TRAINING MANUAL- PIPING DOC No.

: 29040-PI-UPS-1008

Rev. : R0
PIPING STUDY
Uhde India Limited COMPRESSOR HOUSE PIPING Page : 1

CONTENTS

Page

0.0 Cover Sheet 1

List of illustrations 2

1.0 General 3

2.0 Reciprocating Compressors 3

3.0 Centrifugal Compressors 4

4.0 Auxiliary Equipment 4-5

5.0 Piping Arrangement 5

6.0 Reference Code 5-6

Applicable Revision:
Prepared: Checked: Approved:

Date: Date: Date:

First Edition: R0
Prepared: AKB Checked: TNG Approved: RUD

Date: Date: Date:

File Name: Server: PUNE: KUMUS 207 VKO: KUMUS 209
 TRAINING MANUAL- PIPING DOC No. : 29040-PI-UPS-1008

Rev. : R0
PIPING STUDY
Uhde India Limited COMPRESSOR HOUSE PIPING Page : 2

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

SR.NO. DWG.NO. DESCRIPTION

1 CHP1 RECIPROCATING COMPRESSOR - PIPING STUDY (PLAN)

2 CHP2 RECIPROCATING COMPRESSOR - PIPING STUDY

(ELEVATION)
3 CHP3 LUBE OIL CONSOLE PIPING AND INSTRUMENTATION
DIAGRAM
4 CHP4 SEAL OIL CONSOLE PIPING AND INSTRUMENTATION
DIAGRAM
5 CHP5 COMPRESSOR SUCTION DRUM / KNOCKOUT POT

6 CHP6 PULSATION DAMPENERS / VOLUME BOTTLES

 TRAINING MANUAL- PIPING DOC No. : 29040-PI-UPS-1008

Rev. : R0
PIPING STUDY
Uhde India Limited COMPRESSOR HOUSE PIPING Page : 3

1.0 GENERAL
Compressors are normally located inside a permanent shelter or building (Compressor House) for
weather protection. The compressor house can be fully covered by side cladding to grade level if
handling non-hazardous materials e.g. air.
1.1 For compressor, handling flammable materials, ventilation and weather protection is assured by
significant openings upto 2.5m ht. at grade level together with roof ventilators.
1.2 Except for lighter than air gases, trenches, pits and similar gas traps should be avoided within gas
Compressor House. This will eliminate chances of suffocation or explosion risk due to
accumulation of heavy gases in pits.
1.3 For open compressor house, the side cladding on all sides should be provided upto 1m below
crane level.
1.4 The general arrangement of compressor house shall consider the vendor drawings and vendor
recommendation, if any, for space and location of auxiliary units.
1.5 For compressor house where a number of installations from multiple vendors are to be
accomodated, a thorough discussion should be held among the engineers of Piping, Process and
Civil discipline to finalise the detail plot plan of the unit.
1.6 The clear space between compressors shall be minimum 1.5m or half width of the compressors.
The clearance between rows of compressor and at the end of each compressor shall be also
1.5m.
1.7 Built-in maintenance equipment viz. travelling gantry with overhead crane / monorail with hoist and
chain-pulley blocks as well as the drop-out areas shall be provided in the compressor house.
1.8 The clearance above the compressor should be at least 3m more than the longest internal part to
be removed.
1.9 The substantial space required for lube oil and seal oil consoles shall be taken into consideration
to prepare unit plot plan.

2.0 RECIPROCATING COMPRESSORS

2.1 Reciprocating compressor generates considerable vibrations due to unbalanced forces, pulsation
etc. For this reason, the reciprocating compressors should be located as close as possible to the
grade level.
2.2 The building foundation and the compressor foundation should be separate to avoid transmission
of vibrations from compressor to the building structure.
2.3 The pulsation dampeners are used to eliminate pulsation in suction and discharge piping and to
separate the source of vibration from the piping system.
2.4 The piping arrangement around the reciprocating compressor should be planned at grade level for
ease of supporting with minimum changes in direction (Refer Fig.CHP1, CHP2)
2.5 The grade supports should be spaced unevenly to reduce harmonic motion in the piping.
2.6 The piping routed simply with short run is less prone to vibration, but at the same time the line
should be checked for the flexibility and the compressor nozzle loadings within the allowable limits
furnished by the vendor.
2.7 The piping shall remain clear of the cylinders and the withdrawal space at cylinder heads.
 TRAINING MANUAL- PIPING DOC No. : 29040-PI-UPS-1008

