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EXPANDER CONTROLS - PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE

Kenneth J. Reading
Dresser-Rand, Houston, TX, USA

Abstract - This paper covers the different concepts of expander controls from the past, the present and what may be seen in the future as
evidenced by requests and changes to the present systems. The writers expander experience is in the FCCU and PTA applications, but the
contents of this paper can easily apply to other applications, such as nitric acid and ethylene oxide service.

INTRODUCTION
Dresser-Rand presently builds two lines of hot gas expanders; the multistage between bearing nitric acid and ethylene oxide plant expander and the
overhung disk Fluid Catalytic Cracking expander. The two hot gas expanders were developed for their individual process applications.

The nitric acid expanders are clean gas, lower flow (approximately 200,000 lb/hr) and higher pressure (approximately 80-150 psig) while the FCCU
expanders are dirty gas, high flow (approximately 750,000 lb/hr) and low pressure (15-30 psig typically). Modification of the nitric acid for ethylene-
oxide service, which uses similar effluvia, will boost the inlet pressure to approximately 245 psig. Each of these expander applications utilizes the
wasted heat energy of the associated process.

The fluid catalytic cracking (FCCU) process, commonly called "cat cracker", is widely used in petroleum refining for the conversion of oil feed stocks
to gasoline and other light hydrocarbon products. A general schematic of the catalytic cracking process is shown in Fig. 1.

The FCC utilizes basically two processing vessels. One, the reactor, is the main vessel where the oil feed stock is cracked and the other is the
regenerator where the carbon deposits from the cracking process are burned off the catalyst particles. This conversion takes place over a fluidized
catalyst bed at a temperature of between 1,150 and 1,400 deg F. The resulting flue gas then flows to a third stage separator where the large
catalyst particles are removed. The gas leaves the top of the separator and enters the power recovery expander through a throttling butterfly valve
"A". Since the expander acts as a fixed orifice, the regenerator pressure is maintained and held constant by a full size butterfly type control valve
between the separator and expander. If too much gas comes from the regenerator for the expander to handle, valve "B" bypasses the gas around
the expander. The flue gas is expanded through the expander where energy is converted into mechanical power, which drives the compressor
during normal operation to supply both combustion and fluidizing air to the process. The expander exhaust is basically atmospheric pressure (15.2
psia) and approximately 1,000 deg F and goes to a CO (carbon monoxide) boiler or heat exchanger where the remaining heat is used for generating
steam or raising the temperature of the incoming feed stock. An electrostatic precipitator, for environmental concerns, is frequently used prior to
discharging to atmosphere to further reduce particulate concentration. The flue gas, depending on basic conditions of pressure, temperature and
mass flow is capable of supplying from 10,000 to 35,000 horsepower to the process.

This means that the expander recovers more energy than the power required by the compressor to supply process air. This additional energy can
be converted to electricity by utilizing an electric motor/generator.

Figure 2 shows a typical FCC power recovery train consists of the following machines mechanically coupled together and mounted on two or more

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baseplates:

-Hot gas expander

-Air compressor
-Steam turbine (optional)
-Gear box
-Electric motor/generator

Various train configurations are utilized depending on specific process application requirements; such as steam availability for train startup, strength
of the electrical grid, and the decision of induction vs. synchronous electric motor/generator, mass flow and air flow requirements and axial vs.
centrifugal compressor. Refer to Fig.3.

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In the nitric acid section of an ammonia fertilizer plant, liquid anhydrous ammonia is the feed stock for a process that ultimately returns a 58%
concentration of nitric acid to storage and produces a tail gas effluent. Initially the expander in the cycle, operated solely on this tail gas, pre-heated
and fed directly from the process at about 85 psig and 900 deg F.

To achieve a higher output, the axiom of maximum temperature was employed, by installing an afterburner downstream of the second tail gas heat
exchanger and upstream of the expander, as shown in Fig. 4. This results in a tail gas temperature to the expander inlet up to 1,250 deg F and an
increased expander inlet pressure of 95 - 100 psig. The result is a new enthalpy change across the expander and a resultant new horsepower rating
of 133 % of the old value at the same mass flow. Additionally, the noxious oxides of nitrogen are removed, reducing corrosion and deterioration of
the expander blading and thereby providing harmless stack residue free of nitric acid.

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PAST EXPANDER CONTROLS

The original FCCU systems provided by Ingersoll-Rand in the early 1960’s and 1970’s incorporated either a) simple relay type logic control and
simplistic pneumatic control schemes for expander control and blowoff valve control or b) a system designed by the customer or E & C firm. Steam
turbine control was the latest accepted technology available at the time. Valve control consisted of pneumatic controllers and also hand-control
(auto/manual ) stations. It should be noted that many of these original systems have been modified and implemented into the customer’s distributed
control system (DCS) due to technology advances.

Early control systems had mechanical trip devices (e.g. flyball weights) on the expander and steam turbine. Vibration monitoring of the trains was
minimal, depending on the customer.

In the mid 1980’s, FCCU power recovery trains provided by Ingersoll-Rand contained control systems with "micro-processor based" instrumentation,
such as single loop digital controllers, pen recorders, digital meters, steam and air flow digital computers and programmable logic controllers
(PLC’s) as shown in Figure 5.

