Explore predictive maintenance for reciprocating compressors, achieving a win-win situation of cost reduction, efficiency improvement and efficiency enhancement

Reciprocating compressors are commonly used compressors, playing a vital role and serving as indispensable equipment in various industries, including chemical, power, steel, transportation, and oil and gas sectors.

However, certain issues exist during their long-term operation. Reciprocating compressors contain flammable gases internally; malfunctions could potentially lead to explosions, jeopardizing personnel safety.

Malfunction Situations

Reciprocating compressors have numerous easily damaged internal parts. Therefore, enhanced monitoring of reciprocating compressors is crucial for improving industrial production efficiency.

Classified by the malfunctioning components causing accidents, the proportion of various malfunctions is shown in the figure. Among them, suction and exhaust valve failures have the highest probability, reaching 36%; followed by a relatively high proportion of accidents caused by stuffing boxes, connecting rods, and piston rods.

Causes of Malfunctions:

1. Abnormal Pressure: Gas valve leakage, pressure gauge malfunction, oil blockage, low suction pressure, abnormal water pressure, etc.
2. Abnormal Temperature: Gas valve leakage, cylinder scoring, stuffing box malfunction, water channel malfunction, dimensional deviation, etc.
3. Abnormal Noise: Piston failure, loose connections, valve group damage, excessive clearance
4. Abnormal Vibration: Excessive clearance, loose connections, excessive wear, pipeline airflow
5. Overheating: Cylinder overheating, bearing overheating, crosshead overheating, piston rod overheating, etc.

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Currently, the most common method for equipment monitoring is periodic manual inspection using handheld devices. However, this method has many drawbacks:

• Inaccurate measurements, significant human and environmental interference factors;
• Temperature anomalies cannot be detected promptly;
• Historical data cannot be analyzed promptly and effectively, thus posing a risk of failing to detect malfunctions in a timely manner;
• High labor intensity, requiring additional personnel;
• The temperature of some key contact points inside electrical equipment cannot be measured.

Intelligent Operation and Maintenance Monitoring

The Zhongyun Kangchong reciprocating compressor intelligent monitoring solution is data-driven. It installs intelligent sensors on the equipment to monitor the equipment status in real time, integrating comprehensive, diversified, and intelligent advantages. Through multi-in-one vibration, temperature, impact vibration, sound, displacement, speed, and dynamic pressure, it efficiently achieves all-type fault monitoring of reciprocating compressors. Combined with data analysis and machine learning algorithms, it can provide early warnings of equipment failures, enabling repairs before failures occur, reducing downtime, and improving production efficiency.

Reciprocating Compressor Crankcase Vibration Sensor Installation Diagram

1. Vibration Monitoring
   Vibration monitoring is one of the important means of predictive maintenance. It monitors the vibration of key parts of the compressor, such as the crankcase, cylinder, and gas valve. The monitoring content includes vibration intensity and vibration spectrum to determine whether the equipment is in normal operation. For example, exceeding the vibration intensity limit may indicate that the equipment has entered an abnormal operating state, and spectrum analysis should be combined to determine the specific cause.

Vibration Waveform and Frequency Vibration Analysis

1. Temperature Monitoring
   Temperature is an important parameter reflecting the operating condition of the equipment. Sensors can measure the surface temperature of parts such as the main bearing, gas valve, and cylinder to determine whether there is overheating, and then analyze the possible causes of the fault. For example, an excessively high bearing temperature may indicate poor lubrication or bearing wear.
2. Sound Monitoring
   Monitor whether there are abnormal noises in parts such as the main bearing, connecting rod, and crosshead slide. Abnormal sounds may indicate internal faults in the equipment, such as bearing wear or loose connecting rods.

Data analysis is performed through the management platform. The fault diagnosis expert system automatically diagnoses the fault type based on the data selected at the time of the fault alarm. The automatically diagnosed fault types include piston rod breakage, cylinder collision, valve plate breakage, piston assembly wear, and gas valve leakage. It automatically statistically analyzes the alarm information of different units to generate reports; and completes the fault report writing in the analysis and diagnosis system.

Through real-time monitoring and data analysis, potential faults can be predicted in advance, reducing unplanned downtime, significantly improving the stability and reliability of equipment operation, ensuring production continuity, and reducing losses caused by downtime. At the same time, predictive maintenance reduces the number of unnecessary regular maintenance, achieving on-demand maintenance, and greatly reducing maintenance costs. In addition, it can also help extend the service life of equipment, optimize resource allocation, and improve the overall operational efficiency of the enterprise.

Predictive maintenance, with its forward-looking and precise nature, brings significant efficient, economical, and reliable advantages to the intelligent operation and maintenance of reciprocating compressor equipment!