Reciprocating motor

The development of positive displacement downhole motors began in the late 1950s. The initial development was the result of a United States patent filed by W. Clark in 1957. This downhole motor was based on the original work of a French engineer, Rene Monineau, and is classified as a helimotor. The motor is actuated by drilling mud pumped from the surface. There are two other types of positive displacement motors that have been used, or are at present in use today the vane motor and the reciprocating motor. However, by far the most widely used positive displacement motor is the helimotor [79,83]. 

There have been some efforts over the past three decades to develop positive development vane motors and reciprocating motors for operation with drilling mud as the actuating fluid. These efforts have not been successful. 

In the early 1960s efforts were made in the United States to operate vane motors and reciprocating motors with compressed air. The vane motors experienced some limited test success but were not competitive in the market of that day [84]. Out of these development efforts evolved the reciprocating (compressed) air hammers that have been quite successful and are operated extensively in the mining industry and have some limited application in the oil and gas industry [85]. The air hammer is not a motor in the true sense of rotating equipment. The reciprocating action of the air hammer provides a percussion effect on the drill bit, the rotation of the bit to new rock face location is carried out by the conventional rotation of the drill string. 

A reciprocating motor-driven compressor rated for 2000 brake hp 1,120,000... 

Pumps reciprocating, motor driven, 25 psia head Heat exchangers floating-head, = 30°F, 1/ = 15 Btu/hr-ft -°F Reslurry vessel and crystallizer vertical, with HID = 2 AU equipment carbon steel... 

The principle of operation of the hydraulic reciprocating pump is similar to the beam pump, with a piston-like sub-surface pump action. The energy to drive the pump, however, is delivered through a hydraulic medium, the power fluid, commonly oil or water. The power fluid drives a downhole hydraulic motor which in turn drives the pump. A separate surface pump delivers the hydraulic power. The power fluid system can be of the closed loop or of the open type. In the latter case, the power fluids are mixed with the produced fluid stream. The performance of the hydraulic pump is primarily monitored by measuring the discharge pressures of both surface and sub-surface pumps. 

In 1840 a hydrauHc power network, which involved large reciprocating pumps that were driven by steam engines, suppHed fluid power to London. However, concurrent technology in steam (qv) turbines and the electric generators outmoded such networks until hydrauHc systems were improved with the use of rotary pumps and oil. The rotary piston pump marked the transition from use of water to oil as the hydrauHc fluid (4). The use of vacuum-distilled, refined mineral oils were instmmental in the success of rotary axial piston pumps and motors such as the Waterbury variable speed gear... 

Motor-driven, multistage reciprocating compressors have reportedly been the most popular choice for aeroderivatives. Motor-driven, oil-fiooded screw compressors are also used in some cases. High horsepower, multistage centrifugal compressors, similar to those used at many pipeline compressor stations, may be required for the newer heavy-duty units if the distribution pipeline pressure is insufficient (see Pipelines). Gas turbines have more stringent fuel-gas specifications in terms of cleanliness than do gas-fired boilers. Thus oil- and water-knockout systems, coalescing filters, and fine-mesh filters are used. 

On a typical pipeline, compressor stations are located at 81—161-km intervals and may contain up to 15 compressors. These stations may use either gas-turbine, reciprocating-engine, and/or motor-driven centrifugal compressors capable of boosting pipeline pressure and keeping gas moving at an average speed of about 24 km/h. Gas-turbine-driven units are the most popular. 

Such compacting presses are not suited to larger tonnages when a small briquette is required. Their reciprocating nature is a disadvantage since this produces nonuniform loads on the drive motors. 

Motor-driven compressors usually operate at constant speed, and other methods of controlhng the capacity are necessary. On reciprocating compressors discharging into receivers, up to about 75 kW (100 np), two types of control are usually available. These are auto-matic-start-and-stop control and constant-speed control. 

Motor-driven reciprocating compressors above about 75 kW (100 hp) in size are usually equipped with a step control. This is in reality a variation of constant-speed control in which unloading is accomplished in a series of steps, varying from full load down to no load. Three-step eontrol (full load, one-half load, and no load) is usually accomplished with inlet-valve unloaders. Five-step eontrol (fuU load, three-fourths load, one-half load, one-fourth load, and no load) is accomphshed by means of clearance pockets (see Fig. 10-91). On some machines, inlet-valve and clearance-control unloading are used in combination. 

The first method is used most frequently. The next preference is for the last method, mostly used in small compressors due to problems with speed control of electrical motors. Other means of capacity control are very seldom utilized due to thermodynamic inefficiencies and design difficulties. Energy losses in a compressor, when capacity regulation is provided by lifting the suc tion valves, are due to fric tion of gas flowing in and out the unloaded cylinder. This is shown in Fig. 11-84 where the comparison is made for ideal partial load operation, reciprocating, and screw compressors. 

Vlanv process machines operate at speeds diFFerent From the one oF their drivers. Typical oF cases where the machine rotates. dower than the driver are reciprocating compressors typical examples oF machines rotating/ js / er than the drivers are centriFiigal compressors driven bv electric motors. In either case, ear. are used to match the two speeds, (iears can also be designed to accommodate shaFts that... 

Applications include electric motor drives for conveyors and other material handling equipment such as stacker reclaimers, crushers, haulages, ball mills, cranes, hammer mills, rotary dryers, centrifuges, reciprocating pumps, winches, fans and wire drawing machines. 

Consider a reciprocating compressor operating in a process plant and using a motor of 110 kW, 980 r.p.m. The compressor is required to operate at 825 r.p.m. through V-belts. The approximate centre distance between the motor and the compressor may be considered as 1 m. 

Reciprocating compressors are available with a large variety of other drivers, which include the piston engine, steam turbine, or, in rare cases, a gas turbine. Next in popularity to the electric motor is the piston engine. The arrangement lends itself to skid mounting, particularly with the semi-portable units found in the oilfield. The unit is also popular as a lease unit, which may be lifted onto a flat bed trailer and moved from one location to another as needed. The engine is either direct-coupled or. as with smaller compressors, it may be belt-connected. 

Motor-driven reciprocating compressors are sometimes used in tonnage oxygen plants. To maintain a uniform output, the plant must be supplied with a constant weight flow of air. As ambient conditions change weight flow, a control system as shown in Figure 8-40(f) can be used to keep the plant supplied with the proper quantity of air. The necessary steps in this system are ... 

Compressor centrifugal, screw or reciprocating electric motor, steam turbine, or other driver... 

Figure 12-5F. Lubricated and nonlubricated balanced opposed process reciprocating compressors, designed to API 618 code. Fixed- and variable-speed drives using gas or diesel engines, steam or gas turbines, or electric motor. Note power drive to connect to right side of cross-head box in center. (Used by permission Bui. PROM 635/115/95-11. Nuovo Pignone S. P. A., Florence, Italy New York Los Angeles and Houston, Texas. All rights reserved.)...

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