Reductions of Greenhouse Gas Emissions

in
Oil and Gas Production and Processing
By Application of Biphase Turbines

Greg Ross
Product Manager
Oil and Gas Developments
Multiphase Power and Processing Technologies LLC, USA

Co-authors:
Simon Davies
Vice President - Technology
Kvrner Process Systems a.s, Norway
Geirmund Vislie
Project Engineer
Biphase Development Program
Kvrner Process Systems a.s, Norway
Lance Hays
President
Biphase Energy Company, USA

ABSTRACT
The Biphase Rotary Separator Turbine is a unique technology which combines the potential for
compact and efficient separation of oil and gas with recovery of energy which is usually wasted in
conventional pressure let-down operations. The technology has been commercialised for industrial
refrigeration and geothermal applications. In recent years, Kvrner, Dresser Rand and Biphase
Energy Company have cooperated to introduce Biphase turbine technology to the oil and gas
industry. This paper will present an overview of the current status of the technology with respect to;
potential areas of application in oil and gas processing (including primary separation, hydrocarbon refrigeration and downhole separation).
operational experience so far
weight, space and energy savings potential
operational considerations (control systems, start-up, shut-down etc.)
plans for further development
Key Words:

Oil and Gas Separation

Energy Recovery

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Biphase Turbine

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INTRODUCTION
Conventional technology for separation of liquids and gases is well developed. Reliable separation
methods in the petroleum industry have been achieved for many years, mostly based on gravity
separation. However, the changing economics of oil and gas production, emanating from lower
prices and fields with less recoverable reserves require improvement of the methods currently used,
so that costs for development and operation can be reduced. Furthermore, there is an increasing
need for more flexible, modular solutions that can treat a range of fluids from small, rapidly drained
reservoirs.
Existing separation technology is costly due to three main factors;
equipment volumes and weights are large
energy is wasted or consumed
separation can be incomplete, especially if foams or emulsions occur
The large volumes and weights of conventional separators require heavy supporting structures as
can be seen on offshore platforms. The current trend towards floating production units or well head
platforms for use on smaller fields often favours light-weight and motion insensitive separation
equipment with a small footprint.
The energy available in high-pressure, two-phase production streams can be very large. Current
wellstream separation systems dissipate this energy as the pressure is let down across the choke
valve and subsequent pressure reduction valves. Moreover, the intense shear and friction forces
introduced by such throttling usually exacerbates the difficulties in achieving complete separation
due to the forming of emulsions, mist or foam.
When this available energy is not recoverable, other means of power supply must be provided for
the installation, resulting in increased capital and operating expenditure and, in the case of
Norwegian offshore applications, taxation on discharged carbon dioxide.
The basic idea for the Biphase technology has been to develop a compact means to achieve a high
separation performance combined with energy recovery. This energy is either recovered as high
liquid pressure, shaft power or a combination of the two.
The Biphase Rotary Separator Turbine was originally developed to separate water and steam from
geothermal wells, and simultaneously provide driving force to a generator, adding to the energy
produced by the steam turbine. In the case of a commercial demonstration project currently under
way in Cerro Prieto, Mexico, the output from one geothermal well is increased by 40 per cent by
the introduction of a 30 inch Biphase Turbine, which recovers energy from the flash between 49,3 to
8,8 bar(a).

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Fig. 1

The Cerro Prieto geothermal unit

PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION
Figure 2 shows a simplified sketch of a Biphase turbine, where the four main building blocks can
be identified;
Two-phase inlet nozzle, where the pressure let-down takes place
Turbine rotor, where the fluids impact near tangentially, and separation and energy transfer takes
place
Liquid diffusor scoop for pressure recovery
Rotor shaft, for generation of electric energy

