Consideration & Recommendations for Ethylene Producers When Specifying API Standard 692

The summer of 2018 saw the highly anticipated release of API Standard 692, Dry gas Sealing Systems for Axial, Centrifugal, Rotary Screw Compressors and Expanders. Now what? Inside the front cover of the standard and under "Special Notes" the fourth paragraph frames this question most eloquently;

"API publications are published to facilitate the broad availability of proven, sound engineering and operating practices. These publications are not intended to obviate the need for applying sound engineering judgement regarding when and where these publications should be utilized. The formulation and publication of API publications is not intended in any way to inhibit anyone from using any other practices."

Several parties are involved in the design, manufacture, and commissioning of a dry gas sealing system. If these parties do not communicate (or worse yet - miscommunicate) critical information then process reliability will be diminished.

This paper will begin to address the considerations and decisions within API Std 692 that all parties must reach mutual agreement upon from the centrifugal compressors and dry gas seal support system manufacturer's perspective, as it relates to ethylene production. This will include:

• Datasheets, operating conditions and their impact
• Seal selection
• Support system module selection
• Commissioning, start-up, shutdown, & restart
• Retrofit considerations & checklist