Retrofit: Increasing the Efficiency of Pumps

1I Uprating pumps on oil production platforms increases the efficiency and also reduces the CO2 emissions to the atmosphere. The picture shows one of the many platforms in the North Sea.

WAYNE JONES AJIT KUMAR SULZER ROTEQ

A new phase of increasing oil production on existing installations is going on world wide. Sulzer Pumps, a division of Sulzer Roteq, has completed several upgrades of pumping equipment in major installations over the past few years. The performance and the efficiency of the pumps have been increased, also resulting in lower CO2 emissions to the atmosphere.
Uprating of process machinery can be carried out at many levels from small increases in capacity and improved reliability of the equipment to major upgrades of complete operating systems. An important goal is to increase the efficiency of the pumps. This has not only a big economical effect but also an ecological one. Because less power is needed from the gas turbine driver, less fuel will be burnt, and therefore the emissions of CO2 to the atmosphere will be reduced (Fig. 1I). Industrial countries have pledged a reduction in the emis-

sion of CO2 and other greenhouse gases in the Kyoto Protocol (see box CO2 and energy taxes in Europe p. 15). The most flexible design for retrofit is the barrel casing pump (Fig. 2I) which allows the cartridge to be interchanged with the upgraded design. The reason for the uprate can vary from modernisation of old or obsolete equipment to changes in operating expectations and/or under performing equipment. The retrofit should enhance the eco-efficiency of the pump. The essence of all upgrades is to maintain the existing boundary param-

eters and utilise the maximum amount of the original equipment with considerable, consequential savings in time and costs. Therefore, in many cases, notable benefits to the process are possible with little or no impact on the original footprint area, the drive system, the utility supplies, all skid/site interfaces, as well as the control and instrumentation. The mechanical characteristics of the pump such as vibration levels, thrust loading, operating temperatures, etc. will also remain unchanged from the original specifications. These can be proven along with the new performance during factory tests in much the same way as the original equipment with the utilisation of a test barrel and associated equipment. The upgraded cartridges can be tested to industry standard codes and specifications as per the original equipment. More recently,

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the enhancement of many other installations as shown in the example of the Ekofisk platform (see below). Once the need to uprate existing equipment has been established, a feasibility study is performed to confirm the extent of the upgrade, to meet the requirements of the user and the system. From this, a simple cost vs. benefits analysis can be performed which shows high savings (Fig. 3I). Typical examples of payback periods for multistage barrel case pumps would be 20 to 60 days for a high-flow cartridge, 1 to 2 years for increasing the pump efficiency and 2 to 3 years for increasing the so-called Mean Time Between Repair (MTBR). In the following, some exemplary upgrades of pumps are listed illustrating the eco-efficiency of these measures. clients are using the thermodynamic method for conducting site tests, thereby further reducing the delivery time.

CO2 AND ENERGY TAXES IN EUROPE

During the international conference on climate change in Japan, the Kyoto Protocol was adopted on 10th December 1997. The EU countries as well as Switzerland have pledged a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions for the period of 2008 to 2012 of 8%, compared to the emissions of 1990. To reach this goal, taxes on energy and raw products are discussed; some countries have already introduced them. Norway, the biggest of the oil producing countries in the North Sea, has imposed CO2 taxes since 1992. The tax rate is about 25 USD per metric ton. Other countries in Europe with CO2 taxes are the other Scandinavian countries Sweden, Denmark and Finland as well as the Netherlands.

RE-ADJUST THE BEST EFFICIENCY POINT

In 1994, three oil export pumps were manufactured by Sulzer for the Troll field in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea (Fig. 4I). Sometime in 1996, after continuous operation to the right of the Best Efficiency Point, the operator, Norsk Hydro, injected a so-called drag reducing additive (DRA) to

RETROFITTING EVERY MAKE OF MACHINE

With the in-house specialist reengineering techniques at Sulzer Pumps it is possible to retrofit any make or type of machine, allowing

increase the throughput of the 3 x 50% units. The DRA lowers the system resistance by internally coating the downstream pipework, allowing additional flow to be pumped to the shore. The cost of injecting DRA was in excess of 500 000 USD per calendar month. Sulzer Pumps were able to retrofit the existing pumps with high-flow, high-efficiency cartridges, re-classify the drive motors and provide service personnel to manage the change out. The exchange took less than four days in the scheduled loss of production. Thanks to the retrofit, an additional total flow of 20 000 barrels per day, around 11%, was achieved.

