Does a reciprocating compressor allow startup from the control room?
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Are there any risks to starting up the control room? In the past, the practice was to operate the equipment – including compressors and pumps – by starting and stopping them on-site, while the control room could remain shut down.
Reply to 1# bastia2004: It is absolutely not allowed to start the control room. For large-scale units that must be started on-site, if abnormal operation occurs after startup, they can be shut down immediately to ensure the safety of the units.
Reply to 2# xxp3232: If all necessary preparations are done before startup, what about having the operator on site to monitor the situation during startup?
Reply to 3# bastia2004: It is acceptable to have operators at the site where the generator set is started in the control room, but the personnel in the control room and those at the site should use walkie-talkies to communicate with each other in order to prevent accidents. It is best to start the unit on-site, rather than in the control room; safety is of primary importance.
The control room can be activated. If it is confirmed on-site that all conditions are normal and there is someone supervising on site, the control room can be activated. (The walkie-talkies used at the site and in the control room should be coordinated properly.) Under normal circumstances, companies require that moving equipment be started on-site, as it is easier to monitor the operation of the equipment there, allowing any issues to be addressed promptly.
It is not allowed, as starting the reciprocating machine on-site requires the control room to provide analog signals to disable the interlocks. When the reciprocating machine is stopped, the temperature and pressure signals from various components are useless; signals must be activated in order to start the machine. If starting it on-site without verifying whether the temperature and pressure signals are correct, there will be no time to react in case of false alarms or mechanical failures. Issues such as temperature sensors being located far away from the bearings or problems with the pressure transduction wires can cause delays in the responses within the DCS, which is why on-site verification is essential!
Reply to 1# bastia2004: I encountered a highly dangerous situation once. We had just finished repairing a cantilever centrifugal pump; we had just tightened the coupling bolts, with one person on each side, crouched down there. As soon as we removed the wrenches from the bolts, the pump started spinning, which scared the two of us so much that we fell backward. It was only a few seconds at that time; it’s impossible even to imagine what would have happened if the wrench was still on the bolt and people were still on either side of the coupling. Eventually, it was found that someone in the control room had initiated the pump via a interlock mechanism. Later, whenever I encountered pump-type equipment that could be started from the control room, I felt uneasy.
Reply to 7# lovestory: Do you not turn off the motor during maintenance?
Reply to 7# lovestory: The power should be turned off before maintenance! ! How dangerous.
Our company’s operating procedures do not permit starting up from the control room. The reason is that various intake parameters such as pressure, temperature, flow rate, and the drainage from the liquid removal tank need to be checked before startup. Additionally, when workers perform tasks on-site, such as repairing the compressor, it is necessary to lock out the machine’s energy sources and valves; therefore, a COW is essential. . .
Remote startup is theoretically possible. It’s usually started on-site, and the reasons were already explained upstairs.