BUHASA PLANT DIVISION

TURBO EXPANDER PRINCIPLE

TRAINING

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 TYPICAL GAS PLANT PROCESS NATURAL GAS
SALES

NGL
Conditioning
extraction
Produced
gas stream

stabilization Product NGL SALES OR

CONDENSATE
treating

Conditioning NGL extraction

1- adsorption (SCU) Stabilization

1) Dehydration Product treating
1-demetanizer
2) sweeting 2- absorption (lean oil ) 1- dehydration
2- deethanizer
3- condensation 2- sweeting
3- debutnazier
A- J-T valve a) H2S ,COS,
B- turbo expander b) CS2
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C- refrigeration c) CO2
 Sour Gas Processing Regen gas

Well MolTEG
Sieve
Stream Gas <<4#/Mscf
Sour Gas Sweet Dry 1 ppm
Wet Gas Sweetening Wet Gas Drying Gas

Inlet Separation, Water

Stabilization
& Compression Fuel
Crude & Acid Gas
Condensate, H2S CO2 Injection
Water

Residue or Recover
Sales Gas NGL

NGL
Pipeline, Ethane
LNG, CNG, GTL Propane Fractionate
Butane
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The Expander
• A cryogenic turbo-expander is a turbine
wheel with an accurately designed blade
configuration in order to achieve high
efficiency and reliability at the low
operating temperature.
• The high velocity gas is directed
tangentially into the moving row of blades
of the rotor and impinges on these blades.
This action does work on the rotor and
causes the gas velocity to be reduced to
about one-half its value at inlet.
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 Design of blades

Common Impulse Turbine Reaction Turbine

Radial Reaction Turbine

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• In hydrocarbon dew point control the expander
outlet temperature is usually 0 to 20 c .
• Expansion ratios are typically about 1.5.
• As gas flows through expander ,its temperature is
lowered and some of the stream condenses .
• If the gas stream entering the expander contains
moisture or carbon dioxide which will freeze at low
temperatures in the unit ,serious damage to the
machine may result .
• At the high operating speed of the machine the
presence of solid materials –derbies or ice –will
sand blast the wheel and casing .

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• The expander inlet separator is a very
important piece of equipment .
• It must be sized properly to remove these
components from the gas .
• A screen is normally installed on the inlet
gas lines to the expander to remove solid
particles from the gas stream .

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 Turbo-expander Shaft Assembly

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• Process Gas enters the expander through
the inlet guide vanes converting a portion
of the available pressure drop to form a
high-velocity vortex
• Gas travels through the expander wheel
where the remaining expansion takes
place. A conical diffuser is then used to
recover some of the remaining velocity and
allow smooth transition to the exit piping.
• Process Gas enters the compressor where
the gas pressure and temperature is raised
by the compressor wheel.
• Process Gas exits the wheel through a
vaneless diffuser for a better operation
range and mechanical reliability.
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 SALES GAS

J-T valve

Expander / compressor

Gas /gas
Expander inlet Expander outlet
exchanger
separator separator

Expander in a dew point control application

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 Turbo-expander
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TURBO EXPANDER –COMPRESSOR CONFIGURATION
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 Open backward-bladed impeller

Turbo-expander Wheel

Figure 3
Turbo-expander Wheel

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TURBO EXPANDER –COMPRESSOR package
Shaft Seal
• The expander and compressor process gas pressures
are sealed at the shaft by close-clearance, labyrinth-type
seals between the expander and compressor and the
bearing case. The bearing case contains its own shaft
seal. To protect against oil possibly entering the cold
process gas stream and compressor stream, an outward
leakage of gas is permitted out of each labyrinth seal. To
prevent process gas from escaping, a continual stream
of pressurized gas (referred to as seal gas) is introduced
at a midpoint of each labyrinth seal which leaks to
atmosphere. This seal gas is injected at a rate slightly
higher than that leaking out through the seal thus
retaining the more valuable process gas.
• The seal gas control system consists of a regulator, filter,
flow meter or flow valve with graduated dial and pressure
gages
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Axial (thrust)
oil-film bearing
with tilting pads
and embedded
temperature
sensors.

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Radial oil-film bearing with tilting pads. 21
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 Expander
Compressor

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Seal shaft and lubrication
 Shaft Seal Arrangement on Turbo-Expander

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 Bearings
• A common failure in turbo-expanders has been in
the radial bearings. Theoretically, bearings carry a
very light load, just the rotor weight. However in
practice, the loads are occasionally enormous,
such as during freeze-ups. The bearings then can
be the source of failure and usually the reason for
shutdown.
• Experience has shown that expanders should have
bearings approximately 10 times as strong as in
similar types of machines. During start-up and at
times of incorrect operation, there can be deposits
of ice or solid carbon dioxide in the rotor or the
rotor can be unbalanced by erosion. This unbalance
places extreme loads on the bearings. Another
reason for the bearings to be strong is that the oil
film vibration problem in the shaft is eliminated. The
unit can be operated without vibration over its full
speed range.
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 • Thrust Bearings Turboexpanders often
have process upsets or
• ice plugging or the like, which can cause
serious thrust-bearing load
• variations. In applications above 506.6 to
1013.2 kPa (75 –148 psi), the
• best available thrust bearing usually is
insufficient to protect against
• such high thrust loads. Various indications,
such as the differential

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 Oil
accumulator

PI

Heater PCV
TI

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 J-T valve (joule-Thompson )

• The combination of reduced pressure and increased

volume of high pressure temperature low enough to
causes NGL condensation .
• this cooling phenomena is known as the J-T effect .
• J-T valve operation is necessary for :
1. Plant start up operation
2. Handling gas flows in excess of expander capacity
3. For continued operation during expander trip or
maintenance .