Fig. 2

Principle sketch of a Biphase Turbine

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Pressure Let-Down
In a typical pressure let-down and separation process, the fluid is flashed isenthalpically across a
pressure let-down valve into a separator vessel. In certain cases, such as the last stage of a
production separation string, a separate pump, which requires energy, is often used to re-pressurise
the liquid. The only force available to separate oil and gas in such a system is gravity, which
typically requires relatively long residence times, resulting in large equipment volumes and weights.
As already mentioned, the turbulent shear intensity in a pressure let-down valve is very great, and
energy is wasted as frictional heating during the isenthalpic flash.
By contrast, the Biphase Turbine provides a compact step in which shaft power is generated from a
near-isentropic expansion process. This means that the frictional heating in the process is kept to a
minimum. Furthermore, the shear intensity in the expansion nozzle is considerably less than that
generated in a pressure let-down valve. As a consequence of this, the tendency for foaming and
emulsion forming is significantly reduced. Both these effects predict a higher separation efficiency
than currently achieved in gravity separators.

Energy Transfer
The pressure let-down step occurs in a specially designed two-phase nozzle, which is usually
convergent/divergent in design. Here, the expansion energy due to the gas flashing out of the
solution is efficiently transferred to kinetic energy in the fluids. A focused two-phase jet then exits
the nozzle (or nozzles) and impinges near-tangentially on the rotors cylindrical inner surface, and
the viscous coupling between the fluid and the rotor converts fluid impulse to rotational energy in
the rotor. In terms of energy transfer, Biphase turbines can be divided in three categories;
Drag turbines (e.g. fig. 2)
Reaction turbines (e.g. fig 3)
Impulse turbines (e.g. fig. 4)
The highest efficiency in this transfer mechanism in drag turbines is achieved when the rotor rim
speed is half the speed of the impinging two-phase jet. This energy is recovered by a generator
connected to the rotor shaft.
In reaction turbines (fig. 3), the liquid layer on the rotor rim is much thicker than on drag turbines.
This allows the outer part of the layer to be pressurised by the hydrostatic head, and liquid is
released through reaction nozzles which are directed tangentially to the rotor surface. This adds
rotational energy to the rotor.
Reaction turbines are well suited for application in streams with solid particles suspended in the
inlet fluid, because the thick liquid layer slows down the particles before they impact on the rotor
surface. Further, the reaction jet velocity can be adjusted to match the rotor speed, so that the
impact velocity of solids on the outer casing is kept to a minimum, which reduces the probability of
erosion problems.
The best energy transfer are achieved when the inlet jet velocity is 110-120% of the tangential
velocity of the free liquid surface on the rotor.

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TWO PHASE NOZZLE

TWO PHASE JET

SEPARATED LIQUID

REACTION NOZZLE

LIQUID REACTION JET

Fig. 3

SEPARATED GAS

Biphase reaction turbine concept

In impulse turbines, the inlet jet impinges directly on the turbine blading. The change in flow
direction transfers energy to the rotor, and separation of liquid and gas takes place as the liquid
moves across the turbine blades. This kind of turbine is typically used in refrigeration applications,
and a rotor is shown below.

Fig. 4

Six inch chiller turbine wheel

Separation and Liquid Recovery

In a typical separator turbine, the liquid residence time is around 2 to 3 seconds, which corresponds
to around 30 minutes in a conventional gravity separator. The centrifugal force imposed on the
liquid layer is typically several thousand times the gravitational force, which enables the
combination of efficient separation and short residence time for the fluids, and thus compact
equipment dimensions.
In drag turbines, when the liquids have been slowed down to the rotor rim speed, they have lost
75% of the kinetic energy. Part of the residual 25% can be recovered as pressure so that the liquids
can be recycled or transferred to downstream stages without the use of pumps.

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The liquid pressure recovery is effected by the use of submerged diffusors which are self
compensating in the sense that the diffusor opening is determined by the thickness of the liquid
layer on the rotor rim. This is achieved by a floating inlet barrier which rides on the liquid surface as
shown below.

Fig. 5

Self compensating liquid diffusor

The barrier also prevents gas flowing into the liquid outlet as the liquid level varies in the turbine.
This principle may help eliminate much of the instrumentation found on conventional separating
equipment.
Recovery of liquid pressure is not possible in reaction and impulse turbines, where the liquids are
collected in a volute or a small vessel. In these two cases, the liquid outlet pressure will be equal to
the casing pressure. The energy is instead recovered as shaft power.

