Reliable Compression of Sour and other Process Gases - Special Rolling Bearings for Oil-flooded Screw Compressors

Abstract

This case study on oil-flooded screw compressors briefly covers: 1. Basic designs of oil-flooded screw compressors 2. Process layouts 3. Failure modes for conventional bearings seeing: Water condensing Sour (H2S) and Acid (CO2) gases; Water condensing Hydrogen-rich process gases. 4. “Sour gas rolling bearings” consisting of: Super-tough stainless steel bearing rings; Bearing grade silicon nitride ceramic rolling elements; Glass fiber reinforced polymeric PEEK cages 5. A “service-life diagram” vs. H2S and CO2 mol%