Common compressor failures and solutions

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Serial Number Fault Type Cause Solution 1 Insufficient air volume I. Leakage in the intake and exhaust valves: 1. Disassemble, inspect, and clean; if there are metal particles between the valve cover of the intake valve and the valve seat and valve disc, this can lead to leakage due to poor sealing, thereby affecting the air volume. If the valve cover heats up, the problem lies with the intake valve; otherwise, it’s the exhaust valve. 2. With new intake valve springs, excessive stiffness at first use can cause delayed opening. 2. Delayed maintenance due to fatigue over time leads to air leakage. 2. Check the stiffness of the spring or replace it with an appropriate one. 3. Uneven wear of the valve disc and seat results in poor sealing and air leakage, affecting the volume of air flow. 3. Repair by grinding or replace the valve disc and seat with new ones. 4. The lifting height of the intake valve is insufficient; this increases flow velocity and resistance, affecting the air volume. 4. Adjust the lifting height and replace it with an appropriate lift limiter.

II. Air leakage due to packing problems 1. Repair or replace the seal ring or piston rod. 1. Wear of the packing or piston rod causes leakage. 2. Inspect the intake and exhaust valves; if there is a lack of lubrication, increase the amount of lubricant to improve sealing.

III. Problems with the cylinder and piston rings 1. Cylinder wear (especially unilateral wear) exceeds the allowable limits, resulting in increased gaps and air leakage, which affects the pumping capacity. 1. Repair by boring or grinding; in severe cases, replace the cylinder liner. 2. Poor quality of lubricant, insufficient lubrication, or high temperatures inside the cylinder can cause the piston rings to stick together, affecting both air volume and pressure. 2. Remove the piston, clean the piston rings and their grooves, replace the lubricant, and improve cooling conditions. 3. Wear of the piston leads to large gaps and air leakage. 3. Replace the piston rings.