Rev. : R0
PIPING STUDY
Uhde India Limited COMPRESSOR HOUSE PIPING Page : 4

3.0 CENTRIFUGAL COMPRESSORS

3.1 The general considerations for centrifugal compressor layout is same as the reciprocating
compressor, exception being that for centrifugal compressor, the pipeline size is larger,
temperatures can often be higher and nozzle loadings on compressor casing is lower.
3.2 The knockout pots, interstage exchangers can be located at grade outside the compressor house
with auxiliary equipment consisting of lubricating, seal and control oil systems be placed adjacent
to the machine.
3.3 The centrifugal compressor inside a building normally have foundations separate from the building
foundation.
3.4 The centrifugal compressor with drive are generally mounted on the concrete table supported on
RCC column.
3.5 The maintenance facilities like overhead crane or monorail at the centre of the compressor bay
and the drop-out area at one of the building or shed is the usual practice.
3.6 If the building is having installation of several compressors, the height of the travelling crane is to
be carefully estimated so the machine components and rotors can be lifted over the adjacent
equipment.
3.7 The compressor suction lines must be free of any foreign particles that could damage the internals
of the machine. Strainers are installed in the inlet line between the isolation valve and the
compressor inlet nozzle.
3.8 ASME PTC code recommends a minimum 3 times diameter of straight run piping between elbow
and the inlet nozzle.
3.9 The designer shall ensure that all connections shown on the vendor piping and instrumentation
diagrams are properly taken care in the piping layout. All valves shall be arranged in such a way
that they are accessible from the operating floor around the machine.

4.0 AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT

4.1 Centrifugal and reciprocating compressors and their drives require a variety of auxiliary equipment
to support their operation. The equipment for these compressors are discussed below.
4.2 Lube Oil Consoles :
Compressor bearings receive lubricating oil from the lube oil console (Refer Fig.CHP3). These
consoles may be either stand alone or be mounted directly onto the compressor frame. The
console consists of lube oil reservoir, oil filters, oil coolers and lube oil pumps.
4.3 Seal Oil Consoles :
The hydraulic seals located at the outer ends of the compressor shaft receive oil from the seal oil
console (Refer Fig.CHP4). The seal oil console consists of seal oil reservior, oil filters and main
seal oil pumps.
4.4 Inlet Filters :
The inlet filters for air compressors are installed outside the building /shed at a level suitable for
clean air suction without any obstruction in the air flow. The vendor drawing of the filter shall be
reviewed for correct inlet/outlet ducting and the supporting arrangement.
4.5 Suction drum / knockout pot :
As compressors require dry gas free of foreign particles, it is necessary to pass inlet gas through
the suction drum or knockout pot. This vessel removes moisture and particles from the gas by
passing it through a demister screen located just below the outlet nozzle. A typical knockout pot is
illustrated in Fig.CHP5.
 TRAINING MANUAL- PIPING DOC No. : 29040-PI-UPS-1008

Rev. : R0
PIPING STUDY
Uhde India Limited COMPRESSOR HOUSE PIPING Page : 5

4.6 Pulsation dampener / volume bottles :

The negative effects of vibration on the life of reciprocating compressors and associated piping
can be minimized by the use of pulsation dampeners (Refer Fig.CHP6). The pulsation dampeners
are sized by the compressor vendor and are mounted directly on the cylinder nozzles.
Volume bottles are used to reduce vibration. They are located downstream of the discharge
pulsation dampener and are similar to snubbers without internal baffles or choke tubes.

5.0 PIPING ARRANGEMENT

5.1 The compressor house piping consist of suction / discharge piping, auxiliary equipment piping and
utility system piping. The main suction line with its components shall be as short and direct as
possible. The discharge line with its main components shall be routed clearing the compressor
and its driver and supported independent of compressor foundation or building column foundation.
This will minimise the transmission of damaging vibrations to the building structure / frame.
5.2 The vendor furnishes that P&ID for the compressor with its auxiliary equipment. These drawings
should be reviewed fully for the provisions of vents and drains requirement of the installation.
5.3 For reciprocating compressors, API 618 provides the acceptance criteria for nozzle loads.
For centrifugal compressors, API 617 provides the acceptance criteria for nozzle loads.
5.4 Reciprocating compressor piping arrangement should be finalised after analog study which
identifies potentially damaging accoustic or pulsation problems during design phase itself.

6.0 REFERENCE CODE

API 617 Centrifugal Compressors for Petroleum, Chemical and Gas Industry Service.
API 618 Reciprocating Compressors for Petroleum, Chemical and Gas Industry Services.
PTC9 ASME Performance Test COde
6.1 Key words :
- Fluid for compression - Air, Ammonia, Process gas etc.
- Type of compressor
- Type of suction
- Type of discharge
- Short suction line
- Lube oil console
- Seal oil console
- Suction filter
- Type of drive
- Discharge bottle / snubber
- Anti vibration measures
- Shelter requirement
- Maintenance space
- Operation space
- Handling Facilities
- Acoustic hood
 TRAINING MANUAL- PIPING DOC No. : 29040-PI-UPS-1008

