Proceedings of the 42nd Turbomachinery Symposium

October 1 - 3, 2013, Houston, Texas

Operations and Maintenance of Unspared Compressor Trains and Their Auxiliary Systems

Bryan Barrington Robert Felton

Consulting Engineer, Global Engineering Services Engineering Associate – CORE Machinery
LyondellBasell ExxonMobil
Corpus Christi, Texas, USA Baytown, Texas, USA

Phillip Terrano
Sr. Commissioning Engineer
Dresser-Rand
Olean, New York, USA

Bryan Barrington is a 1994 graduate of The second section covers the efforts associated with
Texas A&M University (BSME, Honors) turn-around and maintenance (planned or un-planned). This
and currently works as a Consulting includes details on maintenance intervals, preparation and
Machinery Engineer in LyondellBasell’s planning for outages and peripheral system checks during an
corporate engineering group. He is outage.
responsible for turbomachinery at
INTRODUCTION
locations along the Texas Gulf Coast.
Supporting the operation and maintenance of unspared
compressor trains and their auxiliary systems by a new
Bob Felton is an Engineering Associate machinery engineer is a complex undertaking. It requires
with ExxonMobil Chemicals in Baytown, knowledge of the equipment design and what to monitor
Texas. He began his career with Exxon in during operation and careful preparation for planned
Baton Rouge as a Machinery Engineer. maintenance.
During his 36 years with ExxonMobil he
has supported numerous facilities and Online checks and inspections are the first area requiring
projects around the world for ExxonMobil. attention. Vibration monitoring equipment and the
He specializes in vibration analysis, gas interpretation of the vibration signature is a critical area.
Important performance parameters from the compressor train
turbines and other large rotating
equipment. He received his BSME degree from Virginia and its support systems need to be collected and periodically
Polytechnic Institute in 1977. reviewed. This includes computer recorded data as well as the
machinery engineer’s field observations. The daily operation
Phillip Terrano is a 1996 graduate of and maintenance requirements must be fully understood to
Rochester Institute of Technology (BSME) and maintain equipment reliability.
currently works as a Sr. Commissioning In addition the detailed planning required to conduct a
Engineer for Dresser-Rand. He is responsible scheduled maintenance outage is an important part of the
for assisting clients with installation and machinery engineer’s duties.
commissioning efforts of their
Turbomachinery and auxiliary systems. The machinery engineer must also ensure that all of these
activities are performed in accordance with local safety
regulations and site requirements. Safety is an integral part of
the job; this includes safety of self and others in a broad array
ABSTRACT of situations such as proper caution around rotating shafts, use
This tutorial provides general guidance on the topic of of proper lifting tools and techniques for heavy components,
protection from thermal extremes, and careful maintenance of
operations and maintenance of unspared compressor trains and
their auxiliary systems. It is targeted towards entry level critical safety trip mechanisms. There is no aspect of the job
engineers working in the operations and maintenance that is more important than safety. Taking the time to properly
field. The tutorial will be divided into two major sections. evaluate the potential hazards of the task at hand cannot be
overstated.
The first section covers ‘online’ checks and inspections
including vibration monitoring, auxiliary system monitoring, SECTION 1: ONLINE CHECKS AND INSPECTIONS
regular visual inspections, online preventative maintenance, 1-1 Vibration Monitoring Systems
documentation maintenance, and performance monitoring.
Vibration monitoring is likely the most fundamental
condition monitoring system for turbomachinery. Thus,
Copyright© 2013 by Turbomachinery Laboratory, Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station
 Proceedings of the 42nd Turbomachinery Symposium
October 1 - 3, 2013, Houston, Texas

