SPE-197965-MS

Transforming Waste Heat to Electric Power in Oil and Gas Compression

Systems using Supercritical Carbon Dioxide

Thomas Soulas, Siemens Oil & Gas

Copyright 2019, Society of Petroleum Engineers

This paper was prepared for presentation at the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition & Conference held in Abu Dhabi, UAE, 11-14 November 2019.

This paper was selected for presentation by an SPE program committee following review of information contained in an abstract submitted by the author(s). Contents
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Abstract
In the oil and gas sector, energy is wasted far too often. By recovering those losses and increasing efficiency,
the operators of production facilities and transmission systems can make dramatic improvements and yield
new commercial opportunities. For instance, energy recovery may potentially allow profits to be realized
from fields that might otherwise be marginal prospects or represent an additional revenue stream for gas
pipeline transmission and distribution network operators.
Now, a breakthrough technology that supports energy recovery from heat rejected from a broad range
of industrial processes is available to the oil and gas industry. There is a lot of wasted energy available.
Globally, it is estimated that rejected heat corresponds to about 65% of the net energy input across the
industrial infrastructure, with numbers varying from 60% to 70% depending on the region, including the
Middle East.
Considerable waste heat is ejected from equipment like the gas turbines that are commonly used
in mechanical drive applications found in the compression processes of gas production platforms and
transmission pipelines. While most gas turbine heat recovery systems use a bottoming steam cycle to
improve thermal efficiency, so-called combined cycle turbines, the new development presented in this paper
is significantly different.

Introduction
In the oil and gas sector, energy is wasted far too often. By recovering those losses and increasing efficiency,
the operators of production facilities and transmission systems can make dramatic improvements and yield
new commercial opportunities. For instance, energy recovery may potentially allow profits to be realized
from fields that might otherwise be marginal prospects or represent an additional revenue stream for gas
pipeline transmission and distribution network operators.
Now, a breakthrough technology that supports energy recovery from heat rejected from a broad range
of industrial processes is available to the oil and gas industry. There is a lot of wasted energy available.
Globally, it is estimated that rejected heat corresponds to about 65% of the net energy input across the
industrial infrastructure, with numbers varying from 60% to 70% depending on the region, including the
Middle East.
2 SPE-197965-MS

Considerable waste heat is ejected from equipment like the gas turbines that are commonly used
in mechanical drive applications found in the compression processes of gas production platforms and
transmission pipelines. While most gas turbine heat recovery systems use a bottoming steam cycle to
improve thermal efficiency, so-called combined cycle turbines, the new development presented in this paper
is significantly different.
Instead of steam, this approach commercialized by Siemens in the oil and gas market is based on an
advanced Rankine cycle process using industrial-grade carbon dioxide (CO2) in the supercritical state as
the working fluid. The system is able to recover usable, but often wasted heat and convert it into higher
value, usable electrical power.
With revenue and cost predictability, the technology generates power at a competitive installed cost and
delivers an estimated 10% increase in baseline efficiency for a gas compression station. Effectively reducing
the overall cost of electricity, it thus enhances competitiveness of the midstream natural gas sector, both
environmentally and financially.
In addition to direct operational benefits such as reduced energy costs in many regions, there are
further valuable incentives that are available for industrial companies which adopt emissions reduction
strategies. For example, until recently, the Canadian Province of Alberta’s Carbon Competitiveness
Incentive Regulation (CCIR) enabled facilities to exempt themselves from the carbon levy.

