Energy Efficiency Performance Optimization and Surge Prediction of Centrifugal Gas Compressor

Abstract

In the modern day, oil and gas companies must meet fresh problems to effectively maximize their performance, not only about traditional performance such as reliability or productivity, but also emerging ones, related to sustainability issues. The authors present the development of a novel and robust surge prediction and energy performance control technique with the use of precise anti surge control, from the measurement to the control algorithm to the anti-surge valve and load variation with the support of speed control to ensure reliability and mitigate power loss caused by anti-surge valve opening by operating the centrifugal gas compressor adjacent surge control line. In the methodology the design and original equipment manufacturer (OEM) data for the compressor were reviewed, and then the off-design operating envelope was examined. Aspen HYSYS version 12.1 is used for dynamic simulation modelling. According to the first stage findings with 10% surge safety, the load variation control approach is more energy-efficient than compressor operation at maximum load, which consumes 13596 kWh with 99–94 MMSCFD during peak and off-peak demand and uses less energy 5183 kWh for 99–67.59 MMSCFD compression. Surging occurred when the flow rate decreased from 7022 to 4355 m³/h for variable speed and from 7022 to 5990 m³/h for fixed speed. When a surge was likely to occur, ASV opened aggressively at 22.29% with variable speed and 11.77% with fixed speed. Based on the results of the second stage with 10% safety, the load variation control method is more energy efficient, consuming between 23,288 and 9892 kWh with a 217 and 178MMSCFD compressor capacity, as opposed to the compressor running at maximum load, which consumes 23288 kWh with a 217–234 MMSCFD during peak and off-peak demand. It resulted in surging when the flow rate fell from 4167 to 2967 m³/h for variable speed and 4167–3906 m³/h for fixed speed. When a surge was about to occur, ASV opened aggressively at 14.79% with variable speed and 10.08% with fixed speed.