OPTIMAL PROCESS SYSNTHESIS FOR REFRIGERATION SYSTEM OF ASSOCIATED GAS LOW-TEMPERATURE CONDENSATION PLANT

Design of modern high-efficient systems is a key priority for the Energy Sector of Ukraine. The cooling technological streams of gas and oil refineries, including air coolers, water cooling and refrigeration systems for specific refrigerants are the objectives of the present study. Improvement of the refrigeration unit with refrigerant separation into fractions is mandatory in order to increase cooling capacity, lowering the boiling point of coolant and increasing the coefficient of target hydrocarbons extraction from the associated gas flow. In this paper it is shown that cooling temperature plays significant role in low-temperature condensation process. Two operation modes for refrigeration unit were proposed: permanent, in which the concentration of the refrigerant mixture does not change and dynamic, in which the concentration of refrigerant mixtures depends on the ambient temperature. Based on the analysis of exergy losses the optimal concentration of refrigerant mixtures propane/ethane for both modes of operation of the refrigeration unit has been determined. On the basis of the conducted pinch-analysis the modification of refrigeration unit with refrigerant separation into fractions was developed. Additional recuperative heat exchangers for utilization heat were added to the scheme. Several important measures to increase the mass flow rate of refrigerant through the second section of the refrigeration centrifugal compressor from 22.5 to 25 kg/s without violating the agreed operational mode of the compressor sections were implemented.