AREAS OF APPLICATION
Possible applications within the oil and gas industry include;
Gas Treatment Applications
The treatment of natural gas and associated processes comprise a number of pressure let-down and
separation devices where the use of Biphase turbines may be of benefit.
Gas Dehydration
The Biphase turbine is envisaged to replace the choke valve and flash drum in the glycol circuit. The
turbine will separate the gas associated with the rich glycol and recover energy from the pressure letdown.
Gas Sweetening
Sour gas (containing CO2 or H2 S) is often sweetened by exposure to an amine (MEA, MDEA) or
physical absorbent (Selexol, Flexorb) in a contactor column at high pressure. The solution absorbs
not only the desired sour components in this process, but also some of the hydrocarbon gases. This
is due to limitations in chemical selectivity.
Downstream the contactor, the solution undergoes a pressure let-down into a flash vessel prior to
regeneration of absorbent.

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Biphase turbines can be used to replace the throttling valve and flash vessel. The rich solution will
accelerate through a two-phase nozzle, which can be regarded as an equivalent to a fixed choke, and
flashed to the separation pressure in the Biphase turbine. This will separate the evolved gas from the
solution, and generate power as momentum is transferred from the accelerated fluids to the turbine
rotor. In addition, problems associated with the formation of foams or emulsions should be
minimised.
NGL Recovery/Gas Conditioning
Recovery of natural gas liquids is usually accomplished by refrigeration and separation or by
separation in a vessel followed by expansion in a turboexpander or Joule-Thompson valve followed
by an additional separation vessel.
A Biphase turbine can be used to accomplish the reduction of temperature while generating power
and separating the natural gas liquids. The added advantages are as follows.
1. Since the expansion in a Biphase turbine is closer to an isentropic process than a JouleThompson expansion, the cooling effect is greater, and hence more liquid is recovered. This
makes a Biphase retrofit suitable for de-bottlenecking existing NGL recovery and hydrocarbon
refrigeration systems.
2. The natural gas liquids (NGLs) are internally pressurised for transport without the need for an
extra pump.
3. The fact that the Biphase turbine is designed for the treatment of two phase flow may in some
cases lead to process simplification (less upstream and downstream separation vessels) and
reduced costs.
Gas/Liquid Applications
Two-Phase Gas/Oil Separation
As per today, the Biphase Turbine development for oil and gas has its major focus on primary twophase separation. This is regarded a step on the way to a full three-phase separator turbine, for
which a test unit now exists. In the meantime, MPP Technologies sees a possible configuration in
using a two-phase turbine followed by downstream liquid/liquid hydrocyclones. This system is
likely to achieve a higher separation efficiency than a system based on a choke valve upstream a
conventional separator.

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Gas Outlet

Nozzle Inlet
Nozzle Plate
Bearing

Bearing

Seal

Liquid Outlet

Wheel Shrouds
Separating Rim

Diffuser Support

Figure 6. Sectional View of the Two Phase Separator Turbine.

Under an ongoing Joint Industry Program, a 20,000 barrel/day prototype two-phase turbine was
constructed as shown in figure 6. This unit has completed a series of parametric performance tests in
1998, located at a test site employing crude oil, water and methane gas in a closed loop. This unit
performed to the design specifications an dis now being modified to incorporate blading to increase
the power output in preparation for field trials in late 1999.
The main design characteristics were as follows
Maximum liquid flow rate
132.5 m/h
Maximum gas flow rate
23,600 Sm/h
Pressure drop across turbine
15.5 bar
Turbine wheel diameter
609.6 mm

(20,000 barrels/day)
(20 mmscfd)
(225 psi)
(24 inches)

