Updating temperature monitoring on reciprocating compressor connecting rods to improve reliability

In recent years, formerly depleted domestic oil fields have become producers once again through tertiary oil recovery. In tertiary oil recovery, water and Carbon Dioxide (CO2) are alternatively injected into reservoirs through injection wells. This raises the field pressure and forces oil to producing wells where it is then pumped to a storage tank referred to as a battery. This paper is focused on an operating division in the Permian Basin (USA). The CO2 is acquired from underground domes in Colorado and then transferred through pipelines to oil fields in West Texas and New Mexico.The compressors are used to move CO2 and boost the gas to the required field pressure, usually around 2,200 psig. Reciprocating compressors are flexible and able to handle wide capacity and condition swings, offer an efficient method of compressing almost any gas composition in a wide range of pressures and have numerous applications and wide power ratings. This makes them a vital component in various industrial facilities. Condition monitoring of critical rotating machinery is widely accepted by operators of centrifugal compressors. However, condition monitoring of reciprocating machinery such as compressors and internal combustion engines has not received the same degree of acceptance. This paper examines the reliability impact as a result of upgrading the temperature monitoring devices on the connecting rods of electric driven reciprocating compressors. A cost analysis is also presented to demonstrate that the upgrade in hardware and software will eventually yield a saving in the operating cost.