IV. Excessive clearance in the cylinder reduces the amount of air drawn in. Adjust the cylinder clearance. 2. If the intake and exhaust valves of the next stage leak, it will inevitably increase the exhaust pressure of the previous stage. 1. Replace the intake and exhaust valves of that stage. Pressure 2. Leakage in the piston rings results in insufficient exhaust volume. 2. Replace the piston rings. Increase 3. Leaks in the intake and exhaust valves of this stage due to various reasons. 3. Inspect the valves and take appropriate measures. 3 1. Leaks in the intake and exhaust valves of this stage. 1. Inspect the valves and replace the damaged parts. Certain stage 2. Problems with the intake and exhaust valves of the first stage lead to insufficient exhaust volume and excessive leakage from the piston of that stage. 2. Inspect the valves, replace the damaged parts, check the piston rings, and make repairs. Pressure 3. Internal leaks. 3. Check for internal leaks and take appropriate measures. Decrease 4. Excessive resistance in the intake pipe. 4. Inspect the pipes and take appropriate measures. 4 Abnormal noises from the crankshaft and connecting rod mechanism 1. Breakage of the connecting rod bolts can be caused by over-tightening the nuts during assembly, resulting in excessive preload ； During tightening, deflection occurs, and the rod bolt is subjected to stress ； During tightening, deflection occurs, and the rod bolts are subjected to uneven loads ； The bearing shell (the larger-end shell) moves around within the bearing, or the gap between this shell and the crank pin is too large; as a result, the rod bolts are subjected to excessive impact loads ； Insufficient fuel supply can cause the rod bearings to overheat; the piston may get stuck, or excessive stress can be applied to the rods when operating under overload conditions ； The material does not meet the requirements; under significant alternating load stresses, the rod bolts break due to fatigue. 1. When installing the rod bolts, ensure an appropriate level of tightness, or make sure that the end face of the rod nut fits tightly against the contact surface on the rod body; if necessary, use a coloring method for inspection ； Fix the large tiles in place and adjust their gaps ； Either increase the oil volume, check for piston wear, or replace the damaged parts with bolts that meet the requirements. 2. Loose connecting rod bolts, bearing cap screws, and crosshead nuts can cause noise. 2. Tighten them. 3. Excessive gaps in the main bearings, connecting rod ends, crosshead slideways, etc., can prevent normal sound production. 3. Check and adjust these gaps. 4. A loose fit between the crankshaft and the coupling. 4. Check and adjust it. 5. Excessive gaps between the crosshead slide and the slideway, or a loose slide ； Over-tightening of the crosshead pin or a lack of oil supply can cause overheating and damage. 5. Check the oil circuit, increase the oil volume, replace the crosshead pin, tighten the slider, and adjust the clearance. Abnormal noises in the cylinder: 1. Oil and water entering the cylinder cause water hammer. 1. Reduce the oil volume, improve water separation, and regularly open the oil-water separator valve. 2. There is a fault with the air valve. 2. Check and fix it. 3. The piston nut or piston is loose. 3. Check and tighten them. 4. Insufficient lubricating oil or no oil supply can cause scuffing on the cylinder walls. 4. Increase the oil volume and repair the scuffed areas. 5. The piston rings are broken. 5. Replace the piston rings. 6. The clearance volume of the cylinder is too small. 6. Increase the clearance appropriately. 7. Foreign objects have fallen into the cylinder. 7. Remove them. Overheating of the cylinder: 1. Insufficient or interrupted cooling water supply. 1. Check the cooling water supply. 2. Insufficient or interrupted oil supply. 2. Check whether the oil pump pressure is normal, whether there are blockages in the oil circuit, and whether the filter is clogged; clean it if necessary. Overheating or air leakage at the piston rod packing: 1. Insufficient or interrupted lubricating oil supply. 1. Clean it and increase the oil volume appropriately. 2. The fit between the piston rod and the packing is improper, or there is misalignment during assembly. 2. Adjust the clearance and reassemble it. 3. The sealing ring is damaged. 3. Replace it. Overheating of bearings or crosshead slides: 1. The clearance between the shaft journal and the bearing shell, or between the crosshead and the slide, is too small. 1. Adjust the clearance. 2. The friction surfaces do not fit properly, or the bearings or crosshead are misaligned during installation. 2. Use the coloring method for grinding. 3. Insufficient oil supply or no oil supply. 3. Check the condition of the oil pump, oil pipes, and filter. 4. The quality of the lubricating oil is poor or it contains impurities. 4. Replace the lubricating oil. Insufficient or zero oil pump pressure: 1. There is a fault with the suction valve or the suction pipe is blocked. 1. Check and clean it. 2. The oil pump casing and packing are not sealed properly, causing oil leakage. 2. Check the oil pump and fix the problem. 3. The filter is clogged. 3. Clean it. 4. The oil level in the tank is too low. 4. Add more oil. 5. The pipes are cracked and leaking oil, or air has entered the pipes. 5. Replace the oil pipes. 6. The pressure gauge is clogged, or the oil cooler is clogged. 6. Clean it. Abnormal vibration of the cylinder: 1. Improper support or loose gaskets. 1. Adjust the support clearance or the gaskets. 2. Vibration in the piping causes this issue. 2. Eliminate the piping vibration. 3. There are foreign objects inside the cylinder. 3. Remove the foreign objects. Abnormal vibration of the engine body: 1. The clearance between the bearings and crosshead slides is too large. 1. Adjust the clearance. 2. Vibration in the cylinders causes this issue. 2. Eliminate the cylinder vibration. 3. The components do not fit properly together. 3. Check and adjust them. Abnormal vibration of the pipes: 1. The pipe clamps are too loose or broken. 1. Tighten them or replace them. 2. The support structure is not rigid enough. 2. Strengthen it. 3. Airflow fluctuations cause resonance. 3. Use pre-flow holes to change the resonance frequency. 4. The pipe supports vibrate excessively. 4. Strengthen them