Introduction to Vibration Problems at Compressor Stations

Presented by: Gary Maxwell, Chris Harper, Shelley Greenfield (Beta Machinery Analysis)

Welcome
Purpose: Introduction to compressor vibration
(for more detail, recommend the 2.5 day GMRC Course in May)

Focus on practical issues. Audience participationdemos, case studies, questions, etc.

(We cant take you to the field, so we are bringing the field to the classroom)

Presenters introductions Questions for the parking lot?

Vibration Induced Pipe Fatigue Failure

Compressors, Pumps, Engines, Turbines and other Rotating Machines Cause Vibration Related Problems

HIGH IMPACT FAILURES: Significant financial costs Safety/environmental liabilities

Todays Topics
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

Vibration Overview Sources of Vibration Pulsation Control Mechanical Resonance Torsional Analysis Pipe Strain Small Bore Piping Start-up Vibration Survey Summary

1. Vibration Overview

Presented by: Chris Harper

How Equipment Fails

Vibration is the leading cause of mechanical problems Equipment and piping fail due to excessive STRESS (fatigue failure)

Pulsation

Forces

Vibration

Stress

Failure

What is vibration?
Vibration = periodic motion about an equilibrium position Vibration can be described with: Amplitude and Frequency (number of cycles per time) or Period (time to complete one cycle)

Vibration frequency
Number of cycles per unit of time CPM = cycles per minute Hz = cycles per second (cps) RPM = rotations per minute For simplicity, frequency is measured in Hz Convert from CPM or RPM to Hz by dividing by 60 3600 RPM 60 Hz

Vibration amplitude
Three related units Displacement (m, mils) Velocity (mm/s, in/s or ips) Acceleration (mm/s2, in/s2, gs) Only related when vibration is simple, like in a springmass system

Two Ways to Look at Vibration

Time domain amplitude typically higher

Units = seconds

Time-domain Overall vibration

than frequency domain amplitude

Frequency-domain Individual vibration

Units = Hz

Time domain

frequency domain

Another way to visualize it

Time domain and frequency domain show the same information, just in different ways Frequency domain breaks out the components of the time domain Time domain is measured Frequency domain is calculated

Overall time-domain vibration terminology

peak

peak

Peak-to-peak

Peak (measure of deflection) is used more often than RMS (measure of energy) Frequency domain is either peak or RMS (not peak-to-peak)

Peak-to-peak

RMS

RMS

Vibration Directions (common terminology)

Vertical Axial: along crankshaft

Horizontal: direction of piston motion

Video #1 Vibration Equation

Demo #1 Scrubber Vibration

BETA guidelines - velocity

Dashed lines adapted from SwRI Piping guideline also applicable for vessels, and for small bore piping ( 2 NPS) At individual frequencies, not overall (timedomain) vibration

Comparison
Many different vibration guidelines Remember than vibrations over guideline mean more investigation needed Use 1 ips (FD) or 1.5 ips (TD) as a screening guideline for piping
18

2. Sources of Vibration
Presented by: Shelley Greenfield

Vibration Risk Areas

Mechanical Pulsation Torsional (Acoustics)

Small Bore Skid & Foundation (Dynamics)

Risk Areas and Design Considerations

Thermal Expansion: Piping Layout and Supports

Off-skid Pulsations

Interaction Between Other Units

Risk Areas and Design Considerations

Thermal Expansion; Piping Layout and Supports System Pressure Drop (performance issue, losses) Off-skid Pulsations

Responsibility
Pulsations and thermal growth cross boundaries of responsibility Vibration consultant hired by packager may be acceptable for small gathering systems good specifications and communication Large critical pipeline, storage, or offshore units recommend vibration consultant hired by owner

Owner Engineering firm Packager Vibration consultant

Dynamic force on reciprocating compressor

Unbalanced Forces and Moments due to Reciprocating Motion

Pulsation Shaking Forces in Piping

Crosshead Guide Forces

Gas Forces (Cylinder Stretch)

Forces occur at multiples of runspeed

1x Compressor primary forces & moments Cylinder gas forces (rod load) Pulsation shaking forces (single-acting) Compressor secondary forces & moment Crosshead guide forces Cylinder gas forces Pulsation shaking forces (double-acting)

2x

3x Cylinder gas forces Pulsation shaking forces

How High Can Pulsation Forces Get?

