Appendix L.

Machinery Component Repair Practices

This appendix provides an overview of machinery component repair practices used at

Chevron.

Contents Page

L1.0 Turbomachinery Rotor Repairs L-2

L2.0 Coating Processes L-4
L3.0 Shaft Welding L-14
L4.0 Shaft Straightening L-15
L5.0 Company Expertise—Coating, Welding, and Straightening Processes L-16
L6.0 References L-19

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L1.0 Turbomachinery Rotor Repairs

The repair of rotors in high-speed turbines and compressors, operating above the
first critical speed, must be done in a painstaking and methodical fashion to ensure
a successful start-up. A high-speed rotor rub can literally wreck a machine. The
CUSA Refining Integrated Machinery Inspection (IMI) staff has compiled detailed
guidelines for inspection and repair of both turbine and compressor rotors. This
appendix includes a summary of guidelines that have been used to successfully
build many rotors.

L1.1 Steam Turbine Rotor Repairs

Rotor Inspection and Cleaning
• Begin with a careful visual inspection of the rotor, noting the following:
• Process residues/deposits.
• Unusual appearances or fits.
• Precise measurement of the axial location of vibration probe areas.
Make sure the probe, bearing, seal, and coupling areas are protected, and then thor-
oughly clean and blast the rotor. Use glass beads, walnut shells, or grit. Oil coat the
cleaned surfaces to protect them during the repair process.
At this point, decide whether to destack the rotor or to leave the wheel on the shaft.
Destacking is normally done in these situations:
• Repairs are required on the wheels.
• Shaft damage is severe or the shaft is bent.
• Wheel fits are loose.
Repairs to the seal, bearing, or coupling areas do not necessarily require destacking.
If the decision is made not to destack the rotor, magnaflux inspect all components
for defects and cracks.
During the repairing, map the size, location, and orientation of any damage and
deposit build-ups, and corroborate with photographs. Maintain a photo log
throughout the repair.
Perform and record detailed dimensional checks of all journal, seal area, running
clearance, and fit area diameters. Do the following:
• Record existing coating depths and axial locations.
• With rotor on V-blocks, record runouts of seal areas, journals, probe areas, and
running clearance areas at several different phase angles. The phrase correla-
tion from one station to the next helps find twists that otherwise go undetected.
• Check probe areas for total (mechanical and electrical) runout. Use calibrated
eddy probe transducers.

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• Check and record axial location of all shaft shoulders and all mounted compo-
nents. Include gaps between wheels (shrink fit or integral).
• Weigh the assembled rotor at each bearing journal for future balancing procedures.

Rotor Dismantling
Dismantle the rotor as follows:
• Measure and record all shaft fit areas (wheels, coupling, thrust collar, keyways)
and diameters and lengths of all removed parts (overspeed trip components,
thrust collars, spacers, wheels/spacers, couplings, keys). Measure both ends of
the component for roundness and taper.
• Magnaflux all parts, including the shaft for defects.
• Test the shaft ultrasonically to ensure integrity.
• Map defects for future reference.
• Demagnetize all parts to below 2 gauss.

Repair Work
The rotor proprietor determines the scope of repairs with possible input from metal-
lurgists and mechanical specialists. Simple machining procedures, such as skim
cutting thrust faces or seal areas can be done in-house, but significant repairs
involving welding, coatings, or bucket/wheel work are normally done by outside
specialty shops under the scrutiny of a machinery inspector.

Assembly and Balancing

If rotors are not destacked, assembly balance them using 4w/n limits and verify
residual unbalance per MAC-MS-3546 and/or IMI Guideline #003. If rotors are
disassembled, balance the bare shaft to the 4w/n limit using fully crowned half-keys
in all keyways. Check axial runout to 4w/n limits (via lathe or boring mill) before
balancing each wheel. Require tight controls on each mounting mandrel, including
the wheel/mandrel fit, mandrel keys and key ways. Check the wheel runouts of crit-
ical rotors against the previously determined values to assure proper mounting.
Check each balance machine for residual unbalance using the same turbine wheel
to determine consistency between machines. If the results are not consistent,
require residual unbalance tests of each wheel to assure the 4w/n limits.
Single-wheel rotors can be balanced on the actual job shaft. However, you must
check wheel face runout against that obtained in a lathe or vertical boring mill to
assure proper mounting. Balance multistage rotor wheels individually and stack
balance assembly repeatedly as the wheels are assembled on the shaft. Perform
shaft and wheel face runout checks throughout this procedure. Provide special
instructions for integral-wheel rotors where rows of buckets are being replaced.
Perform final 12-point (or 6-point polar) residual unbalance check of the assembled
rotor regardless of the rotor configuration.

