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Oil Carry Over in Air

Compressors on Ships
May 7, 2014 9:06 pm | Leave a Comment | Frozee

Starting air lines on board ships may contain large


amount of air along with fine droplets of oil mixed
with it. These oil droplets are formed by carry over
from air compressors. Any source of heat when
supplied to this rich mixture could result in
catastrophic starting air explosion. So it is important
to maintain starting air compressors in good
condition. Compressor performance, oil separator
operation, inter cooler and after cooler efficiency,
etc. to be monitored periodically. Also drain all air
bottles regularly to get rid of most of the water and
oil.
Reasons for Oil Carry Over in Air
Compressors

 Choking oil drain holes in the scraper rings


 Worn out oil scraper ring

 Wrong fitting of oil scraper rings

 Worn out liner

 Choking of crankcase breather (it results in

crankcase pressurization and eventually oil


carry over
 Excessive cylinder lubrication in some types of

compressors
How to Minimize it

 Replace worn out scraper rings


 Clear holes of scraper rings

 Fit scraper rings properly

 Clean and clear crankcase breather

 Adjust lubrication to the top of the cylinder

Compressors – Working
and Characteristics
April 30, 2014 4:00 am | Leave a Comment | Frozee
Compressors are used to increase the pressure of a
gas. Like pumps, compressors can be classified as
either kinetic machines, which includes centrifugal
and axial compressors, or positive-displacement
machines, which include reciprocating and rotary
compressors. The compressing medium or ‘gas’
depends on the application, such as, if air is used it is
termed as an air compressor. Similarly if refrigerant
is used, it is known as a refrigerant compressor. The
type of compressor, its discharge pressure and
discharge rate is dictated by its use.

Air Compressors
Types of compressors
Here we discuss about two types of compressors that
are commonly used in the industry.

Reciprocating Compressor

In a reciprocating compressor, gas is compressed by


mechanical variation of the volume of space inside
the cylinder, by reciprocating motion of the piston.
For a cycle of operation, there are two strokes such
as,
1.) Suction stroke, and
2.) Compression stroke
As the piston moves down, air is sucked from
atmosphere to the cylinder through suction valve (a
non-return valve). As piston moves up, air is
compressed and at the end of compression stroke, air
is delivered through delivery valve (which is also a
non-return valve). Topmost portion the piston can
travel inside the cylinder is is called Top Dead
Center (TDC), and bottom most portion the piston
can reach inside the cylinder is called as Bottom
Dead Center (BDC).
RECIPROCATING AIR COMPRESSOR
Screw Compressor

Screw compressors (also called as helical lobe


compressors) are positive displacement machines in
which gas is being compressed is forced through the
casing by two screws. Unlike the reciprocating
compressors which are also positive displacement
machines, screw compressors does not typically
require internal suction or discharge valves. In
addition the flow from screw compressor is generally
more uniform and has fewer pulsations than the flow
from a reciprocating compressor.

A twin screw compressor consist of two meshing


helical rotors mounted on counter rotating parallel
shafts that are enclosed within close-clearance
casing. One screw is called driving screw which is
coupled with a drive, say an electric motor, while the
other screw is called as the driven screw, since it is
driven by the driving screw. Gears used for driving
the screws are called timing gears, since they are
properly timed to maintain the close-clearance
between the screws.

SCREWS OF A TWIN SCREW COMPRESSOR


For screw compressors oil is injected into the screws
while operation. There are mainly 3 functions for the
oil, they are,

1) Sealing of the screws to prevent leakage of the gas

2) Lubrication of the parts, especially the screws, and


3) Cooling of the gas compressed, which results in
increased efficiency of the system

Materials used for construction

Reciprocating Compressor

Crankcase and body – Cast Iron


Crankshaft – Spheroidal graphite cast iron or
stainless steel
Connecting rod – Forged Steel
Piston – Aluminium Alloy or Cast / Ductile Iron

Piston Rings – Cast Iron

Screw Compressor

Casing – Cast or Ductile Iron


Screw – Steel or Stainless Steel or Nickel Alloy

Where they are used?


Reciprocating Compressor

Reciprocating compressors are characterized with


higher pressures and reduced mass flow rate. They
are mainly used in high pressure applications since it
can deliver air at about 30 – 40 bar.
1) For diesel engine starting, where electric motor
starting becomes costly and impractical.
2) Refrigeration compressors are normally
reciprocating type (Single Stage) with a discharge
pressure around 10 bar.

3) Air conditioning systems also uses reciprocating


compressors (Nowadays trend is changed to screw
compressors).

Screw Compressors

Screw type compressors provide air at increased


mass flow rate but with reduced discharge pressure
around 8 bar. Hence applications are also in low
pressure systems, such as,
1) Service air compressors used in industry (For
cleaning air, etc.)
2) Air conditioning systems nowadays employ screw
compressors. (which have low power consumption
and increased mass flow rate as advantages)
3) For low pressure air required for running
pneumatic tools, pneumatic-hydraulic equipment,
etc.

