Water Cooled Air Compressors and Bursting Discs

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JK
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Water Cooled Air Compressors and Bursting Discs

Post by JK »

It is vital that the bursting disc on water cooled air compressors is never replaced with heavier materials. Any failures of the discs must be investigated to ensure that the intercoolers are not leaking air into the water chambers and overpressuring them.
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Re: Water Cooled Air Compressors and Bursting Discs

Post by JollyJack »

Bursting discs don't always burst. This happened on the Irving Ocean when I was 2nd, 20 years ago, on a similar type of compressor. A tube on the aftercooler tube plate came out into the water space. The rise in pressure to 30 bar inside the water jacket was instantaneous, spraying bits of compressor block all over that side of the engine room. One piece was found high up on a cable tray. When we checked back to find it's trajectory, the oiler went pale, it had missed his head by less than an inch. The bursting disc remained intact, the side of the block casting failed before the pressure wave reached the disc.
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JK
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Re: Water Cooled Air Compressors and Bursting Discs

Post by JK »

why I started replacing them with air cooled on the ships I dealt with.
Noiser, don't last as long, but it is pretty easy to rip out the compressor and put in a replacement.
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