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Shipping or storing rotors horizontally can cause a weight-induced bow. The shafts
will straighten during run-up in the field, and should not be rebalanced. Rebalancing
will actually cause an unbalanced condition after the shaft straightens in service.

Compressor Rotor Repairs

The repair procedure for high-speed compressor is essentially the same as for
turbine rotors with these exceptions:
• Compressors are not manufactured with integral impellers.
• Complete dismantling of compressor rotors is normally recommended.
• Impellers are usually heat soaked as each impeller is installed throughout the
stacking process.

L2.0 Coating Processes

A wide variety of metal coating processes are available for the repair of rotating
machinery shafts, reciprocating compressor wearing parts, and stationary housing
fits. Those that have been used successfully in Chevron include the flame spray
processes (wire, powder, plasma, hypersonic), the flame plating process (Linde
D-Gun), and chrome electroplating. Figure L-1 gives a brief overview of these
processes and their salient properties.
Consider the following properties when you select a coating process and composi-
tion for an application.

Bonding
Bond strength between the coating and the base metal is of paramount importance.

Residual Stresses
Residual stresses of spray coatings are a primary concern because they affect
coating bond strength. Generally, the outer portion of the spray coating is in
tension, reducing the stress that causes fracture. Thick electroplated chrome coat-
ings can develop compressive residual stresses that increase their resistance to
cracking.

Density
The density of spray coatings depends on individual particle size and density the
degree of oxidation during deposition, and the kinetic energy of the impinging parti-
cles. The density of electroplating processes depends primarily on plating bath
temperature and density.

Corrosion Resistance and Porosity

The corrosion resistance of all coatings is determined by the chemical composition.
In addition, coating porosity and cracking can allow corrosion of the base metal.
For lower temperature applications, you can use various epoxy, silicone wax, and
vinyl materials to seal spray coatings.

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Comparative Characteristics of Major Coating Processes
Fig. L-1
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Thermal Properties
Consider thermal conductivity and coefficient of thermal expansion when selecting
coatings for a particular application. High pressure, high-temperature applications
require a coating that effectively removes heat from contacting surfaces and is resis-
tant to thermal shock.

Friction
Friction depends on the materials, surface roughness and lubricant.

Depth of Coating
The maximum available coating depth determines which parts are suitable for
reconditioning and which must be scrapped.

Hardness
Coatings are used primarily to recondition worn surfaces. Hardness is the key indi-
cator of future wear resistance.

Surface Finish
The attainable surface finish varies with the coating process. Very smooth surfaces
are desirable for applications, such as crankshafts and camshafts, while surface
porosity is desirable to improve lubricant wettability for others such as recipro-
cating compressor rods.

Flame Spray—The Metal Spray Process

Metal spray is the process of applying molten metal to the surface of a part to
ensure a hard, wear-resistant coating. The coating material is melted in a flame and
its minute particles are sprayed at relatively low velocity onto a prepared surface by
a stream of air. Figure L-2 shows how the coating is applied. The molten particles
impinging on the part are flattened and interlocked to provide a mechanical bond.
Alloying with the base metal does not occur.

Fig. L-2 Cross Section of Typical Wire Rod or Cord Flame Spray Gun. “Thermal Spring
Practice, Theory, and Application”, American Welding Society, Inc. 1985.

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You may need subsequent diffusion or sintering heat treatment to achieve accept-
able bonding. The metal spray process requires roughing of the base metal (sand-
blasting, rough turning, etc.) before coating. You can apply pure metal and alloy
materials in powder and wire form. The term “metallizing” describes the type of
metal spray process that uses metal in wire form. The term “thermospray” describes
the process of using metals in powder form. Oxyacetylene torches or electrodes are
common methods of melting coating materials. To seal the resulting porous
coating, you can use several types of sealers. Phenolic sealers and silicone-alloyed
resins are two common examples. Powders and application equipment are available
from suppliers such as Metco, Wall Colmonoy, and Stellite Division (Cabot).
Flame spray has advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages
• Maintains low base material temperatures during application.
• Causes minimal distortion or warping (if diffusion heat treatment is not
required).
• Can be applied to a wide variety of base materials.
• Good lubricant retention.
• Relatively low cost.
• Can be applied to a thickness of approximately 40 mils.

