White Paper Ngl Gas Processing Rev.1

Expander Operated Gas Processing April, 2015

Expander Operated Gas Processing: Cooler NGL (Natural Gas Liquid) temperatures and maximized uptime with Helidyne’s NGL Expander design.

Specifications: Flowrates 1-10 mmscfd Max. Pressure 1440 psi Min. Temperature -50 °F Power Generation up to 50 kW

Author: Joseph James Mechanical Engineer April, 2015 L’

Expander Operated Gas Processing April, 2015

Table of Contents Executive Summary

1

Introduction

2

JT Skid Configuration

3

JT/MRU Skid Configuration

4

Expander Skid Configuration

5

How It Works

6

Empirical Data

8

Mathematical Validation

11

Package Design

13

Contact Us

14

Expander Operated Gas Processing April, 2015

Executive Summary: Recent advancements in fracking and remote well operations have proven to be a very effective method to stimulate wells and increase production. Unfortunately, infrastructure development is either not feasible or delayed years to service remote wells making gaseous product transportation an economic impossibility. Consequently, remote well and NGL processing equipment are the only viable means of keeping production numbers high. Liquefying as much of the wellhead gas as possible makes trucking transports possible, however, this creates challenges when trying to maximize wellhead gas recovery. Despite all efforts, over 150 million cubic feet of natural gas is flared each day in remote areas of North Dakota. Helidyne’s NGL drop-out package offers a solution that minimizes gas flaring, reduces downtime, and generates electricity as a bi-product. Wellhead gas is typically cooled through a highpressure / JT cooling system. This cooling process condenses the “heavy” gasses into a liquid making remote truck transport economical. The system outlet temperature dictates the amount of heavy liquids recovered; lower temperatures produce more NGLs. Depending on wellhead gas composition, these “JT” skids have the capability of reaching temperatures of -30 °F. Since the Helidyne expander extracts energy from the high pressure fluid in addition to utilizing the JT effect, it will always produce a colder exhaust temperature than any JT valve. This results in more liquid recovery and higher revenue for the customer. On average, the Helidyne expander will produce a 10-30 °F colder exhaust temperature than a JT valve. This document illustrates a few configurations used within the industry, empirical data of the Helidyne expander, and how the Helidyne NGL drop-out package is different. Figure 1

Helidyne’s Model 4400 Expander

pg. 1

Expander Operated Gas Processing April, 2015

Introduction: Wellhead gas is always a byproduct of oil production and needs to be separated. The flowrate of separated gas varies from well-to-well with the most common wells producing about 3-5 mmscfd of gas. This separated gas contains rich components like propane and butanes with a methane mol % ranging from 40% (wetter gas) to 80% (dryer gas). Because these sites are in remote locations, typically no infrastructure (including grid power) is present to transport the gas. Shipping the gas via freight isn’t economical as the transport cost per cubic foot is unreasonable. However, liquefying these gases reduces the volume making transport profitable.

A Helidyne Expander will produce lower NGL temperatures than any JT valve. Always.

There are several approaches to liquefying NGLs. The most common method is by a heat exchanger coupled with a JT skid. In this scenario, the wellhead gas is compressed from 30-40 psi up to 1000 psi. The temperature of the gas is increased to 100150 °F at this high pressure. It then goes through a heat exchanger that lowers the temperature to 20-50 °F while keeping it at that high pressure (some of the heavy gases liquefy at this stage and drop out). The gas is then fed through a JT valve which uses the Joule Thompson effect to lower the fluid temperature as it passes from a high-to-low pressure system. This JT valve typically drops the pressure down to 100-400 psi and cools the gas in the range of -30 to 10 °F. Heavy gases liquefy and are extracted from the main gas stream. The desired end product is a gas with high methane content (typically between 80% and 90% methane). Occasionally, if the wellhead gas is extremely rich (40%-60% methane), a MRU (mechanical refrigeration unit) will be installed with a JT valve to cool the gas further. Rich gasses have a smaller change in temperature when only utilizing the JT effect thus requiring additional cooling from an MRU to liquefy gas. These refrigeration units also require an on-site generator and consume approximately 125 kW. Adding an MRU to a gas processing site is an expensive proposition. It requires a leased MRU, rented gas-powered generator, and on-going maintenance as this equipment has proven to be unreliable mechanically and functionally not suited for North Dakota’s rich gas and extreme environment. The Helidyne expander package replaces the JT valve and removes the need for an MRU for rich gas wellheads. By having the capability of extracting fluid energy from the gas stream, resultant temperatures are between 10 and 30 °F lower than a JT valve, and comparable to a JT+MRU system. But, unlike the MRU, the Helidyne expander generates power instead of consuming it; removing any need for an on-site generator and the MRU itself.

