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Reciprocating Compressor Design & Analysis

Reciprocating Compressor Design Services & Problem Diagnosis

Since reciprocating compressors are a mainstay of industry, their performance and reliability can have a considerable impact on plant productivity. Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) offers a line of services to apply as early as possible in the design and operating stages for troubleshooting reciprocating compressor problems, such as:

  • Vibration
  • Pulsation
  • Performance
  • Thermal Stress

From pulsation control to skid finite element analysis (FEA) design and from field support to transient surge analysis, Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) employs the most experienced and knowledgeable design team for your compressor station. SwRI has an experienced and knowledgeable design team that has:

  • Designed and analyzed more than 12,000 installations worldwide since 1955
  • Optimized pulsation and mechanical solutions for best performance and lowest installed cost
  • Advanced low-loss pulsation control technologies customized for your system
  • Field validated best-in-class analysis software for accurate analysis
  • Design staff with more than 300 years of combined gas compression experience
  • Field troubleshooting services: On-site field pulsation and vibration analysis and testing

Commercially available and internally developed software, coupled with field experience on past installations, is used by Southwest Research Institute engineers to:

  • Predict system dynamic characteristics
  • Assess the potential for problems
  • Identify modifications that will reduce the chance of problems
  • Identify operating ranges to be avoided
  • Define any areas of risk or uncertainty to be validated during startup

These design services are applicable to systems associated with the following machine types:

  • Reciprocating compressors
  • Centrifugal compressors
  • Pumps

Southwest Research Institute has analyzed design issues in:

  • Gas transmission
  • Gas distribution
  • Oil and gas production
  • Refineries
  • Gas processing
  • Liquid natural gas processing
  • Chemical processing
  • Fertilizer production
  • Pulp and paper mills
  • Marine and offshore
  • Petrochemical plants
  • Processing plants
  • Pipeline compressor stations
  • Power generation plants
  • Gas metering facilities
  • Low density polyethylene (LDPE) plants
  • Chemical plants
  • Liquid pump stations
  • Carbon dioxide systems
  • Steel mills
  • Slurry systems
  • Ships and tankers
  • Mining operations
  • Manufacturing facilities

Services Provided

SwRI performs reciprocating compressor vibration analysis, pulsation analysis, mechanical analysis and other services in accordance with API 618, API 674 and other standards and specialty requirements.

Pulsation Analyses

  • API 618 Compressor Pulsation Analyses
  • API 674 Pump Pulsation Analyses
  • Bottle Sizing
  • Shaking Force Analyses
  • Pressure Drop Analyses
  • Flow Induced Pulsation (FIP)
  • Acoustic Induced Vibration (AIV)
  • Flow Induced Turbulence (FIT)
  • 3D Acoustic Analyses
  • Recip/Centrifugal Interaction

Mechanical Analyses

  • Mechanical Piping Restraint Review
  • Mechanical Piping Forced Response Analyses
  • Compressor Manifold Analyses (stress and vibration)
  • Mechanical Shell Modes
  • Baffle Stress Analyses
  • Thermal Pipe Stress Analyses per B31.3, B31.8, etc.
  • Dynamic Skid Analyses
  • Dynamic Platform/Large Structure Analyses
  • Small Bore Piping Analyses
  • Piping High Cycle Fatigue

"Other" Analyses

  • Dynamic Compressor Valve Analyses
  • On-Site Field Testing
  • Surge Analyses
  • Pipeline Flow Simulation
  • ASME BPVC Calculations
  • Structural Design
  • Bottle Low Cycle Fatigue
  • Foundation Analyses
  • Remaining Life Analyses
  • Pipeline Crush Analyses
  • Rotordynamic Analyses
  • Metallurgical Analyses
  • Vibration Analysis

To contract with SwRI, please contact the Machinery Services Hotline at +1 210 522 3000.

For more information, contact Benjamin A. White or call +1 210 522 2554.

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