Cycle of operation

Consider one cycle of operation in a reciprocating


compressor.
ONE COMPLETE CYCLE OF OPERATION
The process that occurs in a cycle 1-2-3-4-1 are
explained below

The process that occurs in a cycle 1-2-3-4-1 are


explained below

 (3) – (4) – As piston travels from BDC to TDC


air trapped inside the cylinder is compressed.
 (4) – (1) – As piston approaches TDC discharge

valve opens and compressed air is delivered.


 (1) – (2) – Undelivered air trapped in the
clearance space is expanded as piston moves
down.
 (2) – (3) – When trapped air in the clearance

space is expanded to atmospheric pressure,


further downward movement of the piston
creates a vacuum inside the cylinder and
thereby atmospheric air enters through suction
valve.
Again cycle repeats.
In fig. ‘Va’ indicates the volume corresponding to
actual stroke of the piston from TDC to BDC (also
called stroke volume). Similarly ‘Ve’ indicates the
volume corresponding to the effective stroke of
piston, when atmospheric air enters the cylinder.
The ratio of effective stroke volume to the swept
volume is known as the volumetric efficiency of the
compressor,

Voleff = [ ( Ve / Va ) *
100 ] %
Then why clearance space?
It was already seen from the above equation that
volumetric efficiency is 100% when
Effective stroke = Actual stroke
In other words, no clearance volume exists. This is
practically impossible, because some clearance space
is required otherwise piston hits on the cylinder head
as it travels. Also expansion of piston occurs as it
travels and very little clearance may cause the same
problem. Also increased clearance space reduces
compressor efficiency and increase its running hours.
So clearance volume must be kept around a
reasonable value as instructed by the manufacturer.

How to measure clearance volume

The clearance between piston and cylinder head


while piston at TDC is called bumping clearance.
This can be measured in different ways. One
common method is, remove the valves from the top
of the piston. Put a lead ball of sufficient diameter
into the cylinder. Slowly turn the flywheel one
revolution by hand. Take out the lead piece and
measure its thickness, which gives the bumping
clearance.
Why cooling is required?

Reciprocating compressors are generally cooled with


air or water. The cylinders in air cooled compressors
often include large external fins that increase the
surface area available for heat transfer.
In water cooled compressors, freshwater is circulated
through jackets that are built into the walls of the
cylinders and cylinder heads.
The compression cycle is illustrated graphically
down below.

Single Stage Compression


Above cycle compresses gas from atmospheric
pressure to 8 bar in a single stage. The area enclosed
by the points 12341 represents the work of
compression in a single stage compressor. Also see
the cycle or Pressure-Volume diagram (P-V) below
which compresses gas from atmospheric pressure to
8 bar in two stages.

Two stage compression is shown below.

Two Stage Compression


Here first stage compresses gas from atmospheric
pressure to 3 bar and then gas is cooled isobarically
(at constant pressure, refer diagram above). Now gas
is again compressed to 8 bar. Now we can see that
the work of compression corresponding to the shaded
area in the diagram is saved by incorporating an inter
cooling between two stages. Hence when comparing
with a single stage compressor work can be reduced
by inter cooling in a multistage compressor.

Work can be reduced further by increasing number


of stages and inter cooling, but as the number of
stages increases design becomes complex,
constructional cost increases, maintenance cost also
increase, which may nullify the effect of work saved
during operation. This is the limiting factor for more
number of stages.

Refer figure below.


The indicator card (PV diagram) above shows 3
types (or processes) of compression possible.

Isothermal Compression

During the process of compression, whatever heat


produced is taken away by a cooling medium. In
other words, it is the compression , keeping
temperature of the gas constant. For a process to be
isothermal, the process must be very slow, which is
impractical. From the indicator card, it is clear that,
work of compression is minimum in isothermal
compression.

Also,

Adiabatic Compression

Whatever heat produced during compression is kept


inside the gas only, or heat transfer is zero in an
adiabatic compression. For a perfect adiabatic
process, process must be very fast. All the
thermodynamic process resembles adiabatic process.
It can be seen from the indicator card that, work of
compression is maximum in adiabatic compression.

Also,
Specific heat is defined as the heat energy required to
raise the temperature of unit mass of substance by
unit degree.

Polytropic Compression

Polytropic compression is neither isothermal nor


adiabatic. It comes in between.

Also,
Work of compression can be minimized by
isothermal compression. But compression is
practically a fast process. So it better resembles an
adiabatic process. Jacket cooling of compressor
makes the compression polytropic.

Now the only way to make the compression more


isothermal is, by dividing the process to a number of
stages. Between every stage inter cooling of gas is
done. Hence the work can be saved substantially.

Refer the diagrams below.

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