PR-309-17203-R01 Starting Damage on Legacy Pipeline Engines

The application of modern automation and combustion control technologies has greatly increased the reliability of engine operation when operating under load. Detonation and preignition along with unanticipated shutdowns have been reduced if not eliminated on modernized legacy engines. However starting and unloaded operation can result insubstantial detonation and preignition resulting in pressure and temperatures which significantly exceed loaded operation. In addition, these combustion aberrations can trip an engine off line before it achieves stable loaded operation. This will result in a failed start and may trigger the dispatch of a technician to investigate and resolve the problem.

This paper looks at methods to detect and quantify damage during startup in two cycle gas engines.

It finds that detection of various damaging cycles is achievable using pressure waveform characteristics. It also demonstrates that aberrant cycles are much more common in the startup phase than shutdown/idle and that generally damage tends to be concentrated in a few “problem” pistons rather than spread evenly across the engine.

This report has a related webinar.