Reliability-Centered Maintenance Study on Key Parts

of Reciprocating Compressor
Wei Liang, Lianfang Pang, Laibin Zhang, Jinqiu Hu
Research Center of Oil & Gas Safety Engineering Technology
College of Mechanical and Transportation Engineering
China University of Petroleum
Beijing, China
panglianfang06@126.com

Abstract—Reciprocating compressor is the key equipment in the maintenance (RCM) is used by more enterprises resort to its
process of industry production such as oil refinery, chemical own advantages. Compared with the traditional maintenance
plants and so on. The traditional maintenance management method, RCM organically combines breakdown maintenance,
model is the fire type which results in the lower reliability, lower preventive maintenance and condition based maintenance to
availability and lower safety. In this paper, in order to reduce the make different maintenance strategy in view of different fault
uncertainty of maintenance, the number of system failures and consequences of the corresponding failure modes. That ensures
failure effects, as well as to promote operational safety, reliability enterprise realize the optimal allocation of maintenance
centered maintenance (RCM) is used to evaluate the resources by the premise of keeping inherent reliability of
reciprocating compressor. After the failure mode and effect
equipment.
analysis (FMEA), risk matrix is introduced to evaluate the failure
mode importance and logic determination method is used to RCM originated from the civil aircraft industry in the 1960s
make maintenance strategy for the high risk faults. It provides a with the introduction of the Boeing 747 series, and the need to
technical support to the enterprise safety management. lower PM costs in attaining a certain level of reliability. In
1975, the U.S. Department of Commerce defined the concept
Keywords-reliability centered maintenance (RCM); failure RCM and declared that it should be used in all major military
mode and effect analysis (FMEA); reciprocating compressor; systems [1]. In the 1980s, the Electric Power Research Institute
maintenance strategy
(EPRI) introduced RCM into the nuclear power industry. In
1997, “RCM II” defined the RCM research objects to all
ACRONYM tangible assets. This made the RCM theory more perfect, the
RCM reliability centered maintenance application range more extensive. Today’s RCM is used or
being considered by an increasing number of electrical utilities,
PM preventive maintenance railway and petroleum chemical industry [2].
FSI functionally significant items As experience proves, application of RCM technology has
FMEA failure mode and effect analysis obtained a good effect in some industries. Such as, integrated
iron and steel works can eliminate all the cycle of periodical
CBM Condition-based maintenance overhauling in the steelmaking workshop by using RCM
CM Corrective maintenance system [3], fixed gas turbine of oil platform increases the
overhaul period from 25000h to 40000h, besides of sacrificing
NOTATION reliability[4]. By the premise of guarantee safety and
reliability, RCM decreases the workload of periodical
Rs security risk of fault mode maintenance 40%-60% [5-6].
RE environment risk of fault mode RCM case includes all historical records in the RCM
RC economic risk of fault mode process, such as the list of FSI, FMEA information and the
RCM decision information [7]. Apart from these, the basic
Po Fi the fault rate, i=s,e,c reliability prediction information in current industry standard is
Co Fi the safety effect, i=s,e,c also collected. A framework for RCM analysis is studied, in
which RCM cases and the basic reliability data of
R risk of fault mode petrochemical and mechanical items are integrated. The RCM
approach was applied on an reciprocating compressor.
I. INTRODUCTION
There are three developed stages in the process of II. RCM ANALYSIS PROCESS
equipment maintenance management, which are breakdown RCM analysis process is as follows:
maintenance, preventive maintenance (PM) and condition
based maintenance. As people paid more attention to (1) Identification of the functionally significant items (FSI)
equipment maintenance management, the reliability centered

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 The FSIs are the items whose failure modes have III. RCM STUDY ON RECIPROCATING COMPRESSOR
significant economic, safety or mission effects on the system. (1) System division, identify the FSI
The items may be system, subsystems, components or parts.
The meaning of identification of the FSIs is to identify the Identification of the FSI is the first step of RCM analysis
functionally significant items in system, subsystem, component before FMEA, which can decompose the compressor into a big
or part levels [8]. tree. The end of the tree is the unbroken down parts. Get rid of
the components which have less influence on the normal
(2) Failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA) operation of the compressor’s performance. The rest are the
FMEA analysis of the selected FSI is the second step of important function components, which need PM [11]. Fig. 2 is
RCM [9]. The goal of FMEA is to identify functions as well as a reciprocating compressor used in one Gas storage reservoir of
functional failure modes of the bottom FSI, their failure causes Petro China Beijing Natural Gas Pipeline Company Limited.
and effects.
(3) RCM logic decision
Each failure cause of FSI is decided by RCM logic decision
chart. The specific PM policy and its interval are ascertained
according to reliability data [10].
We can reference the following data and methods to
determine the interval of PM:
a) Data from product manufacturers
b) Data from similar products
c) The existed site fault statistic data
d) Experienced analyst's subjective judgment
e) Based on the model supporting and quantitative analysis Figure 2. Reciprocating compressor.

