The lubricating oil of the ammonia compressor has deteriorated
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I have an ammonia compressor, of the piston type, which compresses ammonia into liquid ammonia. I read in some materials that if ammonia contains hydrogen sulfide, moisture, and impurities, it can cause damage to the lubricating oil once it enters the ammonia compressor, leading to the deterioration of the oil. I wonder, after ammonia enters the ammonia compressor, since the ammonia and its impurities do not come into contact with the compressor’s lubricating oil, how can it still deteriorate? I don’t understand. Please share your thoughts; extra points for that
It probably enters the lubricating oil system through the piston rod seal; generally, there is an inflation protection mechanism in place, but this protection fails.
Ammonia may enter through the seal when the inflation protection fails, triggering a chemical reaction.
All the ammonia compressors we have seen are screw-type compressors, where the lubricating oil comes into contact with ammonia. In reciprocating compressors, the working medium generally does not come into contact with the lubricating oil, unless the shaft seal fails and leaks
It’s likely that water has gotten into the lubricant, or there is a problem with the quality of the lubricant itself.
Ammonia gas may enter through the seals when the inflation protection fails, proceed into the intermediate chamber, and then leak into the crankcase. The poor exhaust of air from the seals in the intermediate chamber as well as any leaking gases leads to an increase in pressure in that chamber, which in turn allows the gas to enter the crankcase
Does the compressor used by the poster have cylinders that are lubricated with oil, or do they use oil-free lubrication? If it’s an oil-lubricated type, it can be modified to use oil-free lubrication. If it’s already a compressor with oil-free cylinder lubrication, and the gas enters the crankcase and damages the lubricating oil there, then there is a problem with the sealing system, or there was a design flaw in the compressor’s original sealing system. If you're interested, feel free to message me on QQ at 408184438
The lubricating oil for piston-type ammonia compressors is generally located within the cylinder of the piston rod. Under normal conditions, ammonia does not come into contact with the lubricating oil; however, if there is wear on the piston rod or the sealing bearings, ammonia can leak into the lubricating oil
Only under extremely special circumstances, when there is a massive leakage of the filler, gas recovery fails, and bucket-based discharge also fails, is it possible for some of it to leak into the lubricating oil