MAGAZINE OF THE GAS AND PROCESS DIVISION – WINTER EDITION 2016 / 2017

MEGAWATTS FOR A MEGA-CITY 04 • SUPER PRESSURE FOR CO2 10 • CLEAN ENERGY PIONEERS 14 • PISTON AND SCREW COMPRESSORS 18 • DIVISION NEWS 22

Leaps and Bounds

The evolution of innovative companies is often defined by

a mix of small steps and big leaps. The Atlas Copco Gas and Process Division is no exception.

Over the years, we’ve successfully entered new markets with expanding portfolios of products and services. And during my first year as the division’s President, I’ve witnessed much of this firsthand.

In this issue of G&P Stories, you can see how different small steps – growing expertise, rising efficiency levels, incremental innovation – lead to big leaps. One example is a recently expanded product manager concept that creates improved products for our customers.

An accumulation of small steps also led to large bounds in our new high-pressure CO2 compressor. It drew on years of experience to launch into a number of supercritical applications.

And touring some of our past projects gives an overview of the routine steps we take on a daily basis to deliver solutions with a big impact – in this case at an efficient power plant and an innovative pressure letdown station.

This balance of concentrating on small steps to create big bounds continues to guide us.

With you, our customer, always in mind, we’ll drive innovation in our core industries, while concentrating on the price structures, efficiency and reliability that keep you ahead of pace in your market.

Robert Radimeczky President Gas and Process Division

Editorial / Content

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Page 10SUPER PRESSURE FOR CO2 New compressor gives a foothold in supercritical CO2 market.

Page 04MEGAWATTS FOR A MEGA-CITY New York City needs energy around the clock. Atlas Copco helps keep the lights on.

Page 14CLEAN ENERGY PIONEERS Belgian gas company forged a path in electricity from pressure letdown.

Page 22N E W S & T R A D E S H O W S Recent appointees and a preview of our upcoming trade exhibitions.

Page 18TECHNICAL EXPERT INTERVIEWTwo top specialists talk about the gas screw and piston compressor line.

Publication DataGas and Process Division, Atlas Copco Energas GmbHSchlehenweg 15, 50999 Cologne, GermanyPhone: +49 2236 96 50 0, Telefax: +49 2236 96 50 899 atlascopco.energas@de.atlascopco.comwww.atlascopco-gap.comEditor-in-Chief: Patrick Kessler, Phone: +49 2236 96 50 750Published by Brains & Hearts for Atlas Copco Energas GmbHAdditional photography credits: Hans Herbig, Olaf Nickel, Mark Morand All data are without warranty. No guarantee is given for the correctness of the information contained in this newsletter. Articles may be reprinted free of charge on condition that a copy of the publication is forwarded to and approved by the publisher (Atlas Copco Energas GmbH). Reproduction of photographs only with written agreement of the communications agency/publisher.

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KEEPING THE BIG APPLE ALL LIT UPNew York City’s Astoria plants supply about 15% of the total electricity its residents depend on. Atlas Copco Gas and Process fuel gas booster compressors help keep the plants’ clean-burning gas turbines running smoothly and efficiently.

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Page 04

Feature Story

4

The sun rises on the Queens-based Astoria power plants.

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MEGAWATTS FOR A MEGA- CITYIn the real-time business of power generation, round-the-clock

dependability is paramount. New York City’s Astoria power plants rely on fuel gas booster compressors from Atlas Copco Gas and Process

to deliver dependable, non-stop performance and help power one of America’s most vibrant and energetic cities.

C o m p a n y p r o f i l eAstoria Energy and Astoria Energy II are two natural gas fired power plants located in Northwest

Queens County on the East River, which produce electricity for New York City. Each plant is rated at 575

MW and runs off either natural gas or occasionally a secondary ultralow sulfur oil that is stored on site.

Astoria Energy supplies Consolidated Edison of New York with power, while Astoria Energy II has a

long-term purchase agreement with The New York Power Authority, which delivers electricity to the

City of New York, Port Authority of NYC and New Jersey, among others.

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I t would be hard to imagine New York City without its glittering

lights and billboards. From Coney Island’s boardwalk to Broadway and Times Square, electricity helps drive the energetic pulse of the city like no other place on the world. In addition to countless lights for the city’s window displays, streets, subways and billboards, there are millions of air conditioners, electric heaters, TVs and other appliances. They all need power, lots of it.

Supplying some 15% of the city’s electricity needs are two natural gas- fired power stations located on a small plot of land along the East River in New York’s Queens Borough. The plants, named Astoria Energy and Astoria Energy II, are located smack dab in the middle of the Big Apple.

The plant’s strategic position puts them close to where power is most needed and near the necessary supply lines to efficiently distribute this power.

Playing key roles in the power generation process, each plant relies on two Atlas Copco fuel gas booster compressors to ensure that natural gas fuel is delivered at the optimal pressure for efficient combustion.

Working around the clock, 24/7, the plants – and the fuel gas boosters at their heart – must generate energy for a city that, as Frank Sinatra famously crooned, never sleeps.

Nonstop Power Electricity is a “real time” business in the true sense of the word. Storing enough electricity needed to power a metropolis the size of the “five boroughs” is not currently feasible. So, when a New Yorker turns on a light switch, a generator needs to be there to supply the power. This means that

Northeast in recent years, ensure that, just like the pulsating city itself, nothing settles into a fixed routine.

Top Efficiency

Both Astoria plants were built as what Stockstad refers to as “a mirror image design.” The first phase of Astoria Energy was a 550 MW (575 MW nominal) combined cycle power plant that came online in 2006. It was matched with Astoria Energy II in 2011, adding another 550 MW.