ensuring that this system is properly designed, installed, and have a different default than, for example a 12” (305 mm)
that the data is regularly reviewed are crucial to satisfactorily journal.
monitoring the equipment. Vibration monitoring of
turbomachinery trains is typically accomplished using All proximity probe systems consist of a probe, an
proximity probe systems. Gearboxes with their inherent high extension cable, and an oscillator-demodulator. Proper
frequency vibration typically require the addition of installation and configuration of these components is, like
accelerometers. API 670 Machinery Protection Systems most turbomachinery work, an exercise in attention to detail.
provides a thorough overview of system design information This attention to detail extends beyond the initial installation
for vibration monitoring as well as temperature and speed as most disassembly work for maintenance will require that
detection systems. Highlights from API 670 include the the final portion of the proximity probe system be removed
following: and reinstalled. Components must be properly matched to the
target material and properly assembled in order for their
• The proximity probe transducer system needs to be calibration curve to fall within the specified range. Damaged
calibrated using a target that has the same electrical probes can produce nonlinear calibration curves, and pairing
characteristics as the shaft material; for example 316SS is the incorrect extension cable with a proximity probe will
not the same as AISI 4140. provide a linear signal, albeit with the incorrect slope.
• Shutdowns require a time delay of one to three seconds. “Running curves” (calibration curves) on the probe systems
This means the vibration must be sustained for that period should be a standard practice for all major outages along with
of time before the shutdown will actuate. One second is a thorough review of the resulting data. (API 670 provides
shown as the default however three seconds is more typical. testing acceptance criteria of 80 mils (2 mm) linear range,
• Signal wire needs to be segregated and shielded to avoid deviation from straight line of +/- 1 mil (25.4 µm) and
noise in the signal. incremental scale factor of +/- 5% of 200 mV/mil (7.87
• Proper grounding and shielding is extremely important to mV/µm); this criteria is applicable to AISI 4140 material).
prevent trips from spurious electrical signals, such as Documenting the proper part number for each component in a
electrical system faults, lightening or higher voltage control measurement system and validation of the readings from the
signals. (Consult the vibration system supplier for specific probe tip to the oscillator-demodulator to the data
requirements.) management system to the plant data historian are critical.
• Proper probe orientation is required to gain full diagnostic This allows signal interpretation for a properly physically
capability. For example, looking from the driver toward the located probe and validated tag number to be a much less
driven equipment, the Y probe is on the left, and the X frustrating event – especially under duress.
probe is on the right regardless of the direction of rotation.
The probes are typically 90 degrees apart. On some older Incorrectly or insufficiently grounded systems can
machines both probes are to the left or right of a vertical provide faulty signals even on channels that are properly
plane; in that case, rotate the axis but maintain orientation. installed. Basic troubleshooting of grounding issues should
Likewise the physical location of the once-per-rev reference include the following:
timing mark sensor should be carefully recorded if it is not • Ensure that all of the probes and extension cable connectors
visible externally. are isolated from ground. All connectors need protectors or
• Zeroing the rotor axially at the center of its float is specified self-fusing silicone tape to ensure that they remain isolated.
as standard in API 670, but there are many facilities that Teflon tape can be used but should not be viewed as the
zero on the active pad. Zeroing on the active pad may result optimum means of isolation.
in misunderstandings, mismatches or incorrect • Ensure that all of the oscillator-demodulators are isolated
alarm/shutdown points. It is most important to choose a from ground. Check that the oscillator-demodulator is truly
standard to follow throughout the facility to avoid confusion isolated by removing the field wiring and the extension
during troubleshooting. cable and then checking the resistance between the common
• Field testing (discussed more below) should be an integral on the terminal strip and the oscillator-demodulator housing.
part of any overhaul. The resistance should be infinite.
• When automatic trips are in place, consider installing spare • Ensure that there is not an electrical short between the probe
probes as back-up for those that cannot be replaced while shield and the probe case. Do this by testing the resistance
the machine is in service. This should be considered for between the probe case (or the machine case if the probe is
radial probes and is more important for thrust probes where installed) and the probe or extension cable connector shield.
two out of two (2oo2) voting for shutdown is more The resistance should be infinite.
common. • Ensure that the shields of all field wiring are cut off and
• Power supplies for the system – specify redundant power taped back at the oscillator-demodulator and that they are
supplies. connected to earth or common at the monitor rack only.
• Selecting a full scale setting of 10 mils (250 µm) is typically
more applicable than the default of 5 mils (125 µm) During maintenance activities, probes that cannot be
(depending on the alarm and trip set points). This however accessed while the machine is in service are typically replaced
is a function of machine size; a 2” (51 mm) journal will
Copyright© 2013 by Turbomachinery Laboratory, Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station
 Proceedinngs of the 42nd Turbomachineery Symposium m
Octobeer 1 - 3, 2013, H
Houston, Texaas

as thee cost of a replaacement probee is typically neegligible

comppared to the cosst of an unscheeduled outage.
T
The probe targeet is typically a burnished areea, sometimes
at a sllightly reducedd diameter nearr or within the bearing
journnal. Maintainin ng and protectinng this surface is of utmost
imporrtance to get acccurate and rep presentative vib bration data.
Varioous industry staandards such as API RP 687 Rotor R Repair
provide a limit of 0..25 mils (6.35 µm) electrical and
mechhanical runout (EMRO)
( his target area, and while this
for th
is achhievable it is no
ot uncommon to t accept valuees slightly
greateer (typical induustry repair critteria is to compplete three
attem
mpts to achieve this value after which the ven ndor and the
clientt shall mutuallyy agree on an alternate
a accepttance criteria).
Once this activity iss complete, electrical tape is placed
p over
the taarget to protect it from handling and compon nent assembly
damaage (it is to be removed
r upon completion off rotor
installlation). In the instance when n damage does occur to the
burnished area, therre are few (no?) in situ mechaanical methodss F
Figure 1. Radiial Vibration C
Comparisons foor Fluid Film
that pprovide a fool-pproof solution. The most viaable path Beariings.
forwaard is to docum ment the locatioon of the damag ge relative to
the timme mark senso or and to use slow roll data to o electronically y EEshleman (19999) provides ann alternate meaans of setting
comppensate for the damage. The speed at which h slow roll dataa thesee values using bbearing clearannce. Alarm vaalues for a
shoulld be obtained can generate quite
q a bit of disscussion. The m using his methhod would be 0.5 of the
speedd of 3,600 rpm
key taakeaway is thaat the data shou uld be taken at the lowest beariing clearance, aand shutdown would be 0.7 oof the bearing
speedd possible wherre the data is sttable in amplitu ude and phase.. clearrance. A speedd of 10,000 rpm m would alarm at 0.4 of the
Typiccal values of 50 00 rpm for a 36 600 rpm machiine have beariing clearance, aand shutdown would be 0.6 oof the bearing
provided acceptablee results. clearrance.