Reciprocating compressor includes three major

components, which are motion mechanisms (including the
crankshaft, bearing, connecting rod, crosshead, pulley or
coupling, etc), work mechanism (including cylinder, piston,
valves, etc) and the fuselage. Besides, compressor is also
equipped with three auxiliary systems, including the lubrication
system, cooling system and control system. Work mechanism
is the major component to realize the compressor working
principle. Fig. 3 points out the key parts of reciprocating
compressor. Fig. 4 summarizes the eight functionally
significant items.

Figure 1. A framework of RCM.

(4) System synthesis

The optimization of the interval of single policy cannot
ensure that the overall working effect is the best. Sometimes in
order to ensure the efficiency, maneuverability and
practicability, we need to combine the different maintenance Figure 3. The structure of reciprocating compressor.
work which has different maintenance interval. It may make
some work frequency higher than the calculated result, but it
will save the whole cost.
Generally, the combination of maintenance policies and
development of preventive program should be based on
existing maintenance systems and scheduled intervals (date,
week, month, season, year). Fig. 1 shows the framework of
RCM.

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 (2) FMEA of the FSI
The normal operation of compressor parts are the basic
premise for guaranteeing the reliability. So we can get system
fault mode, failure causes and the severity through making
FMEA, make reliable preventive maintenance strategy, reduce
system risk efficiency. TABLEI shows the FMEA chart of
reciprocating compressor components.
(3) Risk analysis, identity the level of the FSI
The importance of the FSI is considered according to
security risk, environment risk and economic loss risk. Failure
mode risk level is related to the failure rate, fault mode effect,
the risk criterion and risk matrix [12].

Figure 4. The functionally significant items of reciprocating compressor.

TABLE I. FMEA OF THE RECIPROCATING COMPRESSOR SYSTEM

Part Failure Effect

Functional
Cod Potential Failure Mode Failure Cause
Items Local influence Seriously affect Finally affect
e
Crankshaft Crankshaft vibration
Loosening Long-term use Shutdown
abnormal abnormal
01 Bearing
Long-term use, Crankshaft Crankshaft vibration
Bearing bush abrasion Shutdown
bad lubrication abnormal abnormal
Crankshaft vibration
Crack Quality fatigue Crack propagation Crankshaft fracture
abnormal
02 Crankshaft Crankshaft Crankshaft vibration
Bending High load Damage compressor
abnormal abnormal
fracture Crack, High load shutdown Shutdown Severe accident
Crankshaft vibration
Crack Fatigue stress Crack propagation Connecting rod failure
abnormal
Fracture Fatigue crack propagation Shutdown Shutdown Severe accident
Connecting
03 Long-term use, Running condition
rod Small end tile wear Connecting rod failure Shutdown
bad lubrication variation
running condition
Large end tile wear Long-term use, bad lubrication Connecting rod failure Shutdown
variation
Running condition Crosshead vibration
Pin wear Long-term use, bad lubrication Shutdown
variation abnormal
Pin fracture thermal crack Shutdown Shutdown Severe accident
04 Crosshead
Neck fracture Fatigue stress concentration Shutdown Shutdown Severe accident
Crosshead
Slip abrasion bad lubrication Crosshead failure Shutdown
vibration abnormal
Cylinder vibration
Connection loosening Long-term use, fastening adverse Shutdown Shutdown
abnormal
Piston rod
05 Piston rod fracture Fatigue crack, stress concentration Shutdown Shutdown Severe accident
and piston
Cylinder vibration
Research on Wear Long-term use, bad lubrication Not seal Work abnormal
abnormal
Crack stress concentration Not seal vibration abnormal Shutdown
Piston ring
Inner wall wear Foreign matter, bad lubrication Leakage Shutdown
06 cylinder damage
Lubrication oil Lubrication oil effect
Oil wiper leaking Piston rod scuffing pollution
leaking worse
Running condition
Crack Fatigue , stress concentration Crack propagation Shutdown
variation
07 Crankcase
Combustion or explosion Lubrication oil gasifying Shutdown Shutdown Severe accident

