Subsea Compression Cooling Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current subsea hydrocarbon well stream processing systems are large in size, require high-performance separation equipment, and face logistical challenges in deep water and remote locations, with existing cooling configurations being beneficial but not optimized for size reduction and maintenance simplicity.
Innovation Solution
A subsea apparatus comprising a separator, a cooler with active cooling arrangement, and a collecting container to produce a wet gas for compression, where the cooler is positioned downstream of the separator and the active cooling arrangement circulates sea water to enhance cooling efficiency, reducing equipment size and eliminating the need for upstream coolers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a passive inlet cooler is used to cool the whole well stream upstream of the separator, then the well stream temperature is reduced from around 75 degrees Celsius to around 20 degrees Celsius, but the equipment size is large and installation is complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the cooling function into two stages: first, the separator performs partial cooling and separation of the well stream into gas and liquid phases; second, a smaller cooler downstream cools only the separated gas phase. This segmentation eliminates the need for a large upstream cooler handling the entire well stream, reducing equipment size while achieving the same temperature reduction from around 75°C to around 20°C.
Solution Approach 2:
The separator performs preliminary separation of the well stream into gas and liquid phases before the cooling step. By removing the liquid phase first, the subsequent cooler only needs to handle the gas phase, which requires significantly less cooling capacity and results in a more compact equipment design.
2Manufacturing precision
If high performance separation equipment is used to meet compressor requirements, then the wet gas composition is optimized for compression, but the equipment complexity and size increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial separation rather than complete separation. The separator performs sufficient separation to remove the majority of the liquid phase and provide adequate liquid for wet gas composition optimization, but does not require high-performance separation equipment that would achieve complete separation. This partial action approach meets compressor requirements while using simpler, smaller equipment.
3Temperature
If the cooler is positioned upstream of the separator, then the whole well stream is cooled, but the equipment size is large and maintenance is difficult in remote locations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the processing flow so that separation occurs before cooling. This repositioning divides the system into distinct functional units where the smaller downstream cooler is more accessible for maintenance than a large upstream cooler would be, particularly in remote subsea locations.
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 solution significantly reduces equipment size by cooling the separated gas, allowing for a compact, retrievable subsea module that simplifies installation and maintenance, while maintaining consistent wet gas composition for efficient hydrocarbon production.
Implementation Method 1
a cooler positioned downstream of said separator and arranged to cool said separated gas to produce cooled gas
Implementation Method 2
The active cooling arrangement can include a pump for circulating the cooling medium. The operation of the pump and/or of the active cooling arrangement may be dependent upon the rate of cooling of the cooler
Implementation Method 3
a separator arranged to separate, at least partly, liquid and gas contained in the well stream to produce separated liquid and gas
Data Source
AI summary
Subsea apparatus (10) for processing a well stream (2) and a method of processing a well stream subsea is described. In an embodiment, liquid (5) and gas (3) contained in the well stream (2) is separated. The separated gas (3) is cooled and the cooled gas (32) is combined with the separated liquid (5) to form a wet gas (52) for a compressor (90). An active cooling arrangement (30) may be used in one example to enhance the cooling effect provided by the cooler (30). Advantageously, the apparatus (10) can be arranged compactly, and may be provided on a subsea retrievable module.