technical tuesday

Technical Tuesday: Tight, but not too tight.

March 21, 2023

When the job calls for a torque wrench, but the 1” impact is handy… This photo shows failed threads on a bolt caused by over-tightening which can — and usually does — lead to a failure with varying degrees of damage based on what the fastener was fastening. Want to learn more about proper torquing techniques, bolt stretch, material capabilities, tooling, etc.? Come see us at the Eastern Gas Compression Roundtable on May 2-4, 2023 at the David Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh.

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Technical Tuesday: Tips to reduce fluid-system safety incidents

August 23, 2022

Up to 42% of fluid-system safety incidents are due to preventable errors. We have some tips on how to lower risks for your workers, facilities, and valuable assets: 1. Never bleed system pressure by loosening a fitting nut or lug; 2. Never make up and/or tighten fittings when a system is pressurized; 3. Never mix tube fitting and tubing materials or leakage/galvanic corrosion could occur; 4. Never force tubing into a fitting. Learn more at the Eastern Gas Compression Roundtable, May 2-4, 2023 in Pittsburgh.

Thank you to Rudy Frank from Swagelok Pittsburgh | Tri-State Area for this Technical Tuesday tip.

Have a tip? Do you have a technical tip to share? Submit your tip, along with an associated image and we may include it in our Technical Tuesday social media posts, blog posts and emails.

Technical Tuesday: Monitoring Health Status of Gas Turbine Bearings

August 16, 2022

Oil Debris Monitors (ODM) enable gas turbine operators to maximize equipment availability by providing the earliest advance warning of potential damage. As shown in this image, the full flow, online ODM sensor was the only sensor to detect the issue and the early warning allowed the engine operator to schedule the engine shutdown while monitoring. The damage on the #1 bearing correlated with the ODM damage alarm indicator. Learn more at the EGCR, May 2-4, 2023 in Pittsburgh.

Thank you to Manuel Aboud from Gastops for this Technical Tuesday tip.

Have a tip? Do you have a technical tip to share? Submit your tip, along with an associated image and we may include it in our Technical Tuesday social media posts, blog posts and emails.

Technical Tuesday: Ring Grooves

March 1, 2022

“It’s Groovy Baby…”

Measuring ring grooves and piston rings prior to installation is critical to a quality job. These measurements serve as a baseline for future inspections and are critical in a failure investigation. Whether it’s your favorite British spy parody or ring groove specs, we can quote lines with the best of them. To learn more, plan to attend the Eastern Gas Compression Roundtable on May 3-5, 2022 at the David Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh, PA.

Have a tip? Do you have a technical tip to share? Submit your tip, along with an associated image and we may include it in our Technical Tuesday social media posts, blog posts and emails.

Technical Tuesday: Measuring Bearing Temps

February 22, 2022

There are a lot of different strategies for measuring bearing temps. In this picture, the operator chose to install 2 rtd’s that touch the back of the bearing. The thinking is that the oil channel in the bearing could delay heat transfer on a failure if it occurred on the opposite side of the channel from the temperature sensor. What do you think? For more tips and tricks, join us at the Eastern Gas Compression Roundtable on May 3-5, 2022 at the David Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh.

Have a tip? Do you have a technical tip to share? Submit your tip, along with an associated image and we may include it in our Technical Tuesday social media posts, blog posts and emails.

Technical Tuesday: Hinges

February 8, 2022

“Just a Swinging…”

An engineer fresh out of school came up with this idea, and several vendors are installing them now. These hinges allow the heavy crankcase doors to swing open, and they’ve been very helpful in speeding up time/heat sensitive tasks such as web deflections, as well as reducing awkward lifting of the doors, etc. For more tips and tricks, join us at the Eastern Gas Compression Roundtable on May 3-5, 2022 at the David Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh, PA.

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Technical Tuesday: Liner Install

February 1, 2022

How do you wash your liners before installation? It’s extremely important to remove all of the preservative from the running surface. The surface porosity captures and holds oil to lubricate the piston movement and if that porosity is filled with preservative, the life span of the components will be short. Everybody has a method, let’s hear them! For more tips and tricks, join us at the Eastern Gas Compression Roundtable on May 3-5, 2022 at the David Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh.

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Technical Tuesday: Engine/Compressor Weight

January 25, 2022

Well, that’s one way to spend the day screwing off. There are many things to consider while planning major engine/compressor work, but weights are pretty high on the list. Many of our heaviest components exceed the floor weight capacity on buildings with basements. Screw jacks or timbers can be used to shore the floor up prior to work beginning. Seriously… don’t get overloaded. For more tips and tricks, join us at the Eastern Gas Compression Roundtable on May 3-5, 2022 at the David Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh.

Have a tip? Do you have a technical tip to share? Submit your tip, along with an associated image and we may include it in our Technical Tuesday social media posts, blog posts and emails.

Technical Tuesday: Web Deflections

January 18, 2022

Web deflections sounds like an online security firm, but they have been around longer than Al Gore’s claim of inventing the internet. This picture shows the proper setup using a string-line gauge. By capturing the changes in this distance as the crankshaft is rotated, we can evaluate how much the crankshaft is deflecting. The data can then be used to interpret how the engine frame is aligned and expose potential issues. Want to know more? Join us at the Eastern Gas Compression Roundtable on May 3-5, 2022 at the David Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh.

Have a tip? Do you have a technical tip to share? Submit your tip, along with an associated image and we may include it in our Technical Tuesday social media posts, blog posts and emails.

Technical Tuesday: Freeze Plugs

January 11, 2022

For our next installment of “Name Shame,” we will cover freeze plugs. There is a general misconception that freeze plugs are made to pop out if the engine coolant freezes, keeping the block or head from cracking. While it seems logical, the real purpose of these casting holes is to remove the casting sand. There actually have been many a block cracked with the freeze plug still in place. These pictures are core plugs from a Cooper Bessemer engine—they are the equivalent of a freeze plug. Learn more at the Eastern Gas Compression Roundtable on May 3-5, 2022 at the David Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh.

Have a tip? Do you have a technical tip to share? Submit your tip, along with an associated image and we may include it in our Technical Tuesday social media posts, blog posts and emails.