The unit produced power up to 85% (52.6 kW) of design while providing two phase separation of
the hydrocarbon stream. Separation effciencies were better than the comparative results of an
standard vane pack separator.
Three-Phase Gas/Oil/Water Separation
Developing a three phase separator which recovers energy normally lost across the choke valve is
one of the main aims of the Biphase Development Program. The energy present in the pressurised
fluid upstream the inlet nozzles would mainly be used to drive the separator rotor, so that the high
centrifugal forces could separate gas, oil and water. The oil and water phases would be pressurised
through the diffusors, whereas the gas would leave the turbine at or near the nozzle exit pressure.
Figure 7 below is a schematic of the Three Phase test rig which has been utilised over the last 12
months in developing a working test turbine of field use. The results from this unit have been very
encouraging and based on the expected performance a field turbine will be in operation at the end of
1999.
Current results indicate that the unit will be self powered or if the well stream pressure is high
enough, generate electricity while at the same time provide separation of the gas and fluid

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components to an extent that no additional separation is required. The current test unit has
produced results of less than 30 ppm oil in water and 100 ppm water in oil, in a volume that is
approximately 1% of an equivalent gravity separator.

Inlet nozzle
Oil discharge
Water discharge
Liquid separation
channel
Figure 7. Three Phase Test Unit

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In the initial phase of the testing, two sets of samples were taken from the outlet flows.
Sample no
Water cut
Water in oil
Oil in water
1
84%
82 ppm
6 ppm
2
27%
68 ppm
30 ppm
Table 1 Analysis results of samples 1 and 2

Sub-Sea Separation and Energy Recovery

Several applications have been reviewed based on combination of the above mentioned designs,
figure 8 shows the results of one such study where the energy in the gas stream can be utilised to
provide a compact separation devise which also drives a centifugal compressor to provide
recompression of the flow above the dew point of the gas. This system allows for the use of lower
cost flow lines and better liquid recovery from the field.

Figure 8. Subsea Three Phase Separator and Compressor.

Well Stream Power Recovery Turbine

In an effort to reduce the emissions of Carbon Dioxide to the atmosphere a number of studies have
been conducted to evaluate the technical feasibility of building a turbine for very high inlet
pressures, designed primarily for the maximum recovery of energy from the well stream. A full preengineering study has been carried out for a client, and the results have proved the feasibility of such
an application. An isometric view of the turbine skid is presented in figure 9. The work under this
initiative has enjoyed the support of KLIMATEK, a program run by the Norwegian Research
Council, providing financial support to research initiatives that may lead to reduction in the emission

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of green house gases.

The resulting design is a rugged, simple design with geometric and operating parameters falling
within the range of existing Biphase turbine designs, and it can accommodate a wide range of
wellhead flow conditions. The power recovery is approximately 4 MW. There was emphasis
throughout the study on selecting standard components for bearings, seals, generator and support
systems. This was partly to limit technological risk, and partly to improve the accuracy of cost
estimates.
Main design and operational features of the concept well stream turbine are presented in table 2
below.
DESIGN AND OPERATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS
Nominal rated power
4000 kW
Nominal rotor speed
6000 rpm
Inlet pressure to nozzles
270 bar
Gas and liquid exhaust pressure
93 barg
Maximum casing pressure
290 barg
Mass flow
255 kg/s
Table 2 Design and operational characteristics
of the well stream turbine