The combined cycle plants are some of the most efficient and clean- burning power plants in the US. They generate about 50% more electricity from the same amount fuel than a conventional single-cycle power system. They do this by capturing the hot exhaust from their gas turbines, which is normally lost during the combustion process, and routing this through heat-recovery steam generators.

This efficient power generation begins with the gas turbine process. Here, the Atlas Copco centrifugal gas compressors boost a natural gas feed from about 14 bar pressure (200 psig) to some 34 bar (500 psig) so the fuel can be effectively burned in each gas turbine.

To ensure that power never stops, each plant has two fuel gas boosters – one is always in service and the other on standby.

Taking things a step further, when the two new boosters came online at Astoria Energy II, Atlas Copco and Astoria had already worked together closely to further streamline the compressor design for optimum performance. Astoria implemented upgrades based on what they had learned in the first phase.

Feature Story

except for occasional, planned maintenance breaks, every aspect of the two Astoria plants – equipment, supply and staffing – has to be online at all times.

That’s an important reason why gas delivery to the Astoria plants’ four gas turbines requires the reliability and efficiency that Atlas Copco machinery provides. Through the experience gained from having hot commissioned more than 420 fuel gas booster units around the globe, Atlas Copco has established itself as a go-to solutions provider for this vital market.

“We like and trust Atlas Copco’s fuel gas boosters’ dependability,” says Astoria Energy plant manager Michael Stockstad. “We need high reliability in the New York market, and the machines are integral to keeping the gas turbine generators online. We also value how they are able to adapt to changes in the gas turbine operation, from start-up into normal operations to responding to unplanned upsets.”

However, reliability isn’t the only ingredient necessary for effective power generation; today’s power plants must also offer the flexibility necessary to meet the ever-changing energy needs of their customers. Power levels rise and fall throughout the day in the Big City and the Astoria plants need to react accordingly.

This means ramping up in the morning as people get out of bed and turn on their coffee machines, settling into a steady pace throughout the day and then making a final push during the evening peak when most New Yorkers return home to turn on their lights, TVs and other appliances. Weekends, holidays and adverse weather conditions, such as the difficult winters that have hit the

Type: Fuel Gas Booster

Inlet pressure: 14.1 bar(a)

Inlet temperature: 25 °C

Outlet pressure: 33.8 bar(a)

Flow: 77 836 kg/hr

Type: Fuel Gas Booster

Inlet pressure: 14.3 bar(a)

Inlet temperature: 21 °C

Outlet pressure: 34 bar(a)

Flow: 80 349 kg/hr

Technical ProfileAstoria Energy & Astoria Energy II

utilize four fuel gas booster

compressors to deliver their

natural gas fuel at optimal

pressure levels.

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Megawatts for a Mega-C i ty

Clockwise from top:An Atlas Copco

Fuel Gas Booster Compressor

An air-cooled condenser cools the steam turbine exhaust so it can be

reused in a closed loop process.

Astoria Energy plant manager Michael Stockstad

Type: Atomizing Air Compressors

Inlet pressure: 16.4 bar(a)

Inlet temperature: 107 °C

Outlet pressure: 25.2 bar(a)

Flow: 16 819 kg/hr

The plants are also equipped with Atlas Copco

atomizing air compressors. The plants can run

using ultralow sulfur oil as a secondary fuel.

In this case, the compressors provide a vaporized

fuel stream to the gas turbines.

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A Heat Recovery Steam Generator (HRSG) captures

the 593 °C (1 100 °F) exhaust from each turbine to produce

steam that is used to generate additional power.

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Megawatts for a Mega-C i ty

This customization included voting logic for temperature and vibration probes so that if one probe were to fail, a complete shutdown wouldn’t be necessary. In addition, Astoria opted to use process gas as the seal gas, instead of traditional nitrogen. This choice not only helped to reduce maintenance requirements, but also increased efficiency.

A Powerful Partnership Because around-the-clock power deliver is essential, Astoria also chose Atlas Copco as their maintenance partner in order to keep the fuel gas boosters performing in top condition. Atlas Copco’s Total Responsibility Plan has been in place since the first fuel gas boosters went into service, covering all maintenance, parts and labor and with simple and transparent fixed pricing.

Atlas Copco Aftermarket Sales Specialist Hans Trollip manages Astoria’s aftermarket concerns and checks in at the plants often. With so much at stake, he needs to make sure that service technicians are close at hand should maintenance be required, and just as importantly that servicing takes into account the big picture and is planned well in advance.

“Gas turbines don’t like to shut down. A full cycle shutdown shortens a turbine’s lifespan. We need to look ahead and plan accordingly with 24/7 availability,” says Trollip.

When Astoria Energy II came on line in 2011, Astoria renewed their maintenance agreement knowing that

the teams from Astoria Energy and Atlas Copco Aftermarket could work hand in hand to ensure total dependability. The agreement provides a quick response within a defined timeframe, clarifying exactly which components are covered by the agreement and how quickly these components can be delivered. The service plan is ideal, because the two plants are able to share parts and streamline their maintenance practices.

Atlas Copco’s Aftermarket team works in tandem with Astoria’s own Maintenance Manager Ciector Whitelock to schedule any upgrades or maintenance visits.

Whitelock reflects on his years of experience of working with the compressors: “ The fuel gas boosters are very stable.”

“We particularly like the fact that the compressors seem to protect themselves, preventing unscheduled maintenance or downtime. We have not seen any major compressor failures. The machines are methodical and well designed, especially now that we’ve worked out the vibration voting logic,” Whitelock adds.