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 Positioner output signal

Out put
gauge

Instr.
Gauge

Air supply
gauge

Control valve

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 Turbo Expander control

• The expander is usually controlled to maintain a constant

pressure on the inlet or outlet side of the plant .
• This is often done through cascade flow controller
Flow Control
• Flow through the turbo-expander is controlled by variable
stationary nozzles. These are mechanically arranged for
an outside manual or diaphragm control to vary the
clearances between the nozzles. This in turn varies the
capacity of the nozzles from zero up to any desired flow.
The maximum capacity can be 150%-200% of design.
This gives high efficiency over a wide range of flows
from 50% of design or lower, to up to 50% or higher. This
wide variation permits good operation at reduced
capacity.
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 Inlet gas
pC

9-15 psi

Discharge gas
J-T valve

Suction gas

Outlet gas and liquid

EXPANDER COMPRESSOR

Expander control system

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 Compressor control
• The compressor ratio depended on the tip speed and
inlet rate to the compressor,
• The suction pressure to the compressor is usually fixed,
the discharge pressure varies with expander power and
gas rate
• If the suction gas flow to a centrifugal compressor drops
sufficiently low surge will occur .
• Surge occurs when discharge gas flows backward
through the compressor .
• Surge can be prevented by maintaining the flow of
suction gas above the “low flow surge point “
• Anti surge controller system consists of a recycle line
and quick-opening .

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 Discharge gas
Recycle line

Anti surge
controller

PDT XC

Anti surge
control valve

FT

Suction gas
Compressor
Expander
Compressor surge control
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Thrust Force Meters (thrust controller )
• A difficult design problem at higher pressure is that of the
shaft thrust bearings. At high pressure, the thrust loads
are enormous and must be balanced. Their magnitudes
are not precisely known and they vary with surface
smoothness, seal wear condition, etc.
• A solution to the problem is the installation of thrust
bearing force meters to show the load that is actually
being placed on the bearing. These consist merely of a
gage measuring the pressure of the oil film in the thrust
bearing that is carrying the load. If the load on one of the
bearings is excessive, a correction is needed. This is
accomplished simply by controlling the pressure behind
one of the seals on the shaft. Seal leakage is drained
down to a point of lower pressure, therefore throttling of
this drain provides control over the thrust by the simple
use of a valve.
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EFFICIENCY
• Efficiency for a turboexpander is calculated on
the basis of isentropic
• rather than polytropic expansion even though its
efficiency is not 100 percent.
• This is done because the losses are largely
introduced.
• at the discharge of the machine in the form of
seal leakages and disk friction.
• which heats the gas leaking past the seals and in
exducer losses.
• The exducer acts to convert the axial-velocity
energy from the rotor to pressure energy
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User : GASCO - BUHASA
Power : 4517 HP
Speed : 17,000 RPM
Manufacturer : ROTOFLOW

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 Starting Procedure for an Expander-Compressor.
• Check and ensure that the expander and compressor
inlet valves are closed.
• Admit seal gas to the expander-compressor at the
specified flow rate.
• Open the purge valves and start the lubrication system.
• Open the compressor inlet and discharge valves.
• Set the variable nozzle to a low power position.
• Open the safety trip valve in the expander inlet fine.
• Crack the expander inlet valve and admit process gas for
the expander to begin rotating and ensure that the speed
stabilizes.
• Flow through the expander inlet valve should be
increased in steps of 10% of full pressure until full
pressure is reached.
• Adjustment of the nozzle will increase the flow to the
desired capacity and should be done gradually over a
period of 10 to 30 minutes.
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• Normal operation requires only routine
monitoring of the system controls and
gages. The following should be checked on
at least a daily basis:
• Reservoir lube oil level.
• Seal gas flow.
• Lube oil pressures.
• Lube oil temperatures.
• Thrust meters (high thrust load )
• Over speed

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Safety
1. The major hazards in turbo-expander plants
are the pressures and temperatures which are
found throughout the plant. Pressures may
range as high as 103 bar with temperatures
ranging from 316ºC to as low as -101ºC.
2. No amount of planning or testing will prevent
the misuse of equipment. All operating and
maintenance personnel must be trained to
know what capabilities and safety
requirements are associated with high
pressure and extremely high and low
temperatures.
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3. Operators should be aware of what unsafe electrical
practices are and see that they are corrected. Unsafe
practices carried out by unqualified personnel may lead
to hazards. Whenever electrical equipment is being
serviced, the main breaker should be in the 'off' position
and locked out by both operating and maintenance
personnel.
4. In all gas plants, the possibility of a leak or escaping
vapors or liquids exists. Therefore, the use of vehicles
or electric tools is not permitted in any area of the plant
unless the area has been sniffed and designated safe
by the operator in charge.
5. The possibility of fire is of major concern in all gas
operations. Every employee working on a plant site
must know where every fire extinguisher is and how to
operate them properly. Purple K, a powder chemical, is
suitable for fighting all types of fires except electrical
fires. For fighting electrical fires, a carbon dioxide
extinguisher should be used.
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