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The approach of using micro-processor based instrumentation provided the means to be more flexible to changes during test and site startup &
commissioning in the sequence logic program and controller loop configurations. Expander and steam turbine 2 out of 3 overspeed voting hardware
was included to better protect the train and also increase the overall reliability by minimizing unnecessary or nuisance shutdowns. FCCU train
startup and normal stop (controlled shutdown) logic was designed for either manual or automatic startup or shutdown to assist the operators, if so
desired. This allowed for a smooth ramping open (or close) of the expander inlet valve to control the expander heatup rate (or take the expander off
line). In the past when a steam turbine was utilized for train startup, the turbine startup had been either totally manual, semi-automatic, or fully
automatic after the turbine slow roll had been completed. When an induction or synchronous motor/generator was used, logic had been
incorporated to allow the M/G breaker to close at the appropriate time below synchronous speed.

When a motor/generator was part of a train which takes full use of power recovery by generating electricity from the "excess" power, control system
logic had been implemented to reduce the generator load below a "preset" level before the motor/generator breaker was tripped automatically.

PRESENT EXPANDER CONTROLS

Control systems implemented on applications by Dresser-Rand in the 1990’s, vary due to customer mandated use of different instrumentation. All
systems (except one, which was relay logic) have been PLC based (Allen-Bradley, GE Fanuc, Honeywell), utilizing both simplex and redundant
schemes, with or without a CRT based Operator Interface. The control loops such as regenerator pressure, air flow, override speed control,
compressor surge, expander sealing and cooling steam control have been implemented in either, a) stand alone single loop controllers, b) the PLC,
c) the customer’s distributed control system (DCS), or d) some combination of all the above.

The CRT based Operator Interface allows all train and process parameters to be continuously monitored. All analog parameters can be trended on
a continuous basis for recall later if a problem should arise. Control loops can be monitored and tuned from the operator interface. Status screens
displaying analog and discrete data in addition to operational status are available for real time monitoring of the process. The alarm and shutdown
annunciation status is displayed. Refer to samples shown in Fig. 6, 7 , 8 & 9.

The steam turbine governor (when required due to a steam turbine included on the train) is either simplex or redundant, depending on the
customer’s overall philosophy concerning redundancy and train availability requirements.

Train vibration is an item that is closely monitored in either a dedicated vibration monitoring system or internal to the PLC and displayed on either a
CRT display, customer’s DCS or both. Some customers also monitor the real time static and dynamic transient vibration data on a dedicated
diagnostic computer as a long term maintenance tool to minimize unexpected down time and costly machine failures.

Interface to the Motor Control Center (MCC) and the Medium Voltage Switchgear for control and monitoring of the auxiliary system motors and the
Main motor/generator with the associated protective relaying is a critical part of providing a reliable control system.

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FUTURE EXPANDER CONTROLS

Several concepts gaining popularity in the FCCU market are related to reliability of the unit in order to reduce costly shutdowns. The first most
important issue is "redundancy". This term is often misunderstood because it must be clearly defined to what level redundancy applies. It could be
such things as:

- power supplies
- field sensors
- input/output modules
- central processing unit (cpu)
- network busses
- governors

The most important thing to always remember is that in the overall system, whether it be mechanical or controls, the system is only as good and
reliable as the "weakest" component in the system. Redundancy can provide a more reliable system, which will result in less down time and a better
overall process, by eliminating the single point of failure which could cause an unexpected shutdown.

The next issue concerns the location of control. "Localized" machine control will continue as a trend, whereas "plant" control will be done in the
distributed control system. Supervisory monitoring of the local machinery control system panel will still be done by the DCS.

Control loop update is a topic of concern. PID loops, such as surge control, which require a special execution speed are better handled in the
localized panel than the DCS.

And finally, the plant "fail-safe" philosophy is an issue which has a major cost impact on reliability of the overall control system and should not be
taken too lightly. Risk management analysis should be considered as a guideline prior to the detail control design phase.

CONCLUSION
Expander controls have changed through the years primarily due to changes in technology from relays & pneumatic controls to electronic controls.
Electronic controls are more flexible, reliable and faster. The electronic controls of today allow tighter control of the process which results in energy
savings and therefore reduced operating costs to the end user. Modern micro-processor based control systems assure safe and reliable operation
when applied properly.

REFERENCES
(1) STETTENBENZ, L. M. Ecologic and Economic Benefits of the Power Recovery Expander ASME PAPER, No. 71-Pet-11, September 1971.

(2) MATHERS, W. G. and SCHONEWALD, R. Power Recovery Expander Applied to Pressurized, Fluidized Bed Combustion, 1980.

(3) READING, K. J., RUBINO, S. and KOCIUBA, T. The Application of Large Induction Generator to a Fluid Catalytic Cracking Power Recovery Train. IEEE-IAS Annual Meeting,
Denver, CO, October 1986.

(4) BALFOORT, J. P. Power Recovery Systems and Hot Gas Expanders Proceedings of the Third Turbo Machinery Symposium, Texas A&M University, 1974.

(5) FAGENBAUM, J. Power Recovery in Cat Cracking. Mechanical Engineering, March 1983.

(6) STETTENBENZ, L. M. The Power Recovery Gas Expander in the Fluid-Bed Catalytic Cracking Cycle. 47th Annual Fall meeting of the Western Gas Processors and Oil
Refiners Association (WGP&ORA), Newport Beach, CA, October 1972.

Refer questions to:

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