Cooler Nozzle Failure
System: Ariel JGK/2 compressor Booster service (0.605 specific gravity) Waukesha L7042GSI engines (700-1200 RPM) 880 - 1000 psig suction pressure, 1058 1270 psig discharge pressure HEVV pockets, double acting, 1 stage Problem: The cooler nozzle cracked shortly after start-up Many other problems Beta Mobilized to Site Collected vibration and pulsation data

Pulsation Shaking Forces Can Be Very High

Guesses as to how high force could be in this run of piping? 6 pipe - area = 26 in2

Original Bottles

No acoustical study had been performed To solve problem, Beta conducted acoustical study and recommended new bottles

As Found Unbalanced Forces

11000 lbf pk-pk at 38 Hz What speed? Vertical Riser to Cooler 38 Hz x 60 s/min 2 = 1140 RPM

Gas Forces Cause Cylinder Motion

Act on cylinder, bottles, scrubber and piping Create high vibrations around compressor

Example: ODS Field Data

Vibration Risk: Compressor APPLICATION

Lower Risk

Vib. Risk Factors # of Units Online Location Unit Criticality Efficiency

Higher Risk

1 Convenient Not Not Important

Many Offshore or Remote Critical to the Process Important

Vibration Risk: Compressor CONFIGURATION

Lower Risk

Vib. Risk Factors Gas Composition Load Steps

Higher Risk

Sweet 1 Step, DA Fixed Fixed 2 stg (4 or 6 cylinder) CR > 1.7 < 150

Sour, Heavy DA + SA
(>50% turndown)

Suct./Disc. Pressure Wide range; Speed Compressor Stages Compression Ratio HP/ Cylinder Wide Range 1 stg (many cylinders) < 1.3 > 750

Vibration Study Scope

Compressor Package Off-Skid Piping Vibration Foundation & Structure Small Bore Piping
Pulsation/mechanical analysis Torsional vibration analysis Options: thermal, skid analysis Pulsations & other units Mechanical analysis (supports) Transient analysis Dynamic analysis to avoid resonance Design review and/or field audit

3. Pulsation Control

Presented by: Shelley Greenfield

Pulsation animation
Pulsations in non-flowing gas Notice change in pressure and velocity

Video #2 - Pulsations and Other Forces

Pulsation Forces In Piping System

Example: Interstage System

Cooler

Discharge Piping

Suction Piping

Pulsation Forces DA vs. SA

Cylinder vertical forces

Can be significant Pulsations controlled with orifice plates Vibration controlled with outboard supports

Case Study: Compressor Vibration

Before - Vibration Problem

After Modifications

Compressors Installed Vibration Problem

6 Compressors 1700 HP each

Vibration Problems
Customer tried to fix problem no success Units not fully operational very expensive called BETA for help
Unacceptable Vibration

Vibration Test Points (from Client)

Example: Piping to Cooler (Riser)

Excessive Pulsation Forces (lbf Pk-Pk)

As Found: Forces > 3 time guideline

guideline

Excessive Vibration (forced response model)

Other Problem Locations (Unbalanced Forces, lbf pk-pk)

Suction Bottle Forces

Discharge Bottle Forces

guideline guideline

Excessive forces in suction & discharge system Major changes required

Recommendations
New Bottles (Suction; Discharge) Modify Piping and Supports (including off-skid)

Recommendations Implemented

BEFORE

AFTER

Location: Piping Riser to Cooler

Case Summary
Vibration problems are expensive Small errors during design stage are avoidable Illustrates how vibration analysis techniques used to solve or prevent problems (compared to trial and error fixes)

What Happens to Pulsations if Operating Envelope Changes?

Design Change: Increased # Initial Operating Points
of Load Steps and Ps Range

ACCEPTABLE Bottle Shaking Forces

Bottle Shaking Forces >200% of Guideline. High Risk of Vibration Problem

Bottle sizing
Risks of incorrect bottle sizes: Oversized bottles: Mechanical problems (i.e., low MNF Expensive materials and welding Undersized bottles: Pulsations/forces not controlled Orifice plates pressure drop gas costs

bracing)

secondary volumes lost capacity, fuel

Pulsation mitigation
Surge volumes and resistive elements (orifice plates) are simple but can be costly (capital and pressure drop)

Acoustic filtering offers much more pulsation control with some capital cost but very little pressure drop

Factors affecting pulsation mitigation

Speed range Fixed Narrow Wide Fixed Narrow Wide Valve unloaders Difficulty controlling pulsations Very low Low Medium Medium High Very high Difficulty controlled vibration Low Medium High Low Medium High

For example, fixed speed =1200rpm, narrow speed range = 900 - 1200rpm, wide speed range = 600 - 1200rpm

