HIGH PRESSURE OIL-INJECTED SCREW GAS COMPRESSORS

(API 619 DESIGN) FOR HEAVY DUTY PROCESS GAS APPLICATIONS

by
Takao Ohama
General Manager
Kobe Steel Ltd.
Hyogo, Japan
Takao Koga
Sales Manager
Kobelco Compressors
Houston, Texas
and
Yoshinori Kurioka
Engineering Manager
Kobelco Compressors
Corona, California

ABSTRACT
Takao Ohama is currently a General Manager of the Screw
Oil-free screw compressors have been used for process gas
Compressor Engineering Group with Kobe Steel Ltd., in Hyogo,
application since the 1970s. Oil-flooded screw compressors have
Japan. He is in charge of both oil-free and oil-flooded screw com-
been used in many process related applications since the 1980s.
pressor engineering for process gas and industrial refrigeration.
Inclusion of oil-flooded screw compressors into API Standards
Previously in his 22 year career, Mr. Ohama was an engineer for oil-
(API 619, 1997) and with its expanding role into process compres-
flooded gas screw compressors and managed a screw compressor
sion applications, makes it necessary to present the authors’
engineering group. He, along with his staff, developed the high-
experiences and share their acquired know-how.
pressure screw compressor “EH series” in 1997, which was the first
Higher reliability, lower maintenance costs, no pulsation, no
in the world applied to 60 barg as a series. Mr. Ohama also partici-
extensive foundations, lower operational costs, lower initial costs,
pated in the Task Force for the preparation of API 619 Third Edition.
and many environmentally friendly qualities are some of the basic
Mr. Ohama graduated with a B.S. degree (Mechanical
attributes of an oil-flooded rotary screw compressor. Those attrib-
Engineering, 1979) and an M.S. degree (Mechanical Engineering,
utes are resulting in a significant demand for such machines,
1981) from the Saga University, Japan.
primarily as an alternative to reciprocating compressors.

INTRODUCTION
Takao Koga is currently a Sales Manager at Kobelco Compressor,
a division of KOBELCO Stewart Bolling, Inc., a subsidiary The purpose of this paper is to present the experiences gained in
company of Kobe Steel, Ltd. He is stationed in a branch office in using oil-flooded rotary screw compressors in process applications
Houston, Texas, and is involved in sales and marketing activities for at pressures up to 900 psig. Emphasis is on the growing market as
Kobelco Gas Compressors, especially for screw gas compressors. a replacement for reciprocating compressors and the inclusion of
Mr. Koga’s previous assignment in his 16 year career with Kobe such machines in the latest edition of API 619 (1997).
Steel involved planning and administering the Machinery Division. The overall outlook of compressor types and their applicable
Mr. Koga graduated with a B.S. degree (Political Science, 1988) ranges have gone through a revolutionary change in recent years
from the Waseda University, Japan. with screw compressors staying continually at the cutting-edge.

HISTORY
Yoshinori Kurioka is currently an Engineering Manager at In the late 1950s, a Swedish company developed the oil flooding
Kobelco Compressor, a division of KOBELCO Stewart Bolling, technique in a screw compressor and perfected the rotor profile to
Inc., a subsidiary company of Kobe Steel, Ltd. He is stationed in a achieve high efficiency. They then licensed compressor manufac-
branch office in Corona, California, and is involved in proposals turers in the USA, Europe, and Japan to manufacture these
and engineering execution for both oil-free and oil-flooded screw compressors and collect royalties. Since the oil-flooded screw
compressors. Previously in his 13 year career with Kobe Steel, Mr. compressors have characteristics of both rotary (centrifugal) com-
Kurioka was an engineer for oil-free screw compressor bare shafts pressors and positive displacement (reciprocating) compressors,
of the API 619 type, R&D engineer for oil-free screw compressors such machines found rapid acceptance in the petrochemical and
for the air packaged type, and application engineer for both oil- gas processing industries.
flooded and oil-free screw compressors. Mr. Kurioka recently In 1975, API 619 was introduced to specify a screw compressor.
served on the Task Force for the revision of API 619 Third Edition. This first edition of API 619 looked only at oil-free screw com-
Mr. Kurioka graduated with a B.S. degree (Mechanical pressors. During this period, oil-free screw compressors were
Engineering, 1989) and an M.S. degree (Mechanical Engineering, applied in many unique applications such as butadiene, styrene
1991) from the Tohoku University, Japan. monomer recycle gas, linear alkyl benzene, soda ash, etc. Most of
the applications are sensitive to dust and liquid and are likely to
49
50 PROCEEDINGS OF THE THIRTY-THIRD TURBOMACHINERY SYMPOSIUM • 2004

