RECIPROCATING COMPRESSOR AND METHODS FOR MONITORING OPERATION OF SAME

• US 20120134850A1
• Filed: 11/30/2010
• Published: 05/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Baker Hughes, a GE Company, LLC (Baker Hughes Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Howard, Brian Francis, GRANT, JOHN WESLEY
• Granted Patent: US 8,807,959 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 417/63
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 2201/0802 Vibration
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 2205/03 Pressure in the compression chamber
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 39/00 Component parts, details, or accessories, of pumps or pumping systems specially adapted for elastic fluids, not otherwise provided for in, or of interest apart from, groups F04B25/00 - F04B37/00
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 49/065 and making use of computers
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 49/10 Other safety measures
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 51/00 Testing machines, pumps, or pumping installations

Abstract

A condition monitoring system for use with a reciprocating device. The condition monitoring system includes at least one pressure sensor that is configured to sense a pressure within the reciprocating device. At least one vibration sensor is configured to sense a vibration of the reciprocating device. A protection system is communicatively coupled to the pressure sensor and the vibration sensor. The protection system is configured to calculate a stiffness value of the reciprocating device based on the sensed pressure within the reciprocating device and the sensed vibration of the reciprocating device.

Claims

1. A condition monitoring system for use with a reciprocating device, said condition monitoring system comprising:

at least one pressure sensor configured to sense a pressure within the reciprocating device;

at least one vibration sensor configured to sense a vibration of the reciprocating device; and

a protection system communicatively coupled to said pressure sensor and said vibration sensor, said protection system configured to calculate a stiffness value of the reciprocating device based on the sensed pressure within the reciprocating device and the sensed vibration of the reciprocating device.

2. A condition monitoring system in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a user computing device communicatively coupled to said protection system, said protection system configured to transmit a notification signal to said user computing device after determining that the calculated stiffness value is different than a predefined reciprocating device stiffness value.

3. A condition monitoring system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said protection system is configured to:

calculate a gas force based at least in part on the sensed pressure within the reciprocating device;

calculate a displacement value of the reciprocating device based at least in part on the sensed vibration of the reciprocating device; and

calculate the stiffness value based at least in part on the calculated gas force divided by the calculated displacement value.

4. A condition monitoring system in accordance with claim 3, wherein the reciprocating device comprises a crank shaft, said condition monitoring system further comprises at least one position sensor configured to sense a position of the crank shaft, said protection system communicatively coupled to said position sensor and configured to calculate a crank angle of the crank shaft based at least in part on the sensed position.

5. A condition monitoring system in accordance with claim 4, wherein said protection system is configured to:

calculate a stiffness value at a crank angle; and

transmit a notification signal to the user computing device after determining that the calculated stiffness value is different than a predefined stiffness value.

6. A condition monitoring system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the reciprocating device includes a cylinder assembly coupled to a frame, said condition monitoring system further comprises:

a first vibration sensor coupled to the cylinder assembly and configured to sense a vibration of the reciprocating device; and

a second vibration sensor coupled to the frame and configured to sense a vibration of the frame, said protection system configured to calculate a displacement value of the cylinder assembly based at least in part on the sensed vibration of the reciprocating device and the sensed vibration of the frame.

7. A condition monitoring system in accordance with claim 4, wherein said protection system is configured to:

calculate an array of gas force values at a plurality of calculated crank angles;

calculate an array of displacement values at the plurality of calculated crank angles; and

calculate an array of stiffness values within a predefined range of calculated crank angles based at least in part on the calculated array of gas force values divided by the calculated array of displacement values.

8. A condition monitoring system in accordance with claim 7, wherein said protection system is configured to:

calculate a stiffness spectra output based at least in part on the calculated array of gas force values divided by the calculated array of displacement values; and

transmit a notification signal to the user computing device after determining that the calculated stiffness spectra output is different than a predefined spectra stiffness output.

9. A reciprocating compressor comprising:

a compressor frame;

a crank shaft positioned within said compressor frame;

a cylinder assembly coupled to said compressor frame and to said crank shaft, said cylinder assembly extending outwardly from said compressor frame along a centerline axis;

at least one pressure sensor configured to sense a pressure within said reciprocating compressor;

at least one vibration sensor configured to sense a vibration of said reciprocating compressor; and

a protection system communicatively coupled to said pressure sensor and said vibration sensor, said protection system configured to calculate a stiffness value of said reciprocating compressor based on the sensed pressure within said reciprocating compressor and the sensed vibration of said reciprocating compressor.

