Improved Maintenance Strategy for Reciprocating Compressor Based on Reliability and Safety

Reciprocating compressors are critical equipment in air separation unit plant systems designed to convey fluids from the site to the customer through pipelines. The key point is long component life without compromising reliability and safety systems. Therefore, appropriate maintenance strategies are required to improve system reliability and safety, considered key performance indicators that strongly impact cost, safety, and environmental sustainability. Functionality risks are assessed based on several relevant documents from the original equipment manufacturer’s (OEM) best practices regarding international and community standards applied to each component. This paper shows the integration of bibliographical research and vulnerability study assessment; it provides additional information by preventing failure and identifying opportunities for continuous improvement, where the process is carried out using failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA) by issuing recommended action to the planned maintenance routine task list.  The following paper aims to determine reliable and safe maintenance requirements to obtain up to 99.9% availability.