Hello all,
I hope my question is placed in the right forum since it may be more adequate to ask my question in another forum.
I currently work in a chemical plant and there would be a potential to improve it, although I don´t even know if what I have thought exists.
This year we will complete our major energy saving project that could possible be the last one. After 10 projects in a small plant, the end seems close.
After this introduction, my question. We have a liquid stream at relative high pressure (25 kg/cm2), required to pass through a reactor. This stream is then expanded through a control valve, before entering a stripper column (1 kg/cm2). I was wondering if I could use this expansion energy (around 75 hp) to move a kind of liquid turbine and so, replace one of our electric motors. I know that pressure energy currently removed with the control valve is transformed into heat. But electricy is much more expensive than heat (natural gas) and, even more, the separation in the stripper is better (lower reflux) if the liquid is colder. So, two reasons why the project could be interesting.
Brief, my question is simple: does it exist a liquid turbine like that? It it does (which I currently doubt it), can you give me some references of manufacturers?
By the way, the plant is located in eastern Canada.
Best regards and thank you to all of you in advance for your help.
I hope my question is placed in the right forum since it may be more adequate to ask my question in another forum.
I currently work in a chemical plant and there would be a potential to improve it, although I don´t even know if what I have thought exists.
This year we will complete our major energy saving project that could possible be the last one. After 10 projects in a small plant, the end seems close.
After this introduction, my question. We have a liquid stream at relative high pressure (25 kg/cm2), required to pass through a reactor. This stream is then expanded through a control valve, before entering a stripper column (1 kg/cm2). I was wondering if I could use this expansion energy (around 75 hp) to move a kind of liquid turbine and so, replace one of our electric motors. I know that pressure energy currently removed with the control valve is transformed into heat. But electricy is much more expensive than heat (natural gas) and, even more, the separation in the stripper is better (lower reflux) if the liquid is colder. So, two reasons why the project could be interesting.
Brief, my question is simple: does it exist a liquid turbine like that? It it does (which I currently doubt it), can you give me some references of manufacturers?
By the way, the plant is located in eastern Canada.
Best regards and thank you to all of you in advance for your help.