Optimizing Pulsation Control

Case study - Impact of off-skid piping

Case study: One stage, two-throw Dresser-Rand 5BVIP2 1200 RPM, gas speed of sound 1200 ft/s Both single-acting (SA) and double-acting (DA) Off-skid piping comes several weeks after pulsation study was completed - two units with two coolers Stages of analysis: Bottle sizing with a damper check On-skid design with infinite pipe termination Off-skid piping added On-skid design is volume-choke filter

Piping layout

Damper Check Piping Layout On-Skid Piping Layout Off-Skid Piping Layout

Pulsations: - Cylinder nozzle - Bottle outlet nozzle - Skid edge Shaking Forces: - Cylinder - Bottle - Crossover piping

Pulsations - discharge nozzle

25 Pulsations, psi pk-pk 20 15 10 5 0 1x, SA 1x, DA 2x, SA 2x, DA Damper Check On-Skid Off-Skid

Shaking force - crossover piping

450 Shaking Forces, lbf pk-pk 400 350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0

On-Skid Off-Skid

2x, SA

2x, DA

What was the difference?

Hint: the length between the discharge bottle and the cooler header is 15 feet Half-wave between bottle and cooler header box volume amplified pulsations

Multiple compressors beat frequency

Unit A and B run at slightly different speeds Unit A Because of this, the pulsations go in and out of phase

Unit A Unit B Unit B Total pulsation amplitude is sum of pulsations from each unit Beat frequency is related to the speed differential between Unit A and B Combined Pulsations
Animation courtesy of Dr. Dan Russell, Kettering University

Summary
Shaking forces are more important to control than pulsations Acoustic filters are more effective than orifice plates for controlling pulsations More pressure drop is required to filter pulsations when wider speed ranges are used or unit single-acting The more information included in a pulsation study improves accuracy and reduces risk

4. Mechanical Resonance

Presented by: Chris Harper

Summary

Example of Mechanical Analysis Model

Mechanical Analysis - MNFs

Frequencies where small forces result in large vibration response of structure

Modal Analysis
Finite Element Analysis (FEA) used to calculate Mechanical Natural Frequencies (MNFs) Elastic Modulus Geometry Density Measure MNFs with Bump Test

Demo #2 Mechanical Natural Frequency

Mechanical Resonance
We define resonance when force frequency is +/- 10% of MNF At resonance, displacement can be magnified by 40 times can cause fatigue failure What happens at 3X? What about 4X? 6X? Potential resonance,
but insufficient force to cause problems

MNFs

Forces

| 1x

| 2x

| 3x
Frequency

| 4x

| 5x

| 6x

Change design to shift MNF away from resonance

Mechanical Analysis Design Goal

Forces

MNF

| 1x

| | | 2x 3x 4x API 618 Design Goal MNF > 2.4 x

Wide speed range

Frequency avoidance becomes challenging as speed range is increased Blocking out speeds may help avoid resonance
No room for MNF to hide

Magnitude of Force

Speed of driver
1200 rpm

700 rpm

MNF

Frequency (orders of run speed)

| 1x

| 2x

MNFs of Main Components in Relation to Compressor Harmonics

2.4 X 900 RPM 2.4 X 1200 RPM

Bottle MNFs: 40-70 Hz Typ. Cylinder MNFs: 30-50 Hz Typ. Scrubber MNFs: 15-30 Hz Typ.
Example: Scrubber Design Move MNF to Higher Frequency = Extra costs; design modification

20 Hz

40 Hz

50 Hz

60 Hz

70 Hz

Load Path Considerations

Poor Installation/Design: Cylinder Better Design:

compressor and piping

skid Pile foundation

Example: Mechanical Analysis

Demonstrates MNF (Mechanical Natural Frequency), resonance, cylinder gas loads, forced response Analysis, LWN (Long Weld Neck) solution for suction bottles. Ariel KBZ-6, Gas Load of 7,500 lbs (0-pk) at 3x on stage 3

Case Study 3rd Stage MNF (API 618 Step 3a)

Case Study 3rd Stage MNF

Case Study Cylinder Gas Loads at 3x?

