Page 453 - Subyek Teknik Mesin - Forsthoffers Best Practice Handbook for Rotating Machinery by William E Forsthoffer

Be st Practice 7 .26 Lube, Seal and Control Oil System Best Practices
B.P. 7.26. Supporting Material At this point, we can clearly see that the major de-
termination of continued equipment reliability rests with the
operation, calibration and maintenance of the equipment. In
Functional testing
order to assume maximum continued auxiliary equipment
reliability, periodic on-line functional checks and calibrations
Having satisfactorily installed and flushed the auxiliary system, must be performed. How can this be done? The only way is
all auxiliary equipment should be functionally tested, and all by convincing plant operations of the safety and reliability of
instruments and controls checked for proper setting prior to the procedure for on-line checking. This can be reinforced
operation of equipment. A functional test outline and procedure during pre-commissioning, by including operators in func-
is included at the end of this section. We will highlight the major tional testing checks and on-site training sessions, to show the
considerations of the procedure at this time. function of the system. A site training course modified for the
It is recommended that the console vendor and/or the specific equipment would prove immensely valuable in
equipment purchaser prepare a detailed field functional test
achieving this.
procedure and calibration check form. The format of this pro- Only by involving unit operators in the pre-start check-ups
cedure can follow the factory test procedure if this is acceptable.
can it be hoped to establish a field functional checking pro-
As a minimum, the auxiliary system, bill of material, and sche- cedure that will be utilized and followed through. Remember,
matic should be thoroughly checked, in order to include the a pressure switch of less than $400 in cost could cause equip-
calibration and functional test of each major component in the ment shutdown that could reduce on-site revenue by around
auxiliary system. That is, components on consoles, and up at one to two million USD per day. The pressure switch selected
unit interfaces. A detailed record should be kept of this func- could be the best, the highest quality in the world, and be
tional test procedure e this will help significantly during the properly installed and set. If its calibration is not periodically
operation of the unit. The functional test procedure should be checked, it could cause an unnecessary shutdown of equipment
carried out initially without the critical equipment running, and and result in this revenue loss.
then with the auxiliary system running as closely as possible to
design operation conditions. The functional test procedure
should first require that all instrumentation be properly cali- Functional lube/seal system test
brated before proceeding. Each specific functional test re-
quirement should then be performed and the results noted. If procedure outline
they do not meet specified limits, testing should stop, and
components should be corrected at this point. Each step should Objective: To confirm proper functional operation of the entire
be followed thoroughly to ensure each component meets all system prior to equipment start-up
requirements. It is recommended that the operators assigned to Procedure Detail each test requirement. Specifically note
this particular unit should assist in functional testing to famil- format: required functions/set points of each component.
iarize themselves with the operation of the system. In addition, Record actual functions/set points and all
site training courses should be conducted prior to the functional Note: modifications made.
All testing to be performed without the unit in
test to familiarize operators with the system’s basic functions. operation.
This training, again, significantly increases understanding of the
equipment and ensures unit reliability.
Satisfactory acceptance of a functional test then ensures that
the unit has been designed, manufactured, and installed cor- I Preparation
rectly such that all system design objectives have been obtained A Confirm proper oil type and reservoir level
and that equipment reliability is optimized. B Confirm system flush is approved and all flushing screens are
One remaining factor to be proven is the successful operation removed
of the system with the critical equipment unit in operation. C Confirm all system utilities are operational (air, water,
During initial start-up, it is recommended that the functional steam, electrical)
test be re-performed with the unit operating. While this advice D Any required temporary nitrogen supplies should be
may seem dangerous, unless the unit operators are assured that connected
the subject system has the ability to totally protect critical E All instrumentation must be calibrated and control valves
equipment while operating, auxiliary equipment will never be properly set
tested while the unit is in operation.
F Entire system must be properly vented
Remember, critical equipment is designed for 30 years’ life,
or greater. The components that comprise the auxiliary system
are many, and have characteristics that will change with time. II Test procedure
Therefore, their reliability can only be maintained if the sys-
tems are totally capable of on-line calibration and functional A Oil reservoir
checks. The functional pre-commissioning procedure should 1. Confirm proper heater operation
be modified to include an on-line periodic functional checking 2. Check reservoir level switch and any other components
(TIs, vent blowers, etc.)
procedure.

424