Page 29 - Improving Machinery Reliability

2 Inzproving Machineiy Reliability

Table 1-1
Principal API Standards for Mechanical Equipment (1 997)
Standard 7B- 1 IC Specifications for Internal-combustion Reciprocating Engines for Oil Field
Service
Standard 541 Squirrel Cage Induction Motors-250 HP and Largcr
Standard 546 Brushless Synchronous Machines-5OOkVA and Larger
Standard 610 Centrifugal Pumps for General Refinery Serviccs
Standard 611 General-Purpose Steam Turbines for Refinery Services
Standard 612 Special-Purpose Steam Turbines for Refinery Scrviccs
Standard 613 Special-Purpose Gear Units for Refinery Services
Standard 614 Lubrication, Shaft-Sealing, and Control Oil Systems for Special-Purpose
Applications
Standard 616 Gas Turbines for Refinery Services
Standard 617 Centrifugal Compressors for Petroleum, Chemical, and Gas Service Industries
Standard 618 Reciprocating Compressors for Petroleum, Chemical, and Gas Service Industries
Standard 619 Rotary-Type Positive Displacement Compressors for General Refinery Services
Standard 670 Vibration, Axial Position and Bearing-Temperature Monitoring Systems
Standard 671 Special-Purpose Couplings for Refinery Services
Standard 672 Packaged, Integrally Geared, Centrifugal Plant and Industrial Air Compressors
for Petroleum, Chemical, and Gas Service Industries
Standard 674 Positive Displacement Pumps-Reciprocating
Standard 675 Positive Displacement Pumps-Controlled Volume
Standard 676 Positive Displacement Pumps-Rotary
Standard 677 General Purpose Gear Units for Refinery Services
Standard 678 Accelerometer-Based Vibration Monitoring System
Standard 681 Liquid Ring Vacuum Pumps and Compressors for Petroleum, Chemical, and
Gas Industries Services
Standard 682 Shaft Sealing Systems for Centrifugal and Rotary Pumps
Standard 683 Rotor Dynamics and Balancing
Standard 686 Machinerv Installation and Installation Design

Nevertheless, major U.S. petrochemical plants or contractors will rarely opt to use
applicable API standards as the only procurement standard for machinery. Either the
contractor or the plant owner, or both, makes use of specification supplements or
design and construction standards reflecting particular experience, special needs,
regional requirements, design and maintenance philosophies, and the like. All of
these supplements serve a specific purpose. Compliance with government regula-
tions, uniformity of training for operators or mechanics, common spare parts utiliza-
tion among affiliated plants, utilization of locally available components, and a host
of other purposes could be mentioned. The relative importance of these factors will
change from plant to plant and from location to location. Unfortunately, so does the
specification format-to the detriment of all parties involved.

How to Deal with the Typical API Data Sheet

API Standard 617, “Centrifugal Compressors for General Refinery Services,”” is
the primary reference document for procuring a given centrifugal compressor. It con-

*API Standard 617, “Centrifugal Compressors for General Refinery Services,” Sixth Edition, 1995.
(Corrrtesy of the Ainericnii Petroleroil Iiistinrte.)