Expected equipment lifespans and typing gloves.

In the next post, we will definitively get back to discussing API RP 687. Today, I want to get us ready by discussing equipment lifespans and maintenance expectations.

Did you know?

Last week I gave three facility tours to visitors new to the rotating equipment industry.

If you don’t know, I work at an independent service provide or ISP. That means we are like a hospital for machines. We don’t represent a particular brand or type of machine. If it fits the category or “rotating equipment” or “turbomachinery,” we have the competence and capability to inspect and repair the equipment.

On my last tour I was asked, “How long are these turbines supposed to last?”, which turns out to be an awesome question to ask ourselves this morning. Let me get my typing gloves on!

How long should turbines and compressors last?

Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) will make public statements on their websites that say this equipment should generally have a working life of 30 years or more.

Some add statements, such as: “During this time, improvements in technology enable designs of greater efficiency, reliability, and flexibility.” -GE

These statements are true.

Individuals in this industry will say, “Today, it is possible to find equipment that has been operated and maintained successfully for 40, 50 years or even more.”

This is absolutely true.

Did you know that the editions of both API 612 and API 617 (for Steam Turbines and Compressors) , prior to the latest 8th edition used to say, “The equipment (including auxiliaries) covered by this standard shall be designed and constructed for a minimum service life of 20 years and at least 5 years of uninterrupted operation.”

This is factual.

Let this sink in…How often are we tempted to buy new cars? Or how often are we forced to buy new appliances, lawn mowers, stuff that simply does not seem to be built to last?

The critical infrastructure, the power generation, and the petrochemical industry that enable our current lifestyles needs to run uninterrupted 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The equipment must last at least 20 years, and some machines today are even pushing 50+ years in service.

And they must run uninterrupted for at least 5 years! I’ve even seen some maintenance intervals planned for 8 or 10 years!

Imagine turning on a machine and expecting it to run non-stop for 5 years or 40,000 hours!

To me, this is simply mind blowing and fills me with incredible admiration for the engineers and the people that design, build, and repair this equipment.

If you see an engineer that works for a company that designs or repairs turbines or compressors, please say, thank you, and if it’s not awkward, give them a hug.

The current or 8th edition of both API 612 and 617 do not say equipment should last at least 20 and run for 5 uninterrupted anymore.

Instead, it says, “The purchaser shall specify the period of uninterrupted continuous operation…” and it does not even specify a minimum expected lifespan for the machines.

The reason is that we live in a day and age where technological improvements and good maintenance practices can extend the life of machines well beyond 20 years.

Another thing to consider is that process conditions change. This means that the original requirements that the equipment was meant to satisfy may have changed. Maybe a plant’s capacity is increasing or changing. Maybe the composition of the gas is changing.

Rotating Equipment and Reliability Engineers are always hoping to improve their equipment, adapt it to changing process conditions and extend the life of machines.

This quest for improvement is also taken up by equipment manufacturers, and even those who repair equipment.

Talking about how long machines should last is the perfect segue way to jump back into API 687 Rotor Inspections which will come in my next post.