Ten Years’ Engineering Development in Gas Turbine Driven Natural Gas Compressor Stations

Abstract

The first generation gas compressor stations for N.V. Nederlandse Gasunie was designed in 1967 and equipped with aircraft derivative gasturbines of 11 MW driving single wheel centrifugal compressors. In later stations, similar machines and also industrial type gas turbines of 11 and 26 MW have been installed. With the system now including eight stations. a considerable experience was gained. Special described items are: (a) air filtration (b) noise abatement, (c) vibration due to pipe resonance, and (d) also the operational experience with aircraft derivative gas turbines compared with industrial type machines is described. During 1974, due to the increase in the energy prices, more emphasis was placed on energy savings. Studies revealed that for our case, the new generation high efficiency gas turbines showed more advantage than equipping existing machines with available recuperators or waste heat boilers and steam turbines. Replacement of some base load machines began in 1975. Later, a new recuperator was designed together with a well-known boiler firm, the first of which will come in operation by the end of 1978 to improve the efficiency of a 26-MW machine. Medio 1978 a total of 35 units with 502.2-MW output will have been installed, of which five are equipped with high efficiency drivers.