Case Studies

Reports from the Field

Cook Compression presents this series of case studies to demonstrate how our products, services and expertise have overcome problems and improved performance for compressor operators worldwide.

Scroll down to read case studies on valve and sealing technologies; pistons, rods and cylinders; emissions solutions, non-lubricated compressor solutions, and more.

Valve Technologies

Apache Australia gas processing facility

Field-Repairable Compressor Valve Improves Maintenance Logistics

“Switching to MOPPET valves has changed the way we maintain our compressors. We can now operate for extended hours and easily change wear components in the field. Although we change our valves at 8,000 hours, we can go longer if needed.”
Read the Case Study
Manley valve as part of compressor upgrade

Upgrade Boosts Unit Productivity Up to 30% at Polymers Plant

The run time of a two-stage compressor used to recycle polypropylene gas was only three to six months and part of a significant production bottleneck. Preliminary inspection found the compressor was running overloaded and experiencing excessive vibration. Cook proposed a comprehensive upgrade for the valves and packing.
Read the Case Study
Gas gathering facility

Valves Achieve Run Time Target in Demanding Gas Gathering Application

A gas gathering operator was searching for a way to achieve a full 8,000 hours of operation with no valve failures, instead of their existing 4- to 8-week cycles. The Cook Compression MOPPET valve was able to deliver, achieving 8,000-hour run times while meeting all expectations for efficiency.
Read the Case Study
Valve solutions for LNG storage

Condition Monitoring Leads to Valve Solutions

When a series of compressors in boil-off gas service started to experience a spate of valve failures, Cook Compression valve indicator ports simplified the job of acquiring data for analysis.
Read the Case Study
MOPPET valve for offshore gas production

Offshore Producer More than Doubles Valve Run Times

With the high costs of downtime on an offshore production platform, a multinational oil company battling frequent compressor valve failures needed a more robust valve, capable of delivering longer service life. The Cook Compression MOPPET valve has delivered.
Read the Case Study
Natural gas storage facility

High-Performance Manley Valve Solves Problems for Natural Gas Storage Facility

Not only did the Manley valve achieve its payback goal within two months, based solely on horsepower savings, it has helped the facility meet productivity demands.
Read the Case Study
Manley valve upgrade

Custom-engineered Valve Tackles Varying Conditions at Gas Storage Plant

The use of a compressor for both storage and withdrawal created several sets of operating parameters for the compressor valves. Making conditions even tougher for the second stage valves, the compressor can run as either a single-stage or two-stage unit, depending on operational needs.
Read the Case Study
Ring Damped Valve upgrade

Ring Damped Valves Cut Expenses, Save Energy

At a gas processing facility in Texas, roughly half of the OEM valves in the first-stage cylinders had to be repaired or replaced every year. With the Ring Damped Valve, Cook has been able to extend service life and reduce valve-related expenses for the operator.
Read the Case Study
MMSCFd usage reduction with Ring Damped Valve upgrade

Ring Damped Valve Saves Thousands in Energy Costs for Gas Gathering Facility

The quest for greater energy efficiency motivated a U.S. gas gathering facility to replace its compressor valves with patented Cook Ring Damped Valves. Analysis of the data revealed substantial benefits in valve flow and energy usage.
Read the Case Study
Impact level reduction with Ring Damped Valve upgrade

Gas Storage Facility Sets New Records for Valve Performance and Reliability

When compared to traditional aftermarket plate valves in the second-stage cylinder of a reciprocating compressor working at 896 rpm to process gas of 95% CO2, Ring Damped Valves showed 11% higher flow (MMSCFD) and lower impact levels – resulting in improved economic performance and longer valve life.
Read the Case Study

Sealing Technologies

Manley valve as part of compressor upgrade

Upgrade Boosts Unit Productivity Up to 30% at Polymers Plant

The run time of a two-stage compressor used to recycle polypropylene gas was only three to six months and part of a significant production bottleneck. Preliminary inspection found the compressor was running overloaded and experiencing excessive vibration. Cook proposed a comprehensive upgrade for the valves and packing.
Read the Case Study
Petrochemical plant