The Advantages of Carbon Dioxide in Heat Recovery Cycles

Carbon dioxide has relatively moderate conditions for supercritical state with a low critical pressure of 7.39
megapascals (MPa) and a critical temperature of just above 31 °C (respectively 1071 psi and 88 °F).
With an approximately 50% increase in specific heat capacity (Cp) at around the critical point and likely
cycle conditions, and a reduced compressibility factor near the critical point, CO2 is ideally suited to recover
heat energy across a broad range of temperatures and sources such as those found in exhaust gas streams.
The main innovation of the technology lies indeed in the selection of CO2 as the working fluid due to
its thermo-physical properties which offer high latent heat and density, and fluid stability, thus, maximizing
heat absorption from the heat source at high temperatures (i.e. > 350 °C) and consequently improving cycle
conversion efficiency which yields to higher power output. This property is mainly beneficial at the waste
heat exchanger since CO2 is a stable fluid even at high temperatures and pressures observed in industrial
processes. At these conditions in the waste heat exchanger, the CO2 moves into the supercritical region and
experiences no change in phase; consequently, its temperature gradient can more closely track with the heat
source, allowing for a minimized temperature differential "area" between the heat source and working fluid.
This translates to an effective heat transfer profile which is the ultimate goal of every waste heat recovery
cycle
In addition, the use of CO2 also allows for a compact and flexible system that is a more manageable
retrofit option and comes at a far lower cost than many of the alternative approaches to waste heat recovery.
For example, the physical properties of supercritical CO2 mean that it can interact more directly with the
heat source, eliminating the need for a secondary thermal loop and consequently reducing the complexity
of the solution and its total installed cost.
Power output can be optimized to the specific application, allowing the economic production of emission-
free power. This enables the fuel-intensive operations typically found in the oil and gas sector to reduce
primary energy consumption, lower the cost of energy and the emissions of greenhouse gases, thus
improving both bottom-line performance and meeting higher environmental standards.
Using patented technologies, the supercritical CO2 heat recovery system presented in this paper is based
on a closed loop Rankine engine with a directly-heated cycle. The CO2 is pumped to high pressure and
conveyed through a recuperator and a waste heat exchanger, where heat is exchanged with the waste heat
source. This heated CO2 is then expanded in the CO2 power turbine, ultimately converting it to electrical
SPE-197965-MS 3

power, and then cooled in a condenser and returned to the start of the cycle. Because no phase change
occurs in the waste heat exchanger, the temperature of the working fluid can more closely track with the heat
source, allowing for thermal load following, more effective heat transfer, and thus higher cycle efficiency.

Figure 1—Simplified Supercritical CO2 Cycle and System (HX = Heat Exchanger)

1. The working fluid is compressed above the critical pressure.

2. Working fluid is preheated in a recuperative heat exchanger.
3. Recovered heat from the exhaust gas is added at the primary heat exchanger.
4. High temperature working fluid is expanded in the CO2 power turbine, driving the generator.
5. Working fluid rejects portion of the heat at the recuperator to reduce rejection duty at stage 6.
6. Expanded working fluid is cooled to a high-density state at the heat rejection heat exchanger, which
can use air or water as the cooling medium.
The cycle is ideally suited to constant temperature heat sources such as those found in gas turbine exhaust
streams, with combined cycle overall efficiencies that can be greater than 50%. The system is modeled
around reference conditions on waste heat supply temperatures of 532 °C (990 °F) with a flow rate of 68
kg/s (540,644 lb per hour) and a waste heat input of 33,000 kW (114 MMBTU per hour), but can operate
over a wide range of conditions around this reference.
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By using supercritical CO2 as the working fluid heat recovery, the solution does not only represent
emission free energy. Environmentally benign, non-toxic, non-flammable, low-cost, and readily available,
CO2 as a fluid means that this approach does not have to use any water; and, unlike ammonia or other
common closed loop Organic Rankine Cycle fluids, it is completely safe in the unlikely event of a loss of
working fluid.
Furthermore, the use of CO2 as a non-corrosive and non-abrasive fluid extends the integrity and lifespan of
system components whilst also minimizing any maintenance requirements and, in turn, supporting extended
service intervals. In fact, designed as a low maintenance system, the heat recovery unit is fully automated
with LAN/WAN connectivity for remote operation and monitoring, and does not require on-site personnel.
Technical support is also available worldwide as well as are long-term service agreements if required by
the customer.
Physically configured as a process skid and a power skid together with an instrumentation and control
module, a CO2 storage tank and a heat transfer system, the installation also includes a waste heat exchanger
and a cooling system based on either air or water. The featured turbomachinery includes a CO2 pump
(turbopump) and turbo expander (power turbine). To ensure the robust rotordynamic design of the high-
efficiency, radial inflow single-stage power turbine, predictions of the aerodynamic cross coupled forces
acting on the wheel were performed. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) provided a means of improved
accuracy for evaluating these aerodynamic forces, and those results were positively correlated with test data.
The process skid manages the operating pressure and heat utilization to assure optimum operations, and
it is composed of compression unit, recuperator, valves, and auxiliaries. It has dimensions of around 11 x 3
x 4 metres (35 x 11 x 12 ft) and a dry weight of about 54,400 kg (120,000 lbs). The power skid converts the
high energy supercritical CO2 to electrical power and is composed of the CO2 power turbine, gear, generator,
and auxiliaries. It has the same dimensions as the process skid but weighs slightly less at about 52,200 kg
(115,000 lbs) dry. The PLC-based control housing measures around 4 x 3 x 4 m (12 x 10 x 12 ft) and has
a dry weight of about 7,050 kg (15,500 lbs). A four pole brushless and synchronous 13.8 kV generator
completes the roster of major components.
Based on a standardized approach, this compact skid-based system is also easy to install and scalable
with absolutely no impact on the oil and gas operations, such as compression stations. To that end, a diverter
system can be implemented, which will allow a safe and reliable isolation between the supercritical CO2
system and the gas turbine installation, as well as servicing of the waste heat exchanger while the gas turbine
is running. The diverter system is composed of a diverter valve, a by-pass system, the associated ducting and
expansion joints, and the support structure. The diverter system is equipped with redundant seal air system
(double) with an additional guillotine, type blanking plate design (additional shut-off device) to ensure a
100% gas tight – man safe equipment, while people are maintaining the equipment inside the waste heat
exchanger. When the diverter valve is moved towards face "B", it prevents the gas turbine exhaust flow
from going into the waste heat exchanger and redirects it to the atmosphere, thus equivalent to the current
configuration. This operation mode is also referred to as "By-Pass Mode". When the diverter valve is moved
towards face "A", it redirects the gas turbine exhaust flow to the waste heat exchanger in which heat is
transferred to the CO2. The gas turbine exhaust flow continues its path to the atmosphere but at a substantial
lower temperature than in the "By-Pass Mode".
SPE-197965-MS 5