W
With the systemm installed and d equipment run nning, Determining o f thrust bearingg alarms and shhutdowns are a
D
vibrattion monitoring can range fro om simply trigg gering alarm functtion of the thruust bearing cleaarance, the thruust loading andd
and ddanger switchess (stand-alone field rack) to continuous
c the mmachine internaal clearances. A typical thrusst alarm would d
data llogging of wavveforms and oth her associated probe data be seet 10 mils (254 µm) beyond oone half of the total float and
(machhinery health management
m sy
ystem). An inteermediate the shhutdown woulld be set at leasst 5 mils (127 µ µm) beyond thee
installlation might haave overall vib
bration values trended
t on a alarmm. Once the thhrust probes aree set, it is a goood practice to
plant data historian.. Regardless of the installatio on, all systems recorrd the DC voltaage that correspponds to at leaast one physical
have hardware alarm ms and danger settings to alerrt the user to posittion as a calibraation referencee. Thrust probee adjustment orr
abnorrmal conditions. There are seeveral sources that provide calibbration changess should not bee attempted onlline.
guidaance in determiining radial sett points. In gen neral they BBeyond hardwware alarms, maachinery healthh management
agreee, but ultimately
y a site should select one phillosophy for systeems offer signifficant flexibilitty for enhancedd monitoring.
consistency (there will
w be exceptio ons to the rule and machine Softwware alarms caan and should bbe configured aas these alarmss
speciffic design shouuld dictate the final criteria). Figure 1 proviide recognitionn of changes inn machine perfo formance ahead d
shows a comparison n of several of the sources inccluding of thee hardware alaarm operations personnel willl receive.
Eisennmann and Eiseenmann (1997)). One can seee that for Thesse values are tyypically set sligghtly above thee “normal”
machhines operating at 3,600 rpm a typical radiall alarm value valuees (experience and nuisance aalarms will dicctate the final
p (90 µm p-p)) and a typical danger value
wouldd be 3.5 mils p-p marggin above norm mal but a good starting point iis 0.5 mils
wouldd be 5.5 mils p-p
p (140 µm p-p p). (12.55 µm) for overaall values and 00.3 mils (8.5 µµm) for 1x).
Typiccal software allarms include:
• Ovverall vibrationn
• Syynchronous vibbration
• Noon synchronouss vibration
• Gaap voltage
• Phhase angle
• Sppectral band alaarms (less com
mmon)

EEven with thesse alarms in plaace there shoulld still be a

systeem that providees a periodic reeview of machiine
perfoormance. Quarrterly review inntervals of the trends ensure
Copyrightt© 2013 by Tu
urbomachinery Laboratory, T
Texas A&M Enngineering Expperiment Station
n
 Proceedings of the 42nd Turbomachinery Symposium
October 1 - 3, 2013, Houston, Texas

that issues beyond the capability of the health management • Low Point Drains on Primary/Secondary Vents – Regular
system do not get out of hand. checks (timing dictated by findings) for presence of
condensate or other liquids. If liquids are found on a regular
With these systems in place, one can expect that problems
basis, you need to verify what type of liquid it is
will be identified. Anticipate that you will be asked to
(condensate, water, lube oil,) and source. This could be an
interpret the data and make decisions based upon your
indication of a future seal failure.
knowledge of the machine, the machine’s history and its
operating conditions. The best data interpretation is a • Heater Elements – If supplied, seal gas heater performance
compilation of multiple sources – colleagues, industry should be monitored and trended. The intent is to determine
analysts, vendor representatives, site mechanics, and if fouling of the heating element is occurring, which is
operations specialists to name a few – and knowing in advance indicated by increasing/excessive electrical demand by the
who you might contact will be to your advantage. Each of heater.
these people brings a different knowledge set and perspective • Booster Performance – If supplied, any seal gas supply
to the table that will ultimately provide a comprehensive pressure boosters should be verified to be functional on a
response to address the problem. One should also expect that regular basis. While not in use the majority of the time,
there will come a time when the machine goes into when called upon, they are vital to providing adequate seal
alarm. Sometimes this alarm quickly progresses to a trip gas supply flow. Assemblies should be regularly tested
value, and the system makes a decision for you. There are (weekly) and verified functional either via manual testing or
other times, however, when the values float or spike in and out through the control panel. Note that many of these types of
of alarm and the path forward is not as clearly defined. The assemblies depend upon shop air as a motive force. As
collaboration mentioned above will be necessary to develop a such, maintenance of the shop air system
plan for a controlled shutdown or altered set of operating cleanliness/dryness should be done a regular basis as well.
conditions that minimizes or eliminates the risks associated • Heat Tracing Performance – Many systems include heat
with the problem. tracing of the seal supply lines between the gas seal panel
and the compressor to prevent liquid drop out.
1-2 System Performance Monitoring of Auxiliary Systems Recommendation is to monitor the electrical demand (as
Auxiliary systems are necessary to support the rotating compared to baseline information post commissioning) for
equipment. As such, their performance and readiness are this system to ensure it is functional.
critical to ensure trouble-free operation. Critical systems
included in this discussion are the seal systems, auxiliary Liquid Seal Systems
steam systems, and lube oil systems. Following are As with dry gas seal systems, the intent is to provide a
recommendations on how to monitor the performance of these clean sealing medium (oil in most cases) to the compressor.
systems. Please note that in a sweet gas compression process, seal oil
Seal Systems (Dry Gas Seals and Liquid Seals) systems are often incorporated directly into the lube oil
system. As such, many of the performance monitoring
Dry Gas Seal Systems requirements are the same. The key difference is the presence
The primary purpose of a dry gas seal system is to of degassing tanks, and the necessary checks on these
provide clean dry seal gas to the compressors within an components.
acceptable range of pressure, temperature, and flow. • Sweet Oil Condition – Regular analysis of the sweet oil
Monitoring the following will facilitate this effort. returning to the main reservoir should be performed. Intent
• Filters – Monitoring differential pressure across the filter in is to verify that all the process gas has been removed from
operation provides indicates the cleanliness of the element. the oil.
A log should be kept of this parameter, and the filter • Log Pressures/Temperatures – Following commissioning of
element should be changed when recommended differential the system, regular/expected values (sour seal oil traps,
pressure is reached. The seal gas supply system must be degassing tank,) will be identified for the various
kept free of liquids with an appropriate monitoring strategy pressures/temperatures in the system. Trending of this
to check for oil (from previous seal oil systems) or gas information will allow the operator to identify any changes
condensate. If liquid is noted on regular basis, verification over time.
of the seal gas heater operation (if equipped) should be • The sour seal oil leakage flow rate can be measured by
checked. “bucket-and-stopwatch” approach, e.g. block in the seal
• Log Pressures/Temperatures/Flows – Following drainer outlet, and time the level increase in the sight glass.
commissioning of the system, regular/expected values (seal Large changes in sour oil flow rate can indicate a damaged
supply, intermediate seal supply, barrier seal supply, vent or distressed seal. Trending of this data over time will
flows, etc.) will be identified for the various indicate seal degradation.
pressures/temperatures/flows in the system. Trending this • On some systems that have sight glasses where the leakage
information will allow the operator to identify any changes can be seen, it provides a qualitative amount of leakage
over time. which indicates when the seals are not performing as
designed.
Copyright© 2013 by Turbomachinery Laboratory, Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station
 Proceedings of the 42nd Turbomachinery Symposium
October 1 - 3, 2013, Houston, Texas

