting
 If all other operating conditions remain
unchanged, even a slight increase in gas
temperature probably indicates that the suction or
discharge valve is faulty or leaking
 Compressor lube oil temperature is maintained ~
50 to 65 oC, out of the range temperature
indicates that lube oil cooler is not functioning
properly or oil pump is not circulating oil properly

149
 Trouble Shooting
 A drop in lube oil pressure may indicate a
choked filter
 If bearings were either worn or burned, this
would also produce drop in lube oil
pressure
 Replaceable filter elements should be
changed when pressure drop reaches the
specified pressure differential

150
 Trouble Shooting
 The temperature of the cylinder cooling water
jacket may change, it means faulty operation of
cooling water system
 Significant changes in compression ratio also
increase the temperature of in the cylinder and
cause an increase in temp. in the discharge gas
 Discharge valves life can be shortened by
operating at high temperatures

151
 Trouble Shooting
 Faulty operation of cylinder valves would cause a
decrease in the compression ratio
 Logging of compressor variables helps to show
long range changes or trends and helps to trouble
shoot any problem before it becomes severe

152
 Trouble Shooting
 An operator should investigate the cause of any
change in sound or noise
 A change in the sound of compressor or its driver
may also indicate mechanical breakdown or
equipment failure
 Preventive maintenance of compressor should be
done regularly, the idea is to prevent problems
related to compressor maintenance

153
Natural Gas Compressor,
K-211
Case Study

154
 Design Features K-211
 Supplier = Nuovo Pignone
 Driver = Electric Motor, 1.5 MW
 Stages = 01, horizontal Cylinders
 Capacity = 42100 NMC/Hr
 Suction / Discharge Pressure = 21 / 41 kg/cm2
 Suction / Discharge Temp = 22 / 80 oC
 Capacity Control Mechanism
 Water For Cylinders Jacketing cooling
 Lubricator For Cylinder/Piston Lubrication
 Circuits
155
CO2 Compressor, K-101A
Case Study

156
 Design Features
 Supplier = Nuovo Pignone
 Driver = Electric Motor, 1.7 MW, 6.3 KV, 370 RPM
 Stages = 04, horizontal Cylinders
 Capacity = 6300 NMC/Hr
 Suction / Discharge Pressure = 1.40 / 160 kg/cm2(a)
 Suction / Discharge Temp = 50 / 150 oC
 Capacity Control
 From 100 – 50% of rated capacity by 1 st stage recycle (HV-801)
 From 50 – 0% of rated capacity by 4 th stage recycle (HV-803)
 Tempered Water Pump For Cylinders Jacketing cooling
 Lubricator For Cylinder/Piston Lubrication
157
 Design Features
 Bearings lubrication by shaft mounted pump and
auxiliary oil pump.
 Barring Device for shaft rotation after shutdown /
before start-up

158