A Helidyne expander is a self-starting, fully automated, mechanical device that utilizes only one electric motor.

pg. 2

Expander Operated Gas Processing April, 2015 Below are two of the most common NGL drop-out skid configurations. The first diagram (figure 2) shows a JT skid configuration, which is typically used for a leaner wellhead gas (70% methane content or higher). The second diagram (figure 3) shows the typical configuration for a wellhead that provides a rich gas (Methane content as low as 40%). Richer gases have steeper “p vs h” charts (see page 7), which renders the JT effect less efficient; thus requiring additional cooling from a generator-powered refrigeration unit.

JT Skid Configuration

Figure 2

(Typically used for leaner wellhead gas applications, methane > 70%)

9

1 2

8 Shell and Tube Heat Exchanger 3 6 5

Reciprocating Compressor

JT Throttling Valve

Separator Tank #2

Separator Tank #1 4

NGL Collection Tank

State 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Pressure 30 to 40 psi 1000 psi 1000 psi 150 psi 1000 psi 150 psi 150 psi 150 psi 150 psi

7

Temperature 50 to70 °F 100 to 150 °F 30 to 60 °F 30 to 60 °F 30 to 60 °F -30 to 0 °F -30 to 0 °F -30 to 0 °F 30 to 70 °F

Flow Description Rich wellhead gas (methane content between 40% and 80%) Hot, high pressure wellhead gas Cooled, high pressure wellhead gas/liquid mixture Dropped out liquids collected from tank #1 Cooled, high pressure wellhead gas (higher methane content then states 1-3) Cold, low pressure gas/liquid mixture Dropped out liquids collected from tank #2 Cold, low pressure gas (>80% methane content), used for heat exchanger Cooled, low pressure “lean” gas sent for processing

pg. 3

Expander Operated Gas Processing April, 2015 Figure 3 12

JT/MRU Skid Configuration (Typically used for rich wellhead gas applications, methane < 70%)

1 2

Shell and Tube Heat Exchanger

Reciprocating Compressor

11

Mobile Refrigeration Unit (MRU) 3 9 8

6

5

JT Throttling Valve

Separator Tank #1

Separator Tank #3

4

Separator Tank #2 7

10 125 kW Generator

NGL Collection Tank

State 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Pressure 30 to 40 psi 1000 psi 1000 psi 150 psi 1000 psi 150 psi 150 psi 150 psi 150 psi 150 psi 150 psi 150 psi

Temperature 50 to70 °F 100 to 150 °F 30 to 60 °F 30 to 60 °F 30 to 60 °F -30 to 0 °F -30 to 0 °F -30 to 0 °F -50 to -20 °F -50 to -20 °F -50 to -20 °F 10 to 70 °F

Flow Description Rich wellhead gas (methane content between 40% and 80%) Hot, high pressure wellhead gas Cooled, high pressure wellhead gas/liquid mixture Dropped out liquids collected from tank #1 Cooled, high pressure wellhead gas (higher methane content than states 1-3) Cold, low pressure gas/liquid mixture Dropped out liquids collected from tank #2 Cold, low pressure gas( higher methane content then states 1-6) Extra cold, low pressure gas/liquid mixture Dropped out liquids from tank #3 Extra cold, low pressure gas used for heat exchanger (>80% methane content) Cooled, low pressure “lean” gas sent for processing

pg. 4

Expander Operated Gas Processing April, 2015 Below is the configuration for a Helidyne expander NGL drop-out skid. As shown in the tables, using a Helidyne expander combines the simplicity of a JT configuration, while producing the cold temperatures of a JT+MRU Skid. The Helidyne expander is a mechanical device (with self-cleaning rotors) that only utilizes one electric motor (oil pump). This translates to 1000’s of hours of runtime without maintenance. As previously mentioned, the bi-product of using a Helidyne expander is available shaft power capable of producing up to 50 kW of electricity. This can be used to operate a control room, run climate control for operators, power heating equipment to prevent potential system freezes, or drive any auxiliary device. Figure 4

Expander Skid Configuration

(Applications include both dry and wet gas wells) 9

1 2 Shell and Tube Heat Exchanger Reciprocating Compressor

8 9

5

3

Helidyne Expander

6 Separator Tank #1 Up to 50 kW of available shaft power. NGL Collection Tank

State 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Pressure 30 to 40 psi 1000 psi 1000 psi 150 psi 1000 psi 150 psi 150 psi 150 psi 150 psi

