Increased demands on equipment in the energy industry has become a common subject, but that makes it no less true. For reciprocating compressors, high pressures and high speeds, as required for refining or enhanced oil recovery processes, for example, are becoming the norm, and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are increasingly building to American Petroleum Institute (API) limits on piston rod linear speeds. These high pressures and speeds threaten the structural integrity, sealing performance, and longevity of compressor packing cases – risks that can be mitigated with the use of cooled packing cases. API 618, now in its 5th edition, requires a cooling system for lubricated cases with non-metallic rings that have a maximum allowable working pressure (MAWP) above 500 psi (35 bar), lubricated cases with any ring material that have a MAWP above 1500 psi (103 bar), and all non-lubricated cases, regardless of pressure… Read The Full Article
