PRODUCTION • PROCESSING • HANDLING
Such systems convert pressure or kinetic energy into heat. T e question is whether it is also possible to transform the kinetic energy into electricity? T e answer is yes. ILF recently had the chance to
PIPELINES I
POWER FROM
n some oil pipelines pressure reduction systems are installed to guarantee a smooth and safe operation (mainly in pipelines with high elevation diff erences).
investigate a potential pipeline system for the installation of a turbine for energy recovery in a crude oil pipeline. T e system needed to overcome a hill. To avoid slackline regions, which makes it easier for leak detection and pigging, a back pressure control valve (PCV) was installed. Depending on the pipeline system fl ow rates the PCV converted energy in the range of 1.5MW to 8MW.
PIPELINE SYSTEMS AND ENERGY RECOVERY CONFIGURATIONS Starting with two pipeline sections, the potential energy that could be recovered
was discussed. One main aspect was that the energy recovery system must not infl uence the goal of the pipeline system: oil transport. Another aspect was that pipelines are normally operated at diff erent throughputs with changing pressure conditions. T e resulting system curves needed to be considered when selecting the recovery system, which could be a reverse-operating pump or turbine. In addition, the task of the recovery system infl uenced the sizing of the energy recovery system. Energy can be produced either for consumers in a demand- driven island-mode or for a grid with a maximum possible energy recovery mode. In general, systems can be used where
pressure reduction or back PCVs are installed. At each pressure reduction valve pressure will be converted into heat, vibration and noise. In the above example a 48in pipeline is considered. A hill (with about 700m height) is located 30km upstream of the storage tank terminal.
The ERS Taimeralm: a 2.5MW turbine with an annual production of approximately 11.5GWh
Thomas Rother explores energy recovery in crude oil pipelines
Within the project it was decided that only one unit, either one pump as turbine (PaT) or one turbine, should be used. Together with the required power recovery range of between 1.5 and 3.5MW, at all given process conditions (fl ow/pressure) the task was to fi nd proper solutions for both systems. For a pump there is one characteristic curve. To recover a specifi c amount of energy the pump must be operated at the corresponding intersection point between the system curve and pump characteristic. Fig. 1 shows the system curve (blue) together with the pump characteristic curve (red line). T e green line shows the recovered energy that can be obtained (for a certain crude density of 834kg/m³). T e energy values of the green line are calculated by the pump head, pump fl ow and effi ciency. Pump characteristic curve and energy recovery curve cover always the same fl ow range.
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