Figure 9 Isometric view of 4 MW turbine skid

with gear and generator
The turbine package is completely enclosed and is supplied with a motor/generator system which
allow the turbine to be run up to speed from the platform grid before the well stream is introduced.
This method of operation ensures the turbine is synchronised with the grid when it starts producing
power. The package size is 7200 mm (l) x 4200 mm (w) x 3800 mm (h) and weighs approximately
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45 tonnes. The current design incorporates all the support equipment for the gearbox, seals and
turbine/generator bearings. It is expected that the maintenance and operation of the unit will be
minimal, as there is not high temperatures generated during operation. The rotating speed of the
machine has also been kept low to avoid additional maintenance problems.
A smaller version of the above turbine is currently in design for field testing later in 1999. This unit
will be capable of producing 500 kW of electricity form a gas flow of 40 mmscfd at 130 bar inlet
and 80 bar outlet. The unit will be fed directly from the well head manifold and feed into a
secondary three phase separator, the gas phase will flow directly to the end user.
OPERATIONAL EXPERIENCE
Whilst a number of developmental turbines have been operated with crude oil streams, there has
been little field testing to date. However, the experience gained from field tests and commercial
demonstrations of other applications is highly relevant to the development of oil and gas turbines.
Geothermal Application
As already mentioned, the Biphase Rotary Separator Turbine was originally developed for
geothermal applications. Units have been operated on wellstreams which contain reservoir solids
and which are hot, scaling and corrosive.
A 54 inch diameter rotary separator turbine was installed on a geothermal well operated by Phillips
Petroleum Company in Roosevelt Hot Springs in Utah, USA, where it processed a maximum liquid
flowrate of 415 000 kg/hour. The unit was operated for 4000 hours in a demonstration project
sponsored by Utah Power and Light and the Electric Power Research Institute. The power output
was 1600 kW from brine and steam at 28.4 bar and 230 C. The unit showed no damage in postoperational inspections and was pronounced commercially available after project completion.
Another 54 inch Rotary Separator Turbine and tandem steam turbine was purchased by Phillips
Petroleum for its Desert Peak geothermal plant. The unit was operated for over a year with no
corrosion or erosion problems. The low resource pressure of 6.5 bar(a) and resulting high volume
flow limited the capacity of this unit to about 75% of design. The picture below shows the unit
during installation.

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Fig. 10 Desert Peak geothermal plant during

installation
Refrigeration
Many refrigeration processes occur in oil and gas applications where low temperatures are produced
by flashing a liquid across a Joule-Thompson valve. Examples are propane chillers, ethylene and
propylene production and the production of LNG. A Biphase turbine can be substituted for the
Joule-Thompson valve, producing both power and increased amounts of liquid product.
The technology for these applications has been commercialised and is being incorporated in
industrial centrifugal chillers manufactured by Carrier Corporation. Their commercial 500 Ton chiller
incorporates 6 inch Biphase turbine. Although the diameter is only 150 mm this unit processes
41,000 kg/h at an inlet pressure of 8 bar(a). The chiller is shown in fig. 11.

Fig. 11. 500 ton chiller

The efficiency of this turbine is 55%, the highest value yet attained for a two-phase turbine operated
with a flashing liquid.
Multiphase Power and Processing Technologies plans to adapt this technology for chilling in oil and
gas processes, where propane would be a likely choice for refrigerant. The technology is seen as
ideal for de-bottelnecking of existing refrigeration systems based on Joule-Thompson cooling.

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Fig. 12. Principle flow diagram of a Biphase Turbine retrofitted to an existing refrigeration
system (dashed lines)

Fig. 13. Entropy vs. Temperature for the refrigeration system shown in fig. 12.. The Biphase
retrofit increases the cooling efficiency by about 15%
Waste Heat Recovery
The use of a multiple flash water-steam system can recover more energy from exhaust gases from
turbines and engines than systems based on heat recovery boilers. This is further enhanced by the
addition of a Biphase turbine to recover energy from the flash.
A 910mm diameter Biphase turbine has been operated for one year in a demonstration project by
Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Company Ltd. in Japan. The unit generated 530 kW of power
from a 110,000 kg/h stream of water at 34 bar(a) and 241 C. The flashed steam was led directly to
the steam turbine. The project showed no erosion problems.

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Table 3 Commercially available turbines

MODEL

POWER
(kW)

SERVICE

12 RS *

0 - 50

12 RSR *

0 - 100

24 RS *
30 RS *

0 - 500
0 - 2000

brine/steam
oil/gas
brine/steam
oil/gas
oil/gas
brine/steam
oil/gas
R134, Propane
R134, Propane
R134, Propane, LNG

