Glycol dehydration systems are complex
and must be closely monitored to maintain correct production. If the
temperature, pressure, or flow rate change, even slightly, a chain reaction can
affect the glycol pump and keep the system from functioning properly. In this
video I'm going to offer some tips to help you diagnose what may be going
wrong in your system. Hi, I'm Anthony with Kimray where we help energy producers solve their biggest control challenges.
If your pump isn't stroking, here are
some key questions to help you identify the cause. First, what size is your pump? We have pumps that work within two different production parameters. A small cylinder, or SC pump, is good for 100-500 psi and a pressure volume, or PV pump, is good for 300-2,000 psi. Check the tag on
the pump. If you have a small cylinder pump in a high pressure application, it
could quickly malfunction. If you have a PV pump in a low pressure application,
the pump will not stroke. If this is the case you'll need to order the correct
pump for your pressure parameters.
If you aren't sure what size your pump is,
contact your local Kimray representative. Second, has anything changed recently? If you've taken on a new well, changed pipelines, or changed control settings on any equipment, your pump can be affected. These changes could influence temperature, pressure, and flow rate. If something has changed then
you'll need to ask follow-up questions to discover the cause of the change and
adjust your operation accordingly. Thirt, does your dehy system have a flash
separator? Flash separators are used to provide additional dehydration of
natural gas. Flash separators create a place where back pressure can be applied to the pump which can cause it to stall. If you have a flash separator setup, what
is the pressure set point? This pressure will need to be added in as back
pressure for the stall point. Fourth, is there much condensate present in your system? Condensate can cause O-rings to swell and cause drag and not allow the pump to stroke. You can check for condensate by taking
the pump offline and disassembling it.
Watch our video for instructions on how
to do that. If the o-rings have swelled, you can order a repair kit and outfit
the pump with new o-rings. You may also need to consider adding a flash
separator to your system to remove that excess condensate before it gets to the
pump. Fifth, how long has the pump been in operation? If a new pump has been on the
shelf for over a year the testing oil may be sticky and caused the darts to
stick. Wipe off all the darts and make sure they can move freely. If it's a
rebuilt pump it should be shop tested.
If a pump was rebuilt but not tested,
several problems may be present – the pilot piston rod could bind, a gland
could be rotated off the communication hole, or the needle valve stem could be
broken inside the valve body. Have it tested in a repair shop for leakage. Question six, are the correct valves and the system open? There are eight valves that need to change positions for the system to work properly. If appropriate
valves are not open the pump will not stroke correctly.
Check the needle valves,
wet Inlet and outlet valves, dry suction and discharge valves. Finally, have you changed or clean the filters within the past month? Filters need to be changed at least monthly and possibly more depending on the condition of the glycol.
If not, the filters could be plugged stopping the pump. To speak with an expert about your glycol pump, contact your local kimray store or authorized distributor..
