SITUATION
Uniper Energy Storage GmbH markets gas storage capacities at 12 locations in Europe. The company operates the facilities which store and withdraw the natural gas in Etzel.
RoTechBooster for Compressors in Natural Gas Storage
New solution improves ecological and economical balance
Challenge
Seal contamination due to intermittent operation. Venting the compressor to prevent this releases a large amount of natural gas to the environment.
Solution
Consulting, engineering and implementation of a reliable seal gas supply during all conditions with EagleBurgmann RoTechBooster®-systems.
The Etzel oil and gas cavern system is situated southwest of Wilhelmshaven, not far from the North Sea coast. A vast salt dome houses the more than 70 caverns which store crude oil and natural gas at depths between 900 and 1,700 meters. Etzel is integrated in the northwest European oil and gas pipeline network and makes a significant contribution to the safe and reliable supply of gas to Germany and all of Europe.
Uniper Energy Storage GmbH markets gas storage capacities at 12 locations in Europe. The company operates the facilities which store and withdraw the natural gas in Etzel.
Intermittent compressor operation is a characteristic that experience shows leads to seal problems, because the seals are no longer protected from unfiltered process gas during standstill. Only continuous operation purges the seals with clean filtered gas from the compressor discharge to protect them from unrefined process gas.
Depressurizing the compressor keeps the gas seals dry and clean during standstill. This releases the natural gas in the compressor and the pressure drops in the machine. Because of the pressure compensation between the process and atmosphere, there is no risk of contaminated gas accessing the seals. However, applying this method releases greater amounts of greenhouse gases to the environment, not to mention the considerable costs incurred due to natural gas losses
The EagleBurgmann RoTechBooster is the best technical and optimal environmental solution. The innovative booster has been proven in numerous applications and generates a continuous, stable flow of gas to supply clean and dry gas to the seals during standstill. The rotating principle enables long operating periods along with 24,000 hour maintenance intervals. This allows a pressurized standstill compressor for several days, weeks, or months with confidence the seals are protected.
Uniper Energy Storage successfully fitted six compressors with the new technology. The end user carried out the project management for integrating the RoTechBoosters into the existing facilities and EagleBurgmann provided consultation, engineering and the RoTechBooster system.
In addition to Etzel, EagleBurgmann RoTechBoosters were also installed at the Uniper Bierwang and Epe, Germany locations.
The procurement costs for the EagleBurgmann RoTechBooster were recovered through extended maintenance cycles, lower maintenance costs, greater compressor availability and a significant reduction of lost gas.
The RoTechBooster ensures abundant, reliable, and consistent seal gas flow, through fluctuating operating conditions; thus, clean and dry gas is supplied to the gas seal in every situation.
- Simple to set-up, easy to operate
- High reliability and availability
- Unlimited continuous operation
- Avoid seal failures
- Low maintenance costs
- Energy efficient
- Eliminates the concern of unreliable external seal gas source
Result
Implementing the RoTechBooster, eliminated the need to vent the compressor during standstill for prevent seal contamination, a true added value was generated. This considerably improved the entire plant economic feasibility and ecological assessment.
Solution: RoTechBooster for Etzel
RoTechBooster for compressors in natural gas storage. Optimal ecological and economical gas supply solution for compressor seals.
situation, problem and solution.
Further reference projects
United Kingdom
10 years of reliability: Protecting the heart of Great Britain’s natural gas infrastructure from failure
In Great Britain, a shortage in natural gas supply has severe consequences: Since the country switched from coal-fired to gas-fired power stations, a gas supply shortage makes households and industrial consumers not only vulnerable to failing heating and gas stoves, but also to power outages. Companies along the value and transportation chain of natural gas are therefore especially dependent on reliable equipment.
Germany
100 percent performance at 300 degrees
Things get hot in rotary kilns, very hot in fact. In the production of cement, for example, the thermometer measures more than 1,000 degrees Celsius. Sealing systems from EagleBurgmann, a company of the Freudenberg Group and EKK, make sustainable contributions to environmental protection, energy efficiency and process reliability under these "fiery" high-temperature conditions.
Canada
DF-SA DiamondFace mechanical seal for CANDU reactor
In countries like Canada, South Korea and Argentina, CANDU reactors (“Canada deuterium uranium reactors”) use nuclear fuel to generate electric power. Unlike the ressurized water reactors and boiling water reactors mainly used in Europe, CANDU reactors can be refueled during operation to increase availability. However, sealing the hydraulic machines used in this process represents a technical challenge.
Finland
Does not blow off steam
A boiler circulation pump in a power plant conveys very hot and pressurized water. The pump has no cooling jacket, which increases the risk of a thermosiphon effect.
Germany
Flexible and hygienic expansion joints for dairy products
By means of custom-made PLUG & RUN expansion joints with a more wear-resistant material, EagleBurgmann was able to provide a solution which ideally fulfills the requirements with regard to wear while at the same time significantly reducing the changeover time.
Germany
For a good night’s sleep
Pharmaceutical manufacturers like the Bayer AG rely on mechanical seals in their manufacturing plants.