Gas-Gas Ejector Recovery for Rejected GOSP Gas Pressure Swings
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Solution Overview
Problem
Gas flow pressure fluctuations in Gas Oil Separation Plants (GOSPs) lead to inefficient operation of high-pressure gas compressors, resulting in rejected gas that is typically flared, causing energy wastage and reducing the volume of gas that can be processed at central gas plants.
Innovation Solution
A gas-gas ejector system is implemented, fluidically coupled to the gas flow pathways, using high-pressure gas from a reservoir as a motive gas to drive the flow of low-pressure gas from GOSPs to the central gas plant, optimized by a controller that monitors and adjusts flow pressures to prevent flaring and enhance energy efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If high-pressure gas compressors are used to maintain gas flow pressure in GOSPs, then gas can be transported to the central gas plant, but pressure fluctuations cause inefficient operation and rejected gas that must be flared
Solution Approach 1:
A gas-gas ejector is introduced as an intermediary device between the GOSP and the central gas plant. The ejector uses high-pressure motive gas to entrain and compress low-pressure gas from the GOSP, mediating the pressure mismatch and enabling efficient gas transport without flaring rejected gas.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the pressure parameter of the motive gas by using high-pressure gas from the gas reservoir to drive the ejector. This parameter change enables the compression of low-pressure gas without requiring traditional mechanical compressors, thereby eliminating rejected gas flaring.
2Use of energy by moving object
If gas compressors operate at reduced flow pressure, then energy consumption decreases, but the volume of gas that can be processed at the central gas plant is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses pneumatic compression through a gas-gas ejector instead of mechanical compression. High-pressure motive gas from the reservoir pneumatically compresses the low-pressure gas from the GOSP, maintaining high gas processing volume while avoiding the energy inefficiencies of mechanical compressors operating at reduced pressure.
3Productivity
If a gas-gas ejector is used to drive gas flow using high-pressure motive gas, then rejected gas is minimized and processing volume increases, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The gas-gas ejector serves multiple functions: it acts as a compressor, a pressure regulator, and a flow driver simultaneously. By using the existing high-pressure gas from the reservoir, the ejector leverages available system resources to achieve multiple objectives without requiring additional independent systems.
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
The system minimizes rejected gas, increases the volume of gas processed at central gas plants, and optimizes power usage by utilizing available energy, thereby improving the operational efficiency of GOSPs.
Implementation Method 1
A gas-gas ejector is fluidically coupled to the first gas flow pathway and the second gas flow pathway. The gas-gas ejector is configured to drive gas flow using the gas from the gas reservoir as a motive gas.
Data Source
AI summary
A gas phase is flowed from a first GOSP through a first gas flow pathway to a second gas flow pathway at a first flow pressure. The gas phase from the second gas flow pathway is flowed to a central gas plant at a second flow pressure greater than the first flow pressure. The second gas flow pathway receives a gas phase from a second GOSP. While flowing the gas phase through the first gas flow pathway, a decrease in the first flow pressure below a threshold flow pressure is determined. In response, a gas-gas ejector, fluidically coupled to the first gas flow pathway and the second gas flow pathway, is operated to drive a flow of the gas phase to the central gas plant using the gas phase flowed through the second gas flow pathway at the second flow pressure as a motive gas.