Compressor fuel consumption issue
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I would like to ask: our facility has a D-type compressor, and I’m not sure why its fuel consumption has increased recently. We have to refuel it frequently, yet no oil leaks have been detected. I wonder what could be the cause of this issue. The manual states that this compressor uses micro-lubrication, meaning that a small amount of oil enters the cylinder to lubricate the rings. However, the fuel consumption was acceptable before, but it has become higher recently. I suspect it might be related to the oil wipers or the type of oil used. Since we switched to winter-grade oil, the fuel consumption has increased compared to when we used summer-grade oil. I hope someone experienced in this area can give me some advice
Does no one know? I think if there’s a problem with the oil scavenge ring, the compressor’s oil drain hole should leak significantly. The thing is, everything seems normal right now and no significant leakage can be detected. If there’s a problem with the seal, air leakage should occur; yet even in that case, it’s usually hard to notice any air leakage. So I’m puzzled and don’t know what the issue could be
Check the circulating water tank for any oil spots; it’s possible that oil has leaked into the circulating water.
Places where lubricant can be carried away and consumed. There are oil filling holes on the cylinder for accessing it; when the wear gap of the piston rings increases, fuel consumption rises. At the oil scraping ring, oil will be carried out, allowing for the inspection of oil leakage. Oil system leak. The heat exchange tubes of the oil cooler can leak externally (if there is a leakage point and the pressure is higher than that on the water side). ）
Without a water circulation system, it is air-cooled; from the outside, there are no signs of oil leakage, with the only possible area being the cylinder
Our piston ring was just replaced. I think there shouldn’t be any problem with replacing the oil-scraping component, as there is an oil-drainage hole, and it doesn’t seem to be leaking heavily; so there should be no issue with the lubricant as well, since no air is coming out from that oil-drainage hole. Where exactly do you mean the oil-feeding hole? Is the cylinder lubricated? Ours is a regular piston compressor without an oil injector attached
Rather than guessing randomly, it’s better to take it apart and take a close look
I plan to do that when the time comes, but the problem is that I haven’t identified the cause of the issue. We have a complete stuffing box here, and I’m currently studying it. The only thing that seems related to this problem is the various holes designed to cool and lubricate the piston rod; it’s likely that there’s too much oil in that area. I’ll try reducing the oil pressure first to see if that helps, as this symptom isn’t apparent just by looking at it
Before installation, the compressor oil tank must be checked for leaks using kerosene to ensure that there are no cracks or welding defects that could cause leakage. In your case, check whether there are any oil stains at the bottom of the equipment’s fuel tank.
It must have been taken away by the cylinder; check the oil ring.
There’s no problem with this; from the outside, nothing seems wrong