TABLE L.2 - Cylinder Gas Forces (kips,0-Pk) in Horizontal direction Unit: Ariel KBZ/6 STAGE#3 CYLINDER# 2 COND# 01X 02X 03X 1 75.0 5.7 4.3 2 69.6 5.5 6.5 3 67.8 5.4 7.0 4 65.8 5.3 7.5 49.1 4.5 5.2 5 6 48.4 4.3 5.5

04X 0.7 1.1 1.2 1.3 4.1 4.1

05X 3.4 2.9 2.7 2.5 1.6 1.6

06X 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.1 1.1 1.2

07X 0.7 0.7 0.9 1.0 0.4 0.4

08X 0.8 0.9 0.9 1.0 0.4 0.3

09X 0.9 0.9 0.8 0.7 0.2 0.3

10X 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.6 0.5

Therefore 7500 lbs (0-pk) at 3x compressor run speed. (Weight of large SUV fully reversing 43.5 times per second!) Causes cylinder stretch

Case Study Forced Response Analysis (API 618 Step 3b1)

Case Study 3rd Stage MNF, with LWN

Case Study 3rd Stage MNF, with LWN

Case Study Cylinder Gas Loads at 4x?

TABLE L.2 - Cylinder Gas Forces (kips,0-Pk) in Horizontal direction Unit: Ariel KBZ/6

STAGE#3 CYLINDER# 2 COND# 01X 02X 03X 1 75.0 5.7 4.3 2 69.6 5.5 6.5 3 67.8 5.4 7.0 4 65.8 5.3 7.5 5 49.1 4.5 5.2 6 48.4 4.3 5.5

04X 0.7 1.1 1.2 1.3 4.1 4.1

05X 3.4 2.9 2.7 2.5 1.6 1.6

06X 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.1 1.1 1.2

07X 0.7 0.7 0.9 1.0 0.4 0.4

08X 0.8 0.9 0.9 1.0 0.4 0.3

09X 0.9 0.9 0.8 0.7 0.2 0.3

10X 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.6 0.5

Gas Loads are less at 4x compressor run speed than at 3x

Case Study Forced Response Analysis

Conflict Between Thermal and Dynamic Study

Thermal solution has large distance between clamps, thermal loops, and resting supports Dynamic solution has short distance between clamps and avoids elbows Balanced solution has clamps and thermal loops API 618 recommends same company conduct both studies

Solutions - Scrubber Bracing

Increase MNF of scrubbers to guideline levels, or inter-tune if possible May be required on some high RPM compressors Scrubber attachments more likely to fail

5. Torsional Vibration

Presented by: Chris Harper

Torsional Vibration Crank Failures

Torsional Vibration Coupling Failures

Video #3 Torsional Vibration

Purpose of Torsional Analysis

To predict excessive vibratory stress or amplitude problems in driveline of driver / coupling / compressor Potential Torsional Problems Compressor/Engine Crankshaft failure Motor Shaft Failures or Spider Failure (welded joints) Coupling Failure (Disk Pack, Rubber, Other) Damper/Coupling Heat Loads Compressor auxiliary drive amplitudes Engine Free End Amplitudes (Gear Problems) Motor Free End Amplitudes (Fan) Current Pulsation

Torsional Vibration - Applications

A TVA should be done for:
Any new driver or compressor combination Any change in compressor configuration (different cylinders) Different motor (same frame rarely means same rotor inside) Different operating conditions (than what was originally studied) Drive trains experiencing failures VFD applications Critical applications Risk Chart May help to determine if a Study is required http://www.betamachinery.com/uploadedFiles/001__Design_Services/001__Reciprocating_Compressors/Recip_RISK_Chart_Vibration_Control_3. 1.xls

Thorough Checks Required

Analyze full operating map PLUS upset conditions Include tolerance band to consider fabrication and installation uncertainty Motor stub shaft to be the same diameter as the compressor stub
Risk of Failure at some pressures and speeds

6. Pipe Strain

Presented by: Chris Harper

Pipe Strain
Several recent jobs where we encountered unexplained high frequency vibrations and failures Isolated the cause as pipe strain

Effects
Pipe strain can: Increase natural frequencies (like a guitar string) Reduce damping (high frequency vibrations increase) Increase mean stress in system (making it more likely to fail due to vibrations)

Contributing Factors
Misaligned flanges Gaps between pipe and support

Flange Misalignment
ASME B31.3 offers guidance for flange alignment

Solutions
Custom or modified spool pieces, orifice plates, etc. Shim between piping and supports, rather than just tightening clamp bolts Post-weld heat treating (e.g., vessel nozzles) Designing more flexibility into system Small details are important!

7. Small Bore Piping Vibration

Presented by: Chris Harper

Small Bore Piping - Introduction

Also called Branch Connections Generally 2 inches (50mm) or less Instrumentation connection (taps, thermowells, gauges), vent lines, drains, site glasses, etc. Common on piping and vessels near compressors, pumps, etc.

Demo #3 Small Bore Piping

Video #4 Small Bore Piping Vibration

Why is SBP a High Risk Problem?

