Overview of Reciprocating Gas Expander

A reciprocating gas expander is an axial-flow or centrifugal turbine through which a gas of high-pressure is expanded to generate work that is normally used in driving a generator or compressor. The expansion is suitable by an isentropic process since work is extracted from the expanding gas of high-pressure and a gas exhaust of low pressure from the turbine is at a very low temperature which is less than 150^oC, depending on the properties of the operating gas and pressure. The reciprocating gas expander is extensively used as sources of refrigeration in industrial practices like the extraction of natural gas liquid and ethane from natural gas, the liquefaction of gases like krypton, argon, helium, nitrogen, and oxygen as well as other processes of low temperature.

The project on the optimum performance of the reciprocating gas expander is scientifically worth due to some of the significant applications of this project in numerous scientific devices and processes for both industrial and commercial processes. Some of the applications of the reciprocating gas expander that makes it a scientific relevant project include power recovery in a fluid catalytic cracker, refrigeration system, power generation, and extraction of hydrocarbon liquid from the natural gas. The application of the reciprocating gas expander in the extraction of hydrocarbon liquids from the natural gas involves the extraction of natural gas liquids and a low-temperature distillation column which is commonly known as demethanizer (ASME, 2009).

The reciprocating gas expander can also be used as a refrigeration system by the reciprocating gas expander reducing the load on the electric motor by approximately 8% compared to a traditional system of vapour-compression refrigeration that uses a throttling expansion valve and not a gas expander. The refrigerant liquid streams through the reciprocating gas expander, where it is vaporized and the vapour experiences an isentropic expansion, which leads to a mixture of the low temperature of liquid and vapour. The mixture of liquid and vapour can then be routed through the evaporator where is it vaporized by the absorbed heat from the space being cooled (Ameen, 2010).

The various knowledge and skills that I personally possess make the optimum performance of the reciprocating gas expander project to be an effective selection. The knowledge I possess regarding the operation, history, types, applications, and optimization of the reciprocating gas expander makes it easy for me to effectively evaluate this project without any major challenges. Some of the applications of the reciprocating gas expander that makes it a scientific relevant project include power recovery in a fluid catalytic cracker, refrigeration system, power generation, and extraction of hydrocarbon liquid from natural gas (Bloch, 2013).

Applications of Reciprocating Gas Expander

The knowledge on the various components, building blocks, and designs of the reciprocating gas expander makes it very easy for me to understand the various operations and applications of the reciprocating gas expander. The knowledge of these components is very important when analyzing the ways of optimizing the performance of the entire system. The optimization of the entire system depends on the analysis of the current components and entre system when used in power recovery in a fluid catalytic cracker, refrigeration system, power generation, and extraction of hydrocarbon liquid from the natural gas. The knowledge of the components making the reciprocating system which I personally possess makes it easy for me to effectively work on this project (Boyce, 2011).

In order to keep this optimum performance of reciprocating gas expander project on track, the budget management skill will be very necessary. The solid grasp of the basic accounting principles will be significant during the maintenance of the budgetary performance of the project. It is important for the project to be within affordable and allocated budget to avoid unnecessary expenditures which normally accrue as a result of poor budgeting can be avoided when one possesses budget management skills. The time management skill is also another significant skill that is very necessary when working on the optimum performance of reciprocating gas expander project since it is necessary for the project to take the stipulated timeframe to avoid inconveniences as well as last-minute rashes (Drosjack, 2014).

The time management skills involved the determination and communication with other individuals who will be very resourceful when working on the project. These individuals may be the companies and businesses that directly use the reciprocating gas expander during numerous applications such as power recovery in the fluid catalytic cracker, refrigeration system, power generation, and extraction of hydrocarbon liquid from the natural gas. It is equally important to be aware of how the project duration will be managed and this duration can be reduced by rearranging the schedule, multi-tasking, and delegating responsibilities (Jazar, 2016).

Yes, am very motivated to the idea of working on the optimum performance of reciprocating gas expander project since I have worked closely with numerous applications that make use of the reciprocating gas expander and I have felt a need of coming up with ways in which the performance of this system can be made for being optimum. Some of the applications of the reciprocating gas expander which I have directly participated in include power recovery in the fluid catalytic cracker, refrigeration system, power generation, and extraction of hydrocarbon liquid from natural gas (Kerry, 2011).