Strong Owners and Partners

GDF SUEZ, who is an owner/partner in each project, operates the plants to make sure the electricity keeps flowing.

Astoria Energy I and Astoria Energy II were a natural choice for the French electric utility giant, which is one of the US’s top LNG importers

and owns several other power plants in the Northeast. Other plant owners are Japanese conglomerate Mitsui, investment fund Harbert Management and property managers JEMB Realty.

More Electricity, Less Space and Fuel

Built on a small footprint of about 0.05 km2 (0.02 square miles) in a city of over 8 million inhabitants, the two Astoria plants are in many regards engineering marvels.

What was once a contaminated oil site was reclaimed during construction. Now, the largest power plants by electrical capacity built in New York City over the last quarter decade are housed on a compact area that requires them to utilize nearly every square meter to the fullest.

It’s not just the plants’ construction that is impressive, but also the hi-tech machinery they rely on to produce more power more efficiently.

“ The great thing about the Astoria plants is that they are not only fuel efficient, but they are also clean, which means we have a minimal impact on the environment,” says Stockstad.

“We can produce more electricity with less fuel and lower emissions to the environment because we have new, state-of-the-art equipment.”

Thanks to this equipment and the expertise of the teams involved in the plants’ operation and upkeep, Astoria and Astoria II play a crucial role in supplying clean, reliable power to the city that never sleeps.

H o w i s E l e c t r i c i t y S o l d ? T h i n k W a l l S t r e e t .Here’s how it works. An Independent System Operator acts as a clearing house for the electrical

power market. The operator works in tandem with one or more electric utility companies to

forecast future electricity needs. Power generator companies then bid to fill the anticipated

electricity requirements. Typically, in selling electricity, an electric utility company predicts what

the electrical needs will be for each day, rather like a Wall Street trading floor.

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Udo Junk

Current Position: General Manager Atlas Copco Energas GmbHStarting date: August 2014Years at Atlas Copco: 30

What he did before: General Manager at Atlas Copco Shanghai Process Equipment Co., Ltd. Gas and Process from 2010 to 2014

What he wants to achieve: “We want to challenge ourselves in all areas, especially in bringing forth solutions the market requires: Developing new products, pushing existing ones into the next generation. Also: We simply want to get better as a company – in all areas.”

Contact info: udo.junk@de.atlascopco.com

“We didn’t merely build a compressor; we designed an integrated solution for a long lifetime of reliable operation, even in remote locations or under demanding conditions.”

Technical Interview

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Atlas Copco Energas General Manager Udo Junk talks about the recently unveiled, eight-stage high-pressure CO2 compressor, applications where it is used and the

technical expertise that went into its design.

SUPER PRESSURE FOR CO2

The new eight-stage high-pressure compressor certainly represents another technical milestone for the Gas and Process Division. What are the primary applications and industries in which high-pressure CO2 is used? How would you describe the market demand?

Certainly, one primary application is in the fertilizer industry for urea production. The fertilizer sector is big business around the world, and its importance is likely to continue to grow in many markets such as in the BRIC countries. Demand is linked to growing populations and a greater reliance on high crop yields.

There is also a quickly developing market for supercritical CO2 power cycles. Here, CO2 is held above its critical pressure and temperature point and employed as a supercritical fluid replacing steam or organic compounds in Brayton and Rankine cycles. The technology has far reaching applications in most of the common electricity generation applications – from fossil fuel boilers to geothermal, nuclear power and even solar thermal.

Essentially, you can think of supercritical power cycles as ramped up steam power plant, offering much higher efficiency, a more compact footprint and considerable operational cost savings. It’s a very exciting application field right now.

We also shouldn’t overlook enhanced oil recovery for the oil and gas industry. Through introducing high-pressure carbon dioxide into oil wells, well production is significantly increased and CO2 saved underground to reduce carbon emissions.

What were some of the motivations for developing a compressor for these applications?

As a manufacturer specializing in integral gear technology, we are constantly looking for new applications so that we move beyond our home

turf into new markets. This includes niche markets with significant growth opportunities.

For us, going into the high-pressure CO2 market was a logical extension of the experience we already had in lower pressure CO2 applications, with several CO2 compressors under our belt. These are able to operate up to around 100 bar. We know our machines and know their performance. We were confident that a move into high-pressure applications was well within our capabilities. This was realized with our new eight-stage GT-Series CO2 compressor, which delivers pressures up to 200 bar and beyond.

Besides its high-pressure capabilities, what are some of the technical highlights of the new eight-stage compressor?

One highlight is certainly the compressor’s very small footprint. When you see it, it’s a quite compact machine. The impellers at the higherstages are maybe the size of a saucer, perhaps even a bit smaller.

Other features include the compressor’s dynamic dry-gas seals, which significantly reduce leakage. In post-development tests these dry-gas seals were shown to release on average 35 times less CO2 than standard carbon floating ring seals.

Atlas Copco is a leader in integral gear technology. What are the specific benefits of this concept for high-pressure CO2 applications?

For this kind of application, where you need eight stages to compress the gas from the inlet to the outlet, the clear advantage of an integral gear compressoris the ability to adapt rotor speeds to the actual impeller behavior. That way we always have two impellers on one rotor and we can optimally adjust the speeds so that the impellers and stages are delivering maximum efficiency. This translates into

High-pressure CO2 Compression

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Technical Interview

excellent efficiency throughout the entire compressor. The result is up to 30% lower power consumption versus a comparative 12-stage single-shaft machine, running under the same operational conditions.