Disadvantages
• Bond strength is low.
• Fracture/peeling will occur unless the coating is continuously bonded to itself.
• Coatings are very porous and must be impregnated with suitable sealers to
minimize porosity (and avoid base metal corrosion).
• Coatings have relatively low hardness (Rc 30-40).
• Surface preparation prior to coating is critical to bond strength.
• Coating quality is likely to vary widely between shops.
• Relatively slow powder/wire heating results in greater oxidation and some
change in coating chemical composition.
• Requires finish machining.
An extension of the basic metal spray process is the post-application fusing of coat-
ings. Coatings are applied as described above, but with an additional step. The
deposited metal spray coating is fused with the base metal by use of an oxyacetylene
torch or controlled furnace atmosphere. The resulting bond is molecular and strong.
You can apply coatings up to 0.065 inch with hardness ranges from Rc 55 to 63.
Corrosion resistance is excellent.

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In order to use the metal spray and fusion process, the base metal must have a
melting point higher than 1950F. The high temperature required to achieve fusing
of the coating can result in the distortion of parts. In addition, when the carbon
content of steel parts exceeds 0.25%, you must take special precautions to avoid
annealing the part. Any previous heat treatment applied to the part to achieve
improvement in physical properties can be lost. Derate annealed rods to maintain
safe operating stress levels. Fusing followed by air cooling could result in the forma-
tion of brittle martensite, depending on the ability of the base metal alloy to harden.

Flame Spray—The Plasma Spray Process

To produce plasma spray coatings, you pass powdered materials through a specially
designed gun that ionizes an inert gas to form plasma. The flame temperature is
10,000 to 30,000F. You then inject coating powder into the plasma flame. The
rapidly heated powder propels at speeds of 400 to 1000 feet per second (fps) onto
the part. The resultant coating microstructure consists of thin lenticular particles, or
“splats.” Figure L-3 illustrates how the coating is applied.

Fig. L-3 Cross Section of a Powder Flame Spray Gun. “Thermal Spring Practice, Theory,
and Application”, American Welding Society, Inc. 1985

The principal value of the high temperatures used in the plasma process is the mate-
rial being sprayed that reaches the melting point very quickly. Unlike the oxyacety-
lene flame (6,000F), the coating powder remains in the heated zone a much shorter
time. Little oxidation and change occurs in chemical composition of the powder.
Also, the powder propels through the plasma at higher speeds and reaches the part
being coated with greater impact. In addition, spraying is done entirely within a
protective atmosphere (in a chamber) in order to further protect the sprayed mate-
rial. Minimizing oxides produces a more cohesive coating capable of being finished
to a better surface condition. Numerous powder formulations are available to suit
the particular application. Powders are available from suppliers such as Metco, Wall
Colmonoy, and Stellite Division (Cabot).

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Plasma spray has advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages
• Maintains low base material temperatures of 400 to 500F during application.
No heat affected zone is created.
• Causes minimal distortion or warping.
• No subsequent stress relief or heat treatment is necessary.
• Applied coatings are relatively smooth and require little grinding to achieve
finished dimensions.
• Can be applied to a wide variety of base materials.
• Good lubricant retention.
• Reasonably dense coating structure.
• Low oxide content.
• Low to moderate cost.

Disadvantages
• Fair bond strength. Coatings are susceptible to spalling.
• Coatings are porous. Base metal corrosion protection is poor unless sealers
are used.
• Thickness of coating is very limited (0.006 inch). Excessive coating thickness
increases susceptibility to chipping and spalling.
• Coatings may reduce base material fatigue life.
• High dependence on proper base material fatigue life.
• High dependence on proper base material cleaning and surface preparation.
• Powder quality and application process parameters must be followed carefully.
• Coating quality varies from shop to shop.
• Finish machining is required.
Piston Rods usually require a grit blasting, grooving, or knurling operation to
achieve an adequate bond between the base metal and plasma coatings. All parts in
the process must be clean and dry. Frequent in-process and product quality control
checks are necessary.
Because a plasma spray coating is relatively porous, it allows gas to penetrate.
Upon rapid release of the gas pressure, the coating can separate from the base metal
if a secure bond has not been achieved. Peeling can cause considerable damage to
packing and cylinder components.