Solid Ring Technology Doubles Packing Life in Application with Dirty Gas

With packing case sealing components wearing out in less than four months, a petrochemical plant turned to Cook Compression for a longer-lasting packing solution for its non-lubricated compressor. Packing case upgrades included advanced ring designs and advanced TruTech™ materials.
Read the Case Study
HCl compressor tandem piston

Redesign Extends Run Time for Non-Lubricated Hydrogen Chloride Compressor

A plant in France was struggling with rapid ring and packing wear on a hydrogen chloride compressor, causing leakage and a reduction in throughput. Based on a thorough design review, Cook recommended modifications to the piston and rider ring styles on all three stages of the tandem piston, as well as a redesign of the pressure packing.
Read the Case Study
Packing case leakage measurement - Sentrix gas flow meter

Accurate Measurement of Packing Case Leakage Pinpoints Solutions

At a gas transmission plant, maintenance personnel had no reliable way to measure gas leakage or calculate potential cost savings from upgrades. Cook used a thermal mass flow meter to measure leakage at the distance piece and packing vase vent. The study concluded that the operator was losing nearly $100,000 per year in leakage.
Read the Case Study
Utility air compressor

Beverage Producer Taps into Materials Upgrade to Extend Piston Ring and Rider Life

A beverage producer wanted to increase the service life of piston and rider rings in a 2-stage, non-lubricated, utility air compressor with final delivery pressure of 100 psig. Cook engineers recommended rings produced with TruTech™ P2210.
Read the Case Study
Cook CLEAN packing case upgrade

California Gas Producer Hits Emissions Target with COOK CLEAN

To help a major gas producer meet local requirements to reduce cylinder emissions on 90% of its reciprocating compressors, Cook implemented a comprehensive upgrade of cylinder-end components. At the heart of the upgrade was the COOK CLEAN® packing case – a solution that also significantly improved packing case life.
Read the Case Study
TruTech piston rings

Pipeline Company Extends Sealing Component Life with TruTech Material

By replacing carbon-filled PTFE with proprietary TruTech material, Cook Compression was able to extend repair cycles for rings, riders and packing from weeks to years, despite debris-filled and sometimes liquid-laden gas.
Read the Case Study
Cook CLEAN packing case upgrade

COOK CLEAN® With Solid Ring Technology Controls Emissions, Lasts Longer

A Gulf Coast energy company taking the initiative to control gas leakage from reciprocating compressor packing cases explored options to replace conventional ring sets with low-leak packing. After installing Cook’s low-emissions rod packing, vent leakage was reduced to near zero scfm. The same results were seen after 8,000 hours of operation.
Read the Case Study
Rider band upgrade for PET bottle blowing

Upgrade Extends Run Times for PET Bottling Operation

At a plastic packaging manufacturer, compressor availability was a significant problem on two high-pressure air compressors. Experts from Cook worked with customer maintenance personnel to understand the existing operation, as well as future service requirements for the compressors. Cook then developed a plan to retrofit upgraded components, including new high-performance rider bands.
Read the Case Study
Solid ring technology - low-emissions rod rings

Solid Ring Technology Yields Solid Results

Packing cases with solid ring technology were installed on two compressors in gas transmission service. After 3,000 hours, measurements confirmed zero vent leakage. Another broad assessment of performance was conducted after 2.5 years.
Read the Case Study
Packing case upgrade to address vent leakage

Packing Upgrade Extends Service Life, Reduces Vent Leakage at Aromatics Plant

Operators were searching for ways to increase rod packing life and reduce seal leakage in a lubricated compressor in hydrogen service. After a field inspection, the Cook team proposed a comprehensive packing upgrade that has achieved more than 18 months of continuous run time and gas vent leakage near zero scfm.
Read the Case Study
Compressor packing case collection

Stringent Emissions Requirements? Not a Problem

On the U.S. West Coast, the Cook projects group engaged a continuum of customer contacts, from corporate Environmental Team leaders to field processing plant personnel, in addressing emissions regulations.
Read the Case Study