4

Temperature 50 to70 °F 100 to 150 °F 30 to 60 °F 30 to 60 °F 30 to 60 °F -50 to -20 °F -50 to -20 °F -50 to -20 °F 10 to 70 °F

Separator Tank #2

7

Flow Description Rich wellhead gas (methane content between 40% and 80%) Hot, high pressure wellhead gas Cooled, high pressure wellhead gas/liquid mixture Dropped out liquids collected from tank #1 Cooled, high pressure wellhead gas (higher methane content then states 1-3) Cold, low pressure gas/liquid mixture Dropped out liquids collected from tank #2 Cold, low pressure gas (>80% methane content), used for heat exchanger Cooled, low pressure “lean” gas sent for processing

pg. 5

Expander Operated Gas Processing April, 2015

How It Works: The Helidyne expander is a positive displacement, planetary rotor design. In other words, the volume ratio from inlet-to-exhaust is 1:1 and can be assumed to behave like a hydraulic motor (for incompressible flows only, Mach < .3). Rotors (3 or 4 rotor configuration) are designed with a helical twist that mesh with adjacent rotors when assembled together. As the rotors rotate in the same direction they form a progressive working cavity within the rotor mesh. Each revolution produces two or three cycles for a 4 or 3 rotor configuration respectively. Figure 7 illustrates the shape of the volume within the 4 rotor machine. During operation, the inlet of the machine is always open to the gas source, thus maintaining a constant fluid density. After turning half a rotation, the inlet closes completely, enclosing the gas in the cavity. After which, the rotors open on the backside exhausting the gas. As the leading volume of gas is being exhausted, a new volume of gas is entering on the frontend creating 2 power cycles per revolution. Shaft power produced by the expander is calculated using the hydraulic power equation (due to the 1:1 ratio):

Figure 5 Rotors at starting position (beginning of a cycle)

Gas “Packet”

Figure 6 Rotors at full torque position (half cycle or quarter turn)

̇ 𝑃𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑓𝑡 = ∆𝑝𝑉𝐴𝑐𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑙 𝑅𝑜𝑡𝑜𝑟 𝐸𝑣𝑜𝑙 Where: 𝑃𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑓𝑡 = 𝑆ℎ𝑎𝑓𝑡 𝑝𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟 ∆𝑝 = 𝑃𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝑎𝑐𝑟𝑜𝑠𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑟𝑜𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑠 ̇ 𝑉𝐴𝑐𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑙 𝑅𝑜𝑡𝑜𝑟 = "actual" flow rate 𝑡ℎ𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑟𝑜𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑠 𝐸𝑣𝑜𝑙 = 𝐸𝑥𝑝𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑉𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑐 𝐸𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑦

1 Figure 7 Shape of a gas volume passing through the Expander

The power produced from the expander is the byproduct of using it in an NGL application, not the objective. Gas cooling is the primary goal and should be maximized. As per its definition, an expander captures energy within a fluid by having it perform work on a mechanical device (usually a rotor or a blade). This reduces the enthalpy (internal energy plus the product of volume and pressure), which reduces the heat content of the fluid. JT valves use the Joule Thompson effect which is an isenthalpic process (enthalpy remains constant) where total energy is conserved in adiabatic gas expansion (no heat exchanged, no work performed). This process causes an increase in potential energy but a decrease in kinetic energy (decrease in temperature) but total energy is conserved. In an expander, on the other hand, gas performs positive work during expansion which reduces its enthalpy (reducing total energy) thus cooling the gas more than a JT valve.

pg. 6

Expander Operated Gas Processing April, 2015 Each fluid composition has a spectrum of cooling capability called the isentropic range. Removing all the potential energy from a fluid stream would be an “ideal isentropic process” (or in other words, a system with 100% efficiency). Depending on expander efficiency, the enthalpy removed will lie somewhere between its isentropic and isenthalpic temperatures. A Mollier chart (Figure 8), which graphs pressure versus enthalpy, illustrates this concept further. A brief explanation of this chart is beneficial. This specific Mollier chart uses methane as the fluid; the green lines indicate isothermal processes, black lines are isentropic processes, and the brown line is the saturated-state bell curve. The black dot is the initial state of this particular example (1000 psi @ 30 °F). The red line shows the cooling process of an isenthalpic process (or JT process). Since an expander removes energy, the reduced enthalpy lowers the temperature further as shown by the purple line. The theoretical maximum cooling for this example, without an external heat pump, is shown by the blue line. Notice all three scenarios have the same exhaust pressure (150 psi) but different temperatures. Figure 8

