PuK - Process Technology & Components 2024

Leading article
extend the maintenance intervals. A
nearly isothermal compression can
be achieved with the proper layout.
Cooling with a liquid means that
droplets are produced so that filter
technology is required on the pressure
side. Considering that the loss
of energy through heat and leakage
is in the range of more than a factor
of two compared to isothermal
compression and the drive motor
has twice the output, meaning its approximate
cost is at least 50 % more,
gas purification on the pressure side
should be amortised quickly and may
in fact be less costly than one year of
wasted energy and leakage.
Chemical and biological
production facilities
The smaller the system with the same
material flow, the lower the friction
pressure loss. This should be taken
into account in system planning. Some
tests have already been conducted in
this direction, but they stalled at the
standardisation stage and a breakthrough
was not achieved. We may
have to rethink plant engineering and
construction. One example that was
intensively discussed are rails around
a chemical plant, on which tank cars
are moved e. g. from A to B etc. in order
to be filled or emptied, transporting
materials and goods. This would
definitely open up new opportunities
since there would no longer be tanks
inside the plant. At most, there would
be reactors if these could not be relocated
to a rail car as well. In this case
the plant would be reduced to pipework
only. Physical separation could
also be realised, permitting function
pools with storage in moveable tanks.
The number of pipe elbows would
definitely be reduced as well. For
those that cannot be eliminated, recent
developments cut the additional
loss in pipe elbows almost in half.
When the plant as such consists only
of pipework, cross-section changes
that deplete energy are hardly needed
and the length of the pipework
could be reduced. In addition, many
systems need to be pressurised and
the pressure is usually discharged
without being utilised.
Energy recovery using expansion
machines could be amortised relatively
quickly.
General rules:
1) Since friction always consumes energy,
optimal lubrication and materials
with sliding properties or
pressure lubrication are important.
2) A noisy machine consumes more
energy than a machine that runs
quietly. Noise can also be indicative
of wear.
3) Heat distortion due to uneven thermal
expansion can lead to damage
caused by wear or loud machine
noises. When a machine becomes
louder after starting up, this can be
an indicator of such effects.
4) Vibrations in a pipe section can be
indicative of small pressure surges
or oscillations that energetically
match the resonance frequency
of the pipe section. This indicates
oscillations in the system and increases
the probability of damage.
5) Cavitation is loud when bubbles
implode on the walls and usually
quiet when the bubbles implode in
the fluid space. The latter is generally
not harmful. However, cavitation
that is barely audible but can
nevertheless cause damage also
occurs. Experience and learning
processes are required here.
Literature
[Hieninger] Energy Efficiency (2021)
14:23 https://doi.org/10.1007/s12053-
021-09932-5
The Author:
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Eberhard Schlücker
Prof. (ret.), advisor on hydrogen
and energy issues
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