(14e) How Cracked Gas Compressors Must Be Monitored for Machinery 3 "P" - Protection, Prediction, and Performance

The Cracked Gas Compressor is the bottle neck equipment in the ethylene process. So monitoring this key asset for machinery health is essential. This oral discussion will provide a fundamental understanding behind the common methods utilized in monitoring machinery health that API 670 refers to as the 3 ?P?s.

The paper will cover the essential terms and aspects communicated behind API 670 Protection systems, including vibration sensors, locations, installation methods, monitoring practices, hardware requirements, integration to existing process control, and user graphics standards.

Machinery health prediction systems provide advanced warning of common issues (imbalance, alignment, coupling issues, sleeve bearing behavior, etc.). A fundamental tutorial behind the extra processing techniques required to provide predictive information are addressed, including a brief vibration primer for the non-expert listeners.

Machinery health performance is an application that has strategic alignment with cracked gas compressors. The discussion covers methods and challenges of calculating equipment performance efficiencies and how this information is communicated to operators and reliability resources.

The paper will cover bottom line financial impact to monitoring the 3 ?P?s on the cracked gas compressor as well as the refrigeration compressors.

The listener will have a good fundamental understanding of 3P for Turbomachinery.