The monitoring system will help ensure the smooth operation of its hydrotreating process unit at Chevron’s El Segundo refinery, located in southern California. It will also enable plant maintenance personnel to be more proactive in managing the health of their critical machinery assets, including the hydrogen booster reciprocating compressors.
Under the scope of this project, GE will supply Bently Nevada 3500 series systems for continuous machinery protection and monitoring and the System-1 software platform for on-line machinery condition monitoring.
GE will install and commission the systems on two groups of four existing hydrogen booster Dresser Rand reciprocating compressors. In addition, Chevron has recently placed orders for GE’s technology on six new reciprocating compressors at the refinery’s flare gas recovery unit and continuous catalytic regenerative unit.
Brian Palmer, vice president of GE Energy’s optimization and control business, said: GE Energy has more than 40 years of experience in monitoring reciprocating compressors with more than 50,000 installations around the globe. GE has the plant and field experience combined with application knowledge to understand Chevron El Segundo’s machinery and to provide the company with the best options to enhance reliability at their refinery.