electronic feedback for valve position, which is a rich

Auxiliary Steam Systems source of information.
• Auxiliary or Secondary Oil Pumps - It is good practice to
• Vacuum system – Monitoring of the vacuum is typically
test the secondary pump at an outage to verify pump startup
done continuously using pressure taps or transmitters.
maintains oil pressure without initiating a trip of the unit.
Inability to maintain vacuum in the desired range can be
• Accumulators - check on accumulator pressures on any
caused by a poorly operating vacuum system or excessive
systems that have them.
air leakage into the system. (Vacuum system leaks can
sometimes be found using the “helium leak testing” • Overhead Rundown Tank – Daily visual inspection while
method.) online of sight glass for signs of water in the oil.
• Gland system –Monitoring valve position (of both vent and
1-3 Importance of Engineering Rounds
make-up valves) to ensure they are stable and their position
indicates acceptable performance along with visually Most turbomachinery tends to be the heart of large scale
inspecting gland areas for leakage due to excessive sealing production facilities, and it is important to recognize the
steam or insufficient vacuum on the gland condenser. benefits beyond instrumentation that field inspection can offer.
While field inspection by operators can identify many issues, a
Lube Oil Systems set of trained eyes that haven’t been narrowed by daily walk-
arounds provides yet another means of ensuring production by
The key purpose of the lube oil system is to provide clean
predicting problems and improving work scope development.
oil at an appropriate pressure/temperature/flow rate, to the
Suggested areas for field inspection are shown in Table 1.
bearings, as dictated by the OEM. Monitoring the following
will facilitate this effort. Operator Rounds Engineering (and/or
Specialist) Rounds
• Filters – Monitoring differential pressure across the filter
during operation indicates cleanliness of the filter element. Record local instrumentation Record local instrument
A log should be kept of this parameter, and the filter readings readings
element should be changed when recommended differential Confirm local Determine exact location of
pressure is reached. They should also be replaced on a time instrumentation matches oil/steam/water/process leaks
limit because they may deteriorate due to contact with the “house” values for reference during repairs
oil or process gas. Identify Validate the
• Oil Cleanliness/Quality – Regular oil analysis should be oil/steam/water/process acceptability/consequence of
performed to ensure that there is no buildup of contaminants leaks leaks
or water content. Identify unusual noise Unusual valve rack position vs.
• Log Pressures/Temperatures/Flows – Following load
commissioning of the system, regular/expected values Evaluation of seal leakage rates
(pump output pressure, reservoir temperatures, and oil flow) Temperature and condition of
will be identified for the various seal drain lines
pressures/temperatures/flows in the system. Trending of Identify unusual noise
this information will allow operator to verify any changes Unusual component position or
over time. motion
• Coolers – Monitor/record pertinent cooling water Auxiliary system performance
flows/temperatures. Trend cooling water flow required in (See Section 1-2)
order to maintain required oil temperature levels. An
Table 1. Suggested Field Inspections for Turbomachinery.
upward trend could be a sign of fouling on either the oil or
the water side. These walk arounds also tend to strongly encourage the
• Oil Level – While there are generally alarms associated with engineer to learn the systems and interact regularly with the
low level, it is prudent to regularly check the oil level in operators.
operation. Small changes trended over a long period may
Occasionally including plant management during the
indicate loss of oil either via piping leakage, excessive
engineer walk around can also be used to: (1) teach the
misting or worst case into either the dry gas seal system (if
manager a little about the machinery systems so that they have
equipped) or the process (if oil seals installed). If identified,
a basic knowledge level and (2) demonstrates to the operators
the source of loss needs to be determined.
that the plant management recognizes the importance of the
• Valve Positions - It is a good practice to record the
attention to detail that is required of the operators on a daily
approximate valve position for reference immediately after
basis. (It is not about the engineer looking good to the
startup, and just before a planned shutdown. This key
manager; it is about the teamwork on different levels-
information can be used to confirm operation is normal, or
operator, engineer, and manager, to provide the knowledge,
for troubleshooting of a system problem. Newer
resources and detailed attention to properly maintain the
installations with current control valve designs provide
equipment).

