Acceptance of high-pressure compressor inlet pipeline
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There is a problem regarding the acceptance of the inlet pipeline for the existing CO high-pressure compressor; the compressor’s inlet pressure is 3.0 Mpa while the outlet pressure is 20 Mpa. The client requires that the entire inlet pipeline be degreased and cleaned. Are there any relevant regulatory requirements for this? What is the reason? The owner said it might be because of the risk of an explosion? Could someone give me some advice? Thanks!
The requirements for degreasing and cleaning are incorrect; chemical cleaning should be applied to the compressor inlet pipelines, involving degreasing, acid washing, passivation, and finally purging. The purpose of cleaning is to clean the pipes thoroughly; since particles cannot enter the compressor, high standards are required for purging. Cleaning can **reduce the purging time by nearly 2/3**. Oxygen pipelines must be free of oil and particles, otherwise explosions can occur; there are painful lessons to that effect. However, the requirements regarding the oil content in the inlet pipeline of CO high-pressure compressors are not very clear. Nevertheless, it is essential that the inlet pipeline be thoroughly cleaned, which is why chemical cleaning is generally used for these pipelines nowadays.