10. A reciprocating compressor in accordance with claim 9, further comprising a user computing device communicatively coupled to said protection system, said protection system configured to transmit a notification signal to said user computing device after determining that the calculated stiffness value is different than a predefined reciprocating compressor stiffness value.

11. A reciprocating compressor in accordance with claim 9, wherein said protection system is configured to:

calculate a gas force based at least in part on the sensed pressure within said cylinder assembly;

calculate a displacement value of said reciprocating compressor based at least in part on the sensed vibration of said reciprocating compressor; and

calculate the stiffness value based at least in part on the calculated gas force divided by the calculated displacement value.

12. A reciprocating compressor in accordance with claim 11, further comprising at least one position sensor configured to sense a position of said crank shaft, said protection system communicatively coupled to said position sensor and configured to calculate a crank angle of said crank shaft based at least in part on the sensed position.

13. A reciprocating compressor in accordance with claim 12, wherein said protection system is configured to:

calculate a stiffness value at a crank angle; and

transmit a notification signal to the user computing device after determining that the calculated stiffness value is different than a predefined stiffness value.

14. A reciprocating compressor in accordance with claim 9, further comprising:

a first vibration sensor coupled to said cylinder assembly and configured to sense a vibration of said reciprocating compressor; and

a second vibration sensor coupled to said compressor frame and configured to sense a vibration of said compressor frame, said protection system configured to calculate a displacement value of said cylinder assembly based at least in part on the sensed vibration of said reciprocating compressor and the sensed vibration of said compressor frame.

15. A reciprocating compressor in accordance with claim 12, wherein said protection system is configured to:

calculate an array of gas force values;

calculate an array of displacement values;

calculate a stiffness spectra output based at least in part on the calculated array of gas force values divided by the calculated array of displacement values; and

transmit a notification signal to said user computing device after determining that the calculated stiffness spectra output is different than a predefined spectra stiffness output.

16. A method for monitoring a condition of a reciprocating compressor, the reciprocating compressor includes a cylinder assembly coupled to a frame, said method comprising:

transmitting, from a first sensor to a protection system, a first monitoring signal indicative of a pressure within the cylinder assembly of the reciprocating compressor;

transmitting, from at least a second sensor to the protection system, at least a second monitoring signal indicative of a vibration of the cylinder assembly; and

calculating, by the protection system, a stiffness value of the reciprocating compressor based at least in part on the first signal and the second signal.

17. A method in accordance with claim 16, further comprising transmitting a notification signal from the protection system to a user computing device after determining that the calculated stiffness value is different than a predefined stiffness value.

18. A method in accordance with claim 16, further comprising:

calculating a gas force value based at least in part on the sensed pressure within the cylinder assembly;

calculating a displacement value of the cylinder assembly based at least in part on the sensed vibration of the cylinder assembly; and

calculating a stiffness value of the reciprocating compressor based at least in part on the calculated gas force and the calculated displacement of the cylinder assembly.

19. A method in accordance with claim 16, wherein the reciprocating compressor includes a crank shaft rotatably coupled to a piston assembly, said method further comprising:

transmitting, from a third sensor to a protection system, a third monitoring signal indicative of a rotational position of the crank shaft;

calculating, by the protection system, a crank angle of the crank shaft based at least in part on the third monitoring signal;

calculating a first stiffness value at a calculated first crank angle in a first operating cycle;

calculating a second stiffness value at the calculated first crank angle in a second operating cycle;

transmitting a first notification signal from the protection system to a user computing device after determining that the calculated first stiffness value is different than the calculated second stiffness value; and

transmit a second notification signal from the protection system to the user computing device after determining that the calculated second stiffness value is less than a predefined stiffness value.

20. A method in accordance with claim 18, further comprising:

calculating a frequency of gas force values based at least in part on the calculated gas force value;

calculating a frequency of displacement values based at least in part on the calculated displacement value;

calculating a stiffness spectra output based at least in part on the calculated frequency of gas force values divided by the calculated frequency of displacement values; and

transmitting a notification signal from the protection system to the user computing device after determining that the calculated stiffness spectra output is different than a predefined spectra stiffness output.