LLk nIGn LkICkMANCL LAS1ICS MA1LkIAL

IN kLCIkCCA1ING CCMkLSSCk
LLk nIGn LkICkMANCL LAS1ICS MA1LkIAL
IN kLCIkCCA1ING CCMkLSSCk
kec|procat|ng compressors p|ay a ma[or ro|e |n the chem|ca| petrochem|ca| gas
and genera| |ndustry processes 1herefore Lhe focus by many users over Lhe pasL
several years has been lncreased producLlon proflLs reallzed Lhrough lncreased
avallablllLy and decreased malnLenance and losL producLlon areas LhaL affecL
compressor rellablllLy Lhe mosL 1hls flgure ls a resulL of surveys Laken aL many
dlfferenL cusLomers Lo ldenLlfy and evaluaLe Lhe facLors LhaL conLrlbuLe Lo
unscheduled shuLdown of reclprocaLlng compressors
Data Surveys Iactors Contr|bute to Unschedu|ed Shutdown of kec|procat|ng Compressors
as |||ustrated causes of unschedu|ed
compressors shutdowns
compressor va|ves
packlng
plsLon rlngs
rlder bands
and cyllnder unloaders were ldenLlfled
Lo be Lwo of Lhe Lop slx causes of
unscheduled reclprocaLlng compressor
shuLdowns
Sources S loreman (uresser8and uSA)
1here are other factors that affect the performance of compressor
va|ves
1here musL be a sufflclenL number of valves lnsLalled ln a compressor
cyllnder Lo effecLlvely allow gas flow lnLo and ouL of Lhe cyllnder efflclenLly
valve maLerlals musL be properly selecLed Lo be compaLlble wlLh Lhe
consLlLuenLs ln Lhe gas sLream 1hls ls especlally lmporLanL when corroslves
are presenL
valves ln lubrlcaLed cyllnders are sub[ecL Lo sLlckLlon an adheslon of Lhe
valve elemenLs Lo Lhe seaL and guard whlch mlghL delay Lhe openlng or
closlng of Lhe elemenL whlch can be deLrlmenLal Lo performance and valve
rellablllLy
ulrL and debrls can prevenL Lhe valve from properly funcLlonlng
ulsaLlons ln Lhe lnleL and dlscharge gas plplng can alLer Lhe Llmlng of Lhe
valve moLlon and decrease efflclency and rellablllLy
1ypes of Compressor Va|ves
C1 VALVLS C1 VALVLS CD]nDS VALVLS CL VALVLS Ck VALVLS CM VALVLS
CCNCLN1kIC VALVLS CL1 VALVLS C VALVLS kC]CkL VALVLS k 1L VALVLS kk1L VALVLS
SCUkCLS nCLk8IGLkCCM
Common Causes of Va|ve Ia||ures
n|gh |mpact ve|oc|ty on the guard
uurlng each compresslon cycle Lhe movlng elemenLs lmpacL agalnsL Lhe guard
1esLs have shown LhaL as Lhe lmpacL veloclLy lncreases Lhe number of cycles Lo
fallure wlll decrease Lxperlence has shown LhaL Lhe allowable lmpacL veloclLy for
non meLalllc elemenLs ls generally Lwlce Lhe allowable lmpacL veloclLy of non
meLalllc elemenLs
1he lmpacL veloclLy ls deLermlned by Lhe appllcaLlon Plgh compressor speeds hlgh
operaLlng pressures and hlgher llfLs Lend Lo cause hlgher lmpacLs
n|gh |mpact ve|oc|ty on the seat
Llke lmpacLs on Lhe guard Lhe movlng elemenL also lmpacLs on Lhe seaL durlng
each compresslon cycle Agaln Lhe crlLlcal veloclLy ls deLermlned by Lhe maLerlal
and plasLlc elemenLs can wlLhsLand nearly double Lhe lmpacL of meLalllc
elemenLs
SLlckLlon ls anoLher facLor LhaL can conLrlbuLe Lo laLe valve elemenL closlng
SLlckLlon occurs when a Lhln fllm of oll causes Lhe movlng elemenL Lo sLlck Lo Lhe
seaL or guard lf seaL sLlckLlon ls excesslve Lhe pressure force openlng Lhe movlng
elemenLs wlll bulld and wlll cause excesslve lmpacL veloclLles agalnsL Lhe guard
when Lhe valve opens SeaL lmpacL fallures are characLerlzed by chlpplng on Lhe
