LNG Facilities
GE Flow Solutions Gerard Bottino/Jim Gibson June 2016
GE Measurement & Control
Agenda
* GE Flow Solutions for LNG Plants
• Natural Gas and LNG Flow Processes
• How LNG is Dynamically Measured
with Ultrasonics? • Process Meters
• Custody Transfer of LNG: The Next
Step? • Water Measurement
* Questions and Discussion
Subsea Systems • Subsea trees & wellheads
• Subsea power & processing
• Controls
• Manifolds
• Flexible risers
• Flow lines
• Specialty connectors & pipes
Digital Solutions • Asset condition monitoring
• Vibration monitoring solutions
• Control sensing & inspection solutions
• Optimization & diagnostic software
• Pipeline inspection and integrity services
• Flow metering
• Moisture, Oxygen and Gas Analysis
Drilling & Surface • Drilling risers
• Blow-out preventers
• Electric submersible pumps
• Logging & wire line tools
• Surface wellheads & flow control
• Logging services
• Well Performance Services
› Lufkin
› Artificial lift: rod lift, gas lift, plunger lift, progressive cavity pumps, hydraulic pumping units
› Service & repair
› Engineered industrial gears
› Fluid film bearings
Turbomachinery Solutions • Gas turbines
• Axial & centrifugal compressors
• Electric motor driven compressors
• Turn-key industrial modular solutions
• Turboexpanders & heat exchangers
• Contractual & maintenance services
• Upgrades & industrial applications
• Monitoring & diagnostics
~45,000 employees
~$17B revenues ’13
Downstream Technology Solutions • Steam turbines
• Reciprocating compressors
• Distributed gas solutions – small LNG & CNG
• Pumps, valves & distribution systems
• Blowers & compressors
• Maintenance services & remote monitoring & diagnostics
Delivering customer solutions by applying systems-level engineering across the portfolio
GE O&G: Our Technology
Digital Solutions
• Global business that provides sensing
elements, devices, instruments, and
systems that enable our customers to
monitor, protect, control, and validate their
critical processes and applications. It is a
core technology instruments business,
focused on high growth industries.
• Flow, gas and moisture analyzers
• Temperature and Pressure sensors
• Validation
• Radiation-based applications
• Portable data collection and analyzers
• Proximity, pressure, and seismic sensors
• Leak detection
• Training
Flow Application – Liquefaction Train
Flow Applications – LNG Terminal What gas producers are looking after is the balance from Energy in and out:
Considerations for flowmeters • Low Maintenance
• No/Small Pressure drop
• No Interruption to operations
• Long term stability and drift characteristics
LNG Flow metering
How LNG is Measured Dynamically with Ultrasonics
Ultrasonic Measurement principle
DN
UP
V
L
P
AVQ
TT
TTPV
VC
PT
VC
PT
DOWNUPUPDOWN
DOWNUPUPDOWN
UPDOWN
DOWNUP
sin2
sin
sin
Principle is independent of:
• Velocity of sound (C)
• Viscosity
• Density
• Temperature
• Pressure
Gas Applications
• Zero Pressure Drop = Energy savings on gas compressors and blowers
• Robust, reliable, accurate, high turndown ratio
• Never re-calibrate, minimal service requirements
LNG Process Application Outcomes
Liquid Applications
• Zero Pressure Drop = Reduced risk of LNG Flashing
• BWT Buffers for cryogenic applications = reliability • Removable transducers = Low cost maintenance
• High accuracy, high turndown ratio = improved mass balance of plant
Applications
• Feed Gas
• Fuel Gas
• BOG/Vapor Return • Flare Gas
Applications
• LNG Product
• Cold blow down • Loading Arm
Robust Transducer Technology from GE
Flare Gas Applications • Amine Crystal Build up • Corrosive gases • Changing composition • 0.1 – 394 ft/s flow range • Penalties for signal loss
in USA
Coker Applications • Carbon build up • Meter still works • 650o F temperatures • High viscosity crude • “Trip even” cause DCU
to shut down
These transducers were still working when removed for inspection during a routine shut down!
Considerations:
• No pressure drop allowed; can cause flashing at 600:1 in volume
• Difficult and costly to shutdown, how to service?