Also, by segregating the stages – something that is not easily done in an inline compressor – you can implement intercooling between each of the stages. This also increases efficiency by creating an even, isothermal compression process. Isothermal efficiency is around 15% higher for this compressor versus a reference single-stage design.

What were some of the design challenges that you faced when developing the CO2 compressor and how did you overcome them?

One challenge is the behavior of the gas itself. Above its critical point, CO2 no longer behaves like a normal gas; but it’s not really a liquid either. It’s a supercritical fluid and takes on characteristics of both a gas and a liquid.

You need to know the behavior of CO2 and to design a machine that can handle the high forces that result from a dense, supercritical compound.

The other challenge is that through the high-pressure stages, the sizes become very small. The compressor’s design had to handle small sizes and, at the same time, deal with relatively high forces.

The thick walls of the compressor’s casing are engineered to withstand high pressure, but the casing still needs to accommodate narrow flow channels. It’s not so straightforward for the foundry

to provide a high quality casing that can do all of this and fulfill the specific aerodynamic requirements.

Were there other technical challenges?

The dry seals didn’t represent a technical challenge as such, but were an area where we worked closely with our supplier to develop a solution that not only exceeds requirements but also provides increased reliability throughout the compressor’s lifetime.

We didn’t merely manufacture a compressor; we designed an integrated solution for a long lifetime of reliable operation. And these machines need to be tough. They often operate in remote locations, under demanding conditions where access is difficult.

To use an automotive analogy, these machines aren’t high-performance racecars – although they have some high-performance parts – instead, they’re more like heavy-duty trucks.

A compressor built like a truck with parts from a racecar. Can you explain?

Some components are pushing the technical edge, just like a high-performance racecar. These include impeller size, the high pressures, high speeds, as well as the high loads on the gear, gasket and seals.

But the compressor needs to accomplish this effortlessly and deliver the reliability and around-the-clock availability that our customers expect. Here, it’s much more akin to a truck that’s built for the long haul.

Udo Junk, General Manager at Atlas Copco Energas, stands infront of the new high-pressure CO2

compressor.

of three compressors that we are manufacturing for a supercritical power cycle plant in the US. This plant is currently a demonstration model, but a planned enlargement will turn it into a commercial plant capable of generating up to 300 MW of electricity.

All of these compressors underwent strict pre-delivery testing that monitored low and high CO2 compression. They also underwent subsequent full load and speed tests.

We built a dedicated test compressor, whichwe ran at application pressure levels – not onlyto check the mechanical behavior of the compressor,but also to refine the control system. We pushedthe compressor to its limits in the tests and even used this information to develop an alarm system to tell operators if anything deviated from the norm.

Looking ahead, what is the market outlook for the high-pressure CO2 compression and what future applications do you see as most relevant?

I believe that supercritical CO2 power cycle applications show large potential and could be a game-changer in the field. The use of high-pressure carbon dioxide in enhanced oil recovery might also create further spin-offs for other high-pressure applications.

For urea production, there could also be future applications or technologies for which we can adopt our compressors. In addition, other industries – from manufacturing and dry-cleaning to advanced geothermal power generation – are beginning to explore the unique properties of supercritical CO2. It’s too early to say which applications are feasible, but the Gas and Process Division could very likely design compressors to meet some of these applications, should we see market demand.

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High-pressure CO 2 Compression

CO2 applications are not a new field for the Gas and Process Division, which already had experience in delivering several lower-pressure solutions. What specific skill set had the division already acquired and how did this help prepare for the entrance into high-pressure applications?

Of course, we had already amassed several decades of experience in developing compressors for a wide variety of process gases – including some with their own unique challenges. Our specific experience with low-pressure CO2 included compression for a gas- to-liquids application and for the recycling of excess CO2 that is delivered to greenhouses.

When we started with the design of the new high- pressure machine, this knowledge base gave us the capability to calculate the behavior of CO2 under a wide range of pressures and to translate this modeling into aerodynamic design.

We were quite familiar with designing mechan-ics and rotor dynamics that can handle the greater stress levels involved with high-pressure CO2.

I also believe that we, as a team, were very enthusiastic and motivated to deliver a new machine for new applications. This was not only exciting for our designers and those on the production line, but extended to those quality specialists running the extensive testing regime that followed.

Can you tell us about some of the earlier successes for the high-pressure CO2 compressor and about the testing behind the product?

We have already delivered two compressors that began their commissioning in the third quarter of 2016 and are being used in a fertilizer plant to manufacture urea. We are also delivering the first

Supercritical CO2 Applications CO2 is a greenhouse gas linked to global warming,

but it also has unique properties, especially when

put under high pressure. New technologies are

finding ways to better utilize CO2 before the gas

is released into the environment.

1. Supercritical Power Cycles

Among the most efficient power cycles, they can

both boost efficiency and lower the maintenance

costs and size of many types of power plants.

2. Urea for Fertilizer

Urea production uses feed-stock natural gas to

create ammonia and, through other processing,

CO2. The two are combined under high pressure

to create urea for nitrogen-rich fertilizer.

3. Enhanced Oil Recovery

Excess CO2 from refinement can be directed back

into an oil well to boost production. Much of the

CO2 isn’t released into the atmosphere, making it

a potential method for carbon storage and reuse. 3

1

2

Customer in Focus

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CLEAN ENERGY PIONEERSRight in the heart of Brussels, power and gas network operator Sibelga is leading the way into the clean energy future. Since 2000, a natural gas pressure letdown application – powered in part by an Atlas Copco turboexpander – has provided both gas and clean electricity to the grid.