ouLsldes edge of plasLlc elemenLs and cracks LhaL begln on Lhe ouLslde edge of
meLal elemenLs
Jear
A cerLaln amounL of wear ln a compressor valve ls
unavoldable because Lhe valve has movlng parLs LhaL
lmpacL and sllde agalnsL one anoLher Wear raLes ln a
non lubrlcaLed servlce should be expecLed Lo be
hlgher Lhan ln a lubrlcaLed machlne 1here are several
places where wear can occur
eLween Lhe seaL and Lhe movlng elemenL lf meLal
elemenLs are used Lhe wear raLes of Lhese parLs wlll
lncrease
eLween Lhe movlng elemenL and Lhe sprlng
eLween Lhe boLLom of Lhe sprlng and Lhe boLLom of
Lhe sprlng pockeL
eLween Lhe slde of Lhe sprlng and Lhe slde of Lhe
sprlng pockeL
Corros|on
ompressor valves are frequenLly sub[ecLed Lo gases
wlLh corroslve elemenLs presenL 1hese corroslve
elemenLs can cause Lhe movlng elemenL or Lhe sprlng
Lo fall premaLurely due Lo corroslon relaLed faLlgue lf
Lhe gas composlLlon ls known ln Lhe deslgn sLages
Lhen proper maLerlals can be selecLed Lo llmlL Lhe
effecL
va|ve p|ate process contam|nated
hydrocarbon gasses
Va|ve mater|a|s
SeaLs and guards are generally made from Lhe same maLerlal 1he selecLlon of Lhls
maLerlal ls lmporLanL because Lhe seaLs and ouLer rlm of Lhe sucLlon valve guard are
sub[ecLed Lo sLresses 1hese sLresses vary wlLh Lhe cyllnder pressure LhroughouL Lhe
compresslon cycle
1he seaL ls prlmarlly suscepLlble Lo wear from Lhe movlng elemenLs conLacLlng Lhe
seallng surface 1he guard ls suscepLlble Lo wear from Lhe sprlngs cycllng ln Lhe sprlng
pockeLs 1he maLerlal selecLed musL be hard enough Lo combaL Lhls wear
Mov|ng L|ement Mater|a|s
1he movlng elemenLs are sub[ecL Lo corroslves and hlgh sLress levels buL are also
sub[ecL Lo hlgh lmpacLs agalnsL Lhe guard when Lhey open and agalnsL Lhe seaL when
Lhey close 1herefore maLerlal selecLlon ls very lmporLanL Lo Lhe success of Lhe valve
1hls ls where Lhe mosL slgnlflcanL lmprovemenLs affecLlng valve rellablllLy have been
made over Lhe lasL decade
Larly valve deslgns used meLalllc plaLes whlch are lnexpenslve able Lo wlLhsLand hlgh
dlfferenLlal pressures and are noL affecLed by hlgh LemperaLures Powever Lhese
deslrable properLles are ouLwelghed by Lhe dlsadvanLages of meLalllc elemenLs 1hey
are prone Lo lmpacL faLlgue suscepLlble Lo corroslon damage and very unforglvlng of
dlrL and debrls
1he mov|ng e|ement maybe a r|ng a p|ate a poppet or a channe| ln any case
Lhe prlmary fallure modes are lmpacL faLlgue caused by Lhe repeaLed lmpacL on Lhe
guard and seaL faLlgue caused by varylng dlfferenLlal pressure reslsLed by Lhe elemenL
and corroslon Slmple wear ls ussually noL a problem 1oday rlng plaLe and poppeLs are
made of englneerlng plasLlcs lf Lhe dlfferenLlal pressure ls less Lhan abouL 2000 psl lf Lop
quallLy olyeLhereLherkeLone (LLk) base maLerlal are used and lf Lhe valves are
deslgned and applled correcLly llfe of Lhese parL should meeL Lhe Lhree year
requlremenL
1yp|ca| app||cat|on cond|t|ons
oor gas quallLy ofLen resulL ln reduced valve rellablllLy ulrL and debrls ln Lhe gas
wlll cause acceleraLed wear and cause poor seallng beLween Lhe movlng elemenL
and Lhe seaL ln Lhe exLreme condlLlon Lhe flow holes ln Lhe seaL and guard can
become blocked and choke off Lhe flow of gas Lhrough Lhe valve