form polymers if in contact with oil. In many cases, water injection compressor is in the proper range by nature. In other words, the
was used to control the compression process. rotating speed of the rotors is the same as electric motors, so the
In the 1980s, oil-flooded screw compressors started appearing in rotors are considered as a rigid shaft, i.e., there is no critical speed
process gas applications. A slide valve in oil-flooded screw com- issue on the oil-flooded screw compressors.
pressors offered a stepless turndown to 15 percent and, as a result, There are journal bearings inside the rotor chamber, and sleeve
part load performance improved greatly. Around the same time, types are typically used (especially for high pressure applications).
cogeneration started to take off with gas turbine boosters becoming Thrust bearings are located on the outer side of the journal
necessary in more and more applications. The oil-flooded screw bearings, and tilting pad types are typically used. Since oil is
compressors are very suitable for these applications, since the injected into the rotor chamber, there is no seal between the bearing
requirement of the fuel gas booster fits very well with characteris- and rotor; however, one mechanical seal is located at the shaft end.
tics of oil-flooded screw compressors, i.e.,: Oil injected directly into the rotor chamber, bearings, and
mechanical seal acts as a lubricant, sealant, and coolant in the
• Suction pressure fluctuations screw compressor. The oil is then discharged with the gas through
• Gas turbine load fluctuation, i.e., flow rate fluctuation the compressor discharge. The discharged oil and gas are separated
in the bulk oil separator located downstream of the compressor
• Unstable gas composition (typically natural gas) discharge.
Also, this fuel gas booster application requires economical Oil contained in the bulk oil separator is circulated in the com-
operation, and the oil-flooded screw compressor with a slide valve pressor lube system.
as an unloader can provide significant power savings. A slide valve as unloader is located in the compressor just
In the early 1980s, oil-flooded screw compressors were finding beneath the twin rotors and is used to adjust the inlet volume. The
their way into light gases such as helium and hydrogen. Lower inlet volume of the compressed gas can be adjusted by moving the
influence of changing molecular weight made such compressors slide valve, which is actuated by a hydraulic cylinder. A schematic
particularly suitable for hydrogen pressure swing adsorption (PSA) diagram for an oil-flooded screw compressor is shown in Figure 2.
compressors. On helium and hydrogen feed compressors, stringent
oil carryover requirements made it necessary to introduce activated
charcoal absorbers in the oil management system. Carbon dioxide
compressors for the beverage industry switched to oil-flooded
screw compressors with an oil removal system down to 10 parts per
billion (ppb) by weight.
In the 1990s, oil-flooded screw compressors became larger and
larger with several applications not only involving multiple com-
pressors on common lube oil systems, but the compressor flame
size became larger. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, high pressure
compressors started to find their way into fuel gas boosters and
petrochemical applications. Currently, machines up to 900 psig
with the next generation up to 1400 psig are in production.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF
OIL-FLOODED SCREW COMPRESSORS
A cutaway drawing of a typical oil-flooded screw compressor is
shown in Figure 1. There are two rotors inside the casing of an oil-
flooded screw compressor. One rotor is referred to as male, and the
other rotor is the female.

Figure 2. Typical Schematic Diagram for Oil-Flooded Screw

Compressors.