21% ADDITIONAL FLOW ON A FPSO

Before commissioning of the BP Schiehallion FPSO (Floating Production, Storage and Offloading)

2I The retrofit principle shows the greatest flexibility on the multi-stage barrel casing design (Twistlock) shown in the figure (in front a cartridge alone, behind one inside a casing).

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3I With a retrofit, high savings can be achieved for the benefit of the purse and the environment.

Enhanced throughput

Less CO2 emissions

Extended run times

vessel, it was realised that there was a severe bottleneck in the seawater injection system. A possible option to remove the bottleneck was to install an additional fourth skid (of the same duty) with the obvious constraints of space, weight and money. After an indepth feasibility study, Sulzer Pumps was able to upgrade their

pumps to provide 21% additional flow utilising the same drive system (Fig. 5I). The project cost of the retrofit was one fifth of the cost of the new skid option with the predicted generation of additional oil revenue of approximately 250 000 USD per day. One of the largest offshore seawater injection pumps in the world

not a Sulzer pump operated on a Norwegian platform in the North Sea did not meet the clients expectations with regard to maintenance intervals and operational efficiency. Sulzer Pumps were commissioned to perform a detailed design study to evaluate whether enhancement of the design could address these two areas of concern

4I Due to the injection of an additive, the Troll pump skids had to be retrofitted to re-adjust the Best Efficiency Point. The photo shows the original pumps leaving Sulzer Roteqs facility at Leeds.

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MECHANICAL DESIGN IMPROVEMENTS FOR EKOFISK 2/4K

Component Impellers Improvement High head coefficient design, optimised for high efficiency using Computational Fluid Dynamics Design for lower diffusion losses and increased mechanical strength Greater length and security of fixing after history of dynamic dislocation Modified to ensure positive location of new diffusers Same diameter at seal and bearing location; double keys introduced Designed to optimise performance to achieve uniform velocity distribution Hydraulic fit; optimised lateral dynamic behaviour; reduced fretting potential Now incorporates Sulzer swirl break feature for improved dynamic stability

Diffusers Wear rings Stage casing Pump shaft Suction casing Balance drum the results were quite amazing: Not only the mechanical design of the existing pump could be significantly improved (see box Mechanical design improvements for Ekofisk 2/4k), but also the pump efficiency could be increased by a massive 8%. This is tantamount to about 8% less CO2 emissions, which is the percentage of reduction that Norway has pledged in the Kyoto Protocol. The pumps installed on the strategically placed Ekofisk 2/4k platform will be retrofitted with high-efficiency Sulzer cartridges by the second quarter of the year 2000. Balance liner

driven pumps for more flow sometimes allows the operator to run two instead of three pumps while still meeting the requirements to the process. This means that one of the gas turbines will not be running, reducing the power requirements and CO2 emission by one third.

FOR MORE DETAILS

Sulzer Roteq UK Ltd Wayne Jones Manor Mill Lane GB-Leeds LS11 8BR Great Britain Telephone +44 (0)113-272 45 54 Fax +44 (0)113-272 45 12 E-mail wayne.jones@sulzer.com

5I By upgrading the existing pumps, a severe bottleneck in the seawater injection system of the Schiehallion FPSO vessel could be removed. Three of the cartridges are pictured with the test barrel before delivery from Sulzer Roteq UK in Leeds.

ECONOMY AND ECOLOGY

Cost-effective solutions are available for existing installations to increase their MTBR, pump performance and efficiency. State-ofthe-art, proven Sulzer hydraulics are able to meet many varying demands and can easily be installed in non-Sulzer equipment. Close working relationships between the pump engineer and the end user are essential to identify the optimum solution and key success factors. Upgrading brings not only economical advantages but also ecological ones. For instance, uprating gas-turbine-

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