Figure 2—Diverter System

The modular approach of the supercritical CO2 system also means that it can be rolled out in stages
across a network. There is, furthermore, an opportunity to improve asset management capabilities with a
digitization solution.
As a result, supercritical CO2 has numerous advantages over alternative existing solutions, such as Steam
Rankine Cycle and Organic Rankine Cycle.
The Steam Rankine Cycle is a developed technology that has a significant number of installed units;
however, there are some disadvantages when employing this solution specifically in applications with
harsh ambient conditions. These disadvantages are the need for water to generate steam and associated
"blow-down" and "make-up" where water is a limited resource; a larger footprint is required for steam
generation and its management where space is a constraint; additional costs associated with operability and
maintenance of freezing elements for example, as well as the capital and operational costs associated with
water treatment infrastructure at this size range.
Comparison with the Organic Rankine Cycle alternative provides attractive results, especially in areas
such as simplicity. For example, Organic Rankine Cycle technology requires a larger footprint due to the
need for an intermediate loop system to transfer heat from the heat source to the working fluid. The use of
highly flammable working fluids (specifically cyclopentane) requires an intermediate heat transfer loop due
to thermal stability limits of the heat transfer fluid. To address this issue, Organic Rankine Cycle engines
use a relatively less volatile thermal oil as the intermediary between the heat source and the working fluid.
This represents an additional cost for Organic Rankine Cycle when compared with the supercritical CO2
technology
6 SPE-197965-MS

