CompressorTechTwo - 2010 (Sample)

The ejectors have no moving parts, seals, shafts or packing. Compared to mechanical compressors and vacuum pumps, they are nearly maintenance free.

A BREATH OF FRESH AIR
Dresser-Rand Contributes to Green Efforts
with Compressor Technology
Employing Supersonic Ejectors

As Dresser-Rand recently stated in one of its marketing newsletters, “The future is not canceled and the global economy will recover.” The company indicates that it continues to be actively involved in a broad range of current and developing technologies that are contributing to “green” efforts across the industry.

During the past 18 months, despite the difficult global economy, Dresser-Rand said it has invested in three particularly important technologies — each consistent with its business strategies of enhancing core capabilities, focusing on the environment, adding new products, services and technologies, and providing access to new markets.

One of those advancements is a new compressor technology employing supersonic ejectors. The tandem, or two-stage ejector system captures gas leakage from a dry-gas seal at low pressure and recompresses it to a pressure equivalent to the fuel gas pressure.

A typical dry-gas seal is a noncontact end face seal comprising two seats. The first, known as the rotating seat, has grooves etched into the seal face and rotates with the shaft. The second, known as the stationary seat, has a smooth face and only moves along the axis of the shaft. Using this pair provides the sealing effect.

The recovery and recycling process
captures greenhouse gas emissions
during normal operations, and recov-
ers natural gas vented from the pri-
mary gas seal.

sult of a collaboration between Dresser-Rand and TransCanada, is undergoing field evaluation in another compressor station in Alberta. The product launch strategy is to offer this energy-efficient device first in midstream applications, followed by upstream and downstream.

By reclaiming gases ordinarily vented into the atmosphere, the ejectors offer environmental benefits and enable facilities to operate more efficiently.

Ejectors are available as new equipment options and product upgrades for centrifugal compressors that compress hydrocarbon gases. They also work with any low-pressure, low-flow-rate vent streams, and high-pressure stream applications.

Because the ejectors have no moving parts, seals, shafts or packing, they are practically maintenance free compared to mechanical compressors and vacuum pumps.

Dresser-Rand supplies rotating equipment to the global oil, gas, petrochemical and process industries and operates manufacturing facilities in the United States, France, Germany, Norway, United Kingdom, China and India. They maintain a network of 34 service and support centers covering more than 140 countries.

TransCanada Corp.’s core business focuses on the development and operation of North American energy infrastructure. The company was founded in 1951, employs more than 4000 people throughout North America and is headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. ;