In industries where uptime is everything, screw compressors are the heart of the operation. They provide the reliability and performance to keep critical systems running smoothly. But what happens when your screw compressor fails? Downtime, lost revenue, and a whole lot of frustration.
If you’re searching for answers, you’re not alone. Many businesses across Texas and beyond face these exact challenges. Let’s break down why screw compressors fail, how you can spot trouble before disaster strikes, and most importantly how Kingsly Compression has the solution.
Screw Compressors
Screw compressors use two interlocking rotors to compress gas with high efficiency at low suction pressures. But no machine is immune to failure, especially when it’s under intense industrial use. That’s why understanding the core reasons screw compressors fail is the first step to prevention.
Common Reasons Screw Compressors Fail
1. Liquid Slugs
The most common issue destroying screw compressors of any brand is a slug of liquid. When Natural Gas Liquids (NGL’s) carryover past the scrubber, they get lodged in between the rotors of the screw compressor, and most often cause failures of the seals, or worse, the whole compressor. In environments with wet gasses, such as vapor recovery, the scrubber may not be enough to ensure that no liquids make their way to the screw compressor itself. The easiest way to mitigate this risk is to put a large separator with sufficient dumping capability before the compressor package itself, allowing the properly sized on skid scrubber to remove only the minority of liquids that have made it through the first stage of drying.
2. Lubrication Problems
It is very important to ensure that the oil in the compressor is the correct blend for the gas composition that is flowing through the compressor. This changes from site to site, and Kingsly offers a number of blends ranging from clean, dry natural gas, to very heavy hydrocarbon, high liquid dropout gas. Also important is the flow rate for the oil. If the compressor does not have an oil pump, there must be a minimum pressure differential from the suction to the discharge to push the oil through. If your oil flow rate is too high, you risk damaging your compressor while trying to compress a liquid, as well as excessive horsepower usage and oil carryover, and if your oil flow rate is too low, you risk not lubricating and crashing the screw compressor, as well not having a seal to pressurize the gas, leading to sudden flow rate drops. If you believe your flow rate might be the issue, Kingsly Compression has the resources to check your conditions and make sure that your package is working optimally!
3. Improper Package Design
It is easy for a manufacturer to cut corners, and design a package that will only meet easy conditions that won’t work everywhere a package is set. Downtime results from the customer becoming the guinea pig, pushing a compressor past what the manufacturer intended with the original design. Kingsly Compression designs every package coming out of our manufacturing facility with healthy safety margins and robust equipment so that the customer doesn’t have to worry about a package that will never truly fit their requested conditions.
4. Varying Conditions
Once a unit is sent out on location, things change. Suction pressures drop, pipeline pressures increase, and other compressors on site go down. If these pressures fall or rise too far above what was originally quoted, there’s a chance that the unit on site may never work reliably. When conditions change, always check with your packager to make sure that your unit isn’t given an impossible challenge.
5. Lack of Temperature
Another issue that is seldom thought of, is actually lack of temperature. A screw compressor flowing gas naturally gets liquids into the oil that have to flash off with enough temperature for proper lubrication. If your compressor runs loaded for short periods of time, they will never get to operating temperature, and will simply break the compressor given enough start/stop cycles.
6. Neglected Maintenance
When filters aren’t replaced or cleaned, the pressure difference and work required both increase, and flow rate drops. Whether it’s salt, sand, or any other kind of byproduct, filters are there to make sure that minor issues don’t become large issues, and need to be replaced or cleaned before they cause their own problems.
Warning Signs Your Screw Compressor Needs Attention
Stay ahead of costly downtime by looking out for these red flags:
- Increased oil carryover or leaks
- Frequent trips, alarms, or shutdowns
- Rising operating temperatures
- Unusual vibration or noise
- Decreased flow rates
Monitoring flow rates (cfm) is also important, as significant deviations can indicate potential problems with the compressor.
If you notice any of these symptoms, act fast before minor issues become major failures.
How Kingsly Compression Redefines Screw Compressor Reliability
At Kingsly Compression, we don’t just sell compressors—we engineer peace of mind. Our systems are designed from the ground up to eliminate the failure points that plague traditional screw compressors. Plus, Kingsly’s solutions are cost-effective for high gas volume applications, making them ideal for field gathering and vapor recovery.
Experienced Engineering
Kingsly Compression sold our first screw compressor package in 1996, and after building over 300 screw compressor packages in the last nearly 30 years, we have seen every issue and know what to do to prevent them from happening in the first place. Proper cooling, custom private labeled oils, oversized coalescent vessels, and blowcases built beyond industry standards allow our compressors to be reliable 24/7/365 for years to come.
Robust Cooling Systems
Our compressors utilize high quality, oversized coolers made for industrial use. In a market flooded with cheap coolers, we remain firm to buying and utilizing only the best, so that years of heat cycles don’t result in costly repairs.
Fail-Safe Control Systems
Our VFD panels and Control boards utilize a slew of shutdowns, making sure that your compressor doesn’t crash in the first place. A unit doesn’t ship without oil pressure shutdowns, low and high suction alarms and shutdowns, temperature shutdowns, and everything else to make sure that your unit tells you when it will have an issue before it does. Smart controls anticipate conditions that could lead to a crash and automatically adjust operation to protect your equipment.
Custom Fit, Every Time
No two operations are the same. That’s why every Kingsly solution is custom to your exact requirements, ensuring proper sizing, installation, and operation from day one. Proper location and configuration of compressor systems, such as plumbing multiple lifting valves to corresponding locations on the discharge side, is critical for variable displacement systems to be efficient and effective.
Unmatched Service and Support
When you work with Kingsly, you’re not buying a machine. You’re partnering with a team that will help you succeed. Our ongoing service and support programs are designed to keep your compressors running and your downtime minimal.
Protect Your Operation with Kingsly Compression
Downtime is expensive, stressful, and often preventable. If your screw compressors are giving you headaches, it’s time to stop treating the symptoms and fix the system.
Trust Kingsly Compression to deliver performance, reliability, and peace of mind. Kingsly’s compressor units come in various sizes and capacities so you can find the perfect fit for your industrial needs. Don’t wait for the next failure Schedule your free Reliability Consultation today and see how Kingsly Compression can keep your operation running without interruption. Interested in joining our team?