The change in enthalpy is calculated by: ∆ℎ = 𝔑𝑖𝑛 𝑍𝑖𝑛 𝑇𝑖𝑛 𝐸𝑣𝑜𝑙 (1 −

𝑝𝑜𝑢𝑡 ) 𝑝𝑖𝑛

2

Where: ∆ℎ = 𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑒𝑛𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑙𝑝𝑦 𝔑𝑖𝑛 = 𝑅𝑒𝑎𝑙 𝑔𝑎𝑠 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑍𝑖𝑛 = 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑏𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟 𝑎𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑒𝑥𝑝𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑖𝑛𝑙𝑒𝑡 𝑝𝑖𝑛 = 𝐸𝑥𝑝𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑖𝑛𝑙𝑒𝑡 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝑝𝑜𝑢𝑡 = 𝐸𝑥𝑝𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑢𝑡𝑙𝑒𝑡 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝑇𝑖𝑛 = 𝐸𝑥𝑝𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑖𝑛𝑙𝑒𝑡 𝑇𝑒𝑚𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝐸𝑣𝑜𝑙 = 𝐸𝑥𝑝𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑐 𝑒𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑦

pg. 7

Expander Operated Gas Processing April, 2015 Which is derived from the conservation of energy: 𝑃𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑓𝑡 = 𝑚̇∆ℎ

3

Where: 𝑚̇ = 𝐸𝑥𝑝𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑖𝑛𝑙𝑒𝑡 𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑓𝑙𝑜𝑤𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑒 Equation 2 demonstrates a higher pressure ratio and greater expander efficiency will yield lower temperatures. Or, in terms of the above Mollier Chart (figure 8), the greater the pressure ratio and expander efficiency, the closer the purple line moves toward the blue line and higher isentropic efficiency. Current Helidyne expander volumetric efficiencies are approximately 20-40% (depending on the application). As machining processes become more advanced, leakage within the expander system will be reduced which will increase volumetric efficiency resulting in lower exhaust temperatures. The Helidyne expander has a unique design that allows it to be the only expander on the market suitable for the harsh conditions experienced in a total-flow NGL application. The current rotor design for Model 4400 allows for pressure drops of up to 1440 psi, flows up to 10 mmscfd, and power generation up to 50 kW. However, the most important capability of the Helidyne expander is its ability to process 2-phase expansion and be self-cleaning. This quality alone makes the Helidyne expander a more effective and reliable option over other expander types.

Empirical Data: The Helidyne expander has been tested using air, nitrogen, and pipeline natural gas to validate the above mathematical models. Helidyne’s test site is located in St. George, Utah at the Red Rock Generation Facility and includes a 1300 HP natural gas fueled compressor, PLC operated control room, and a piping infrastructure to run various tests (see figure 9). This test site is capable of producing a flow of 6 mmscfd at 1000 psi using pipeline natural gas or nitrogen (tests using air performed at a different location). Figure 9

The Helidyne Red Rock Test Site located in St. George, Utah

pg. 8

Expander Operated Gas Processing April, 2015 Several 24 hour tests were completed using pipeline quality natural gas. These tests were designed to measure various system performances including pressure/flow variance, stability, and exhaust cooling. The power produced was controlled using a flow control valve upstream that regulated the pressure to the expander. “System Pressure” is the line pressure upstream of the control valve, “expander inlet pressure” is the line pressure between the flow control valve and the expander (and is the pressure used to compare with a JT process), and the “exhaust pressure” is the line pressure after the expander. Figure 10 illustrates results of the first half of a 24 hour test. The first graph displays the expander having a varying system pressure (dark blue line, ranging from 450 to 850 psi) while maintaining a constant 15 kW power output (teal line). In addition to testing system stability, this provided different system temperatures that varied with system pressure. The second graph shows the temperatures of the system before the flow control valve (red line), the temperatures right before the expander (the purple line), and the exhaust gas temperatures (green line). A set of data points (indicated by the red line) are displayed below the temperature graph. These values will be used to compare the performance of the Helidyne expander versus a JT valve. Figure 10