6T
12 T
24 T

1 - 15
15 - 100
100 - 1000

MAX. CASING
PRESSURE
(psia)
100

TURBINE
FOOTPRINT
ex. generator
12 x 15

LIQUID
FLOWRATE
(BPD)
0 - 5000

100

12 x 15

0 - 5000

1350
500

30 x 36
36 x 48

5000 - 30,000
20,000 - 50,000

300
100
300

8 x 8
12 x 16
30 x 30

1000 - 10,000
10,000 - 100,000
100,000 - 300,000

*) Separating unit

POTENTIAL FOR WEIGHT, SPACE AND ENERGY SAVINGS

As part of a joint industry program initially sponsored by six international oil companies, Kvrner
and Biphase Energy Company, a desk study was prepared. The scope of this study was to
investigate the technical feasibility of the use of Biphase turbines in oil and gas applications. As part
of this work, three process cases was considered with respect to savings in weight and space, as well
as energy recovery prediction.
For each case, flash valves and separator vessels were replaced by Biphase separator turbines, with 2
100% redundancy. The results for three different oil field cases are summarised in the table below.
Weight and space estimates are calculated for the full separation train, and includes bulk materials
and supporting structures.
Table 4 Savings potential
Field Case
High pressure condensate field
High pressure oil field
Hydrocarbon dewpoint control train

Weight saving [%] Space saving [%] Recovered energy

[kW]
23
30
20,000
25
30
2,000
Not estimated
1,300

These estimates are crude, and the savings will be subject to further investigations, probably in a
full-scale topside layout study.

OPERATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS
In the further design work, emphasis will be placed on the operability of Biphase turbines in oil and
gas processes. The requirements to safety and operability are rather stringent in this field of
application.

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Particular areas in this respect are;

shut down and pressure relief
liquid level control
maintenance requirements
The major difference between Biphase and conventional equipment in terms of operation, is that
there is virtually no fluid residence time in the former. This implies that the response time of the
controlling instrumentation must be shorter than existing equipment. The self compensating liquid
diffusor, as shown in fig. 5, appears to be an efficient way to solve the problem of liquid level
control.
Also, on a three phase separator turbine, recycling a certain amount of water will help facilitate
control of the oil/water interface layer. Another advantage of a water recycle flow scheme is that the
oil/water ratio can be adjusted to improve separation efficiency and eliminate or minimise the
formation of an emulsion/rag layer. Thanks to the diffusors ability to repressurise the liquid, this
water recycle can be effected without the requirement for a pump.

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For reliability and operability different options will be further considered such as
Use of multiple inlet nozzles
This will facilitate operation in turn-down scenarios without bringing the nozzle velocity out of
design range. Nozzles would be closed as the overall flowrate is reduced. Further, in erosive
streams, it may be beneficial to design units with a higher number of nozzles than the total design
flow rate would require, so that the flow can be redirected to unused nozzles in the event that
erosion occurs in the nozzles in operation.
Sparing of turbines
In early designs, Multiphase Power and Processing Technologies believe that either 2x100% or
3x50% will be a likely system design to ensure production availability.
Fast-acting control valves
In light of the small hydrocarbon inventories, the use of fast-acting valves for shut-off and blow
down will be considered.
Rotor acceleration prior to introduction of fluids
The generator connected to the turbines should be used to accelerate the rotor prior to the
introduction of fluids to minimise splashing.

FURTHER DEVELOPMENT AND TESTING

Multiphase Power and Processing Technologies are currently designing and building several full
scale test units, which will be installed and tested in the field, late 1999. These units are designed for
three phase separation of flows ranging from 2000 to 5000 bbls/day at pressures of 500-700 psi and
power recovery from a well stream flow of 40 mmscfd at 1900 psi . The test programmes are
designed to identify variations in performance against variations in
rotational speed
liquid residence time
gas/liquid ratio
oil/water ratio
liquid temperature
solids loading
slugging tests
Further, there are plans for developing Biphase turbines for the following applications
downhole separation and dehydration
down hole three phase separation
LNG production (cryogenics)

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BIPHASE TURBINES
TYPICAL CHARACTERISTICS
design flow per unit 2 000 to 150 000 bbl per day
power recovery per unit 20kW to 10 MW
rate of revolutions 1 000 - 12 000 rpm
separation force 1 000 to 5 000 G

REFERENCES
Hays, L. The Biphase Rotary Separator Turbine, Presented at the Conference on Developments in
Production Separation Systems, June 1995, London, UK

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