Copyright© 2013 by Turbomachinery Laboratory, Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station

 Proceedings of the 42nd Turbomachinery Symposium
October 1 - 3, 2013, Houston, Texas

A specific example of the benefit of the above rounds is on the coolest surfaces in the system (the tubes in the oil
illustrated in the following actual event. A compressor deck coolers).
walkthrough by engineering identified an abnormally high • The oil pumps and their drivers should be a part of the PM
frequency/low amplitude oscillation of a steam turbine valve system. Address seal leaks promptly, check couplings
rack. Machine throughput was not affected, and operators did (particularly if they are a wearing type) and maintain their
not recognize the motion as abnormal. Additionally, the drivers. Test and repair steam turbine traps, governor
computer trend data was collected at one minute intervals and linkages, and over speed trip, as recommended. Motor
therefore did not accurately represent the field motion. drivers should be kept clean (fans and air passages) of
Engineering personnel worked to understand the reason for the debris.
motion and provided a report to operations that the issue • As stated in the previous section, it is good practice to
would need to be addressed or otherwise risk taking an periodically test the aux pump auto startup system. (If you
unscheduled outage. A plan was developed to work the rack don’t have confidence that it will start during a controlled
in service, and during the work, several components of the test, how can you have confidence that it will start when you
valve rack were identified as significantly worn. The rack was are not there?) Work out the bugs for the test during the next
repaired and returned to service. Had this situation been downtime opportunity. Develop a detailed procedure and
allowed to continue unabated, the rack would have likely checklist.
locked up forcing an unscheduled outage. • Some locations have government requirements to test relief
1-4 Preventative Maintenance valves periodically.
• For large motor drivers, change the air filters at a regular
The first place to start with preventative maintenance is to interval. Sweep bugs and trash off the inlet grill
look at the OEM manual. This document will form the periodically.
foundation of the list of items to consider in the Preventative • Check large motors for internal oil leaks. If the motor is
Maintenance (PM) program. TEWAC (Totally Enclosed Water-Air Cooled) type check
Some items can and should be performed while the for water leaks. Keep oil sight glasses clean externally
machine is running. These are the items considered in this (clean them internally during a shutdown)
discussion. Those items that require a shutdown are the • Set up a regular interval to check the steam turbine Trip and
subject of sections 2-1 and 2-2 (Discussion of maintenance Throttle Valve (TTV) partial stroke to prove it will close
intervals and Prep-Planning for outages). Suggested PM items when demanded (partial stroke testing is NOT a
are listed below. The time interval to check them is dependent preventative measure to keep the shaft clean of scale or
upon site experience and conditions. For a new installation, deposits; it does show the stem to bushing clearance is
shorter intervals are recommended. Gradually lengthen the acceptable.).
intervals with experience; perhaps some items can be • Block in and stroke-check the compressor recycle and anti-
lengthened to match the basic machine shutdown interval surge valves periodically to confirm proper operation and
(discussed in section 2-2), but should rarely be completely record the opening times.
eliminated. • Keep steam turbine insulation in good shape to protect
adjacent sensitive controls and instrumentation. Oil soaked
• Keeping the equipment clean and the collection and disposal insulation should be promptly replaced as it represents a
of any oil leakage will allow the observation of small potential fire hazard. Check that insulation is not close to
changes. For example, leaks at oil/air/gas fittings will leave moving linkages or valve stems where it could impede
a telltale dirt track on the adjacent surface. This allows leaks motion.
to be caught and corrected before they can become a critical • Change the oil at a planned turnaround or by bleed/feed in
driver for a planned (or unplanned) shutdown. accordance with the oil supplier’s recommendations, and
• Compiling a list of “to do” items if the unit trips is wise, periodic oil test results. Most major oil suppliers have a test
separated into categories of timing “hours”, “days”, service available. To obtain the best information have the oil
“major”. For example, greasing a steam turbine linkage samples caught in a consistent location/method and test for
may take only an hour of down time, while replacing a particulates, water, acidity, viscosity, etc. Basic tests should
leaking compressor seal may take a few days. Always keep be performed multiple times per year. An annual
this list evergreen and well-publicized for yourself and the comprehensive test will point to which parameters to check
maintenance and operating departments. more often.
• Change oil filters on a regular basis. The interval should be • Check steam turbine linkages for wear on the linkage pins
based on unit experience, either time or filter differential and shaft bearings visually on a regular basis. Some
pressure, but it should not be put off too long because some components can be lubricated or replaced online.
filter materials degrade with time. • Check oil centrifuges or vacuum dehydrators for proper
• Oil coolers should be cleaned during the colder months of function.
the year based on site experience. They can become fouled • Check/clean the rundown tank vacuum breaker.
on the water side (or air if a fin-fan cooler type) AND on the
oil side as oil contaminates (varnish) typically accumulate