Compressor lubricant oil is present in the process side (as seen in

Figure 2), so the lube oil selection is very different from other types
of machines. The bulk of the oil is separated in the bulk oil
separator, but a secondary coalescing oil separator may be used as
an additional separator. Separated oil is then circulated in the lube
oil system of the compressor. The lube oil system consists of com-
pressor lube lines, oil cooler, oil filters, and oil pump. The oil pump
may be double or single configuration. The design of a single pump
system is used for oil-flooded screw compressors when the pump is
Figure 1. Typical Cutaway of Oil-Flooded Screw Compressor. required only during startup. After the compressor starts, and dis-
charge pressure is established, oil can circulate in the system by gas
The male rotor drives the female rotor by contacting each rotor differential pressure from the discharge side to the suction side.
surface via an oil film. The male rotor is driven by a directly Oil-flooded screw compressors have many advantages. Below is
coupled two-pole or four-pole electric motor. A gear unit is a list of some of the main advantages of the oil-flooded screw com-
typically not used since the tip speed of the oil-flooded screw pressor.
 HIGH PRESSURE OIL-INJECTED SCREW GAS COMPRESSORS 51
(API 619 DESIGN) FOR HEAVY DUTY PROCESS GAS APPLICATIONS

• High reliability and long maintenance interval—Maintenance • Hydrogen service for a gasoline and diesel desulfurization
interval is typically three to four years. A spare compressor is not process.
required for critical service.
• Carbon dioxide refrigeration service.
• Low maintenance cost—Due to the lube oil system, the rotors • Gas lift.
and many other parts of the compressor have an oil film on their
surface. The life of the rotors is so long that a spare set is not SPECIFIC EXAMPLE OF COMPRESSORS
required. The mechanical seal is typically one per casing, so main-
tenance and replacement cost for the seal is low. The following examples show typical oil-flooded screw com-
pressors that are currently used for the gas industries. The purpose
• Power consumption savings by a built-in slide valve—The slide of showing these examples is to illustrate modern package designs
valve or unloader adjusts the inlet volume of the compressor, and that are used in the gas industries. All examples have been
this equals power savings. By moving the slide valve to the operating successfully for years after installation.
unloaded position the compressed volume of gas by the rotors is
reduced, and this reduces the compressor break horsepower. Example 1—
Operational cost is lower with the slide valve in an oil-flooded Fuel Gas Booster for High Efficiency Gas Turbine
screw compressor.
Example 1 (Figure 3) is a motor-driven fuel gas booster, three
• Single shaft mechanical seal—The compressor body can be con- sets by single-stage, each unit compressing the natural gas 11.0
sidered as one pressure containing part, so typically only one seal mmscfd (12,277 Nm3/h), from 170 psig (12.1 bar) to 715 psig
is equipped with one compressor body. As a result, maintenance (49.3 bar). The power consumption for each unit is 1136 bhp (847
cost is much lower, and the amount of oil loss is minimal. Also, kW); however, it becomes 821 bhp (612 kW) by a slide valve when
additional oil is not necessary. This is an advantage for low the suction pressure is changed to 300 psig (20.7 bar). Even the
emission. nominal flow rate is the same as 11.0 mmscfd (12,277 Nm3/h).
• No compression ratio limitation—Thanks to the oil acting as a
coolant and sealant there is no pressure limitation mechanically.
Thermal problems may be considered for other types of compres-
sors; however, oil can be injected into the rotor chamber to absorb
the compression heat on oil-flooded screw compressors. A tandem
arrangement of two stages may be adopted for better efficiency.
Typically a tandem arrangement is used when the pressure ratio is
larger than 7.
• Low noise and high frequency—Due to the thickness of the
compressor casing, noise is low. Since the rotating speed matches
a two-pole or four-pole motor speed, noise frequency generated is
high compared to that from a reciprocating compressor, so the
management of noise is easier.
• Low vibration and pulsation—Although the screw compressor
is a positive displacement type, the compression mechanism is
rotational. It provides a continuously smooth compression and Figure 3. Motor-Driven Fuel Gas Booster.
discharge mechanism, so that pulsation from the compressor is
negligible. There is no pulsation with an oil-flooded screw com- Example 2—
pressor, and pulsation bottles are not required, so dampening is not Hydrogen Gas Service
an issue. This can provide simple foundation design. Example 2 (Figure 4) is a motor-driven hydrogen compressor,
• Single skid arrangement—The compressor and lube oil system one set by one compressor, compressing the pure (99.9 percent)
are integrated and packaged on a single skid. Thus, transportation hydrogen gas 6237 scfm (10,024 Nm3/h), from 48 psig (3.31 bar)
and installation are very quick and easy. Interconnecting piping, to 340 psig (23.9 bar). The power consumption for each unit is
tubing, and wiring work in the field can be eliminated or kept to a 1433 bhp (1069 kW). Although the pressure ratio is more than 5.7
minimum. and molecular weight is as low as 2.2, a tandem compressor in a
one body casing is used.
• No cooling water jacket/No gas bypass cooler—Since oil acts as
a coolant in the compression process, the discharge temperature
can be controlled by the oil injection flow rate so that the casing
structure is made simpler by elimination of the cooling water
jacket. The gas bypass cooler can also be eliminated by oil cooling.
Oil-flooded screw compressors are used for various services and
are expanding in many applications. Original applications suitable
for oil-flooded screw compressors were limited to:
• Low molecular weight applications such as hydrogen or helium
gas.
• High pressure ratio applications such as off-gas or flare gas.
• Applications requiring load change such as a fuel gas booster.
After the high pressure oil-flooded screw compressor was intro-
duced to the market, the applications expanded:
• High pressure applications with various services such as a fuel
gas booster for a high efficiency-type gas turbine. Figure 4. Motor-Driven Hydrogen Compressor.
 52 PROCEEDINGS OF THE THIRTY-THIRD TURBOMACHINERY SYMPOSIUM • 2004

