Are cylinder liners necessary for high-speed reciprocating gas compressors?

Wear is common in reciprocating gas compressors (RGCs) due to sliding and rotational motion of parts. In the design of RGCs, wear study and calculation by empirical formulas are conducted to estimate and forecast the life of the parts. However, wear during real working conditions is different from theoretical estimations and, sometimes, catastrophic failure is experienced during operation due to considerable mechanical or chemical wear. Wear in the cylinder wall due to reciprocating motion of the piston is a good example of such circumstance and the main subject of this article. Low- and moderate-speed RGCs are normally furnished with a cylinder liner; however, high-speed RGCs may or may no