Copyright© 2013 by Turbomachinery Laboratory, Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station

 Proceedings of the 42nd Turbomachinery Symposium
October 1 - 3, 2013, Houston, Texas

1-5 Documentation Section 2-2 of this tutorial covers the appropriate intervals for
this maintenance:
The purpose of this section is to highlight both the
documentation that should be available when you arrive at the Documentation and records of each maintenance effort
site, as well as what documentation needs to be generated in should be retained to build a historical file on each key piece
the course of operation and maintenance efforts. of equipment. Information that should be retained consists of
the following.
Importance of up-to-date OEM Installation and
Operations Manuals • Full details of why the equipment was down for
maintenance – Was it a planned outage? Or due to
Existing materials that should be on hand at any facility
unforeseen circumstances?
consists of up-to-date Installation and Operation Manuals
(IOM’s) for all critical pieces of equipment. It is important to • Full reports from key individuals associated with the
verify that the latest revision of the documents are available, maintenance effort. This should include details on what
as often times revisions (alarm/shut-down set points, part specific activities were undertaken, any general observations
numbers, etc.) are generated during the original installation of the equipment, any recommendations for future
and commissioning period. It is also recommended to verify maintenance that is not being performed at this time, and
with OEMs if any applicable post shipment updates pertaining any difficulties with specific tasks. Anything out of the
to your equipment are available. ordinary should be photo-documented for future reference.
• Full details (part numbers and quantities) on what
Another potential pitfall is if a third party Engineering consumable materials were used during the outage.
and Procurement Contractor (EPC) was involved with the • Comment on whether any capital spares (such as rotor
original installation. In those circumstances, the OEM may assemblies, dry gas seal assemblies, bull gear/pinion sets,
still have them on record for any documentation updates. As etc.) are used. If so, details such as serial numbers (from
such, it is recommended to confirm that the OEM has your OEM) or stock/inventory number (from end-user) should be
organization registered to receive any IOM updates and/or recorded.
post-shipment updates
Lastly, it is recommended that if in the course of Retaining this information will be useful for future
operation and maintenance of equipment, you, as the end-user reference to document how often the same issue is recurring,
make any changes, and these should be relayed back to the as well as for guidance on setting maintenance intervals in the
OEM. This would include both the primary OEM, as well as future.
whomever the end-user purchased the equipment through. 1-6 Performance Monitoring
Example – During the course of operation and The benefits of performance monitoring differs from
maintenance of a gearbox, an end-user identified a machine to machine based on service and machine type.
vibration issue. The end-user consulted directly with Services that have high tendency for fouling tend to have more
the gearbox OEM. An alternate bearing design was dramatic performance changes compared to clean services
recommended, which resolved the vibration issue. such as refrigeration. Steam turbines should be treated as a
The problem was that the gearbox was purchased as fouling type service regardless of how “clean” a system claims
part of a complete compression package, with the to be due to the potential for boiler chemistry upsets. Table 2
compressor OEM as the prime supplier. In this case lists the key parameters that should be recorded for critical
if the end-user approached the compressor OEM for turbomachinery along with the suggested scan intervals.
spare parts in the future, they would be supplied with
the original design, as the compressor OEM are Fouling Compressor (includes air machines)
unaware of the design change. For this reason Stage efficiency (trend not Daily/real-time
notification of both the OEM as well as the prime actual)
supplier (not the EPC) is recommended. Balance piston seal leakage Monthly
rate
Additional documentation that should be on hand consists Wheel to wheel pressure Quarterly
of applicable industry specifications, standards and survey
recommended practices. This would consist of previously
Throughput vs design Yearly
noted API 670 relating to Machinery Protection Systems (see
Section 1-1) as well as any API Recommended Practices
documents associated with equipment that you have at your Clean Service Compressor
facility. Stage efficiency (actual) Yearly
Balance piston seal leakage Monthly
Importance of Full and Accurate Documentation of rate
Maintenance Efforts / History Wheel to wheel pressure Commissioning
During the course of operation of equipment, regular survey
maintenance is necessary to ensure availability and long life. Throughput vs design Yearly

Copyright© 2013 by Turbomachinery Laboratory, Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station

 Proceedings of the 42nd Turbomachinery Symposium
October 1 - 3, 2013, Houston, Texas

Steam Turbines • Compressor seal leakage rate increase (sour oil loss) due to
Stage efficiency (trend not Daily/real-time fouling or coking of the seal
actual) • Bearing temperature –long term trends
First stage wheel pressure Daily • Coupling wear (for the older gear type couplings)