Example 3— Optimized Rotor Profile for High Discharge Pressure

Combined Refinery Off-Gas and Natural Gas Service High discharge pressure increases the torque needed to rotate
as Fuel Gas Booster for High Efficiency Gas Turbine male and female rotors (transmission torque) and the gas load,
Example 3 (Figure 5) is a motor-driven refinery and natural necessitating higher rotor strength and a larger bearing load
gas compressor separated by two stages. Two gas sources of capacity. As a solution for these requirements, the number of teeth
refinery and natural gas are available in this example. For the and the rotor profiles should be optimized.
refinery gas case, both the first and second stage compressors are Studying the bearing load simulation under gas pressure with
utilized and compresses the refinery gas 6900 scfm (11,090 specific lobe number and rotor length parameters, the optimum
Nm3/h), from 71 psig (4.9 bar) to 675 psig (46.5 bar). For the lobe numbers to sustain heavy loads can be determined. An
natural gas case, only the second stage is utilized, and com- optimum design of five teeth for male rotors and seven teeth for
presses 7500 scfm (12,054 Nm3/h) from 375 psig (25.9 bar). The female rotors (5 + 7 profile) for example, is shown in Figure 7.
first stage is also capable of handling natural gas as a backup
when the second stage compressor is unavailable. Since the oil
screw compressor is a positive displacement type, such flexible
applications are possible.

Figure 7. Rotor Profile.

A 4 + 6 combination was mainly used in the past as a conven-

tional profile; however, large number combinations will provide a
larger shaft diameter, which means journal bearings can be large
(refer to detailed discussion in Bearings). This also provides not
only larger journal bearings, but also the rotor shaft becomes more
rigid to avoid excessive deflection in high differential pressure
contour on the rotors. Other than the above, the rotor profile should
be optimized for high pressure applications.
Though transmission torque is adjustable because of the rotor
profile, excessive torque can damage tooth flanks, and insufficient
torque can cause unstable female rotor rotation, which increases
vibration and noise levels. To solve this problem, a couple of rotor
profiles have been designed to produce optimum transmission
Figure 5. Motor-Driven Refinery Gas and Natural Gas Compressor. torque for the rotor material, with the torque shared between the
male rotor and female rotor to prevent tooth flank damage and
DESIGN ISSUE OF THE HIGH PRESSURE secure rotor actuation even under light load operation. Then, an
OIL-FLOODED SCREW COMPRESSORS optimum profile can be finally determined. Another factor is
The high pressure oil-flooded screw compressors are developed required for the rotor profiles, which is lobe clearance. Less
by applying a new rotor profile, bearing, etc., and their usage is clearance provides less internal leakage, which means high volu-
expanding. Typical operation range for the high pressure oil- metric efficiency can be achieved.
flooded screw compressors is shown in Figure 6. The following are Bearings
key factors for the high pressure oil-flooded screw compressors.
Journal bearings with sleeve type and thrust bearings with tilting
Capacity (ACFM) pad type are typically used for the high pressure screw compressor.
102 103 104 105
The rotor lobe tooth combination is again an important factor for
the size of the bearings.
As shown in Figure 7 a) and Figure 7 b), a 5 + 7 combination
103
Reciprocating Compressors can provide a larger diameter on its shaft than those of a 4 + 6
104
combination. For example, even if the compressor frame size is the
Centrifugal same, it means that a 5 + 7 combination can provide a larger size
Compressors
of journal bearing; a high bearing load can be accommodated with
Casing Design Pressure (bar A)