Time Stamp System Pressure Expander Inlet Pressure Exhaust Pressure

10/20/2014 18:00 557.80 psi 350.08 psi 49.30 psi

System Temperature Inlet Temperature Exhaust Temperature Power

92.6 °F 82.3 °F 53.1 °F 14.94 kW

pg. 9

Expander Operated Gas Processing April, 2015 The numbers in the table of figure 10 can be reproduced using NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) data and also give the exhaust temperature of a JT valve under the same application (see figure 11). This validates equations 1-3 (note: pressures are absolute): Figure 11

Line 1 = System State Line 2 = Expander Inlet State Line 3 = Rotor Inlet Line 4 = Expander Exhaust

Isenthalpic Process

Line 6 = JT Temperature Drop (for comparison)

As figure 11 shows, the Helidyne expander has a 13 degree cooler temperature than a similar test with a JT valve. This is because the expander extracts fluid energy from the flow and converts it to mechanical work. As equation 2 shows, a greater pressure ratio will yield a greater change in enthalpy, which translates to cooler temperatures. The above test had a 300 psi drop across the expander (as per the 15 kW protocol requirement). If a greater power was desired, the pressure drop across the expander could be raised to the available 500 psi drop and the exhaust gas would be a lower temperature than line 4 of figure 11.

The Helidyne Expander’s versatile profile includes flows from 1-10 mmscfd, pressures up to 1440 psi, and temperatures down to -50 °F.

It is important to note that exhaust temperatures will vary depending on fluid composition, pressure drop, initial temperature, ambient temperature, and flowrate (affects expander volumetric efficiency). The Mollier chart in figure 8 shows methane (at certain points, pressures, and temperatures) displaying very curvy isothermal lines. In other words, methane promotes very good cooling when dropping from warmer, higher to lower pressures. However, when the fluid composition changes by reducing the methane mol percentage, the isothermal lines become much steeper, similar to the left-hand side of figure 8’s methane chart. In short, lower mol percentage methane composition makes JT cooling less effective for wellhead gas. Each well will have its own fluid composition, flow, temperature, and pressures that will produce unique results when using a Helidyne expander.

pg. 10

Expander Operated Gas Processing April, 2015

Mathematical Validation: 𝑃𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑓𝑡 = 𝑚̇∆ℎ 14.94 𝑘𝑊 + 4.8 𝑘𝑊 (𝑃𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑐 𝐿𝑜𝑠𝑠𝑒𝑠) = 19.74 𝑘𝑊 = 𝑚̇ ∙ 16.12

𝑘𝐽 𝑘𝑔

𝑘𝐽 𝑘𝑔 𝑚̇ = 𝑘𝐽 16.12 𝑠 19.74

𝑚̇ = 1.225

𝑘𝑔 𝑠

̇ 𝑚̇ = 𝜌𝑉𝐴𝑐𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑙 𝑊ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒: 𝜌 = 𝐹𝑙𝑢𝑖𝑑 𝐷𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑦 ̇ 𝑉𝐴𝑐𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑙 =

̇ 𝑉𝐴𝑐𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑙 𝐸𝑥𝑝𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝐼𝑛𝑙𝑒𝑡

𝑚̇ 𝜌 𝑘𝑔 𝑠 = 𝑘𝑔 16.727 3 𝑚 1.225

̇ 𝑉𝐴𝑐𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑙 𝐸𝑥𝑝𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝐼𝑛𝑙𝑒𝑡 = .073

𝑚3 𝑠

Converting to standard flowrate: 𝑉̇𝑠𝑡𝑑 =

𝑉̇𝑠𝑡𝑑

𝑝 𝑇 𝑉̇𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑙 (𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑡 ) (𝑇𝑠𝑡𝑑 ) 𝑠𝑡𝑑

𝑎𝑐𝑡

𝑍𝑖𝑛

𝑙𝑏𝑠 𝑚3 363.08 𝑖𝑛2 519.7°𝑅 . 073 𝑠 ( )( ) 𝑙𝑏𝑠 542.0°𝑅 13 2 𝑚3 𝑖𝑛 = = 2.036 . 96 𝑠

Calculating equation 1: ̇ 𝑃𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑓𝑡 = ∆𝑝𝑉𝐴𝑐𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑙 𝐸𝑣𝑜𝑙 ∆𝑝 = [300.78

𝑙𝑏𝑠 𝑙𝑏𝑠 𝑁 − 125 2 (𝑐𝑎𝑙𝑐𝑢𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝑑𝑟𝑜𝑝 𝑡ℎ𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑖𝑓𝑜𝑙𝑑)] = 1,211,958.2 2 2 𝑖𝑛 𝑖𝑛 𝑚

