1

Section II: Introduction To Gas Processing

So, what is a Turboexpander ?

Its a machine used to produce refrigeration and recover otherwise wasted energy...

How does it work, and why do we need it?

Back To The Basics...

Whats in the gas stream?

Raw Natural Gas Contains:

1. Water 2. Sediments and other solid debris 3. Contaminants: Salts, sulfur, acids, etc 4. Valuable hydrocarbon gases & liquids 5. Energy in various forms

Valuable gases/liquids:
1. Ethane 2. Propane 3. I-Butane 4. N-Butane 5. Hexanes
6. Heptanes, Methane, etc., etc.

How can you:

Recover or remove target components, such as valuable hydrocarbon liquids, economically from the raw gas stream?

Why liquids?

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Gas processing is dependent upon the physical properties of the various constituents of the raw natural gas stream.

Typical Gas Stream: @ 1At

1. N-Butane (C4 H10) = 2. Propane (C3 H8 ) = 3. Carbon Dioxide (CO2) = 4. Ethane (C2 H6) = 0 C -42 C -78 C -88 C

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5. Ethene (Ethylene - C2 H4) = -103 C 6. Methane (CH4) = -161 C

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To selectively separate various components of the gas stream, effect a change of state

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Control the environment: 1. Pressure 2. Temperature Control the state of matter

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A TYPICAL FLARE STACK

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The Flare stack represents?

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WASTE Lost product Lost revenue Lost profit Lost opportunity Pollution Ignorance

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Gas Processing

Is it safe?

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Gas processing is not inherently dangerous, but more so than the sea - it is unforgiving of mistakes!

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Accidents happen when we least expect them.

Dont get caught by surprise! Be prepared!!

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To prevent accidents, we have to remember only one word; thats

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Safety SAFETY safety Safety Safety SAFETY Safety

SAFETY

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Whats in the gas stream?

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What else is in the gas stream? Energy

Energy and the First Law of Thermodynamics

Energy exists in many different forms: 1. Gravitational 2. Electrical 3. Kinetic 4. Internal 5. Heat 6. Potential, Work, Etc.

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Gas Processing in the beginning

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To process gas, Use Modern Technology:

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What is required to change the pressure or temperature of the gas stream?

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Increase the pressure?

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Compress the gas stream to change the state of various components contained within the stream, i.e., produce liquids.

Compressors:

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But Compressors are complex and expensive

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Lower the temperature of the gas

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Cool the gas stream to produce liquids (distillates, condensates, LNG).

Refrigeration:

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Equipment Required:
Cooling towers, heat exchangers
Mechanical Refrigeration Expansion Valves
Turboexpanders

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Cooling towers Heat exchangers

These have serious temperature drop limitations, plus they occupy a lot of space and typically require a continuous supply of cooling water or air. No energy is recovered.

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Massive cooling towers cool vast quantities of gas...

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Poor efficiency and high costs...

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Heat exchangers

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Mechanical Refrigeration
These complex, expensive, highmaintenance systems also have temperature drop limitations. Again, no energy is recovered.

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Expansion Valves
These simple, low-maintenance, relatively in-expensive devices also have temperature drop limitations. Yet, they are widely used in the gas processing industry as the single source of cooling the gas for hydrocarbon liquid recovery.

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Joule-Thompson Valve
Sometimes called a J-T Valve, this Expansion Valve is a very simple device which produces both a pressure and temperature drop in a gas stream. However, while it is inexpensive, it is not efficient. No energy is recovered!

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GAS TREATMENT
Source Gas
Pre-treatment

RECOMPRESSOR SALES Residue gas

Joule-Thompson

P.

To the pipeline...

NGL pump (liquids)

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JOULE-THOMPSON VALVE

100% OF FLOW
52 kg/cm 32 kg/cm

AS A PRESSURE LET-DOWN DEVICE

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Cooling of the gas:

The reduction in pressure and resultant expansion of the gas produces a sharp temperature drop in the gas stream as Heat energy is released.

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JOULE-THOMPSON VALVE

100% OF FLOW
-58 C -75 C

AS A SOURCE OF REGRIGERATION

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A gas processing train using a J-T Valve as a source of refrigeration

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ISENTHALPIC EXPANSION

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ISENTHALPIC EXPANSION
A J-T Valve produces isenthalpic expansion - that is, enthalpy (H) remains constant and no work is available as a result of that expansion. Entropy (S) increases (some heat energy remains in the gas stream, and no work is done).