Viewed from outside, the industrial compound surrounding the headquarters of gas and power

network operator Sibelga near Brussels’ main water canal appears rather unremarkable. Business traffic zooms by on Quai des Usines, and the occasional commuter tram announces arrival and departure with the ring of a bell. Otherwise, all is quiet here.

But behind the scenes, this site marks a crucial intersection in Belgium’s national gas and electricity grid. The complex features a facility that lowers the pressure of natural gas arriving through underground transport lines for safe distribution to residential and end customers across the 2 897-kilometer gas network maintained by Sibelga, in the city’s 19 municipalities.

At peak times during the winter months, when temperatures drop below freezing and the sun sets early over the streets lined with brick buildings, the Sibelga facility provides gas for about one quarter of the city’s 1.2 million households. And unbeknownst to many, the urban facility in the heart of the Belgian capital is at the foremost frontier in the future of clean energy generation.

Actually, it’s been a long success story. What is considered future potential in other municipalities across Europe and around the world has been the status quo in Brussels for some time now. For more than 15 years, the gas pressure letdown facility has been produced sustainable heat and electricity through a combined heat-to-power (CHP) application. The facility was first built and later operated by one of Sibelga’s former shareholders Electrabel, but it was

entirely paid for and owned by Sibelga, who later assumed full responsibility for upkeep and operation.

To leverage the immense amount of energy released during the pressure letdown process, the installation has relied on an Atlas Copco expander generator since day one.

Leading the Way It all started in the late 1990s, when a team at Electrabel considered options to benefit from unutilized energy and increase sustainability. A combined heat and power (CHP) application appeared as a logical choice. Utilizing the fact that CHP is not limited to remote regions, as are offshore wind parks or rural solar panels, but can generate ‘green’ energy right in the middle of the city, the engineering team zeroed in on the Quai des Usines site.

“We chose this site because it is at the center of the gas network, has large volumes of available gas at high pressure and benefits a large number of customers,” said Dirk Van Audenaerde, Senior Field Engineer at Sibelga and part of the team that installed the first CHP process at the Brussels site.

As a major node in the municipal gas network, the facility reduces natural gas pressure from up to 14 bar to about 1.7 bar, making it safe for delivery to household customers in Brussels and environs. Bridging the pressure level gap is a Herculean task for the machinery and a highly energy-intensive process. This immense pressure drop of more than 12 bar is achieved in a natural gas pressure letdown

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S i b e l g aPublicly-owned Sibelga is the only distribution network

operator for electricity and gas in the 19 municipalities of

the Brussels-Capital Region. www.sibelga.be/en/

16Thomas Raes, head of Sibelga’s cogeneration technical support unit

Type: Expander Generator Turbine

Inlet Pressure: 15 bar(a)

Inlet Temperature: 90 °C

Outlet Pressure: 1.7 bar(a)

Flow: 75 000 m3/h

station, housed in a metal-clad industrial structure behind Sibelga headquarters. Approaching the pressure letdown station, only a soft, barely audible hum indicates the workings of heavy turbomachinery on the inside. Local legislation requires the facility to be well insulated and very quiet. The city of Brussels sets a low maximum noise level of less than 45 decibels at a one-meter distance from the station’s outside perimeter.

A Quiet Storm Opening the noise-dampened door, the sound instantly swells to a roar, as two large Caterpillar gas engines process gas at maximum power. Their job is to heat the gas, which arrives at the plant at a pressure of 14 bar, but only at a low 8° C temperature. Expanding the gas at such a low temperature would be fatal to the turbine, as the resulting outlet temperature of - 61°C would freeze the gas and brittle the turbine blades.

As a first step, the two gas engines heat the gas to 90° C, making it safe to pass through the Atlas Copco

turboexpander. As the gas passes through the turboexpander at a flow rate of 75 000 m3/h, its pressure drops to 1.7 bar, while the turbine blades extract energy to turn a separate 2.6 MW alternator connected via a fixed-speed gearbox.

Initially, the two gas engines at the facility were Collins lean-burn gas generator sets, which were switched to Caterpillar units in 2012. Since the very beginning, the workhorse of the process – the Atlas Copco single-stage turboexpander – remains unchanged.

“After running for almost 15 years, we’ve never encountered unplanned shutdowns of the turboexpander. We are extremely happy with the quality and the longevity this Atlas Copco equipment has added to our process,” said Martin Wattiez, Support Field Engineer at Sibelga.

Heat + Power

Adding to the electricity output, each of the 12-cylinder Caterpillar gas engines is also connected to 1.2 MW alternators, bringing the overall work to over 5 MW electrical. During the

Customer in Focus

Technical ProfileAtlas Copco Gas and Process

provides a single-stage turbo-

expander to efficiently generate

power at Sibelga’s combined

heat to power (CHP) plant. Heat

is captured from two Caterpillar

gas generators in a natural

gas pressure letdown station,

producing up to 5 MW of power

for the electrical grid from an

Atlas Copco expander generator.

CHP set-up at Quai des Usines not only lighten the environmental footprint, but also factor into the company’s balance sheet. Over 15 years, the machinery has more than paid off the amount of the initial investment.

“Considering the whole project with engines and turbines, we started seeing returns after seven to eight years from heat and electricity generation,” said Martin Wattiez.

As we leave the Sibelga facility, a cold breeze in the late evening air hints that colder days will soon be here. But the technical team is prepared. “ This site has proven to be the perfect CHP setup – all we have to do is turn on the switch and it works perfectly,” said Dirk Van Audenaerde, adding: “ To all operators with the same kind of flow levels and capacities, I would advise considering investing in this sustainable and profitable technology.”