Knowledge and Skills Required for the Project

The reciprocating gas expander has a very high future development potential due to its numerous applications such as in power recovery in the fluid catalytic cracker, refrigeration system, power generation, and extraction of hydrocarbon liquid from the natural gas. Numerous companies and businesses that directly use the reciprocating gas expander are considering ways of optimizing the performance of the system making this research to have a high future development potential (Kidnay, 2011).

For effective project preparation, project execution, data collection and gathering, analysis and validation, data evaluation, results from validation, and final report writing, there is need of spending at least 21 hours on the project weekly for a duration more than 15 months. The major activities that would be carried out in the project schedule include project preparation, questionnaire preparation, project execution, monitoring and data collection, raw data gathering, analysis and validation, data evaluation, result comparison, result validation, and final report writing (Meserole, 2010).

Conclusion

Some of the applications of the reciprocating gas expander that makes it a scientific relevant project include power recovery in the fluid catalytic cracker, refrigeration system, power generation, and extraction of hydrocarbon liquid from the natural gas. When the reciprocating gas expander system is applied during the power recovery in the fluid catalytic cracker, the power is recovered and utilized by routing the regenerator flue gas. After the flue gas leaves the generator, it is channelled through a secondary catalyst separator possessing swirl tubes designed to eliminate 80% of the residual catalyst fines.

Ameen, A. (2010). Refrigeration and Air Conditioning. Michigan: PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd.

This reference is relevant to the project on the optimum performance of the reciprocating gas expander since the book provides an illustration of the application and performance of the reciprocating gas expander system in refrigeration and air conditioning system. The information is significant when analyzing the optimization performance of the system.

ASME. (2009). American Society of Mechanical Engineers Technical Papers. Michigan: American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

This reference is relevant to the project on the optimum performance of reciprocating gas expander since the book discusses the various applications of the reciprocating gas expander such as power recovery in a fluid catalytic cracker, refrigeration system, power generation, and extraction of hydrocarbon liquid from the natural gas.

Bloch, H. (2013). Turboexpanders and Process Applications. Perth: Gulf Professional Publishing.

This reference is relevant to the project on the optimum performance of reciprocating gas expander since the book provides an illustration of the history and types of the reciprocating gas expander systems such as bearings or loading devices. The major loading devices used in reciprocating gas expander include hydraulic brakes, electrical generators, and centrifugal compressors.

Bloch., P. (2012). Improving Machinery Reliability. New York: Elsevier.

This reference is relevant to the project on the optimum performance of reciprocating gas expander since the book provides an evaluation through which the performance of mechanical systems such as reciprocating gas expander can be improved to ensure higher efficiency.

Boyce, M. (2011). Gas Turbine Engineering Handbook. Perth: Elsevier.

This reference is relevant to the project on the optimum performance of the reciprocating gas expander since the book provides an illustration of the working mechanism of the reciprocating gas expander.

Drosjack, M. (2014). Expanders for Oil and Gas Operations: Design, Applications, and Troubleshooting. Melbourne: McGraw-Hill Education.

This reference is relevant to the project on the optimum performance of the reciprocating gas expander since the book illustrates the operations of the reciprocating gas expander when used in different applications like in refrigeration system.

Jazar, R. (2016). Nonlinear Approaches in Engineering Applications: Advanced Analysis of Vehicle Related Technologies. Toledo: Springer.

This reference is relevant to the project on the optimum performance of the reciprocating gas expander since the book illustrates the various applications of the reciprocating gas expander through analyzing the various technologies of the system involved.

Kerry, F. (2011). Industrial Gas Handbook: Gas Separation and Purification. Sydney: CRC Press.

This reference is relevant to the project on the optimum performance of the reciprocating gas expander since the book illustrates the operation of the reciprocating gas expander when used in the extraction of hydrocarbons liquids from natural gas.

Kidnay, A. (2011). Fundamentals of Natural Gas Processing, Second Edition. New York: CRC Press.

This reference is relevant to this project on the optimum performance of the reciprocating gas expander since the book illustrates the operations of the reciprocating gas expander when used in different applications like in refrigeration system.

Meserole, S. (2010). A reciprocating liquid hydrogen pump based on the expander. London: Cornell University.

This reference is relevant to the project on the optimum performance of the reciprocating gas expander since the book provides an illustration on the application and performance of the reciprocating gas expander system in refrigeration and air conditioning system. The information is significant when analyzing the optimization performance of the system.