Converting Standard back into actual: ̇ 𝑉𝐴𝑐𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑙 =

𝑉̇𝑠𝑡𝑑 𝑍𝑖𝑛 𝑝 𝑇 ( 𝑎𝑐𝑡 ) ( 𝑠𝑡𝑑 ) 𝑝𝑠𝑡𝑑 𝑇𝑎𝑐𝑡

pg. 11

Expander Operated Gas Processing April, 2015 ̇ 𝑉𝐴𝑐𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑙 𝑅𝑜𝑡𝑜𝑟

𝑚3 (. 97) 𝑚3 𝑠 = = .097 𝑙𝑏𝑠 𝑠 238.08 2 519.7°𝑅 𝑖𝑛 ( )( ) 𝑙𝑏𝑠 535.4°𝑅 13 2 𝑖𝑛 1.7742

Calculating Volumetric Efficiency: 𝐸𝑣𝑜𝑙 =

𝑉̇𝐶𝑎𝑣𝑖𝑡𝑦 ̇ 𝑉𝐴𝑐𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑙 𝑅𝑜𝑡𝑜𝑟

Where: 𝑉̇𝐶𝑎𝑣𝑖𝑡𝑦 = 𝐺𝑒𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑐 𝑐𝑎𝑣𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑓𝑙𝑜𝑤𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑟𝑜𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑠 = .0166 𝐸𝑣𝑜𝑙

𝑚3 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑀𝑜𝑑𝑒𝑙 4400 𝑠

𝑚3 . 0166 𝑠 = = .171 𝑚3 . 097 𝑠

𝑃𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑓𝑡 = (1211958.2

𝑁 𝑚3 ) 097 (. ) (. 171) = 20.10 𝑘𝑊 𝑚2 𝑠

𝑂𝑢𝑡𝑝𝑢𝑡 𝑝𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟 = 𝐸𝐺𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑜𝑟 (𝑃𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑓𝑡 − 𝑃𝑑𝑟𝑎𝑔 ) = .99(20.10 𝑘𝑊 − 4.8𝑘𝑊) = 15.15 𝑘𝑊 ≈ 14.94 𝑘𝑊

And finally equation 2: ∆ℎ = 𝔑𝑖𝑛 𝑍𝑖𝑛 𝑇𝑖𝑛 𝐸𝑣𝑜𝑙 (1 −

𝑝𝑜𝑢𝑡 ) 𝑝𝑖𝑛

𝑙𝑏𝑠 62.3 2 𝑘𝐽 𝑘𝐽 𝑖𝑛 ∆ℎ = (. 518 ) (. 97)(297 𝐾)(. 171) (1 − ) = 18.8 𝑙𝑏𝑠 𝑘𝑔 𝐾 𝑘𝑔 238.08 2 𝑖𝑛 And comparing equation 2 results to empirical data from the NIST Chart in figure 11: 893.15

𝑘𝐽 𝑘𝐽 − 877.03 = 𝑘𝑔 𝑘𝑔

16.12

𝑘𝐽 𝑘𝐽 ≈ 18.8 𝑘𝑔 𝑘𝑔

NOTE: Thermodynamic calculations will have a greater margin of error than power calculations due to the inherent approximations in thermodynamic modeling.

These empirically validated mathematical models allow for any natural gas composition to be calculated. If given the inlet pressure, outlet pressure, and inlet temperature; the power produced and change in enthalpy can be predicted. As stated previously, a Helidyne expander will always produce lower temperatures than a JT valve and comparable temperatures as an MRU configuration with the biproduct being usable shaft power.

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Expander Operated Gas Processing April, 2015

Package Design: Insulated NGL Collection Tanks

Model 4400 Helidyne Expander

Insulated Heat Exchanger

Skid Connections

Generator (Or any device requiring shaft power)

Onboard PLC/HMI

Onboard Battery System

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Expander Operated Gas Processing April, 2015

Contact Us: Address:

1425 Redledge Rd. Suite 102 Washington, Utah 84780

Office Phone:

435-627-1805

Email:

[email protected]

For More Information about our products and services, please visit our website: www.HelidynePower.com

© Helidyne LLC 2015. All rights reserved. No part of this document or its contents may be reproduced, republished, publicly displayed, uploaded, translated, transmitted, or distributed without the prior written consent of Helidyne LLC. Information contained in this document is subject to change without notice and is provided on an “as-is” basis. Helidyne LLC. Disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, including, but not limited to, warranties of non-infringement, accuracy and fitness for a particular purpose, except as provided by written agreement.

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