• Shrinkage of materials
• Drift over time
• Inner diameter change when looking for premium accuracy
• No high accuracy calibration facility on LNG available…yet
Building a Cryogenic Flowmeter
Starting point is Ultrasonic Flowmeter:
• No pressure drop
• No moving parts, no wear
• No filters or strainers required
• Fully welded construction
• Removable Transducers mounted outside of cryogenic temperatures
• No tendency to drift over time
LNG acoustic transducers
Piezoelement -162C
20C
Traditional-No Buffer
Piezoelement
Buffer
-162C
Traditional Buffer
20C 20C
Piezoelement
Buffer
-162C
Fiber acoustic Buffer
Why use a buffer:
• Transducers are outside of cryogenic environment
• Avoid thermal shock with risk of cracking of crystal
• Transducer can be replaced under process conditions
• No ice forming inside transducer by condensation
• Active Tw measurement possible by pulse echo
BWT Technology
The Buffer & the Transducer
Gas or liquid side
Pipe nozzle
Inner buffer 150 mm Length dependent on
fluid temperature
Removable
Ex-proof design
Transducer
Detail A
Lap-joint flange, 1.5
150# to 2500#
Transducer is easily re-coupled
at this point on the “air” side Kamprofile
Gasket
Raised-face coupler
Detail A
Liquid Process Meters
Spool Design: Example
Butt weld Spool 2 P 1 T
With FWPA
Fully welded construction
Transducers removable
LNG Meters of 12” and 20”
We have supplied up to 44”!
Proven References using BWT on LNG XMT868 + BWT
XMT868 + BWT
XMT868 + BWT
BWT Xducer
XMT868 + BWT
Custody Transfer of LNG: The Next Step?
Adding up all uncertainties:
• Uncertainty of ~ 1%
• Significantly higher for small batches (Source: NMi 2008)
Current Method: Tank Gauging
Level Temperature
Volume
Correction for temp
Correction for pressure
Correction for trim
Tank strapping
Pressure
Sentinel LCT/LNG Key Features
Active Time Compensation in the Buffers:
BWT Transducers
Buffers
Tf (time in fluid)
Tw (‘dead time’ in buffer)
Active Compensation for Tube Expansion/Retraction and Path Length
Thermal Effects Analysis
- Extensive CFD analysis to predict meter thermal effects - Temperature compensation algorithm built in
Sentinel LNG 42” during Assembly
Sentinel LNG 32” during Calibration (Utah)
Sentinel LNG Installation Sentinel LNG
- Lack of straight runs - Piping leg Process Meter had some signal issues due to some small local flashing.
Sentinel LNG installation addressed all the pending issues by providing a smooth, stable and reliable measurement. It is to be noted that flow profile observed is in a « W » shape instead of rather flat as normally expected from the high Reynolds number.
BOG, Vapor Return and Flare Measurements
Low pressure application
• DP meters become less accurate
Boil Off Gas/ Vapor Return Ultrasonics Advantages
High Accuracy/ High Turndown Ratio
• 1 accurate meter for the full flow range
• Allows for high accuracy dynamic flow measurement check of Level
detection
OPEX Savings
• Never need to recalibrate
• Replace transducers without shutting down line
Proven Reliability
• GE uses the same transducers for BOG/ vapor return as in our market leading flare gas meter
• Reliable in cryogenic applications with > 20 years experience.
Proven Track Records on BOG
Proven Track Records on BOG
Proven Track Records on BOG
Water Measurement
Water Intake and Cooling Water lines (FRP/GRP) Big Water lines are now often made out of Fiber Glass Reinforced Plastics or equivalent “light” pipe material. We can install BWT wetted transducer in FRP pipes/nozzles.
Water Intake and Cooling Water lines FRP/GRP
• Big Water lines are now made out of Fiber Glass Reinforced Plastics or equivalent “light” pipe material. With our high performance clamp on transducers we can measure on these applications.
• Underneath, one of the biggest GRP line ever installed: 128” with 2” wall thickness. Water can be measured through metal pipes up to 20ft diameter.
www.gemeasurement.com
Thank you for your attention
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