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Sibelga / Clean Energy Pioneers

The Atlas Copco turboexpander helps turn high pressure into useful electricity.

winter months, when household heat is in demand, the process also captures heat from two intercoolers, the exhaust system, the cooling water jacket and oil sump. At peak times, the CHP unit produces 3.3 MW thermal power that is used to preheat gas for the turbine.

It’s a seasonal operation, but one that runs at maximum capacity when demand is high. “ The cogeneration process runs for almost three complete seasons of the year: fall, winter and spring. When there is demand, the machines run 24/7, producing heat and electricity around the clock,” said Thomas Raes, head of Sibelga’s cogeneration technical support unit.

Adjusting the heavy machinery to peak time production levels is as easy as turning a switch. “ Thanks to the flexible adjustability of the interface, we can work with only one engine running, or with two at limited power,

or with both engines running at full power. So we have three different settings that we can run depending on demand, which is very important for us,” said Thomas Raes.

For Sibelga, the pioneering project is part of a commitment to clean energy generation and long-term sustainability, which is reflected in more than 20 000 environmental certificates for CO2- reduction that the company receives each year. The network operator produces about 45 GWh per year in green cogeneration energy from a total of ten operations across Brussels.

Commitment to Clean Energy

Overall, CHP operations help Sibelga save 5 000 to 6 000 tons of CO2 from being released into the atmosphere each year. But facilities such as the

The plant lowers the pressure of incoming natural gas and generates electricity in the process.

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Two of Atlas Copco’s top minds in gas piston and screw technology discuss several compressors that have joined

the Gas and Process product line-up and what this move offers our customers.

EXPANDING OUR GAS PRESSURE

OFFERING

“These compressors have important applications where our customers are active and they complement the existing Gas and Process product range.“

gas pistoncompressors

screwcompressors

screwcompressors

gas screwcompressors

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The Gas and Process Division’s product offering now includes gas piston and screw compressorsthat can be used in a number of applications across many industries. What do the compressors have in common?

Magits: They share two primary similarities. First, their technology: With the exception of one gas screw compressor, all employ reciprocating piston technology. Secondly, they cover several applications that are vital to our Gas and Process customers. They are designed to compress all types of conventional gases up to 480 bar and beyond. Declerck: Right. Some of these compressors offer oil-less technology, which is important for exacting hydrocarbon processes, others deliver compressed natural gas at fuel stations or inject methane into the gas grid. They have important applications in the areas where our customers are already active, and they complement the centrifugal compressors and expanders that the Gas and Process Division offers.

How could we best introduce these compressors to people who are not familiar with them?

Magits: For customers and their applications, the most noticeable characteristic is the higher discharge pressures at lower flow rates. There is a trade-off between centrifugal and piston compressors: Just as it’s difficult to reach high flows with piston technology, it’s also difficult to deliver lower flow levels with centrifugal technology – at least while maintaining top performance and efficiency.

Centrifugal technology is based on dynamic compression, so the gas needs to be accelerated to high speeds. At lower flows this becomes difficult as impellers become so small and speeds so high

that they are really only conceivable on paper, but not applicable in the real world. So, for higher pressures and smaller flows – and preferably the combination of the two – piston technology has an important place in the compressor world.

Is there a rough value for flowrates below which it makes more sense to use a piston rather than a centrifugal compressor?

Declerck: Our piston compressors can deliver from about 20 to roughly 10 000 Nm3/h, depending on the gas and the specific application. If the flow requirements are higher than this, centrifugal compressors are the better choice. Extending from the very smallest to the very largest compressor, the Gas and Process Division can now deliver a very impressive flow range of 20 – 650 000 Nm3/h. Magits: I’d agree that it’s difficult to draw an exact line where it makes more sense to employ one compressor technology over the other. Around 10 000 Nm3/h is probably a good benchmark, but it depends on other factors such as the gas and the process that are involved. One factor that ought to be included in the calculation is the lower operating speeds of piston machines. Many piston compressors, especially the larger ones, operate at speeds below 1500 rpm. Some of them, mainly process units, may run at 750 or even as low as 400 rpm.

These compressors’ lower cycle speeds allow them to create higher per-stage pressure ratios and give increased flexibility when process conditions, especially inlet pressures, go off their design point.

Can you give us an overview of the specific compressors in the new lineup?

Declerck: The offering has two subranges: oil-free and oil-lubricated. We offer two oil-free compressors: our HX/HN Series and an oil-free trunk-type compressor (the DM Series).

The HX/HN is designed according to API 618, with slight deviations. With an installed power of around 22 – 560 kW, the HX/HN Series is a great fit for many applications just below where centrifugal compressor solutions begin. The main feature of the HX/HN that makes it ideal for many applications in the oil and gas industry is that compressed gas does not come into contact with hydrocarbons. This is a requirement for some of our customer’s very demanding processes. Although HX/HN frames use a crosshead type piston and are not pressurized or gas tight, a buffer gas can be employed as a seal.

Magits: Our oil-free trunk-type compressor, with a top outlet pressure of 450 bar and installed motor power of 37 kW, is designed for oil-less, gas-tight

Technical Expert Interview

The Specialists Hans MagitsEngineering Manager at Atlas Copco Crépelle

Responsible for development, engineering, and design of high-pressure and gas products based on piston and screw technology.

Christophe Declerck Senior Product Engineer at Atlas Copco Crépelle

Supports the applications groups and sales staff, who develop, market and distribute customized product solutions.

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delivery. Here, we use a magnetic coupling, so there isn’t a shaft connecting the compressor to the motor. Because there is no shaft, there is also nothing to seal. It’s really a clever solution.

