Compressor lubricating oil pump switching issue
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How does a turbine compressor maintain stable flow operation during the lubrication oil pump switch?
First, start the standby pump to enable backflow; the control room should coordinate with the field staff. The control room uses the backflow control valve to stabilize the pressure in the lubrication main line, while the field staff gradually increases the load on the standby pump and reduces the load on the pump that is currently in use, until backflow occurs completely at the outlet of the pump in use. At that point, the pump that is in use can be stopped, and the pump swap is essentially complete. The operation of swapping pumps must be carried out carefully and smoothly.
For large-unit lubrication oil pumps, it depends on whether they are centrifugal pumps or screw pumps. The switching of centrifugal pumps is relatively smooth, while screw pumps require the cooperation of the check valve returning to the oil tank and the bypass valve adjacent to the pump’s outlet for proper operation. We* usually first fully open the bypass valves of the standby pump’s safety valve before starting the pump, and use the bypass valves of the two pumps to carry out adjustment and switching.
There is a stand-alone control valve, so switching it directly is sufficient; oil pressure will not experience fluctuations.
Lubricating oil systems generally only have low-pressure interlocks and alarms; at higher pressures, there are bypass lines and safety valves to relieve pressure, ensuring that the pressure does not drop too low under normal conditions.