Thermodynamic efficiency of expander-generator units at the plants for technological decompression of transported natural gas

Abstract

The thermodynamic efficiencies of throttling devices and expander-generator units used for technological decompression of transported gas in gas distribution stations (GDS) and gas control points (GCP) of the gas supply system are compared. Various designs of the expander-generator units generating either electricity or electricity and cold are considered. The exergy efficiency is used as a criterion of the thermodynamic efficiency. It is shown that the replacement of the throttling device by the expander-generator unit under conditions taken for calculations leads to an increase in exergy efficiency of the station of technological decompression of the transported gas at all considered schemes of this unit inclusion: with no gas heating in the expander-generator unit, with gas heating after the expander, before the expander as well as before and after the expander.