Ejector Gas Compression System for Multiphase Fluid Separation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current separation systems for multiphase fluids in the oil and gas industry are complex, large, heavy, and energy-intensive, particularly in compressing and treating separated gas, which hinders their efficiency and safety.
Innovation Solution
A system that uses a liquid as a motive fluid to compress gas through an ejector, with a pump supplying pressurized liquid to the ejector, reducing the need for traditional compressors and enabling a compact, simplified design for gas pressure support, including multiple separators and a scrubber for gas cleaning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If traditional compressors are used to compress separated gas, then gas compression is achieved, but system complexity, size, weight and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical compressors with a fluid dynamic system using an ejector and pump. The pump pressurizes a liquid (seawater or production water) which then flows through the ejector to compress the separated gas. This substitution eliminates complex mechanical compressor components with a simpler fluid-based compression system, directly resolving the contradiction between achieving gas compression and reducing system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs hydraulic principles by using a pump to pressurize liquid and an ejector to convert this liquid pressure into gas compression. The system utilizes the kinetic energy of the pressurized liquid stream to entrain and compress the gas phase, replacing mechanical compression with a pneumatic-hydraulic approach that reduces device complexity while maintaining compression capability.
2Power
If traditional compressors are used to compress separated gas, then gas compression is achieved, but system size and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
By replacing heavy mechanical compressors with a lighter pump-ejector system, the patent significantly reduces system weight. The pump and ejector components are substantially lighter than traditional compressor machinery, while still achieving the required gas compression function, thus resolving the contradiction between maintaining compression capability and reducing system weight.
3Power
If traditional compressors are used to compress separated gas, then gas compression is achieved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes the kinetic energy of pressurized liquid flow to compress gas, which is generally more energy-efficient than mechanical compression. The pump pressurizes the liquid, and the ejector converts this liquid kinetic energy into gas compression work, reducing overall energy consumption compared to direct mechanical gas compression, thereby resolving the contradiction between achieving compression and minimizing energy use.
4Ease of operation
If system complexity is reduced, then ease of installation and operation improves, but gas pressure support capability may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces liquid (seawater or production water) as an intermediary medium to transfer energy from the pump to the gas for compression. This intermediary approach allows the system to achieve gas pressure support capability without requiring complex direct compression machinery, thus maintaining ease of installation while ensuring adequate gas pressure support through the pump-ejector-liquid-gas energy transfer chain.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach significantly reduces the size, weight, and cost of the separation system, enhances safety, and allows for efficient gas compression, making it suitable for subsea or platform installations by utilizing a liquid to pressurize gas, thereby minimizing energy consumption and system complexity.
Implementation Method 1
an ejector (62) having a first inlet (620), a second inlet (621) and an outlet (622), wherein the outlet (622) is coupled to the at least one first separator (10)
Implementation Method 2
a pump (56) having an inlet (560) and an outlet (561), the inlet (560) being coupled to a liquid reservoir (23) for supplying liquid to the pump (56), the outlet (561) being coupled to the second inlet (621) of the ejector (62) for supplying a pressurized liquid to the ejector (62)
Implementation Method 3
a first module (2) comprising at least one first separator (10), the first module (2) being configured to receive the multiphase fluid and separate it into a first gas fraction and a fluid fraction comprising liquid and residual gas
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
It is described a system (1) for compression of a gas separated from a multiphase fluid in a well stream (8), the multiphase fluid comprising at least liquid and gas, wherein the system (1) comprises: - a first module (2) comprising at least one first separator (10), the first module (2) being configured to receive the multiphase fluid and separate it into a first gas fraction and a fluid fraction comprising liquid and residual gas; - an ejector (62) having a first inlet (620), a second inlet (621) and an outlet (622), wherein the outlet (622) is coupled to the at least one first separator (10); - a second separator (50) coupled to the first module (2) for receiving said fluid fraction and separate it into a liquid fraction and a second gas fraction, the second separator (50) being coupled to the first inlet (621) of the ejector (62) for supplying the second gas fraction to the ejector (62); - a pump (56) having an inlet (560) and an outlet (561), the inlet (560) being coupled to a liquid reservoir (23) and the second separator (50) for supplying liquid to the pump (56), the outlet (561) being coupled to the second inlet (621) of the ejector (62) for supplying a pressurized liquid to the ejector (62), wherein the second gas fraction is entrained with the pressurized liquid in the ejector (62) and supplied to the at least one first separator (10) via the outlet (622) of the ejector; - a compressed gas line (15) coupled to the at least one first separator (10) for extracting compressed gas, wherein the gas in the at least on first separator (10) is compressed by the pressurized liquid.