high pressure. These bearings are usually made of white metal, but
Casing Design Pressure (psi A)

102
High Pressure Screw Compressors 103 some other material such as aluminum bearings is used for special
applications.
Conventional Screw Compressors

High Efficiency
10
102 For high pressure ratio application, two-stage compression with
a tandem-type compressor may be utilized to achieve significantly
higher efficiency characteristics than single-stage. A typical
cutaway model is shown in Figure 8. Oil-flooded screw compres-
1
10
sors can provide a high pressure ratio with single-stage
compression; however, volumetric efficiency is less since internal
102 103 104 105
Capacity (m3/h) gas leakage in the compression process increases across the rotor
lobes.
Figure 6. Typical Operating Range for High Pressure Oil-Flooded This situation will reduce performance in high pressure applica-
Screw Compressor. tions, since differential pressure will also increase in high pressure
 HIGH PRESSURE OIL-INJECTED SCREW GAS COMPRESSORS 53
(API 619 DESIGN) FOR HEAVY DUTY PROCESS GAS APPLICATIONS

discharge. Therefore, the required number of compressors, motors,

oil recovery units, and oil separators can be a single unit.
Therefore, highly-efficient two-stage compression can be achieved
with the same configuration as a one-stage compression unit.
Generally, other compressors with multistage types in order to
achieve high pressure and high pressure ratios result in increasing
the separate stage. This tandem type, on the other hand, comes in
a space-saving, highly-efficient two-stage compressor unit.

High Pressure/Low Pressure Ratio Application

Some situations where suction pressure fluctuates widely, such
as in the inlet gas pressure swing caused by a mixture of gases at
different pressures, require a low pressure ratio such that both the
suction pressure and discharge pressure are high. In this case, the
slide valve as unloader should be considered. Figure 10 shows the
relationship between capacity and power load characteristics when
the suction pressure is changed at a constant discharge pressure.

Figure 8. Tandem-Type Compressor for High Pressure Ratio

Application.

ratio situations. As a resolution, the tandem-type compressor reduces

the internal leakage in respective stages to improve volumetric effi-
ciency. Oil is injected as coolant in oil-flooded screw compressors,
so the intermediate casing will act as an intercooler to improve the
power consumption. Volumetric efficiency and power improvement
data for a tandem type compressor is shown in Figure 9.

Figure 10. Performance Change with Slide Valve When Suction

Pressure Is Changed.