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To protect against corrosion and maintain porosity, impregnate plasma coatings

with suitable sealers.

Flame Plating—The Linde Detonation Gun Process

Flame plating procedures such as Linde's Detonation Gun (D-Gun) provide a bond
that is both mechanical and metallurgical. The Detonation Gun procedure which is
a process patented by Union Carbine (Linde Division) produces coatings by passing
measured quantities of powder, oxygen and acetylene into a firing chamber. A
timed spark detonates the mixture, creating a hot (6,000F) high-speed gas stream
that instantly heats the particles. Figure L-4 illustrates the D-Gun process.

Fig. L-4 Schematic Arrangement of an Oxygen Fuel Gas Detonation Gun. “Thermal Spring
Practice, Theory, and Application”, American Welding Society, Inc. 1985.

Powders are composed mainly of tungsten carbide. Near molten particles leave the
firing chamber at approximately 2500 fps, impinging on the surface of the part and
producing a microscopic welding-type bond. Because of the intense noise gener-
ated, the operation is carried out in a sound-proof room that is controlled remotely
by an operator. Rapid fire detonations build up the coating to the specified thickness
as the firing chamber moves the part past the gun. Linde provides several D-Gun
powder compositions to suit a variety of process conditions.
D-Gun coatings have advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages
• Low base metal temperatures (less than 300F) during application. Metallur-
gical changes of the base metal do not occur.
• No distortions or warping.
• No subsequent stress relief or heat treatment is necessary.
• Good strength (10–25 ksi). Bond is both mechanical and metallurgical. For
some coatings, bond strength improves with post-application heat treatment.
• Can be applied to a wide variety of base metals.
• Low porosity, though sealers can be used to reduce.

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• Good oil retention.

• Good corrosion protection.
• Very high surface hardness (Rc 67-76).
• Good quality control. Proprietary process controlled by Union Carbide.

Disadvantages
• Relatively high cost.
• Limited coating thickness (generally under 10 mils).
• Soundproof room limits work piece size.

Hypersonic Flame Spraying—The Jet Kote Process

This process, developed in the 1980's accelerates molten metal particles to hyper-
sonic speeds to create a dense, nonporous, well-bonded, hard coating. It competes
effectively with the D-Gun for process machinery component repairs. Figure L-5
shows how the coating is applied.

Fig. L-5 The Jet Kote Gun Propels Molten Metal Particles Against a Workpiece at
Hypersonic Velocity. “Thermal Spray: Advances in Coatings Technology”,
ASM International, 1987.

An internal combustion chamber in the Jet Kote gun burns propylene (or hydrogen)
in the presence of oxygen to produce a hot (5,500F), high velocity (4,500 fps)
exhaust gas. A carbide/metal powder mixture (usually tungsten carbide/cobalt) is

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then injected by inert, nitrogen carrier gas into the hot gas stream. This results in a
narrow, uniform, high-velocity spray that leaves the gun at about 3,200F. The pres-
sure shock waves which appear in the flame leaving the gun, conform to hypersonic
velocities. When the spray contacts the surface of the part, it heats to about 4500F
as kinetic energy is transformed into thermal energy. The bond, like the D-Gun, is
relatively free of harmful oxides and carbide phases.
The Jet Kote process has advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages
• Low base metal temperatures (less than 300F) for metallurgical and dimen-
sional stability.
• Stress relief/heat treatment is necessary.
• High bond strength in excess of 10 ksi.
• Can be applied to many different base metals.
• Low porosity. Porosity is typically less than 2%, but can be specified to less
than 0.5%.
• Good corrosion resistance.
• Good lubricant wettability.
• Very high surface hardness (to Rc 72) for good abrasion/erosion resistance.
• Relatively low cost.
• Can be applied to a thickness of 30 mils.
• Extremely smooth surface finish (to 2 RMS).

Disadvantages
• Coating quality varies between shops.
• Finish grinding may be required.

