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Turboexpander
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A turboexpander, also referred to as a turbo-

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expander or an expansion turbine, is a

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centrifugal or axial flow turbine through which a

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high pressure gas is expanded to produce work

that is often used to drive a compressor.[1][2][3]
Because work is extracted from the expanding high
pressure gas, the expansion is approximated by

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an isentropic process (i.e., a constant entropy

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process) and the low pressure exhaust gas from

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the turbine is at a very low temperature, 150 C

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Figure 1: Schematic diagram of a

turboexpander driving a compressor.

or less depending upon the operating pressure

and gas properties. Partial liquefaction of the
expanded gas is not uncommon.

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Turboexpanders are very widely used as sources of refrigeration in industrial processes such as

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the extraction of ethane and natural gas liquids (NGLs) from natural gas,[4] the liquefaction of

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gases (such as oxygen, nitrogen, helium, argon and krypton)[5][6] and other low-temperature

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processes.

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Page information
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Turboexpanders currently in operation range in size from about 750 W to about 7.5 MW (1 hp to

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about 10,000 hp).

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Contents [hide]
1 Applications
1.1 Extracting hydrocarbon liquids from natural gas
1.2 Power generation
1.3 Refrigeration system

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1.4 Power recovery in fluid catalytic cracker

Espaol

2 History

Nederlands

3 Types

4 See also

5 References
Edit links

6 External links

Applications

[edit]

Although turboexpanders are very commonly used in low-temperature processes, they are used in
many other applications as well. This section discusses one of the low temperature processes as
well as some of the other applications.

Extracting hydrocarbon liquids from natural gas

[edit]

Raw natural gas consists primarily of

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Raw natural gas consists primarily of

methane (CH4), the shortest and
lightest hydrocarbon molecule, as well
as various amounts of heavier
hydrocarbon gases such as ethane
(C2H6), propane (C3H8), normal butane
(n-C4H10), isobutane (i-C4H10),
pentanes and even higher molecular
weight hydrocarbons. The raw gas also
contains various amounts of acid gases
such as carbon dioxide (CO2),
hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and mercaptans
such as methanethiol (CH3SH) and
ethanethiol (C2H5SH).
When processed into finished byproducts (see Natural gas processing),
these heavier hydrocarbons are
collectively referred to as NGL (natural

Figure 2: A schematic diagram of a demethanizer

extracting hydrocarbon liquids from natural gas.

gas liquids). The extraction of the NGL

often involves a turboexpander[7] and a
low-temperature distillation column (called a demethanizer) as shown in Figure 2. The inlet gas to
the demethanizer is first cooled to about 51 C in a heat exchanger (referred to as a cold box)
which partially condenses the inlet gas. The resultant gas-liquid mixture is then separated into a
gas stream and a liquid stream.
The liquid stream from the gas-liquid separator flows through a valve and undergoes a throttling
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expansion from an absolute pressure of 62 bar to 21 bar (6.2 to 2.1 MPa), which is an isenthalpic
process (i.e., a constant enthalpy process) that results in lowering the temperature of the stream
from about 51 C to about 81 C as the stream enters the demethanizer.
The gas stream from the gas-liquid separator enters the turboexpander where it undergoes an
isentropic expansion from an absolute pressure of 62 bar to 21 bar (6.2 to 2.1 MPa) that lowers
the gas stream temperature from about 51 C to about 91 C as it enters the demethanizer to
serve as distillation reflux.
Liquid from the top tray of the demethanizer (at about 90 C) is routed through the cold box
where it is warmed to about 0 C as it cools the inlet gas, and is then returned to the lower section
of the demethanizer. Another liquid stream from the lower section of the demethanizer (at about 2
C) is routed through the cold box and returned to the demethanizer at about 12 C. In effect, the
inlet gas provides the heat required to "reboil" the bottom of the demethanizer and the
turboexpander removes the heat required to provide reflux in the top of the demethanizer.
The overhead gas product from the demethanizer at about 90 C is processed natural gas that is
of suitable quality for distribution to end-use consumers by pipeline. It is routed through the cold
box where it is warmed as it cools the inlet gas. It is then compressed in the gas compressor which
is driven by the turbo expander and further compressed in a second-stage gas compressor driven
by an electric motor before entering the distribution pipeline.
The bottom product from the demethanizer is also warmed in the cold box, as it cools the inlet gas,
before it leaves the system as NGL.

