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Cooled Packing Cases: Where Turbulence Is An Advantage
Read our article in the April 2018 issue of Gas Compression Magazine.
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. Beyond the API requirement, cooled packing cases are proven to reduce rod temperatures as well as packing case temperatures, extending component life and improving sealing.
Read “Cooled Packing Cases: Where Turbulence Is an Advantage,” in the April 2018 issue of Gas Compression Magazine, to learn about one cooling system solution that is compliant with the most recent API 618 edition and is celebrating close to 20 years on the market. Discover the benefits that make the Vortex Cooling® packing case efficient for design or retrofit.