Porous and Nonporous Hard Chrome Plating

Electroplating procedures, such as chromium plating, have been used for many
years. The combination of high hardness, corrosion resistance, and low coefficient
of friction make chrome plating a commonly used reconditioning procedure. Basi-
cally, the chrome plating process deposits chromium on a surface by making the
part the cathode in an electrolytic bath. The bath consists of a solution of chromic
acid, water, and one or more acid radicals (usually sulfate and fluoride). To ensure
that the chrome is deposited evenly on the part, control the gap between the anode
and the cathode. Carefully regulate time, current density, bath temperature, and
proprietary chemical additives. To achieve more rapid plating rates, increase the
bath temperature.

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In general, the two available types of chrome plating are nonporous and porous.
Nonporous platings are used to restore components such as piston rods, crankshaft
journals, crosshead pins, and bearing journals for lubricated surfaces. However,
nonporous chrome platings provide minimal lubricant retention. This causes addi-
tional friction and the need for increased lubrication. For non-lubricated wearing
surfaces, nonporous chrome is also a poor choice, because the packing material
does not adequately deposit on the rod surface. Again, this causes increased fric-
tion, heating and packing wear.
The need for adequate surface wettability led to the development of porous chrome.
Porous chrome platings are etched after the plating has attained a predetermined
thickness. For a short time, chromium is removed selectively from the plated
surface through an electroetching process. This produces small pores or channels
that act as lubricant reservoirs but do not perforate the plating. This process is a
patented development of the Van Der Horst Corporation under the trade name
“Vanderkrome”. Although the patent has expired, few chroming shops are able to
duplicate the electroetching process.
A detrimental effect of chrome is hydrogen occlusion. During plating, hydrogen
penetrates the base metal, causing a reduction in mechanical properties and, most
importantly, poor resistance to cracking. Many chrome plating control procedures
incorporate a final baking to remove this hydrogen. Common baking temperatures
range from 350 to 370F. Approximately 50-60% of the total hydrogen present is
removed during baking with minimal effect on plating hardness. Higher tempera-
ture will remove a greater amount of hydrogen and decrease plating hardness.
Chrome plating has advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages
• Low base metal temperatures during plating. Original heat treatment of the
base metal is unaffected.
• Good lubricant retention and wettability (porous chrome only).
• Good bonding strength. Creates a molecular-type bond.
• Minimal distortion or warping.
• Corrosion resistant. Reduces pitting of compressor rods in standby service.
• High thermal conductivity. Aids in maintaining low service temperatures.
• Can apply moderately thick coatings (up to 15 mils).
• Moderately hard coating.
• Can be applied to a wide variety of base materials.
• Moderate cost.
• Ease of application and control.
• Low coefficient of friction.

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Disadvantages
• Quality varies widely between shops.
• Bond is highly dependent on proper cleaning and surface preparation. Surface
finish of chrome plating is highly dependent on smoothness of the base metal
before plating (should be 20 RMS or better).
• Fair to poor lubricant retention and wettability for nonporous chrome.
• Hydrogen penetrates base metal during coating process causing base metal
hydrogen embrittlement and reduction in fatigue strength.
• Requires final baking.
• In services badly corrosive to the base metal, plating tends to peel off.
• Reduced fatigue strength, even after baking, limits coating thickness.
Residual hydrogen, along with the residual stresses caused by the coating, tend to
reduce the fatigue strength of the base metal. The amount of strength reduction is
difficult to determine, but increases directionally with plating thickness. For this
reason, coating thickness in excess of 15 mils is not normally recommended, espe-
cially for services with cyclic loading.

Undercoating
In some instances, a metallic undercoat such as nickel or nickel aluminide is
applied between the base metal and the hardsurface coating. Metallic undercoats
increase the coating system's resistance to thermal shock and improve the bond
strength. Bonding of the metallic undercoat to the base metal is stronger than the
bond between the coating and the base metal. In addition, the sprayed undercoat
provides a good surface for the coating to bond to mechanically. Undercoating is
not frequently used with the weaker bond strength metal and plasma spray
processes.

L3.0 Shaft Welding

Submerged arc welding of worn alloy steel shaft areas is an increasingly popular
technique for turbomachinery repair. It is especially useful for turbines with integral
shaft wheels, where rotor replacement would be extremely costly and time
consuming. Welding can be cost competitive with purchasing or turning new non-
integral shafting, depending on shaft size, complexity, and the extent of repair
required.
The process is as follows: clean and machine the damaged area and then preheat.
Use submerged arc weld while the shaft is rotated. Skim the welded area, NDE
inspect (LP, ultrasonic, or Magnaglo), heat treat, machine again, and reinspect.
Shaft welding has advantages and disadvantages.

