Compressor design/installation requirements

[engr2GW]

Hi,

I'm fairly new in the gas compression field, I have a question about what the possible minimum design/installation requirements for compressors that may be used for
1. Gas lift compressors (artificial lift)
2. Booster compressor to boost a low pressure line
3. vapor recovery unit compressors on storage tanks, etc
Requirements that may likely address things like
1. performance and efficiency
2. low emmissions from the compressor
3. safety features
4. High/low pressure shut down features
etc.

Also, does anyone know any industry codes/standards that deals with compressor design, requirements, etc
Thank you.

 

[Pumpsonly]

API 617 for centrifugal

 

[engr2GW]

thanks pumpsonly,

Most of the ones I see are reciprocating

 

[Pumpsonly]

API 618 is for Recip

 

[bcs5274]

Also keep in mind of the climate its going into. i am seeing lots of warm climate units sent up north here with little thought of wet gas and cold climates = lots of head aches that aren't necessary. Of course with the boom here in MT. and ND all the logic is lost at times.

 

[zdas04]

The basic answer is you need to know what a specific unit is going to be used for. I was looking at a gas lift compressor (recip) the other day that was doing 7 compression ratios in a 3-stage configuration (if you don't know why that is sub-optimal, then you really need to do a bunch more work outside of eng-tips.com or this thread will become a compresor course). The engineer who spec'd it didn't know what he was doing and the compressor company just did what they were told.

Same is true for every type of compression service you mentioned. A particular machine may be used in a VRU and then be moved to be a wellhead compressor for a single well and then become a booster somewhere else--the words just do not have any meaning.

The rest of your questions are just too vauge to even try.

David

 

[Vegaskid]

Besides 617, might want to look at API 11P for recips, 614 for lube systems, and GPSA for some basic descriptions.

Dresser also has some good literaturue about centrifugal units on their website.

Good luck.

 

[dcasto]

forget the API specs for most applications, you can't afford them. The GPSA has some resonable approaches to solving your type compression needs.