Optimization and application of maintenance strategies for mechanical equipment at the stations of long-distance pipelines

During the thorough implementation of the measures to reduce the cost and increase the profit of the long-distance pipeline operation enterprises, optimizing the maintenance strategy of mechanical equipment and reducing the maintenance fee gradually become the key problems in the equipment management of the station. In this paper, three maintenance strategies, i.e., corrective maintenance, preventive maintenance, and predictive maintenance, were analyzed depending on the features of mechanical equipment at the stations of long-distance pipelines, and according to the functional analysis and analytic hierarchy processes. Then, a case study was made on PetroChina Pipeline Company, where the principles for optimizing the maintenance strategies were defined, the optimization and comparison process of maintenance strategies was established, and the mechanical equipment at the stations were classified by the importance. Finally, the specific maintenance strategies for some critical equipment (e.g. compressor set, transfer pump unit, heater, oil tank and valves) were proposed and economically verified. It is indicated that the combined maintenance strategy based on the equipment classification according to importance can effectively reduce the cost in maintenance of mechanical equipment in the longdistance pipeline stations. The research results provide the long-distance pipeline operation enterprises with a reference for the optimization of maintenance strategies.