Small bore piping is often overlooked: May not be explicitly designed - field installed Not shown on compressor package GAs Not included in typical pulsation/vibration study Difficult to measure properly in the field Failure can lead to significant downtime

Field Measurements
Measure Relative Vibration, if required Steady State (Running) Transient (Start-up) Further check/investigation if exceeds screening guideline

Assessment Methods
Energy Institute Need dynamic force & poor design & poor location = high likelihood of failure GMRC Tables of lengths and weights FEA Calculate allowable vibration before failure

8. Start-up Vibration Survey

Presented by: Chris Harper

Steps for Commissioning

Note the operating condition (speed, loading, pressure, temperature, SG) Take vibration readings (remember units!) at consistent locations When to call an expert Solutions

Typical vibration measurement points

Scrubber: Bottle: Cylinder: Compressor frame & engine: Pipe: PSV: Main skid: Small Bore Piping: Top seam Both ends of bottle (seam); sometimes middle Cylinder head end Crank height drive and non-drive ends Elbows, between supports Top of valve body Front and rear corners End of cantilever; between supports

Plus other points if vibrations at above points are suspect!

Not all vibrations are alike

Be clear what is being measured and what guideline is being applied Overall vs. individual frequencies Units: mm/s vs. inches/second Peak or RMS (or pseudo RMS) Frequency range Apply appropriate guidelines (time-domain vs. frequency domain guidelines)

When do I call an expert?

Basic repairs/modifications do not work Try temporary bracing first Very high vibration levels Vibrations are high in multiple areas Vibrations are high for multiple operating conditions Suspect pulsations are high High vibrations away from compressor Need help measuring or interpreting data

Solutions
Vibration = Dynamic Force x Dynamic Flexibility Control forces Pulsation control devices like orifice plates Moving acoustic natural frequencies Control flexibility Gussets Bracing Modified or additional clamping Moving mechanical natural frequencies

Braces Test temporary brace

Add wooden brace as field test

9. Summary

Presented by: Shelley Greenfield

Video #5 - Summary

Summary - Vibration
Vibration = Dynamic Force x Dynamic Flexibility Vibration cannot be eliminated, but can be controlled through a balance between cost, performance and reliability The earlier vibration risk is identified, the easier (and cheaper) it is to deal with

Draft Vibration Specification (GMRC)

Scope of Work for Compressor System (Pipeline, Gas Injection/Withdrawal, Critical Application)
Study A. Analysis Step Preliminary Design Review & Preliminary Pulsation Bottle Sizing Description Project Planning Stage: Assess operating range, unloading plan, piping layout options. Provide preliminary pulsation control scheme and estimated vessel sizing. Assess stress and vibration on crankshaft(s) (driver and compressor system), and coupling dynamic torque effects. Pulsation study of compressor and piping system (including package and station piping). Provide final recommendations on pulsation control solution. Evaluate pressure drop of pulsation control devices and piping system concurrently. Evaluate impact on compressor performance. Mechanical dynamic analysis of on-skid piping, supports, and vessels. FEA modelling can be applied where necessary. Provide recommendations for small bore piping support and vibration control. Optional: Forced Response Analysis of the Compressor Manifold and Vessels when necessary. (Proper design practices using resonance avoidance can eliminate the need for this task.) Optional: Forced Response Analysis of Off-Skid Piping System when necessary. (Proper design practices using resonance avoidance can eliminate the need for this task.)

B. C D

Torsional Vibration Analysis (TVA) Pulsation Analysis Pressure Drop and Performance Report Mechanical Analysis

Piping Flexibility (Thermal Stress) Analysis Skid Dynamic and Static Analysis

Static Analysis of piping and vessels to evaluate stress and equipment loads due to weight, pressure and temperature changes. Evaluate vibration of the skid and equipment mounted on the skid due to dynamic loads from the compressor and driver. The foundation and the geotechnical properties should be considered. Evaluate skid design relative to lifting. Evaluate vibration of compressor, piping, skid, foundation and small bore piping. Evaluate pulsation, pressure drop, performance, and torsional vibration.

Commission Testing

Key Take-Aways
Properly specify vibration studies (scope, etc.) Assess vibrations on-skid and off-skid (across operating envelope) Thermal/Mechanical: performed by same group Consider small bore vibration survey Attention to details (alignment, installation, etc.) Start vibration study early Attend GMRCs 2.5 day course, Compressor Station Vibration, for more training.

Questions?

Chris Harper (charper@betamachinery.com) Shelley Greenfield Gary Maxwell