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Advantages
• Restores original dimensions metallurgically, allowing the use of standard-size
seals, bearings, and couplings.
• Quicker and cheaper than new shafting, depending on the extent and
complexity of repair.

Disadvantages
• Quality varies from shop to shop. Shop qualification is extremely important to
quality of repair.
• May cause some distortion in non-welded areas, resulting in excess runout.

L4.0 Shaft Straightening

Bent shafts are typically caused by uneven residual stresses between sides. If these
stresses are caused by problems with manufacturing process such as forgoing,
rolling, heat treating, or machining, the bend is probably permanent. Straightening
efforts will be temporary, at best.
If, however, the bend occurred from process or mechanical problems, such as
thermal shocks, rotor rubs, or heavy impeller shrink fits, straightening will have a
good chance of success. Gradual bows are the easiest to straighten. Shafts with
sudden kinks or multiple bows are probably not repairable. A sudden kink indicates
that the shaft has been shock loaded to the point of yielding and the prospect of
returning the material to its original shape is remote. Twists are the result of sudden
torsional loads that cause permanent deformation. A twisted shaft may not be
noticed until it is severe enough to cause a localized kink, bow, or keyway distortion.
Given this variety of possibilities, shaft straightening may not work. If initial efforts
fail to produce encouraging results, abandon the process and use a new shaft.
Careful indicator “mapping” of the shape throughout the straightening process is
critical.
Use cold working (pushing or peening) or heating methods to straighten shafts.
Peening of the concave side of the bow sets up compressive stresses along the outer
grain cells that tend to “push out” the bow. Since these stresses are localized to the
outer cells, this method is most effective for slim shafts less than 4 inch diameter.
For larger shafts you can heat the convex side to relieve localized tensile stresses.
The weight of the rotor will help reduce these stresses if the shaft is mounted with
the bow up while applying the heat.
Use a hydraulic or screw jack to push on the convex side of the bow until the
stresses causing the bow are relieved. This is less damaging to the shaft surface.
Pushing is usually the preferred method of straightening.

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Shaft straightening has advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages
• Repair of simple, field-induced bows is relatively simple, inexpensive, and
quick.
• Properly straightened shaft is within tolerance of a new shaft.

Disadvantages
• Substantial risk of not working. Wastes time and money that could be allocated
to machining a new shaft.
• Repeat of the root cause (e.g., thermal shock, rubs, etc.) can cause the bend to
recur more readily than with a new shaft.

L5.0 Company Expertise—Coating, Welding, and Straightening

Processes
• Company experience with repair practices can be classified in four areas:
• Garden variety pump/turbine shaft and case fit repairs.
• Turbomachinery shaft and case fit repairs.
• Reciprocating compressor crankshaft and miscellaneous part repairs.
• Reciprocating compressor piston rod repairs.
A survey of manufacturing and producing sites has revealed which practices have
the widest following:
• The Linde D-Gun coating is widely accepted as a high-quality, durable repair
suitable for most types of centrifugal shaft and reciprocating compressor rod
repairs. It has been criticized, however, as expensive, time-consuming, and
limiting in thickness.
• The Jet Kote hypersonic spray coating is gaining acceptance as a high-quality
alternative to the D-Gun. Several qualified shops that use it offer better turn-
around times and lower costs. Recommended maximum thicknesses are about
three times that of the D-Gun.
• The remaining processes (flame/plasma spray, chrome plating, shaft
welding/straightening) are used successfully in a variety of applications.

Garden Variety Shaft and Case Fit Repairs

Shafts from garden variety pumps, turbines, fans, and air compressors may or may
not be worth repairing, depending on the size and extent of damage. Most Company
locations have access to shaft turning apparatus through their own repair shop or
through local outside shops. Since most of this equipment is relatively small
(<1000 HP), a new shaft is often cost competitive with shaft repair alternatives.

