TURBOEXPANDER

摘要

Gas, esp. natural gas, is cooled by expansion from a pressure e.g. 56 kg/cm2, through a turbine with annular baffles to collect condensed water and less volatile liquids, esp. heavy hydrocarbons. The turbine is fitted with sepn. stages comprising rotors, either on the same shaft or pref. on independent coaxial shafts, the vanes of which have a smaller pitch than those of the turbine, and have radial grooves, which collect entrained liquids and expel them centrifugally into annular collection channels in the wall of the turbine casing; pref. one sepn stage precedes turbine to reduce wear on turbine blades. The appts. operates at better then 95% efficiency.