Power generation

[edit]

Figure 3 depicts an electric power generation system that

uses a heat source, a cooling medium (air, water or other),
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a circulating working fluid and a turboexpander. The

system can accommodate a wide variety of heat sources
such as:
Geothermal hot water
Exhaust gas from internal combustion engines burning
a variety of fuels (natural gas, landfill gas, diesel oil, or
fuel oil)
A variety of waste heat sources (in the form of either
gas or liquid)
Referring to Figure 3, the circulating working fluid (usually

Figure 3: Schematic diagram of

power generation system using a
turboexpander.

an organic compound such as R-134a) is pumped to a

high pressure and then vaporized in the evaporator by
heat exchange with the available heat source. The resulting high-pressure vapor flows to the
turboexpander where it undergoes an isentropic expansion and exits as a vapor-liquid mixture
which is then condensed into a liquid by heat exchange with the available cooling medium. The
condensed liquid is pumped back to the evaporator to complete the cycle.
The system in Figure 3 is a Rankine cycle as is used in fossil-fuel power plants where water is the
working fluid and the heat source is derived from the combustion of natural gas, fuel oil or coal
used to generate high-pressure steam. The high-pressure steam then undergoes an isentropic
expansion in a conventional steam turbine. The steam turbine exhaust steam is next condensed
into liquid water which is then pumped back to steam generator to complete the cycle.
When an organic working fluid such as R-134a is used in the Rankine cycle, the cycle is
sometimes referred to as an Organic Rankine cycle (ORC).[8][9][10]

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Refrigeration system

[edit]

Figure 4 depicts a refrigeration system with a

capacity of about 100 to 1000 tons of refrigeration
(i.e., 350 to 3,500 kW). The system utilizes a
compressor, a turboexpander and an electric motor.
Depending on the operating conditions, the
turboexpander reduces the load on the electric motor
by some 6 to 15% as compared to a conventional
vapor-compression refrigeration system that uses a
throttling expansion valve rather than a
turboexpander.[11] Basically, this can be seen as a
form of turbo compounding.
The system employs a high-pressure refrigerant (i.e.,
one with a low normal boiling point) such as:[11]

Figure 4: Schematic diagram of a

refrigeration system using a turboexpander,
compressor and a motor.

Chlorodifluoromethane (CHClF 2) known as R-22,

with a normal boiling point of 47 C
1,1,1,2-Tetrafluoroethane (C2H2F 4) known as R-134a, with a normal boiling point of 26 C.
As shown in Figure 4, refrigerant vapor is compressed to a higher pressure resulting in a higher
temperature as well. The hot, compressed vapor is then condensed into a liquid. The condenser is
where heat is expelled from the circulating refrigerant and is carried away by whatever cooling
medium is used in the condenser (air, water, etc.).
The refrigerant liquid flows through the turboexpander where it is vaporized and the vapor
undergoes an isentropic expansion which results in a low-temperature mixture of vapor and liquid.
The vapor-liquid mixture is then routed through the evaporator where it is vaporized by heat
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The vapor-liquid mixture is then routed through the evaporator where it is vaporized by heat
absorbed from the space being cooled. The vaporized refrigerant flows to the compressor inlet to
complete the cycle.

Power recovery in fluid catalytic cracker

[edit]

The combustion flue gas from the catalyst regenerator of

a fluid catalytic cracker is at a temperature of about 715
C and at a pressure of about 2.4 barg (240 kPa gauge).
Its gaseous components are mostly carbon monoxide
(CO), carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrogen (N2). Although
the flue gas has been through two stages of cyclones
(located within the regenerator) to remove entrained
catalyst fines, it still contains some residual catalyst fines.
Figure 5 depicts how power is recovered and utilized by
routing the regenerator flue gas through a turboexpander.
After the flue gas exits the regenerator, it is routed
through a secondary catalyst separator containing swirl
tubes designed to remove 70 to 90 percent of the residual

Figure 5: A schematic diagram of the

power recovery system in a fluid catalytic
cracking unit.

catalyst fines.[12] This is required to prevent erosion

damage to the turboexpander.
As shown in Figure 5, expansion of the flue gas through a turboexpander provides sufficient power
to drive the regenerator's combustion air compressor. The electrical motor-generator in the power
recovery system can consume or produce electrical power. If the expansion of the flue gas does
not provide enough power to drive the air compressor, the electric motor-generator provides the
needed additional power. If the flue gas expansion provides more power than needed to drive the
air compressor, than the electric motor-generator converts the excess power into electric power
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air compressor, than the electric motor-generator converts the excess power into electric power
and exports it to the refinery's electrical system.[13] The steam turbine shown in Figure 5 is used to
drive the regenerator's combustion air compressor during start-ups of the fluid catalytic cracker
until there is sufficient combustion flue gas to take over that task.
The expanded flue gas is then routed through a steam-generating boiler (referred to as a CO
boiler) where the carbon monoxide in the flue gas is burned as fuel to provide steam for use in the
refinery.[13]
The flue gas from the CO boiler is processed through an electrostatic precipitator (ESP) to remove
residual particulate matter. The ESP removes particulates in the size range of 2 to 20 micrometers
from the flue gas.[13]

History

[edit]