For oil-flooded screw compressors in low pressure ratio

operation, a suction pressure rise reduces power and increases
capacity. Usually, the compressor type is selected on the basis of
the lowest suction pressure condition, but in many cases normal
operating suction pressure is higher than the design criteria.
Consequently, compressors are operated at pressures higher than
the design value of full capacity. Slide valve capacity control
Figure 9. Performance Comparison Between Single-Type and
provides the energy-saving feature under actual operating condi-
Tandem-Type Compressor.
tions, and this effect will be larger in high pressure applications.
High Suction Pressure PERIPHERAL DESIGN ISSUE
A mechanical seal is used for oil-flooded screw compressors,
and this seal is one of the important factors to apply high suction Oil Separation
pressure on oil-flooded screw compressors. Pressure in the Oil separation is one of the most important factors in the oil-
mechanical seal box for the oil-flooded screw compressor is as flooded screw compressor application. For example, a severe
high as the suction pressure. Therefore, the maximum allowable criterion for oil carryover is required when the oil-flooded screw
pressure of the mechanical seal may limit the maximum allowable compressor serves as fuel gas booster for gas turbines. Detailed
suction pressure of oil-flooded screw compressors. and accurate oil separation design is required for each application.
The seal should be capable of high differential pressure, since Typical primary oil separator design is shown in Figures 11 and 12.
the outside of the seal is typically atmosphere and the inside is As shown in the figures, within the primary oil separator a
equal to the suction pressure. High-strength carbon material is used stainless mesh demister pad is used as the first level of separation
as a seal ring, and the sliding surface on the ring should be capable and coalescing filters are used as the next level of oil separation.
of maintaining the seal oil film under high differential pressure An additional stage of separation using coalescing elements takes
conditions. If a backup seal for high pressure applications is place in another vessel called the “coalescing oil separator” or
requested, tandem arrangement mechanical seals may be used. “secondary oil separator.” This supplementary stage of separation
is usually added under low oil carryover conditions.
High Pressure/High Pressure Ratio Application
Not only does the primary oil separator act as the initial stage of
The tandem type is used for high pressure and high pressure separation, but this vessel also serves as the oil reservoir for the
ratios. The tandem-type design consists of a two-stage compressor entire system. The bottom volume in the primary oil separator
that can be used as a single-stage compressor, because gas com- should be considered in order to accommodate a volume of lubri-
pressed in the first stage is sent to the second stage without cation oil with enough retention time span of approximately two
54 PROCEEDINGS OF THE THIRTY-THIRD TURBOMACHINERY SYMPOSIUM • 2004

COMPRESSOR

A
OIL SEPARATOR

SEPARATION MEDIA
A STAINLESS STEEL DEMISTER
B BOROSILICATE COALECSER
LUBE OIL UNIT

Figure 13. Oil Separation Arrangement—Single Oil Separator.

COMPRESSOR

Figure 11. Oil Separator (A). A

B

PRIMARY OIL SECONDARY

SEPARATOR OIL SEPARATOR

SEPARATION MEDIA
A STAINLESS STEEL DEMISTER
LUBE OIL UNIT
B BOROSILICATE COALECSER

Figure 14. Oil Separation Arrangement—Two-Stage Oil Separator.

Oil Selection
The lubrication oil circulation in the system enables the oil to be
diluted by process gas. As a result, oil viscosity will be altered over
a course of time. The adequate type of oil must be selected in the
design phase, considering high pressure conditions inside the
system, process gas composition, and water content. Oil viscosity
Figure 12. Oil Separator (B). breakdown under the operating conditions should be in an accept-
able range for compressor bearings and mechanical seals. Mineral
minutes per API standards. The diameter for the primary oil oil is used commonly in most applications; however, other types of
separator should be determined using velocity of gas, demister pad oil are used as follows:
size requirements, and also the total number of coalescing
elements required by volumetric flow. • Whiteoil—Used for corrosive gas such as vinyl chloride
monomer (VCM), food industry gas such as dry ice making.
Oil Carryover • Vacuum pump oil—Low oil carryover is required, such as the
Oil carryover is a focal point for end users, and this parameter fuel gas booster application.
can be designed by changing the arrangement of the oil separator. • Synthetic oil, polyalphaolefin (PAO) base—Required when
Figure 13 shows a typical primary oil separator arrangement with carried oil should not react with process equipment (such as a
two levels of separation. Stainless steel demisters are the primary catalyst) such as a refinery gas application.
level, and single-stage borosilicate coalescing filters as the second
level are equipped in one vessel. In this arrangement, expected oil • Synthetic oil, polyalkylene glycol (PAG) base—Required for
heavy hydrocarbon process gas applications, such as refinery or oil
carryover is 1 part per million (ppm) by weight. and gas gathering applications.
Figure 14 shows a common oil separator arrangement with
three-stage oil separators. A stainless steel demister is utilized for INSTALLATION, COMMISSIONING, AND STORAGE
the primary separator and two stages of borosilicate coalescing
filters are being used in the secondary oil separator. In this arrange- Installation
ment, expected oil carryover is 0.1 ppm by weight. In addition to In the past, oil-free screw compressors were installed directly
the arrangement shown in Figures 12 and 13, a charcoal absorber onto a mezzanine foundation with single plates. The degree of dif-
can be added downstream of the secondary oil separator. By initi- ficulty of the installation process was very high with that type of
ating contact between gas and “activated” charcoal within the arrangement. Presently, for both oil-free and oil-flooded screw
absorber, oil carryover requirements of up to 20 ppb by weight can compressors, the aforementioned arrangement is becoming very
be achieved. rare. In almost all cases, the use of single/dual pedestal mounting
 HIGH PRESSURE OIL-INJECTED SCREW GAS COMPRESSORS 55
(API 619 DESIGN) FOR HEAVY DUTY PROCESS GAS APPLICATIONS

