RMS was contacted by a refining customer to support the overhaul of an AC Compressor V-405 centrifugal compressor. RMS conducted the entire overhaul operation at the RMS Pearland Works facility where the team worked to deliver this overhaul ahead of schedule. In addition to the experienced shop staff, RMS engineering, and Project Management were on site to support this important operation.
The V-405 AC Compressor was sent to RMS after sitting at the customer’s laydown yard for several years. Due to being stored outside, the compressor was heavily corroded and arrived full of both water and debris that needed to be removed before the inspection process could commence. The internals of the compressor were heavily rusted and required blasting to restore a metal finish.
During the inspection, the RMS shop identified cracks on the diaphragm split lines which had to be weld repaired to meet RMS’s standards. The cracks were welded via temper bead technique; thus, no post-weld heat treatment was needed which reduced the turnaround time for the repair. The inspection also revealed that the balance piston seal had been previously repaired via an insert. The insert was removed, cleaned, and scanned via RMS’s metrology team at Pearland Works to create a drawing for future fabrication of the insert.
After cleaning, the rotor was inspected and sent to the balance area at RMS’s Pearland Works facility. There, experienced rotor techs worked to balance this rotor before it was sent to high-speed balance. After completing all balance work, the rotor was installed into the cleaned and repaired casing.
The overhauled compressor was delivered to the customer and is currently in operation at the customer’s site. Thanks to the experienced staff and advanced tools at RMS Pearland Works, RMS was able to deliver the customer a quality product promptly.