What is the impact of water leakage in the air compressor cooler on its operation?
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Dear sea friends, our company has a Shengli Air Compressor with an external inter-stage cooler. We have noticed leakage on the steam side of the casing, in a linear pattern. What impacts might this have on operation? Apart from a decrease in efficiency, what other effects could there be? Is it necessary to carry out repairs whenever there is leakage, or can the machine still be operated? Please discuss and give some suggestions
Just turn on the drain for drainage; there are basically no issues with normal operation, but it’s still advisable to carry out maintenance when the opportunity arises.
Does \"leakage on the air side\" refer to water leaking to the air side? If that’s the case, the leakage isn’t a major issue, but the water needs to be drained promptly; water must not enter the compressor cylinder, as that would lead to serious liquid slugging
Generally, there’s no problem; keep removing this water, and repair it when there’s a chance to do so.
If maintenance is not carried out over a long period of time, corrosion may occur in the internal components.
Timely repair is necessary; this phenomenon is caused by the intercooler in the front end, where the water pressure is higher than the air pressure. If not addressed promptly, in the short term, \"fluid hammer\" will cause corrosion to the rotor as well as to the gas seals between stages. It can also enter the bearing housing along the shaft seal, causing the oil to emulsify. . . . . It is advisable to deal with it as soon as possible.
Handle it promptly; do not work while sick
It was discovered why it wasn’t addressed – the broken cooling tube was blocked. I’m afraid liquid hammer will damage the impeller.
When the pressure of the circulating water is higher than that on the gas side, water enters the compressor cylinder, causing liquid slugging which leads to increased vibration in the unit and damage to components such as bearing shells and gas seals. If the pressure of the circulating water is lower than that on the gas side, gas enters the heat exchanger, creating a gas barrier that reduces the unit’s heat exchange efficiency; the pressure buildup between stages can cause surging and load shedding in the unit
The fact that it’s manifested as a linear pattern indicates a significant leak. The differential pressure on both sides of the shell and tube of the inter-machine cooler should not be high; since the leakage appears in a linear pattern, I believe it’s better to adjust the operation schedule, and if possible, to carry out repairs as soon as possible. Once inspected, fixing the leak won’t take much time.