Q & A > Question Details
We are facing severe choking problem in jacket cooling system of reciprocating compressors. Currently we are using service water for closed loop circulation but the effect is such that after two or three months of cleaning, the flow area available reduces by more than 60% on an average. Is anyone facing similar problems..? What may be remedial action. ? We flush the system during every available shutdown. During flushing a think slurry like liquid sometimes black in colour is discharged.
Service water we are using has similar parameter that of industrial drinking water with slight high Cl content.

Additional:
The iron content of service water used in the closed loop system is 0.4ppm. We don't suspect any tube leakage in exchanger as well. But surely there should be a problem with the quality of water we are using.
The type of deposit we observed is muddy type hardened along the inner wall as lumps. Breaks down if we hammer the outer surface of pipe during flow inside.
http://sailinchemicals.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/02_Corroded_potable_pipe_-_Credit_-_Nu_Flow_America.jpg
The appearance is similar to above image except that the colour is slight orange in nature and more like globular lumps.

Additional:
It's the reciprocating compressor handling Hydrocarbon and hydrogen. There is no pinhole leak in any lines. After starting of condensate top up, we have found it much better. Only problem with BFW/ condensate is the working temperature. We have managed to change in one of the compressors. however , the other one needs to be done
 
Answers
05/01/2017 A: Peter Marsh, XBP Refining Consultants Ltd, peter.marsh@xbprefining.co.uk
The photo in the link included in your additional information looks like oxygen pitting corrosion. Are the reciprocating compressors in air service? Could there be a pinhole leak allowing air into the closed loop cooling circuit?
05/01/2017 A: Sudhakara Babu Marpudi, Dangote Oil Refinery Company, m_sudhakarababu@yahoo.com
Conductivity of service water will be high and this probably is the reason for the deposition of material causing high conductivity. Normally the steam condensate recovered from steam traps (used as boiler feed water make up) is cooled and stored and pumped for bearing cooling purposes of pumps and compressors.
05/01/2017 A: Peter Marsh, XBP Refining Consultants Ltd, peter.marsh@xbprefining.co.uk
The photo in the link included in your additional information looks like oxygen pitting corrosion. Are the reciprocating compressors in air service? Could there be a pinhole leak allowing air into the closed loop cooling circuit?
05/01/2017 A: Shridhar Shenoy, OMPL, shridharbshenoy@gmail.com
Right now we have switched to boiler feed water at allowed temperature and are awaiting the results.
22/04/2016 A: Peter Marsh, XBP Refining Consultants Ltd, peter.marsh@xbprefining.co.uk
If the tempered cooling water circuit is cooled by salt cooling water (SCW), it is possible that a tube leak in the cooler could cause SCW contamination of the tempered water system (if the SCW pressure in the cooler is higher than the tempered water pressure either in normal operation or shutdown). This could cause salt precipitation and accelerated corrosion in the compressor cooling jacket as the tempered water temperature rises. Do any other users of the tempered water (eg. compressor motor lube oil coolers) experience similar problems?
21/04/2016 A: Prakash Pimparkar, Environmental Consulting Services , prakash.pimparkar@yahoo.in
Please check iron contents in your cooling water
21/04/2016 A: NS Murthy, Suez, murthy.ns.ext@suez.com
We resolved a similar problem in an Indian refinery way back in 80s. We did two changes a) Switched right lube oil for use in compressor so that there is no excessive wear & tear leading to higher temperature and b) Switched tempered water system as velocity in jacket cooling is too low for preventing scaling even with best cooling water quality. From failures happening in weeks, we could get a run length of more than 7000 hrs between M&I of compressor.
21/04/2016 A: Prakash Pimparkar, Environmental Consulting Services , prakash.pimparkar@yahoo.in
Please check iron contents of cooling water,appears to be iron precipitate also ensure proper dosing of CW chemicals.