On the oil-lubricated side, we have a trunk compressor with up to six cylinders delivering upwards of 480 bar, which is a flexible solution for a wide range of industrial gas as well as oil and gas applications. We offer compressors specifically designed for the compressed natural gas/natural gas vehicle (CNG/NGV) market, providing very reliable operation with low maintenance requirements.

There is also a gas screw compressor that was initially developed to compress purified bio-methane for grid injection, but can also be used as a gas booster for gas turbines or CNG compressors.

What specific parameters need to be considered when designing efficient piston compressors and matching them to customers’ specific application requirements?

Declerck: Compressor efficiency is defined by its losses. Thermodynamic gas laws are, by their very nature, immutable, so we cannot influence them. But the losses in a machine are not the same, and limiting these losses is what creates an efficient compressor.

Magits: Yes, there are two types of energy losses on piston compressors to consider: pressure losses in the valves and internal and external gas leakages.

Valve pressure losses result in a compression ratio inside the cylinder that is higher than what you see on the outside. The end effect is that more power is required than would otherwise be needed.

Internal leakages mean that compressed gas moves into the parts of the machine that are under lower pressure. If internal leakage is not minimized, you might need to expend nearly double the energy for the same amount of compression.

External leakages are of course a clear loss: You lose the gas itself and with leakages at higher pressure, you also lose the energy already expended to create the gas’ higher pressure.

The valves and seals employed in our piston com-pressors are key components of the system, assuring excellent efficiency.

Do gas sealing and gas purity play important roles in many of the applications for piston and gas screw compressors?

Magits: This depends on the application. Gas-tight seals, for example, are less of a priority in a process using compressed air. Leaking some gas (in this case, air) into the environment results in higher energy costs, but the gas as such is free. A helium customer will see this much differently. Helium is quite expensive, so zero leakage is more important.

The same goes for the gas purity. Several of our CNG compressors are oil-lubricated. The trace amount of oil found in the compressed gas is well below tolerance levels. This tiny amount of oil is burned in combustion of the natural gas in vehicles’ engines. But a hydrogen customer, who is using the gas for solar-cell production, will have much higher purity requirements: The tiniest amount of oil in the production process could destroy the final product.

Declerck: We offer customers a range of sealing and purity options that are best matched to their specific applications. For extremely high-purity gases, our oil-less compressors deliver gas purity at the extremely stringent ISO Class Zero standard. We, at Atlas Copco, were the first compressor manufacturer to receive this certification.

The inclusion of the piston and gas screw compressors extends the division’s scope on the end-product side of the value chain. What advantages does this offer to customers?

Declerck: There are basically two advantages for our customers: availability and synergy. The first benefit that customers will likely notice is a continuation of Atlas Copco’s commitment to offer a single point of contact for our customers to meet all of their process application needs. Many of the processes that our customers run depend on a combination of centrifugal compressors, expansion turbines and piston compressors. Now, these customers can turn to one resource – oftenthe same salesperson they have trusted foryears – for all of their centrifugal and piston compressor requirements.

The move is also very good news for piston technology. By positioning piston compressors within the Gas and Process Division, we have an even closer proximity to the oil and gas market. We can more closely develop products for this customer base.

gas pistoncompressors

screwcompressors

gas screwcompressors

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Where can customers see this product development in action?

Magits: One example of products that are tailored to market needs is a specialty gas screw compressor. This compressor was designed for gas grid injection of purified bio-methane, but it’s also a great fit for coal bed methane exploration and as a booster compressor for piston compressors, easily increasing the overall flow by threefold. We are working on the optimization of the compressor’s controls in collaboration with our Product Marketing Manager. His innovative approach will serve our customers and we are actually preparing patent protection for his developments.

Our piston lines have been characterized by a number of innovations: concrete frames, variable speed drive, combining low and high pressure gas screws, and many more. But innovation isn’t limited to product features. We have to think innovatively about all the processes that are driving business, from marketing and sales to service. At our production facility, we’ve been innovative in introducing smart tools to tighten the bolts of the units, streamlining our manufacturing processes. The repositioning of the compressor line within the Gas and Process is a further extension of this innovation.

“Our piston line has experienced a number of

innovations over the years. The repositioning of the

compressor line within the Gas and Process Division

is a further extension of this innovation.”

Building on years of experience and various leadership positions at Atlas Copco – most recently, Vice President Sales and Application Engineering, the Americas – Sander van Spijk has assumed his new position of Vice President of Reciprocating Business at the Gas and Process Division.

Van Spijk looks forward to the many opportunities this post opens up: “As long

as I have been with Atlas Copco Gas and Process, our name has been synonymous with delivering the best possible customer experience – always.

Now we’ll put this Gas and Process ‘DNA’ to good use in our high-pressure gas business, building a robust organization that works to delight our customers and meet – and exceed – their expectations.”

Van Spijk Named Vice President of Reciprocating Business

Sander van Spijksander.van.spijk @us.atlascopco.com

Technical Expert Interview

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Gas and Process News

New Product Manager Appointments Strengthen Customer-Centric Focus

DIVISION NEWS

Five new product managers have been appointed as part of a proven strategy to boost customer focus in key business segments. The appointments further strengthen a product manager strategy, which has already logged successes across several different markets.

Oskar Schnabel has taken on the position of product manager for olefins and polyolefins, Michael Drewes will serve as product manager for fertilizers and Robert Waschka was appointed product manager for industrial gases.

