How to choose high-pressure oilless air compressor for petrochemical industry
Petrochemical industry background
The demand for compressed air in the petrochemical industry is mainly concentrated in high-pressure application scenarios such as catalytic cracking, gas transportation, and valve control, with working pressures usually reaching 2.5-4.0MPa. According to ISO 8573-1:2010, the oil content of process gas is required to be less than 0.01ppm and the dust content is required to be no more than 0.01μm. It also needs to withstand the influence of corrosive gases such as hydrogen sulfide (H ˇ S). Traditional oil-lubricated air compressors are prone to lubrication oil carbonization under high pressure conditions, causing coking in the heat exchanger, which reduces the heat exchange efficiency by 40%-60%. The high-pressure oil-free air compressor has passed the German Tüv “0” oil-free certification and has become a key equipment for long-term operation of refining units.
Why do petrochemicals need high-pressure oilless air compressors
- process safety：
- The oil-free design avoids the risk of spontaneous combustion of ferrous sulfide (FeS) when lubricating oil reacts with H ˇ S.
- energy efficiency optimization：
- Four-stage compression technology achieves an isentropic efficiency of more than 85%, which saves energy by 20%-30% compared with traditional equipment.
- compliance requirements：
- Meet the strict requirements of API618 standard for vibration control (≤3.5mm/s) and noise (≤75dB(A)).
- corrosion resistance：
- The dual-phase stainless steel gas circuit is designed and has passed the NACE MR0175 vulcanization stress corrosion test and has excellent corrosion resistance.
Shanghai Granklin Group’s high-pressure oil-free air compressors adopt oil-free compression technology that meets international standards to meet the 10-year cylinder-free maintenance needs of refining units.
Selection of core parameters for petrochemical industry
According to ISO 8573-1:2010 Class 0 and API 618 standards, the following parameters need to be verified when selecting a high-pressure oilless air compressor:
- working pressure：
- 4.0MPa±1%(quality management system certification certificate verification is required).
- oil content：
- <0.01ppm (German Tüv “0” oil-free certification is required).
- Material corrosion resistance：
- The hardness of gas circuit components is ≥HRC 45 (verified by ASTM G48 corrosion test).
- energy efficiency indicators：
- Specific power ≤8.5kW/(m³/min)(environmental management system certification certificate support is required).
The high-pressure oilless air compressor passes the intelligent surge control system and combines the occupational health and safety management system certification to ensure stable operation of the equipment in the load range of 30%-110%.
Potential risks of not using high-pressure oilless air compressors
If traditional equipment is used, the following problems may arise:
- Unplanned shutdown：
- Lubricating oil carbonization blocks heat exchangers, resulting in annual losses of more than 30 million yuan (calculated on a refinery of 10 million tons/year).
- safety accidents：
- The spontaneous combustion of FeS causes the device to catch fire, which may cause direct economic losses of more than 500 million yuan.
- Environmental Protection punishment：
- Oily tail gas may trigger an EPA Leak Detection and Repair (LDAR) alarm.
- Energy efficiency degradation：
- After three years of operation of the equipment, the specific power increased by 15%-20%, resulting in an annual increase in electricity bills of about 8 million yuan.
By comparing the ISO 8573-1:2010 standard with traditional equipment parameters (oil content ≥0.1ppm), the necessity of high-pressure oil-free technology in petrochemical industry can be clarified.
Economic benefits of using high-pressure oilless air compressors
- power savings：
- The use of permanent magnet frequency conversion technology saves more than 12 million yuan in annual electricity bills (4000kW units).
- maintenance costs：
- Lubricating oil replacement and filter element consumption are eliminated, and annual maintenance costs are reduced by 70%.
- production capacity guarantee：
- The equipment availability rate has increased to 99.5%, and the annual increase in production has exceeded 200 million yuan.
- Carbon tax optimization：
- Comply with ISO 14064 carbon footprint certification, tariffs on exported refined products are reduced by 3%-5%.
Comparison of high-pressure oil-free air compressor versus traditional oil-lubricated air compressor in petrochemical industry
| parameters | High-pressure oilless air compressor | Traditional oil lubrication equipment |
|---|---|---|
| oil content | <0.01ppm (Tüv certification) | ≥0.1ppm (requires five-level filtration) |
| maximum working pressure | 4.0MPa (can be customized to 6.5MPa) | ≤2.5MPa (limited by lubricating oil) |
| Material corrosion resistance | Certified by NACE MR0175 | Meets only ASTM A276 standard |
| Average annual maintenance cost | 500,000 – 800,000 yuan (no consumables design) | 2 million-3.5 million yuan (oil-containing system maintenance) |
| equipment life | 15-20 Year (fully welded structure) | 8-12 Year (caused by oil pollution corrosion) |
| compliance of | Passed 12 CE/API/ISO certifications | Only meets basic security certification |
summary
In the petrochemical industry, choosing a high-pressure oilless air compressor is a key decision to ensure plant safety and optimize energy efficiency. By strictly adhering to the ISO 8573-1:2010 standard and the API 618 specification, the use of this equipment eliminates lubricant-related risks and enhances competitiveness in the international market. Leading manufacturers such as Shanghai Granklin Group promote industrial upgrading through innovative technologies and provide global refining companies with reliable compressed air solutions that meet ASME pressure vessel standards.