Expander Process
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• In process of doing work, expander lowers gas stream temperature resulting
liquefaction of heavier components
• Work recovered in expander used to rotate the turbocompressor
• If gas were to be expanded without doing any driver work the expansion path
would follow constant enthalpy line (Joule-Thomson or constant enthalpy
expansion)
• The outlet temperature and pressure would be higher than that accomplished
in the expander (nearly isentropic) expansion process.
Turboexpander Design
• Throughput of the expander part of the train is
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controlled by Inlet Guide Vanes
• Throughput of the recompressor is typically not
controlled
• The turboexpander, as a result, will operate in a wide
range of speeds
• Turboexpander trains are equipped with a compressor
recycle valve that can be used for surge control and
protection
• Turboexpander trains are equipped by an expander
bypass valve (aka. J-T or Joule-Thompson valve)
• Turboexpander trains are either loaded to maximum
capacity or are operating at set flow rate
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Demethanizer Example
Traditional Turboexpander
Control System Design
• Speed of the turboexpander typically is not
controlled
• During upset condition speed exceeds
allowable maximum
• Overspeed trip prevention is typically
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primitive
• Trip is prevented by one of:
– 1) limiting opening of IGV by position of IGV;
– 2) limiting dP across the expander; or
– 3) limiting speed via IGV and J-T valve in split
level fashion
CCC Control System:
Advanced Turboexpander Control
• CCC Turboexpander Control System is
Patented
• Overspeed prevention by “brake control”
• JT Valve Prepositioning
• Adequate antisurge control for
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recompressor
• Loadsharing Control for parallel trains
CCC Control System:
“Brake Control” for Overspeed Prevention
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If speed exceeds allowable maximum:
– first, open expander compressor’s recycle valve to load up
the train
– second, at slightly higher set point start closing IGV. J-T
valve is used only when IGV is controlling speed
Results in increased condensate production.
CCC Control System:
JT Valve Pre-Positioning
• To reduce severity of tripping on the Feed Gas
pressure, CCC implements a special algorithm that
“pre-positions” the JT valve
• CCC calculates opening value that provides JT
valve capacity equivalent to the Turbo-expander’s
throughput prior to its trip
• Position of the JT valve is a function of the IGV of
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the expander
• Inlet flow of the expander relates to equivalent
JT-valve stroke thus the initial output of the JT
Controller
• Utilizes a 10-point characterizer, whose function
argument is the IGV position, and the function
result is the required equivalent JT valve initial
opening value
CCC Control System:
Load Sharing with Parallel Expanders
• Maintain the pressure of Feed Gas at setpoint by
modulating the throughput of each
Turbo-expander’s IGV’s according to a
Load-Balancing strategy
• Load-Balancing strategy is based on equalizing the
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flow to each of the Turbo-expander’s.
• When the Brake compressors operate safely away
from their respective Surge Control Lines (SCL), the
flow to the Turbo-expanders are balanced
• The trains are balanced based on equalizing each
compressor’s proximity-to-surge variable (S’) when
the compressors operate in the vicinity of the SCL.
• CCC’s strategy provides for a smooth transition
between both methods.
CCC Control System:
Load Sharing with Parallel Expanders
• If the process load exceeds the capacity of
both Turbo-expanders (i.e. both
Turbo-expander IGV are fully open), excess
gas shall be bypassed around the common
J-T valve
• In the event that either Turbo-expander is
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operating close to the high speed limit, the
Turbo-expander speed will be limited.
• First, by opening the compressor antisurge
valve more than needed by the surge control
response. This will increase shaft load on
the Turbo-expander and reduce the speed.