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JOULE-THOMPSON VALVE

0% Eff. 52 kg/cm
@ -58 C
Pressure and temperature
are both reduced, but all pressure energy is wasted...

32 kg/cm
@ -75 C

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Typical phase envelope forGas natural gas Typical Phase Envelope for Natural
100

Pressure, bara kg/cm Pressure

90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 -200 C

-180

-160

-140

-120

-100

-80

-60

-40

-20

20

Temperature C

Temperature, degC

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Typical phase envelope forGas natural gas Typical Phase Envelope for Natural
100

Pressure, bara kg/cm Pressure

90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 -200 C

100% vapor

-180

-160

-140

-120

-100

-80

-60

-40

-20

20

Temperature C

Temperature, degC

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Typical phase envelope forGas natural gas Typical Phase Envelope for Natural
100

Pressure, bara kg/cm Pressure

90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 -200 C

Dense Phase
Vapor State 100% vapor

-180

-160

-140

-120

-100

-80

-60

-40

-20

20

Temperature C

Temperature, degC

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Typical phase envelope forGas natural gas Typical Phase Envelope for Natural
100

Pressure, bara kg/cm Pressure

90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 -200 C

Dense Phase
Vapor State 100% vapor 95% vapor

-180

-160

-140

-120

-100

-80

-60

-40

-20

20

Temperature C

Temperature, degC

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Typical phase envelope forGas natural gas Typical Phase Envelope for Natural
100

Pressure, bara kg/cm Pressure

90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 -200 C

Dense Phase
Vapor State 100% vapor 95% vapor

Liquid State
-180 -160 -140 -120

85% vapor
-100 -80 -60 -40 -20 0 20

Temperature C

Temperature, degC

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Typical phase envelope forGas natural gas Typical Phase Envelope for Natural
100

Pressure, bara kg/cm Pressure

90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 -200 C

Dense Phase
Vapor State 100% vapor 95% vapor

Liquid State
-180 -160 -140 -120

85% vapor
-100 -80 -60 -40 -20 0 20

Temperature C

Temperature, degC

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Typical phase envelope forGas natural gas Typical Phase Envelope for Natural
100

Pressure, bara kg/cm Pressure

90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 -200 C

Dense Phase
Vapor State 100% vapor 95% vapor

Liquid State
-180 -160 -140 -120

85% vapor
-100 -80 -60 -40 -20 0 20

Temperature C

Temperature, degC

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GAS TREATMENT
Source Gas
Direct to Sales Pre-treatment

Residue gas
TURBOEXPANDER

P.

To the pipeline...

LPG pump (liquids)

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An expander acting as a J.T.

100% of Flow
52 kg/cm @ -68 C 22 kg/cm @ -98 C

Compare with a J.T. on line...

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An expander acting as a J.T.

100% of Flow
52 kg/cm @ -68 C
(3138 Hp)

22 kg/cm @ -98 C

recovers 2340 Kw @ 13,000 RPM

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@ -98 C

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@ -68 C

@ -98 C

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@ -68 C

@ -98 C

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Typical phase envelope forGas natural gas Typical Phase Envelope for Natural
100

Pressure, bara kg/cm Pressure

90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 -200 C

Dense Phase
Vapor State 100% vapor 95% vapor

Liquid State
-180 -160 -140 -120

85% vapor
-100 -80 -60 -40 -20 0 20

Temperature C

Temperature, degC

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Compare a Turboexpander with a J.T. on line...

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A typical turboexpander

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Basic Turboexpander Process Train

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Basic Turboexpander Process Train (Notice J.T. Bypass)

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Whats in the gas? Matter & Energy!

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What About Energy Recovery?

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ENERGY ACCOUNTING TERMS AND THEIR MEANINGS:

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Energy Terms:
1. Kinetic (KE: Velocity versus mass) 2. Potential (PE, or PV with volume) 3. Internal (U, exclusive of PE & KE) 4. Heat (Q) 5. Work (W) 6. Enthalpy (H) 7. Entropy (S)

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ENTHALPY (H) A measure of the total system energy per mass volume: H = U + PV (Enthalpy = Internal + Potential Energy)

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ENTROPY (S)
A measure of the thermal energy in a system, not available to do work
Note: S is related to pressure, volume, & temperature of a gas stream

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A Turboexpander is a machine which produces refrigeration and recovers energy.

