Reducing Energy Consumption and CO 2 Emissions in Natural Gas Preheating Stations Using Vortex Tubes

Jaime Guerrero (), Antonio Alcaide-Moreno, Ana González-Espinosa, Roberto Arévalo, Lev Tunkel, María Dolores Storch de Gracia and Eduardo García-Rosales
Additional contact information
Jaime Guerrero: CIRCE-Technology Center, Ranillas Av. 3D, 1st Floor, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain
Antonio Alcaide-Moreno: CIRCE-Technology Center, Ranillas Av. 3D, 1st Floor, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain
Ana González-Espinosa: CIRCE-Technology Center, Ranillas Av. 3D, 1st Floor, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain
Roberto Arévalo: CIRCE-Technology Center, Ranillas Av. 3D, 1st Floor, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain
Lev Tunkel: Universal Vortex Inc., 410 Princeton Hightstown Rd., Princeton Junction, West Windsor, NJ 08550, USA
María Dolores Storch de Gracia: REDEXIS, Ranillas Av. 1D, 2nd Floor, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain
Eduardo García-Rosales: REDEXIS, Ranillas Av. 1D, 2nd Floor, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain

Energies, 2023, vol. 16, issue 13, 1-20

Abstract: This work proposes an innovative method for adjusting the natural gas from the grid to the consumer pipeline requirements in a full-scale pressure reduction station. The use of two counterflow vortex tubes instead of the traditional boiler to preheat the gas before throttling is demonstrated as a powerful alternative. Thus, a reduction of fossil fuel consumption is reached, which amounts to 7.1 % less CO 2 emitted. To ensure the optimal configuration, the vortex tube was thoroughly characterized in laboratory facilities using nitrogen as the working fluid. Various operating conditions were tested to determine the most efficient setup. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations were conducted with nitrogen to validate the behavior of the vortex tube. Subsequently, the working fluid was switched to methane to assess the performance differences between the two gases. Finally, the vortex tubes were deployed at a full-scale installation and tested under real consumption demand. The results obtained from this study offer promising insights into the practical implementation of the proposed method for adjusting the natural gas flow, highlighting its potential for reducing fossil fuel consumption and minimizing CO 2 emissions. Further improvements and refinements can be made based on these findings.

Keywords: vortex tube; NG preheating; decarbonization; CFD; laboratory test; field test (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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