Applying CO2 cycles in the oil and gas industry

Following an extensive factory testing program that included hundreds of hours of turbopump and power
turbine operations together with control systems, stability and partial load endurance tests, the Canadian oil
major TC Energy (formerlyTransCanada) is to be one of the first companies to adopt the technology.
The factory testing program was composed of four phases: validation of the components, full speed no
load testing, durability testing, and partial load endurance testing. During this campaign, system control
and stability was fully demonstrated, the component performances met or exceeded the expectations, the
turbopump was run to its maximum conditions, the generator speed control was demonstrated, and the
power turbine electrical output reached 3.1 MWe with the limited amount of heat available in the testing
facility. In total, 310 hours run time were achieved on the turbopump and 150 hours on the power turbine.
As a result, TC Energy is now to develop a first-of-its-kind commercial waste heat power generation
facility in Alberta in partnership with Siemens Oil & Gas using this supercritical CO2 technology. Within
TC Energy’s natural pipeline network, gas turbine powered compressor stations move more than 25% of
North America’s gas supply every day. This new project will use the heat produced at one of those TC
Energy compressor stations in the south of the province to generate electricity.
With more than 400 compressor stations located across North America, this pilot project is expected
to yield significant opportunities for further energy efficiency improvements at other compressor stations.
Fleet-wide, TC Energy estimates that the unutilized waste heat from gas turbine exhausts could produce
some 300 MW of emission-free power generation using this approach. Furthermore, some of the company’s
compression stations are located in areas where electricity prices are very high, but the waste heat resource
is not recovered, used, nor monetized.
Environmental and climate conditions in Alberta can also be challenging for conventional steam cycle
heat recovery systems. For example, water availability may be restricted or cold, freezing conditions could
cause problems with water supplies. In fact, it has been shown that the rejection of low-grade residual
heat from supercritical CO2 power cycles using air cooling offers advantages over water in many climates
and water restricted applications. Because there has been little test data published on the performance
and transient characteristics of an air-cooled condensers operating with supercritical CO2, testing was also
performed to demonstrate the performance and the transient operating characteristics of an air cooled
condenser operating in the subcritical (condensing), supercritical (cooling) and two-phase flow regimes
at the air cooled condenser exit. Key test variables considered were supercritical CO2 operating pressure,
supercritical CO2 and air mass flow rates, and supercritical CO2 and air inlet temperatures; and correlations
were confirmed with analytical models.
This waste heat to power supercritical CO2 system, as described above, has been designed for gas turbines
in the range of 20-35 MW such as the industrial RB211, now known as the Siemens SGT-A30 RB and
SGT-A35 RB. Initially rated at an 8.0 MW gross capacity and 7.3 MW net (ISO), on-going development is
expected to further enhance the supercritical CO2 system elements to build performance further and produce
some 9.5 MW of gross capacity for the commercial pilot project.
Once commissioned, the TC Energy installation is expected to result in greenhouse gas offset reductions
of 44,000 tonnes per year while powering the equivalent of some 10,000 Canadian homes and taking more
than 9,000 vehicles off the road. TC Energy is one of Canada’s largest private-sector power generators, with
interests in 11 power generation facilities, and the emissions-free electricity from this project will be fed
into the electricity transmission grid.
Indeed, the project is also being partially funded by Emissions Reduction Alberta (ERA), as one of 10
projects launched under the agency’s Industrial Efficiency Challenge program that aims to deploy new
emissions reduction technologies to reduce the environmental impact of industry in Alberta and lower
operating costs. Under the program, which was launched in 2018, ERA awarded TC Energy an CAD$8
million grant in December 2018. The ERA Board selected the supercritical CO2 project for approved funding
SPE-197965-MS 7

from among 93 applications; and installation of this TC Energy pilot system is expected to begin in 2020.
TC Energy alone is already considering an additional 25 – 30 waste heat recovery units in Western Canada
using this supercritical CO2 technology. As Sean Brett, Senior Vice-President for Power Generation at TC
Energy explains: "TC Energy has extensive experience with waste heat recovery power generation and we
are always looking for better technology to deploy throughout our system. We are excited to be moving
forward with the installation of state-of-the-art technology that will be the first commercial scale waste heat
recovery unit of its kind in the world."
In a more recent development, Brazilian oil major Petrobras is also currently exploring the technology
through a broad study awarded to Siemens Oil & Gas on the implementation of the closed-cycle supercritical
CO2 heat recovery system presented in this paper. With the objective to validate the benefits of the solution
and to take advantage of the thermal energy rejected from a gas turbine which is installed at a Petrobras
thermoelectric plant, the study, which has been commissioned and funded by Petrobras, aims to deliver
a paradigm shift in the generation of energy. Launched in March 2019, this pioneering study is expected
to establish and confirm the numerous benefits expected to emerge from the technology in terms of
economy, reduction in the physical space required for such heat recovery systems, safety, low maintenance
functionality, and lower environmental impact.

Outlook on supercritical CO2

The supercritical CO2 cycle is simpler, more compact and easier to operate than traditional power
technologies like ordinary Steam or Organic Rankine cycles. Such a system is estimated to have a 25-40%
smaller footprint than an equivalent steam unit as well as no need for operational expenditure on boiler
operators, for example.
Consequently, it is highly suitable for minimally invasive retrofitting programs at both onshore
installations such as compressions stations and LNG facilities, and in the future, offshore platforms, where
there is a limited available footprint, space is at a premium, and there are often restrictions on weight as
well. In addition, this approach can be a totally dry closed loop process that offers considerable flexibility,
including a water-free option which is advantageous in arid regions.
Following its own work on the concept of supercritical CO2, the US National Energy Technology
Laboratory recently concluded that power cycles based on this technology offer benefits for stationary power
production with a broad range of potential sources of energy.
Indeed, this Multi-MW supercritical CO2 heat recovery system derives its value through its unique
combination of a lower cost per unit of electricity produced, compact footprint, higher energy recovery
from the waste heat streams, its ability to generate power from a wide range of sources and to produce
environmentally friendly low-cost electricity from a wasted resource without the need for water.