Lube oil consoles

Figure 8-6. Lube oil console. (Courtesy of Elliott Company ...

Lube oil consoles Compressor bearings receive lubricating oil from the lube oil console (Exhibit 4-4). These consoles may either stand alone or be mounted... 

The primary function of the lube oil console is to supply clean, cool lubricating oil to the bearings of the compressor and its driver. The console is a package of equipment, which is supplied by the compressor vendor and usually includes an oil reservoir, two pumps (a primary and a spare), two filters or filter elements in a duplex-type arrangement, coolers, and associated controls. A typical lube oil console is shown in Exhibit 4-20. When placing a iube oil console around a compressor, the designer must adhere to clearance requirements for operation and maintenance of the unit. First, there should be sufficient room to remove the cooler tube bundle. Second, the space required to pull the filter elements must be considered—there can be no physical obstruction over the filters that... 

There are two types of seal oil systems.- gravity and pressurized. The gravity-feed seal oil system reservoir is mounted above and in view of the compressor, whose elevation is set by the compressor vendor. The sour oil traps can be integral with the lube oil console skid or located on a separate skid. The pressurized seal oil system is a pump-around facility whose components are integral to the lube oil console skid or mounted on a separate d. If components are mounted on a separate skid, placement must accommodate seal oil console operation and maintenance,... 

EXHIBIT 4-21 Lube Oil Console Piping and Instrunaentation Diagram ... 

Compressor 3 has an inter-cooler mounted directly below the machine, which is supplied by the vendor. Again, ample access must be provided for tube removal. The lube oil console for compressor 3 is located just outside and clear of the operating platform to the east. Again, a free-draining oil return line to the console must be provided. The suction drum for compressor 3 is on the equipment line to the east of the operating platform. 

The arrangement shown in Exhibit 4-37 consists of three electric motor-driven-reciprocating compressors as well as air blowers, suaion drums, inter-coolers, control panels, and one lube oil console. Because the compressors are two different sizes, the electric motors have been lined up to permit the power-supply conduit to run straight east and west, regardless of... 

Compressor 1 has three cylinders with a separate lube oil console that is located directly to the north, below the operating platform. A removable seaion of the platform should be provided for maintenance above the unit This area must be kept clear of any obstruction. 

Compressors 2 and 3 are identical four-cylinder machines that have integral lube oil consoles mounted directly onto the comjMressor frame. Each ct pressor has a control panel located along the north wall. 

Sound source location. Diuing two noise surveys the sound power levels from two different designs of lube oil console were meastued using the sotuid intensity meter. The overall sound power levels were 93 dB(A) and 109 dB(A). The two consoles had electrically driven pumps and both emitted strong tonal noise. In the first case the tonal noise was centered on 8 kHz using the sound intensity probe it was possible to home in on the piunp suction pipe as a major noise source. This was confirmed by vibration velocity measiuements. 

Space needs to be provided for the auxiliaries, including the lube oil and seal systems, lube oil cooler, intercoolers, and pulsation dampeners. A control panel or console is usually provided as part of the local console. This panel contains instmments that provide the necessary information for start-up and shutdown, and should also include warning and trouble lights. Access must be provided for motor repair and ultimate replacement needs to be considered. If a steam turbine is used, a surface condenser is probably required with a vacuum system to increase the efficiency. AH these additional systems need to be considered in the layout and spacing. In addition, room for pulsation dampeners required between stages has to be included. Aftercoolers may also be required with knockout dmms. Reference 8 describes the requirements of compressor layouts and provides many useful piping hints. 

The first two seal categories are usually operated dry, and the last three categories require seal oil consoles either separately or as part of the lube system. Each of these seal designs has its own characteristics and maintenance difficulties. 

For pipe sizing, process equipment sizes are required. These include types and sizes of vessels, heat exchangers, pumps, compressors, intercoolers, scrubbers, silencers, floor space of lube and seal-oil console, furnace and heater details, control and switch house arrangements. 

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