The possible use of an expansion machine for isentropically creating low temperatures was
suggested by Carl Wilhelm Siemens (Siemens cycle), a German engineer in 1857. About three
decades later, in 1885, Ernest Solvay of Belgium attempted to use a reciprocating expander
machine but could not attain any temperatures lower than 98 C because of problems with
lubrication of the machine at such temperatures.[2]
In 1902, Georges Claude, a French engineer, successfully used a reciprocating expansion
machine to liquefy air. He used a degreased, burnt leather packing as a piston seal without any
lubrication. With an air pressure of only 40 bar (4 MPa), Claude achieved an almost isentropic
expansion resulting in a lower temperature than had before been possible.[2]
The first turboexpanders seem to have been designed in about 1934 or 1935 by Guido Zerkowitz,
an Italian engineer working for the German firm of Linde AG.[14][15]
In 1939, the Russian physicist Pyotr Kapitsa perfected the design of centrifugal turboexpanders.
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His first practical prototype was made of Monel metal, had an outside diameter of only 8 cm
(3.1 in), operated at 40,000 revolutions per minute and expanded 1,000 cubic metres of air per
hour. It used a water pump as a brake and had an efficiency of 79 to 83 percent.[2][15] Most
turboexpanders in industrial use since then have been based on Kapitsa's design and centrifugal
turboexpanders have taken over almost 100 percent of the industrial gas liquefaction and low
temperature process requirements.[2][15] The availability of liquid oxygen revolutionized the
production of steel using the basic oxygen steelmaking process.
In 1978, Pyotr Kapitsa was awarded a Nobel physics prize for his body of work in the area of lowtemperature physics.[16]
In 1983, San Diego Gas and Electric was among the first to install a turboexpander in a natural gas
letdown station for energy recovery[17]

Types

[edit]

Turboexpanders can be classified by loading device or bearings.

Three main loading devices used in turboexpanders are centrifugal compressors, electrical
generators or hydraulic brakes. With centrifugal compressors and electrical generators the shaft
power from the turboexpander is recouped either to recompress the process gas or to generate
electrical energy lowering utility bills.
Hydraulic brakes are used when the turboexpander is very small and harvesting the shaft power is
not economically justifiable.
Bearings used are either oil bearings or magnetic bearings.

See also
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Air separation
Dry gas seal
Flash evaporation
Gas compressor
Joule-Thomson effect
Liquefaction of gases
Rankine cycle
Steam turbine
Vapor-compression refrigeration
Hydrogen turboexpander-generator

References

[edit]

1. ^ Heinz Bloch and Claire Soares (2001). Turboexpanders and Process Applications. Gulf
Professional Publishing. ISBN 0-88415-509-9.
2. ^ a

bc de

Frank G. Kerry (2007). Industrial Gas Handbook:Gas Separation and Purification. CRC

Press. ISBN 0-8493-9005-2.

3. ^ Thomas Flynn (2004). Cryogenics Engineering (Second Edition ed.). CRC Press. ISBN 0-82475367-4.
4. ^ Demethanzer
5. ^ BOC (NZ) publication

: use search function for keyword "expansion"

6. ^ US Department of Energy Hydrogen Program

7. ^ Gas Processes 2002, Hydrocarbon Processing, pages 83-84, May 2002 (schematic flow diagrams
and descriptions of the NGL-Pro and NGL Recovery processes)
8. ^ ORC Technology for Waste Heat Applications
9. ^ The Integrated Rankine Cycle Project
10. ^ The Rankine Cycle Turbogenerator at Altheim, Austria
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11. ^ a

Refrigeration apparatus with expansion turbine, European patent EP 0 676 600 B1, September

6, 2000, Joost J. Brasz, Carrier Corporation EP 0 676 600 B1

(this website requires registration)

12. ^ Alex C. Hoffnab and Lewis E. Stein (2002). Gas Cyclones and Swirl Tubes:Principles , Design and
Operation (1st Edition ed.). Springer. ISBN 3-540-43326-0.
13. ^ a

bc

Reza Sadeghbeigi (2000). Fluid Catalytic Cracking Handbook (2nd Edition ed.). Gulf

Publishing. ISBN 0-88415-289-8.

14. ^ Turbine for Low Temperature Gas Separation, U.S. Patent 2,165,994, July 1939 (Continuation of
an application in March 1934), Guido Zerkowitz, Linde AG United States Patent US2165994

(this

website requires registration)

15. ^ a

bc

Ebbe Almqvist (2002). History of Industrial Gases (First Edition ed.). Springer. p. 165.

ISBN 0-306-47277-5.
16. ^ Pyotr Kapitsa, The Nobel Prize in Physics 1978
17. ^ Turboexpanders: Harnessing the Hidden Potential of Our Natural Gas Distribution System

External links

[edit]

Use of Expansion Turbines in Natural Gas Pressure Reduction Stations

Full load, full speed test of turboexpander-compressor with active magnetic bearings
Low-Temperature Geothermal Power Generation with HVAC Hardware
Categories: Mechanical engineering

Turbines

Industrial gases

Gas technologies

This page w as last modified on 15 August 2015, at 03:57.

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