Page 491 - Practical Machinery Management for Process Plants Major Process Equipment Maintenance and Repair

468 Major Process Equipment Maintenance and Repair

3. Purchase an API system. This will normally mean that the vendor’s
standard system in the bedplate must be removed and a separate
system installed. This type of system is not practical with many gas
turbines, since the lube oil system is heavily integrated into the ven-
dor’s design. In a process plant, reliability improvements can nev-
ertheless be made by this approach. A steam turbine driven main
lube oil pump can eliminate the auxiliary drive gearbox and its as-
sociated couplings, etc., making the gas turbine train itself less
complex.

Regardless of the type of lube oil system supplied, the calibration of
instruments associated with the system is critical in maintaining a high
service factor. These instruments should be located in such a way as to
ensure they are not physically abused, and are readily available for cali-
bration during maintenance outages. A cabinet containing all of the pres-
sure switches and gauges associated with the gas turbine such as shown
in Figure 9-13 facilities maintenance. This cabinet can be located as

Figure 9-13. Pressure switch and gauge cabinet (courtesy Canadian Westinghouse).