is used even for compressor and motor applications as large as The same maintenance scheme is adopted in other types of com-
6000 hp. pressor applications. Oil analysis is conducted every one to six
Typically, small to middle size oil-flooded screw compressors months as a standard.
are packaged on a single skid with a motor, a lube oil system, and Differential pressure across the oil separator system(s) should be
a lube oil separation system with process gas piping. Larger size monitored to determine the condition of the installed coalescing
compressors are typically packaged with two skids, one is for the filters over a span of three to six years. If differential pressure
compressor-motor train and the other is for the lube oil unit. The exceeds the specified set point given by the filter manufacturer, the
connection points are arranged at the skid edge typically so that filters must be replaced.
difficulty of installation is minimized. The mechanical seal check is done typically after the first one or
Pulsation issues in the case of reciprocating compressors are not two years of operation; however, at the time of seal replacement
required on screw compressors, which allow foundation design to and/or maintenance, a complete overhaul may not be required.
be done straightforwardly. Also, pulsation studies on piping and Depending on the process application, a major overhaul can take
the foundation are not required. place in the range of three to four years. Common replacement
parts of the screw compressor are the mechanical seal and bearing
Commissioning components. There is only one seal per compressor housing;
In the commissioning period, oil flushing is not generally therefore, the overall cost of maintenance is minimized.
required if a complete single skid is provided, that system is oil A huge advantage during operation of the oil-flooded screw
flushed in the manufacturer’s scope of production. For the compressor is reduction of power consumption in the unloaded
multiskid arrangement, oil flushing is necessary at site; however, condition. In conjunction with the turndown ratio advantage, the
even in this case, each skid is typically oil flushed prior to compressor slide valve can accommodate a significant swing in
shipment within the manufacturer’s scope. The purpose for field suction pressure.
flushing in this case is for interconnecting piping.
To complete the commissioning process, an alignment check is CONCLUSION
performed for all coupled equipment. Also, a complete checklist of As a result of inexpensive operation, low maintenance cost, and
items including instruments, valves, and other components must be high reliability of oil-flooded screw compressors, the overall
completed. Once the checklist is complete, the compressor is demand is increasing rapidly. The high pressure oil-flooded screw
prepared to operate. After the compressor is started and has compressors are continually being introduced with new technolo-
operated for approximately 24 hours, an oil analysis is conducted gies and enhancements. From new rotor profiles and expansion of
to measure viscosity and verify the overall oil selection. its applicable range, oil-flooded screw compressors (also oil-free
screw compressors) will become the leading method of gas com-
Storage pression applications.
At the time of installation and storage, the most important factor
is maintenance as it relates to rust prevention. Since oil-flooded REFERENCES
screw compressor systems have no connection points to the atmos- API Standard 619, 1997, “Rotary Type Positive Displacement
phere, a nitrogen purge ranging from 5 to 10 psig is the most Compressors for Petroleum, Chemical, and Gas Industries,”
effective measure to be used. During the storage process only mon- Third Edition, American Petroleum Institute, Washington,
itoring of the nitrogen pressure will need to be carried out as a D.C.
minimum.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
OPERATION Ohama, T., Amano, Y., and Kawaguchi, N., April 2000, “High
After the compressor is put into operation, the standard mainte- Pressure Oil-Flooded EH Series Screw Compressors,” Kobelco
nance practices are to check vibration and perform an oil analysis. Technology Review, (23).
56 PROCEEDINGS OF THE THIRTY-THIRD TURBOMACHINERY SYMPOSIUM • 2004