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Typical shaft repairs involve restoration of impeller, coupling, and bearing fit areas,
as well as interstage bushing and packing/seal areas. Economical flame spray
(either wire or powder) is the most common repair practice, as several shops have
in-house capability. Wallex 55, which features tungsten carbide particles suspended
in a cobalt-chrome-nickel matrix, is a popular choice for high wear areas. Repairs
with some of the more expensive proprietary coatings (like Linde D-Gun and Jet
Kote) are not routinely done, but may be selected for certain problem applications
where high hardness is essential (e.g., pump packing and interstage areas).
Unlike shafting, casings of garden variety equipment are not usually considered
expendable (with the exception of cast iron casings). Perhaps the most common
casing repair is to weld build corroded or eroded areas, and then re-machine to
proper size. Areas which only require minor restoration can be effectively repaired
with flame spray, subject to its hardness and corrosion limitations. These areas typi-
cally include the wear ring, interstage bushing, and bearing fit areas, as well as
seal/packing and throttle clearance areas.
Garden variety shafting is rarely welded to correct major flaws, but is sometimes
straightened. Richmond Refinery, for example, uses both cold working (pushing or
peening) and heating techniques to remove simple shaft bows. This can often be
accomplished at substantial savings over turning a new shaft. The risks of a
successful repair and the cost savings must be weighed on a case-by-case basis,
considering shaft size, type/size of bend, and shop experience.

Large Turbomachinery Shaft and Case Fit Repairs

Coating/welding repairs of high-speed turbomachinery shafts and casings are
clearly cost effective. Shafts for this type of equipment are generally larger and
more complex than garden variety shafting, and they are more expensive to replace.
Often repairs can be completed at a fraction of the replacement cost. The CUSA
IMI staff has endorsed several techniques and developed a list of qualified shops to
perform them.
While IMI acknowledges the capabilities of the D-Gun, they favor the Jet Kote
process because of lower costs (about 30% to 50% less) and better turnaround
times. They recommend JK-114 powder, which has a nominal composition of
82% tungsten carbide and 12% cobalt. Reports indicate that this coating can be
applied to 30 mils thickness.
A repair of a Port Arthur Hydrogen recycle compressor rotor typifies the use of Jet
Kote. This Clark 553B-4 rotor was taken to the OEM repair shop (Dresser-Rand,
Houston) with badly damaged shaft bearing journals, sealing sleeves, and thrust
collar fit area. Each shaft area was built up with Jet Kote and machined back to size
at a specialty repair shop (Fusion Inc., Houston). New sleeves were fabricated and
coated for better wear and erosion resistance. The rotor is now an available spare.
Jet Kote also is used successfully to repair tapered coupling fit areas, balance drum
fit areas, labyrinth seals on housings, and seal wear areas on compressor impellers.
Two other shops, F. W. Gardner and Watson Grinding (in addition to Fusion Inc.),
are qualified in the Houston area.

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Appendix L General Machinery Manual

Bender Machine Inc., a Los Angeles machine shop, has sizable contracts with
Bechtel for maintenance of the Elk Hills Naval Reserve compressor piston rods and
cylinders. Their shop has the latest generation Jet Kote spray equipment, featuring
precision mass flow control of the combustion and inert carrier gases. El Segundo
has used Bender for other types of spray work. They report excellent quality at
Bender, but higher Jet Kote costs than at Fusion, Inc., in Texas.