Thrust bearing temperature Monthly 2-2 Preparation and Planning for Outages (both planned and
unplanned)
Hot well conductivity Daily/real-time
This section focuses on planning for both regular
Steam impurity Daily/real-time maintenance outages as well as being prepared for unplanned
Throughput vs. design Yearly outages.
Table 2. Monitoring Parameters and Intervals for
Turbomachinery. Identify different levels of outage
Based on the specific goals of an outage, there are several
SECTION 2: OUTAGE AND MAINTENANCE levels to be considered.
2-1 Maintenance Intervals • Basic Inspection: This will generally be a short duration
There are two basic categories to consider when setting the outage and is limited to minor visual/physical/dimensional
maintenance strategy for the unit planned outages: operating inspections. Intent is to fine tune the maintenance intervals
constraints and maintenance/mechanical constraints. noted in Section 2-1.
• Routine Minor Maintenance: This will generally be for
• Operating constraints can include: fouling/corrosion/erosion replacement of common consumable/wear items such as
of non-machinery operating equipment (drums, towers, journal or thrust bearing pads as well as maintenance of
reactors, etc.). There can also be government regulatory various auxiliary systems that cannot be accessed during
inspection interval requirements. Sometimes these intervals operation.
are shorter than the machinery requirements. • Routine Major Maintenance: This will generally consist of
• Maintenance/mechanical constraints should initially be maintenance or replacement of major capital spares such as
based on OEM recommendations when the unit is first rotor assemblies, dry gas seals, or bull gear/pinion sets.
commissioned. As unit experience is accumulated, the • Full Overhaul / Revamp Outage: This consists of full
interval on certain items can be adjusted with careful review rework of the equipment in question. This type of outage
of the operational history. will generally require significant planning and longer outage
duration.
Where the operating constraints interval is shorter than some
(or all) of the maintenance mechanical constraints, the strategy Ensure availability of necessary spares for level of outage
for certain planned activities may be a mixture. For example
the machinery must be shut down for a reactor catalyst change As noted previously in this section, there are several
every three years. The OEM recommends seal different levels of outage. Each will have its own list of
overhaul/replacement every five years. The strategy may be to consumable materials required. It is recommended to generate
replace the seals at the first outage after three years of a list of common outages, and what consumables are
operation. If the seals are found to be in excellent condition, historically required for each type. Review of maintenance
and the risk is believed to be low enough, then the seals will records should provide guidance on this. Prior to any planned
be replaced again in six years (skipping a planned outage). outage it is recommended to verify that all appropriate
spares/consumables are physically confirmed to be on hand
and in good condition.
In other words, based on actual experience, some base
intervals can be lengthened by considering conditions found Note – The recommendation is to procure a full set of
during the previous outage, or one/two turnaround intervals. consumables before each outage, even if there is a set on the
Keep in mind that extending the interval without making fact shelf. This gives you the advantage of having an additional
based decisions is simply run to failure. Take prudent, well spare if something is lost and/or damaged in storage or during
considered risks, using good judgment coupled with industry maintenance efforts.
experience. Follow the OEM recommendation until there is Ensure availability of necessary standard and special
clear justification and experience to suggest otherwise. tools
Items that can set turnaround intervals are: As with spares, each type of outage will generally require
• Large motor cleaning a specific set of standard and special tools. As you go further
• Steam turbine internal erosion (or fouling) of rotating or into the equipment, the list will get longer. Definition of tools
stationary components required for each specific task can be found by reviewing the
• Compressor internal fouling, erosion, corrosion maintenance section of the OEM service manuals.

Copyright© 2013 by Turbomachinery Laboratory, Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station

 Proceedings of the 42nd Turbomachinery Symposium
October 1 - 3, 2013, Houston, Texas