Pistons, Rods and Cylinders

Next-day piston rod production

Next-day Piston Rod Production Restores Plant Operation

A fertilizer plant experienced a major component failure forcing the shutdown of a compressor in CO2 service. With no spare on site, the outage resulted in a large portion of the plant’s operations being shut down. Cook Compression received the call for help and resolved the customer’s problem by the next day.
Read the Case Study
Gas lift compressor - cylinder clearance tuning

Cylinder Clearance Tuning Yields Capacity Increase

An offshore oil & gas production platform facing reduced flows engaged Cook Compression to optimize compression to meet new flow requirements. By fine-tuning the cylinder clearance and balancing the gas load between the compressor stages, Cook was able to meet the customer’s performance objectives with the existing equipment.
Read the Case Study
Cylinder repair for S.S. Badger

Expert Cylinder Repair Keeps SS Badger Steaming

Worn cylinder liners were robbing the steamship engine of power, and frequent piston ring failures added considerable expense and downtime. After American Bureau of Shipping-certified repair service from Cook Compression – which included new engineered piston rings, lubrication ports and high-pressure cylinder liners – the Badger could complete an entire season without incurring downtime due to failed piston rings.
Read the Case Study

Non-lubricated Compressors

Non-lube conversion at petrochemical plant

New Technology Aids Non-Lube Conversion in Russia

A petrochemical company was experiencing severe problems and high costs in maintaining the filtration/separator phase of their process after compression. The trouble revolved around a hydrogen compressor that had originally been installed with lubricated cylinders and packing cases. Cook Compression was asked to assess the possibility of converting the compressor to non-lubricated service.
Read the Case Study
HCl compressor tandem piston

Redesign Extends Run Time for Non-Lubricated Hydrogen Chloride Compressor

A plant in France was struggling with rapid ring and packing wear on a hydrogen chloride compressor, causing leakage and a reduction in throughput. Based on a thorough design review, Cook recommended modifications to the piston and rider ring styles on all three stages of the tandem piston, as well as a redesign of the pressure packing.
Read the Case Study
Utility air compressor

Beverage Producer Taps into Cook Upgrade to Extend Piston Ring and Rider Life

A beverage producer wanted to increase the service life of piston and rider rings in a 2-stage, non-lubricated, utility air compressor with final delivery pressure of 100 psig. Cook engineers recommended rings produced with TruTech™ P2210.
Read the Case Study

Emissions Solutions

Cook CLEAN packing case upgrade

California Gas Producer Hits Emissions Target with COOK CLEAN® Sealing System

To help a major gas producer meet local requirements to reduce cylinder emissions on 90% of its reciprocating compressors, Cook implemented a comprehensive upgrade of cylinder-end components. At the heart of the upgrade was the COOK CLEAN® packing case – a solution that also significantly improved packing case life.
Read the Case Study
Compressor packing case collection

Stringent Emissions Requirements? Not a Problem for COOK CLEAN® Sealing System

On the U.S. West Coast, the Cook projects group engaged a continuum of customer contacts, from corporate Environmental Team leaders to field processing plant personnel, in addressing emissions regulations.
Read the Case Study
Cook CLEAN packing case upgrade

COOK CLEAN® with Solid Ring Technology Controls Emissions, Lasts Longer

A Gulf Coast energy company taking the initiative to control gas leakage from reciprocating compressor packing cases explored options to replace conventional ring sets with low-leak packing. After installing a COOK CLEAN sealing system, vent leakage was reduced to near zero scfm. The same results were seen after 8,000 hours of operation.
Read the Case Study
Solid ring technology - low-emissions rod rings

COOK CLEAN® Sealing System Upgrade Exceeds Required Run Times

Compressors in a natural gas storage facility were experiencing premature failure due to leakage through the rod rings and packing cups on OEM-installed packing cases. The customer required a minimum 2-year continuous run time on all equipment and the compressors were falling short on the MTBR (Mean Time Between Repair).
Read the Case Study

Project Services

Projects Group service

Cook Projects Group Drives Customer Savings with Capacity Increases

To increase compressor capacity, a compressor OEM offered two options: add new compressor trains or bore the cylinders oversized to increase the flow of the existing compressors. Cook identified a third solution: upgrade the existing compressors’ pistons, rods, valve and wear parts.
Read the Case Study