Reciprocating Compressor Crankshafts and Miscellaneous Parts

Company experience with chrome plating of compressor crankshafts has been
mixed. Both the Richmond and El Segundo Refineries, as well as CUSA Eastern
Region Production, report successful use of plating to return crank journals to orig-
inal size. One of these, a Cooper EMA4 in propane service at the Richmond
#2 Wax De-oiler, has had major chrome plating repairs. Company qualified vendors
for chrome plating include Chrome Crankshaft Company and Nova Techno Corpo-
ration in the Los Angeles area and Precision International in Waco, Texas.
On the downside, a 1988 Chevron Materials Lab report on an American Commer-
cial Bargelines crankshaft failure blamed thick (0.032 inch) chrome plating for
weakening the shaft fatigue strength. This failure occurred without evidence of
hydrogen embrittlement or obvious stress risers. It appears, therefore, that the
plating was correctly applied and heat treated.
Several of the surveyed locations do not chrome plate crankshafts. These include
the CUSA Port Arthur and Pascagoula Refineries and the CUSA Production Carter
Creek, Wyoming facility. A popular repair in lieu of chrome plating is to grind
worn journals and use undersized bearings. This can extend the useful life of the
crankshaft several times.
In addition to crankshafts, El Segundo rebuilds Clark HRA engine powder cylinders
using hard chrome plating. They report service life nearly equal to new cylinders,
but at a much lower cost.
While Pascagoula does not chrome plate crankshafts, they do chrome plate miscella-
neous parts like wrist and crosshead pins. They have repaired a compressor cylinder
lining using a Union Carbide alloy 431 plasma spray. This repair was recommended
by the OEM, Dresser-Rand (D-R). D-R repairs about 50 cylinders a year with this
process. It reportedly offers longer cylinder life, quicker turnaround times, and cost
savings of 25%–50%. Initial results are encouraging for this moderately sour
3% H2S service. Inspection after several months of service revealed no coating
degradation. Pascagoula plans more lining repairs in services that are more sour and
abrasive.
Submerged arc welding of machinery shafts is an economical and time-saving alter-
native to some shaft replacements. For example, a repair of a Worthington
SQ4T2V3 10-stage steam turbine rotor for the Hawaii FCCU main air blower
included weld repair of a small crack in the thrust collar fit area. The repairs
achieved a complete weld build-up of the high-pressure end of the shaft, including
probe, bearing journal, seal, and thrust collar areas. Also, the low-pressure end was
restored to size using Jet Kote 8317 powder. This rotor was not destacked for the
repairs. It is now an available spare for both the Hawaii and El Paso refineries.

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General Machinery Manual Appendix L

The shops that are qualified by IMI for shaft welding include Alloy Welding, Inc.,
and Imo De Laval-Deltex in Houston, and Elliott in New Orleans.

Compressor Piston Rods

The most frequent type of repair is to piston rod coatings. A detailed write-up of the
technical factors affecting rod/packer performance and the various repair processes
appears in “Section 800” of the Chevron Compressor Manual. Here is a summary
of that write-up and an update of Company findings.
The article in the Compressor Manual recommends the D-Gun as the best of the
available repair practices, followed by fused metal spray, porous chome plating,
plasma spray, non-fused metal spray, and nonporous chrome plating. The D-Gun
coatings are successful in low/high pressure, low/high molecular weight and
sweet/sour services. Chroming, plasma spray, and metal spray give good low-
pressure service life for both sweet and sour services. The article stresses shop
prequalification, inspection, and quality control to achieve a high quality repair that
will give good field reliability.
Recent Company experience supports the findings in the Manual. Richmond and
Pascagoula use the D-Gun method as their first choice for most rod repairs. El
Segundo uses it successfully for high pressure hydrogen service. CUSA production,
Evanston, also reports general satisfaction with D-Gun coating, but they have had
some flaking problems with LW-1N30 coatings on three Cooper tail gas compres-
sors in high pressure, sweet service. Average service life has been one year. They
indicate that primary causes are with the packing design and material, causing
high/rod packing temperatures, rather than with any defects in the coating.
El Segundo presently uses chrome plating for reconditioning most rods, reporting
an average rod life of about 2–3 years. They apply up to 40 mils of plating, finished
to an 8–10 RMS finish. CUSA Production in New Orleans and Richmond also
restore some rods with chrome plating. Richmond limits platings to reciprocating
pump rods in light hydrocarbon service where a smooth finish is necessary to meet
emissions standards.
El Segundo has sent several rods to fusion Inc. for Jet Kote application. Based on
an experience survey of Los Angeles area refiners, they feel Jet Kote provides
longer life than chrome-plated rods, and an equal or better life than D-Gun coat-
ings, at lower cost. Experience at Port Arthur supports this conclusion, as Jet Kote
has become their coating of choice for rod reconditioning.

L6.0 References
• Chevron Compressor Manual
• Chevron USA's Integrated Machinery Inspection (IMI)
• Bender Machine, Inc., Vernon, CA.
• Union Carbide Corp. Coating Services, Indianapolis, IN.
• Nova Techno Corp., Long Beach, CA.

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Appendix L General Machinery Manual

• Imo Deltex Service Div., Houston, TX.

• Chrome Crankshaft Co., Bell Gardens, CA.
• Paul S. Gupton, “Selection of Coatings for Pump Applications.” Paper
presented at the 7th International Pump Users Symposium in March, 1990.

February 1994 L-20 Chevron Corporation