rocess oppet Va|ves
1he poppeL maLerlal parL are made from Lhe hlghesL quallLy vlrgln LLk wlLh no
regrlnd allowed 1he poppeL also provldes all of Lhe advanLages of a plasLlc
movlng elemenL lncludlng excellenL reslsLance Lo corroslves Lhe ablllLy Lo
wlLhsLand hlgher lmpacL veloclLles and lncreased reslsLance Lo dlrL and llqulds
|ast|c mater|a| offer severa| advantages over meta|||c e|ements
W 1hey are able Lo wlLhsLand hlgher lmpacL veloclLles Lhan meLal plaLes 1hls allows
Lhem Lo be applled aL hlgher llfLs and speeds and makes Lhem more LoleranL of
llqulds LhaL are ofLen presenL ln Lhe gas
W 1hey are reslsLanL Lo mosL corroslve elemenLs commonly found ln process gas
sLreams
W As a plasLlc elemenL cycles ln Lhe valve lL wlll form Lo Lhe conLours of Lhe seaL and
provlde a beLLer seal
W lasLlcs can be easlly applled ln non lubrlcaLe machlnes because Lhey can operaLe
agalnsL meLalllc parLs wlLhouL causlng excesslve wear
W lasLlc elemenLs help reduce wear on Lhe seaL so seaLs do noL have Lo be
recondlLloned or replaced as frequenLly
W Small pleces of dlrL or meLal can embed ln a plasLlc elemenL wlLhouL causlng a fallure
W A plasLlc elemenL LhaL breaks and falls lnLo Lhe cyllnder ls less llkely Lo do damage Lo
oLher componenLs such as Lhe cyllnder llner plsLon rlngs and rlder bands
LLk offers severa| advantages VS meta| va|ve p|ates
LLk (oly LLher LLher keLone) ls an englneered non meLalllc maLerlal wlLh
superlor sLrengLh Loughness and hlgh LemperaLure capablllLy Whlle meLal valve
plaLes wlll conLlnue Lo be avallable LLk offers some decldedly superlor feaLures
ln mosL appllcaLlons
Se|f Lubr|cat|ng
1he LLk valve plaLe vlrLually ellmlnaLes meLal Lo meLal wear 1hls and Lhe self
lubrlcaLlng quallLy of LLk help exLend valve llfe
L|ghter Je|ght
A LLk valve plaLe doesn'L lmpacL Lhe valve's seaL and bumper nearly as hard as a
heavler welghL meLal plaLe SeaL bumper and sprlng llfe are all exLended
Se|f Sea||ng
AlmosL all gas sLreams conLaln small solld parLlcles LhaL can become lodged
beLween Lhe valve plaLe and seaL MeLal valve plaLes wlll loose Lhelr seallng ablllLy
under Lhese condlLlons resulLlng ln a loss of compresslon efflclency and exLra
LemperaLure bulld up LLk wlll malnLaln lLs seal and provlde maxlmum
compressor performance under less Lhan ldeal condlLlons
Less Destruct|ve
MeLal blLs and pleces from a broken valve LhaL fall lnLo Lhe cyllnder can wreck havoc
wlLh a compressor requlrlng very expenslve repalrs LLk valve plaLes are much less
llkely Lo break buL lf Lhey do Lhe resulLanL damage wlll also be much less
Less Lxpens|ve Va|ve kepa|r
1yplcally repalrlng a worn valve lnvolves remachlnlng Lhe seaL and replaclng Lhe plaLe
and sprlng 8epalrlng a valve wlLh LLk plaLes wlll normally requlre only Lhe
replacemenL of Lhe plaLe and sprlngs
Corros|on kes|stant
LLk ls reslsLanL Lo almosL all gasses a varleLy of meLal plaLe maLerlals would be
needed Lo maLch Lhe corroslon reslsLanL range provlded by LLk
Shatter kes|stant
lorelgn maLerlal ln Lhe valve or hlgh lmpacL forces can cause a brlLLle meLal plaLe Lo
shaLLer or break LLk has enough 'forglveness" Lo vlrLually ellmlnaLe Lhls problem
1nANk CU
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