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Energy: Horsepower...
extracted from the high pressure gas stream by the rotating expander turbine wheel, is coupled to the recompressor turbine wheel by a solid shaft. This energy is then used to drive the compressor. This work is what produces high efficiency.

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Energy Recovery
Much of the energy recovered from the expanded/de-pressurized gas in a Turboexpander is converted into mechanical energy.

It is this work that is the reason for the high efficiency of a Turboexpander system.

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An expander acting as a J.T.

100% of Flow
52 kg/cm @ -68 C 22 kg/cm @ -98 C

This machine recovers 3138 Hp From the process gas stream

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ISENTROPIC EXPANSION

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ISENTROPIC EXPANSION
Unlike a J.T Valve, a Turboexpander converts the gas streams energy into refrigeration and work. In this case, entropy is reduced and the energy recovered is then coupled to any device that can harness it. For example: An electrical generator, or compressor.

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Recover energy
Approximately 88% of the energy contained within the gas stream can be recovered using a Mafi-Trench turboexpander. From a typical system, this means recovering thousands of horsepower, or more, that can then be used to drive a compressor or generator.

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An expander can also be used to drive other devices such as a gear box, then other equipment...

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88.0% Eff.

An expander recovers energy from the inlet source stream

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then transfers 3138 Hp to a gearbox

which drives an electrical generator set.

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The results? Essentially Free electricity.

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This Frame 4.0 turboexpander-generator set produces approximately 2,500 kW

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Turboexpander housing configurations:

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Expander Suction

The suction/inlet of an expander can be oriented either horizontally,

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Expander Suction

or, vertically. It all depends on the plants process piping configuration.

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A typical turboexpander installation...

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Increase Liquid Recovery

Increased liquid recovery improves profit margins, decreases costs, protects the environment, and increases market share.

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Typical Turboexpander Applications

Natural Gas Processing
NGL, Ethane Recovery Dew Point Control

Petrochemical
Ethylene Carbon Monoxide Hydrogen Recovery Refinery Off-Gas

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Do we need a Turboexpander?
To decide, we must understand the process - and the costs involved

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TYPICAL COSTS
1. Infrastructure; 2. Feed stock; 3. Maintenance; 5. Shrinkage; 7. Fractionation 4. Operating; 6. Storage; 8. Taxes, etc.

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Simply put It costs a lot of money to recover those valuable hydrocarbon gases and liquids from the raw gas stream.

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Summary

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What is needed to process gas?

An economical method to separate the various constituent components.

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Compression of gas is expensive;

Cooling of the gas can be done very economically.

Gas processing plants often chose refrigeration, or cooling of the gas to separate the target elements.

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A Turboexpander can be used to provide refrigeration of the gas stream.

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What is a Turboexpander ?

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A Turboexpander is a machine:

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The Turboexpander, acting

as a modified radial in-flow turbine, extracts pressure energy in the form of heat and potential energy from a highpressure gas stream.

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As a result, the process gas stream is cooled.

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This recovered energy is then coupled to a single, solid shaft...

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as rotational energy...

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Basic Turboexpander Process Train

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Turboexpanders are produced in a wide variety of frame sizes to meet various applications and process capacities.

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Lets shut down the flares Stop the waste!

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How is all of this related to gas processing?

$$ - Increased Profits - $$!! Improved environment

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Economic advantages of a Turboexpander System...

Heres a real-life example: Daily Gas Flow at (Hassi Messaoud, Algeria): @24 million SM: LPG Production with a Turboexpander = 4,850 tons per day

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LPG Production without an expander (plant on JT alone) = 2,580 tons per day!

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Thats a shortfall of 2,270 tons per day of LPG!

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The results: A production loss of 40 to 50% , not to mention the complete loss of the mechanical energy involved...

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The economic impact: At $212 per ton, a shortfall of 2,270 tons per day of LPG represents A loss of $481,240 of revenue per day!

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clearly demonstrating the strategic nature of a welldesigned and efficiently operated Turboexpander System.

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A typical gas processing plant

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