Rev. : R0
PIPING STUDY
Uhde India Limited COMPRESSOR HOUSE PIPING Page : 6

- Utilities requirement
- Control panel
- Vendor's specific requirements
- Thermal load on nozzles / flexibility analysis
- Independent supports
- Straight length requirement at suction
- Relief valves on discharge
- Orientation of compressor w.r.t. overall and unit Plot Plan and other facilities viz.piperack,
underground facilities, drainage, road access etc.
- Layout concept from the vendor offer stage.
 TRAINING MANUAL - PIPING DOC NO. : 29040-PI-UPS-1008

Rev. : RO
PIPING STUDY
Uhde India Limited COMPRESSOR HOUSE PIPING Page : 1 OF 1
DWG. NO. : CHP1

RECIPROCATING COMPRESSORS - PIPING STUDY (PLAN)

SUCTION HEADER
SUCTION HEADER
C K.O.DRUM
L

2ND STAGE

CL COMPRESSOR

DRIVER
1ST STAGE

PULSATION
DAMPENERS

1/2 WIDTH OF
COMPRESSOR OR
MIN. 1500MM
(2ND STAGE)

(2ND STAGE)

INTER COOLERS &

AFTER COOLERS
2ND STAGE
(1ST STAGE)

(1ST STAGE)

C COMPRESSOR
L

DRIVER
1ST STAGE
CYLINDER
SUPPORT

VALVE ACCESS CONCRETE SLEEPERS

FOR SUPPLY & RETURN
AND SUCTION HEADERS
DROPOUT AREA

ACCESS
 TRAINING MANUAL - PIPING DOC NO. : 29040-PI-UPS-1008

Rev. : RO
PIPING STUDY
Uhde India Limited COMPRESSOR HOUSE PIPING Page : 1 OF 1
DWG. NO. : CHP2

RECIPROCATING COMPRESSORS - PIPING STUDY (ELEVATION)

VENT TO ATMOSPHERE
AT SAFE LOCATION

GUIDE
RUNWAY BEAM

HOIST K.O.DRUM

ADEQUATE
CLEARANCE
MIN. 3M
MIN. 1.5M C SUCTION (ALTERNATE)
L
DAMPENER
2400 MIN.

C DRIVER INDEPENDENT
L SUPPORT

PREFERED

GRADE

COMPRESSOR ALTERNATIVE PREFERED SLEEPERS

FOUNDATION LAYOUT LAYOUT
UTILITIES DISCHARGE
PULSATION
DAMPENER
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Rev. : RO
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Uhde India Limited COMPRESSOR HOUSE PIPING Page : 1 OF 1
DWG. NO. : CHP3

LUBE OIL CONSOLE PIPING AND INSTRUMENTATION DIAGRAM

COMPRESSOR/TURBINE

PI

COMPRESSOR TURBINE
BEARING
(TYP.)

TI
(TYP.)

SLOPING
(FREE DRAINING)
STAINLESS
STEEL LINE

TI

FILTER
TI
LUBE OIL
COOLER

LUBE OIL
RESERVOIR
AUXILIARY
COOLING PUMP
WATER
MAIN
PUMP

LUBE OIL CONSOLE

HEATING MEDIUM
TO COIL
(IF REQUIRED)
 TRAINING MANUAL - PIPING DOC NO. : 29040-PI-UPS-1008

Rev. : RO
PIPING STUDY
Uhde India Limited COMPRESSOR HOUSE PIPING Page : 1 OF 1
DWG. NO. : CHP4

SEAL OIL CONSOLE PIPING AND INSTRUMENTATION DIAGRAM

SEAL OIL
TANK

COMPRESSOR

VENDOR
CONTRACTOR

CONTINUOUS COOLER
DRAINERS

FILTER

OIL
RESERVOIR

PUMPS
SEAL OIL CONSOLE VENDOR
CONTRACTOR
 TRAINING MANUAL - PIPING DOC NO. : 29040-PI-UPS-1008

Rev. : R0
PIPING STUDY
Uhde India Limited COMPRESSOR HOUSE PIPING Page : 1 OF 1
DWG. NO. : CHP5

COMPRESSOR SUCTION DRUM / KNOCKOUT POT

GAS OUTLET

DEMISTER SCREEN

BAFFLE

WET GAS INLET

MANTENACE ACCESS

LIQUID OUTLET

GRADE
 TRAINING MANUAL - PIPING DOC NO. : 29040-PI-UPS-1008

Rev. : R0
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Uhde India Limited COMPRESSOR HOUSE PIPING Page : 1 OF 1
DWG. NO. : CHP6

PULSATION DAMPENERS / VOLUME BOTTLES

INLET PULSATION DAMPNER

ALTERNATE
NOZZLE LOCATIONS
TEMPORARY START-UP
STRAINER

CL SNUBBER

CL COMPRESSOR

VOLUME BOTTLE

OUTLET PULSATION DAMPNER

PULSATION DAMPNER

ADJUSTABLE SUPPORT

TYPICAL DAMPNER SUPPORT