Do your reciprocating compressors exhibit visible cylinder oscillation?
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As the title suggests, we have several reciprocating compressors of various types; some operate at pressures of a few megapascals while others operate at pressures of over ten megapascals. Their power ranges from 1000 to 3000 KW. During operation, a slight swaying of the cylinders in the direction of the piston rod can be observed with the naked eye, and the vibration levels are not high. Has anyone encountered this issue?
I have also seen this situation; I think it is also a form of buffering. We tried to fix the legs, but as a result, cracks and other problems appeared on those legs.
I’m worried that such prolonged fluctuation might cause fatigue cracks in some area; I welcome any discussions on this.
Due to the forces acting on the reciprocating compressor itself, along with the effects of the piping system, energy must always be transferred or released. The approach of strengthening the supports was not adopted; let’s see if any fellow sailor has better experience in this regard
Could anyone share some pictures of the unit with legs added?
It shouldn’t be; the reciprocating motion of the random group is consistent, and it’s the impact force generated when the unit compresses outward.
Those that can measure vibration values show that our vibration level is around 0.50 mm; some of them can actually detect this value. It generally has a significant impact on the pressure guiding tubes in the buffer, often leading to vibration-induced fractures; this is a resonance phenomenon. Welding reinforcing ribs can help alleviate it, but there is currently no effective way to eliminate it.
Would this phenomenon be reduced if the switching times of the valves in each group, or the coordination between the corresponding nodes, were excellent?
I encountered a situation that was much worse than this: in a new hydrogen compressor, one of the bolts connecting the cylinders broke in half, creating a gap of about 2 centimeters. I stood next to the compressor; my legs just went weak