SKF has commissioned its 1,000th SKF S2M active magnetic bearing (AMB), an event that illustrates how effectively this innovative solution is improving reliability for an ever-increasing number of customers in the oil and gas industry. SKF S2M magnetic bearings operate without friction or oil and require little maintenance. This makes them a powerful solution that offers the oil and gas industry high efficiency, long service life and low maintenance.
Originating from the Vernon Saint Marcel (Eure) plant, this 1,000th achievement on a large turbomachine offers additional benefits through several advanced features. The robust internal design of the bearing improves resistance to critical gas environments as well as the range of possible applications. The magnetic bearing control system provides remote control and diagnostic capabilities that measure critical machine parameters such as speed, vibration and temperature. The mechanical parts of the AMB system are based on a field-proven design with mechanical interfaces tailored to the specifics of an OEM machine. The control cabinet used is an industry-standard E300 volt/30A digital system, a robust solution that has accumulated over ten million hours of operational experience in the oil and gas industry. The AMB controller adapts to all aspects of the machine's complex dynamic rotor behavior. In addition, a formalized collaborative process between the customer and local SKF service teams has been developed.
These key factors allowed the local service engineer to quickly commission this 1000th SKF S2M magnetic bearing. In this application, having the right people in the right places is critical to success. With more than 30 years of experience in magnetic bearings for the oil and gas industry, SKF has a broad global presence with dedicated AMB teams in France, Canada, USA, Russia, China, Japan and the Middle East. This ensures that the company has experienced technical staff who speak the local language and understand the local culture. The result is fast, efficient service in time-sensitive applications.
For customers who need to improve the reliability and efficiency of their machines, SKF can present many documented cases where 99-100 % reliability is the norm. Many users have reported that their machines can run for 100,000 hours without any magnetic bearing related failures. Typically, the mean time between failures (MTBF) exceeds 40,000 hours.
This level of reliability directly benefits production and operational efficiency. Combined with the elimination of other transmission components, such as the lubrication system and gearbox, an SKF S2M bearing provides significant savings in operational expenses (OPEX) and a positive return on original capital expenditure (CAPEX).
The robustness of SKF S2M magnetic bearings extends the operating range of the machines, allowing them to run at faster speeds and withstand higher loads, giving the customer much greater operational flexibility. For this reason, SKF S2M magnetic bearings have become a true industry standard and the customer's solution of choice for most oil and gas applications.
A world first: a pipeline compressor with magnetic bearings was put into operation in Canada in 1986. This success was followed by the world's first oil-free turbo expander, installed at an offshore site in Norway. The technology was invented by the French company S2M (then an SKF subsidiary). Remarkably, some of the first installations are still operating without failure after more than 25 years.
The ever-expanding range of applications now includes gas storage compressors, polyethylene compressors, high-speed electric motor drives, ethylene turbo expanders, power generation turbogenerators, and more. These machines are used by all the major players in the oil and gas industry, from offshore sites in Africa to the Siberian plains north of the Arctic Circle, to petrochemical plants in North America.
SKF S2M magnetic bearings have been chosen to equip the compressors and high-speed motors of a subsea gas facility. The world's first subsea gas compression station equipped with SKF S2M magnetic bearings will be installed in the Åsgard offshore field in Norway by 2015. The system has been designed to extend the service life of the gas field and improve recovery rates.
With more than 130,000 units in operation, SKF has unparalleled experience with active magnetic bearings in a wide range of application areas: from small industrial machines to high-powered turbomachinery for oil and gas.
Learn more: www.skf.fr