Valve Block damage Fatigue failure, Friction damage Work abnormal Shutdown Shutdown
Spring failure Fatigue failure, Friction damage Work abnormal Shutdown Shutdown
Leakage Deformation of valve plate Work abnormal Shutdown Shutdown
08 Valves High temperature of
Exhaust valve leakage, bad lubrication Valves damage Shutdown Shutdown
exhaust
Valves product excess Valves
Excess lubrication oil, valves damage Shutdown Shutdown
carbon damage

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 The security risk of fault mode is RS, the fault rate is PoFS,
the safety effect is CoFS. RS can be calculated by the following
equation.
RS = PoFS×CoFS
The environment risk of fault mode is RE, the fault rate is
PoFE, the safety effect is CoFE. RE can be calculated by the
following equation.
RE = PoFE×CoFE
The economic risk of fault mode is RC, the fault rate is PoFC,
the safety effect is CoFC. RC can be calculated by the following
equation.
RC = PoFC×CoFC
While the economic loss effect includes production loss
caused by interrupt production and equipment maintenance
costs.
While the risk level is evaluated by risk matrix, the highest
risk level of all fault mode decides the functionally significant
items risk level. If the level of fault mode is high risk (H), the
risk level of the important components is high risk (H); if the
level of all fault mode is low risk (L), the level of the
equipment is low risk (L); the rest situation is medium risk (M).
Suppose that the risk level of the i fault mode, the level of
component is R, then
Ri=Max(RSi, REi, RCi )
R=Max(Ri)
where i = 1,2,3,Λ,n.
The results are shown in TABLE II.
(4) RCM logic, making maintenance strategy
The maintenance strategies could be broadly classified into
three categories, namely corrective maintenance (CM),
condition-based maintenance (CBM) and PM. Aiming at every
fault mode, the logic decision of maintenance systems is shown
in Fig. 3.
 Condition-based maintenance (CBM)
In CBM, equipment operating conditions are continuously
monitored to identify the need for maintenance in real time.
The actual preventive actions are only taken when an incipient
failure is supposed to have been detected. Therefore, CBM can
significantly reduce the maintenance costs by reducing the
number of unnecessary scheduled PM operations if properly
established and effectively implemented [13]. For this reason,
CBM has been received great attention of researchers and
practical maintainers.
 Preventive maintenance (PM)
PM refers to regularly inspection and maintenance,
involving scheduled maintenance and detection of incipient
fault. Scheduled maintenance is periodically carried out by
lubricating, calibrating, refurbishing, inspecting, and checking
equipment for each fixed period of time to lessen the
deterioration leading to faults. It is characterized by
determining the maintenance type, maintenance interval and
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maintenance workload beforehand according to the wearing
regularity of equipments [14]. In RCM, this maintenance
system applies to very important equipment fault mode related
to time.
(1)
 Corrective maintenance (CM)
CM, also known as breakdown maintenance, is frequently
performed by unplanned activities and implemented after the
occurrence of an obvious functional failure, malfunction, or
(2)
breakdown of the equipment.
(3)
(4)
(5)
Figure 5. Example of RCM logic.
Its actions can store the functional capabilities of failed
components by either repairing the defect or replacing the new
ones. The maintenance system is mainly applied in equipment
or fault mode with low risk level.
According to RCM logic decision, the maintenance system
is chosen by types of failure effect, reliability characteristic and
the risk level. It is preventive maintenance in addition to the
safety consequences of failure, in other types of fault can
choose condition monitoring by the principle of economy.
TABLE II shows the maintenance strategy of reciprocating
compressor’s FSI. It should be noted that the key parts of
reciprocating compressor have 26% fault modes, which
contains 30.8% high risk levels, 15.4% low risk levels, The rest
are medium risk levels. Based on the logic decision, every fault
mode has a matching maintenance, which has solved the high
cost and downtime. It ensures the reciprocating compressor
system operates more safely, reliably and efficiently.
IV. CONCLUSIONS
RCM analysis is a systematic engineering methodology to
making optimal maintenance strategy for equipments in many
countries. After FMEA analysis, the fault mode, cause and
effect of FSI can be obtained and prepared for risk matrix
417
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ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The authors would like to acknowledge National Natural
Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 51005247,
51104168); National Key Technology Research and
Development Program of China (Grant No. 2011BAK06B01).

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