Recommendation is to review the list of special tools • If equipped with dry gas seals, is source of high-pressure
noted for the planned outage, and then physically gather and seal gas subject to interruption? If so, be prepared with
inspect these items. If any items are missing or damaged, they spare set of dry gas seals.
should be replaced/repaired prior to the shutdown. In • Are there any known issues with quality/reliability of plant
addition, if any heavy lifting is required, all eye utilities? If so, review what could happen if any systems
bolts/slings/chain falls/etc. should be physically inspected to were compromised.
ensure all are in good condition. o Quality of cooling water can affect process coolers
If there is potential that the alignment of the equipment and lube oil coolers.
could be affected, be sure to have necessary special tools on o Quality/reliability of instrument air can affect
hand. In many cases this calls for laser alignment equipment, control of process valves and bearing seals.
which may not have been supplied by the OEM. In that o Quality/reliability of steam system can affect
circumstance you will need to either procure or arrange for reliability and power of steam turbine drives. This
availability of this specialized tool. In addition, due to the would be true for everything from lube oil pump
nature of laser alignment equipment, it may be recommended drivers up to prime mover turbines.
to secure the services of a specialist technician to perform the • Is the site specific process known to have an issue with wet
alignment process. The key benefit here is that the specialist or dirty process gas? If so, plan ahead for potential
will generally be much more familiar with the equipment and ingestion of large quantity of liquid and or solid material.
process through regular use (as opposed to using once every This can encompass complete spare compressor internal
couple years). bundles, spare bull gear/pinion sets, or full sets of drive
couplings. While cost of these spares may be high, it is
Identify key engineering and technical resources for level generally dwarfed by the cost of extended downtime to
of outage remove and repair/replace materials that may have failed in
Depending on the level of outage, varying levels of an incident.
Engineering and Technical resources may be required. As
with spares and tooling, the recommendation is to generate a 2-3 Additional Peripheral Systems
list of required resources for common outages, and ensure In preparation for an outage, there are many pieces of
their availability. This can include but is not limited to the equipment that are associated with the machinery trains that
following. must also receive attention, and should be included in the
planning process. Although outside the scope of this tutorial
• Mechanics
they are listed below so they are not overlooked. Experience
• Millwrights
has shown that many unplanned outages are initiated by items
• Welder that are out of the machinery specialist normal scope, but are
• Electrical/Instrument Technicians equally important. The machinery specialist should consider
• Maintenance Supervisor these items when discussing maintenance intervals, and
• Safety Supervisor finalizing outage plans:
• Process Piping Isolation Specialist
• OEM Field Service Representative • Large motor starters
• High voltage electrical switchgear
Note – If your outage is due to difficulty with a specific • Turning gear motors and their engagement mechanisms
piece of rotating equipment (motor, gear, compressor), it may • Check valves (compressors and steam turbine extraction)
be prudent to confirm the contact information for the OEM • Motor operated valves
Technical Support department. They can then be consulted • Vacuum breaker valves on steam turbine condensers
either prior to or during the outage to provide assistance as • Condensers (tubes, internal deflectors, expansion joints)
necessary. • Suction drum demister pads or internal gratings
Contingency Planning • Equipment foundation condition (oil issues, cracks, missing
pieces, anchor hardware, etc.)
With respect to planning for unplanned outages, the key is • Any other un-spared support equipment.
to identify (ahead of time) potential issues with the equipment.
Review of site specific process and historical service records Many sites have specialists (other than machinery) that
can provide guidance. are more knowledgeable about these areas, and these
• It is always a good idea to have a complete set of basic specialists should be consulted. They can help formulate the
consumable materials (gaskets, O-rings, specialized sealant, specific plans and maintenance strategies for these peripheral
etc.) to be ready to open and inspect all major components pieces of equipment, complementing the machinery plans.
of the equipment train. CONCLUSIONS
• Is site specific process noted for process upsets leading to
vibration spikes? If so, be prepared with a complete set of As noted in the various sections of this tutorial, there are
bearings, consumables and internal seals. quite a few aspects to consider relating to the operations and
Copyright© 2013 by Turbomachinery Laboratory, Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station
 Proceedings of the 42nd Turbomachinery Symposium
October 1 - 3, 2013, Houston, Texas

maintenance of un-spared compressor trains and their

auxiliary systems. Neglecting any one of these aspects can
lead to decreased performance of the equipment, decreased
reliability, and an increase in maintenance costs.
Through careful consideration and planning, these risks
can be mitigated by understanding the equipment requirements
and diligent adherence to the recommendations noted in this
tutorial. With regular review of operational trends and
physical inspections one will become more intimately familiar
with the equipment in question. With this, and review of
historical maintenance records, one will be able to confidently
predict when maintenance is required and what materials and
documentation should be on hand to support these efforts.
This will ultimately support the overall goals of safe
operation, increased reliability and decreased maintenance
costs associated with the equipment.
NOMENCLATURE
API American Petroleum Institute
EMRO Electrical and Mechanical Runout
EPC Engineering and Procurement Contractor
IOM Installation and Operation Manual
OEM Original Equipment Manufacturer
PM Preventive Maintenance
TEWAC Totally Enclosed Water-Air Cooled
TTV Trip and Throttle Valve

REFERENCES
API 670, 2003, “Machinery Protection Systems”, Fourth
Edition, American Petroleum Institute, Washington, D.C.
API RP 686, 2009, “Recommended Practice for Machinery
Installation and Installation Design”, Second Edition,
American Petroleum Institute, Washington, D.C.
API RP 687, 2009, “Rotor Repair”, First Edition, American
Petroleum Institute, Washington, D.C.
Eisenmann, R. C., Sr., and Eisenmann, R. C., Jr., 1997,
Machinery Malfunction Diagnosis and Correction: Vibration
Analysis and Troubleshooting for the Process Industries,
Engelwood Cliffs, NJ: PTR Prentice Hall, p. 299.
Eshleman, R. L., 1999, Basic Machinery Vibrations: An
Introduction to Machine Testing, Analysis, and Monitoring,
Clarendon Hill, IL: VIPress, Inc., p. 5.4,

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The authors would like to recognize our respective companies
LyondellBasell, ExxonMobil, and Dresser-Rand for allowing
this paper to be published and the Texas A&M University for
providing the venue at which to present this work. We would
also like to thank Joe Moreno of LyondellBasell, Rob Fisher
of ExxonMobil, and Mark Kuzdzal of Dresser-Rand for
providing us the opportunity to work on this tutorial. Lastly
we would like to thank our advisor on this tutorial John
Whalen of John Crane.

Copyright© 2013 by Turbomachinery Laboratory, Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station