Ralf Kiefer, Atlas Copco Gas and Process Offshore LNG Key Account Manager, has a firm eye on further strengthening the division’s presence in the European and Middle-Eastern LNG Market. Kiefer concentrates on supporting the crucial customer relationships Atlas Copco has with LNG ship owners and operators throughout the entire EMEA region, both on the prime and aftermarket level.

Kristian Knobbe, Gas and Process Division’s recently appointed Market Manager for Iran, is restoring the division’s important presence in this newly reopened market. Formely a team leader for Application Engineering Process, Power and ORC, Knobbe’s new role includes bid management, application engineering, and market analysis. He is pleased to report that the division has already received its first orders for the market.

Two new appointments bolster the Atlas Copco Gas and Process Division’s position in the EMEA LNG market and Iran

Ralf Kieferralf.kiefer@de.atlascopco.com

Kristian Knobbekristian.knobbe@de.atlascopco.com

For Drewes, the recent addition of the division’s new eight-stage 200-bar CO2 compressor adds new process possibilities to the applications areas of urea, ammonia and nitric acid, where Atlas Copco Gas and Process is already active.

In the olefins and polyolefins market, which include the important polyethylene and polypropylene chemicals, Schnabel will help customers locate efficient, cost-effective solutions in the dynamic petrochemical industry.

One of several new developments for this market is an optimized, non-geared compressor designed specifically for polyethylene and polypropylene.

The recent addition of a single-shaft main air compressor opens up new possibilities for large-scale main air delivery for industrial gases. Here, Waschka will continue assisting customers who would like to take full advantage of economies of scale to help reduce operational and maintenance costs.

“Product management is a very important position for our Division,” says Atlas Copco Gas and Process President Radimeczky. “Our product managers support our commitment to deliver the best and most competitive product solutions to our customers.”

Meanwhile, Sami Tabaza will be responsible for gas processing, and Nick Leaf has assumed the product manager position for fuel gas boosters.

The new appointees join a teamof four other product managers: Todd Gibbs ( LNG Offshore), Gabe Glynn ( Energy Recovery and Ethylene), Mike Noffz ( Hydrocarbons) and Subodh Patwardhan ( Screw and Reciprocating Compressors).

The recent development of a standardized fuel gas booster is one of many examples of the manager concept in action. The fuel gas booster was a direct response to customer and market requirements: a cost-effective solution that could be delivered with a shorter turnaround.

Atlas Copco delivered by focusing on optimizing costs and streamlined manufacturing.

“ The result was a cost-competitive solution that requires lower CAPEX from the customer,” says Robert Radimeczky, President of the Atlas Copco Gas and Process Division. “We experienced an extremely positive response from many of our customers and saw firsthand that this approach of having a more dedicated product focus has been very well received.”

All appointees will be responsible for implementing the product manager strategy into their respective markets.

Divisional Product Managers At a Glance Michael Drewes ( Fertilizers) michael.drewes@de.atlascopco.com

Todd Gibbs ( LNG Offshore) todd.gibbs@us.atlascopco.com

Gabe Glynn ( Energy Recovery / Ethylene) gabe.glynn@us.atlascopco.com

Nick Leaf ( Fuel Gas Boosters) nick.leaf@us.atlascopco.com

Mike Noffz ( Hydrocarbons) mike.noffz@us.atlascopco.com

Subodh Patwardhan ( Screw & Recip. Compressors) subodh.patwardhan@de.atlascopco.com Oskar Schnabel (Olefins / Polyolefines) oskar.schnabel@de.atlascopco.com

Sami Tabaza (Gas Processing) sami.tabaza@us.atlascopco.com Robert Waschka ( Industrial Gases) robert.waschka@de.atlascopco.com

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Gas and Process News

Tokyo’s Makuhari Messe International Convention Complex is one of the exciting destinations where you can meet the Atlas Copco Gas and Process team.

UPCOMING TRADE SHOWS 2017

PowerGen Europe Conference and ExpoWhen? June 20 – 22, 2017

Where? Cologne, Germany

Koelnmesse, Booth C1

Conference and exposition covering

the entire power generation and

renewable energy value chain.

www.powergeneurope.com

Gastech 2017 Conference and ExpoWhen? April 4 – 7, 2017

Where? Toyko, Japan

Makuhari Messe International

Convention Complex, Booth 13 – 260

The most important event on

the 2017 LNG calendar.

www.gastechevent.com

GPA Convention Vendor NightWhen? April 9 – 12, 2017

Where? San Antonio, Texas

Marriott Rivercenter

We’ll be at the Vendor Night and

hosting our hospitality event: the

Atlas Copco Lounge.

www.gpaconvention.org

LNG Congress Russia 2017

When? March 15 – 17, 2017

Where? Moscow, Russia

Baltshug Kempinski Hotel Moscow

An event focused on the Russian LNG

market and its competitiveness on

the world stage.

www.lngrussiacongress.com

Nitrogen + Syngas 2017

When? Feb. 27 – March 2, 2017

Where? London, United Kingdom

Hilton London Metropole, Booth 41

One of the premier industry events

for the nitrogen and Syngas market

for nearly three decades.

www.crugroup.com/events/

nitrogenandsyngas/

ATLAS COPCO GAS AND PROCESSActive in Over 180 Markets Around the Globe

See Where We Are in Action Near Youhttp://www.atlascopco-gap.com/contact/worldwide-contacts/

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Atlas Copco Energas GmbHSchlehenweg 15

50999 Cologne, Germany

Phone: +49 2236 96 50 0atlascopco.energas@de.atlascopco.comwww.atlascopco-gap.com

Atlas Copco Gas and Process Division