The function of natural gas booster
1. Increase natural gas pressure to meet transportation requirements
During the long-distance transportation of natural gas, the initial pressure of the gas extracted from the gas field may not be sufficient to transport it to distant users or storage facilities. A natural gas booster can increase the pressure of natural gas to an appropriate level, ensuring stable and efficient flow of natural gas in pipelines. For example, in some long-distance pipelines, it is necessary to increase the natural gas pressure to around 10-20 MPa to overcome pipeline resistance and achieve long-distance transportation.
For some areas with complex terrain, such as mountainous areas, natural gas requires higher pressure to be transported to users on the mountaintop or across valleys. Turbochargers increase the pressure of natural gas, allowing it to smoothly pass through these complex terrains.
2. Meet the stress needs of different users
Different natural gas users have different requirements for natural gas pressure. For example, residential users generally need to adjust the natural gas pressure to around 23kPa for the normal combustion of household stoves, water heaters, and other equipment. Industrial users, such as glass factories, chemical plants, etc., may require high natural gas pressures ranging from a few hundred kPa to several MPa to meet the production needs of large equipment such as industrial furnaces. Natural gas booster can regulate the pressure of natural gas from gas pipelines to a pressure level suitable for different users.
3. Improve natural gas storage efficiency
In terms of natural gas storage, whether it is underground gas storage tanks or above ground storage tanks, higher pressure can allow storage facilities to store more natural gas per unit volume. Natural gas booster can compress natural gas and store it in storage facilities, thereby increasing storage capacity. For example, at a CNG (compressed natural gas) refueling station, natural gas is compressed to 20-25MPa through a booster and stored in a high-pressure gas cylinder group, which can store more natural gas in a limited space and facilitate vehicle refueling.
4. Ensure the stable operation of the natural gas system
In the natural gas supply system, when peak gas demand occurs, the pressure of natural gas in the pipeline may decrease. Natural gas booster can increase the pressure of natural gas in a timely manner to maintain the stability of system pressure and ensure that users can continuously and stably obtain natural gas supply. For example, during the winter heating season, residents' gas demand increases significantly. Turbochargers can play a role in ensuring that natural gas pressure and flow meet user needs, avoiding gas supply interruptions or equipment failures caused by insufficient pressure.
Application areas
1. Natural gas transportation field
Long distance pipeline: In the process of transporting natural gas from gas fields to urban gate stations or large industrial users, long-distance pipeline transportation needs to overcome pressure losses caused by factors such as resistance along the way and terrain elevation differences. Natural gas boosters can be used at boosting stations along pipelines to increase the pressure of natural gas, ensuring that it can be transported to its destination at a stable flow rate and sufficient pressure. For example, in large-scale natural gas transmission projects such as the "West East Gas Pipeline", boosters play a crucial role in enabling natural gas to be transported across thousands of kilometers from gas sources in the west to cities and industrial areas along the east coast.
Urban gas distribution system: After receiving natural gas from urban gate stations, when distributing natural gas to various areas of the city, due to the complex urban pipeline network, the gas demand and pipeline resistance in different areas are different, and it is necessary to adjust the natural gas pressure through a booster. Especially when supplying gas to areas that are far away from the gate station or have higher terrain, the booster can ensure that users in these areas can obtain sufficient pressure of natural gas.
2. Natural gas refueling station field
CNG refueling station (compressed natural gas refueling station): CNG refueling stations mainly provide refueling services for vehicles that use compressed natural gas as fuel. Here, the natural gas booster compresses natural gas to a high pressure of around 20-25MPa, stores it in the gas storage facilities of the refueling station, and then refills the car. The natural gas compressed by a turbocharger can store more fuel in the limited cylinder space of the car, thereby increasing the driving range of the car.
LNG refueling station (liquefied natural gas refueling station): In LNG refueling stations, although the main process is to process liquefied natural gas, in some links, such as the process of gasifying LNG and transporting it to the refueling gun, if the pressure is insufficient, a booster is also needed to adjust the natural gas pressure to meet the requirements of car refueling.
3. Industrial gas field
Chemical industry: Many chemical production processes require a large amount of natural gas as raw material or fuel. For example, in the production of synthetic ammonia, natural gas needs to react in a high-temperature and high-pressure environment. Natural gas booster can increase the pressure of natural gas to a level that meets the requirements of chemical reactions, generally ranging from a few MPa to several tens of MPa, to ensure the smooth progress of chemical production. Moreover, in the steam boilers and other equipment of chemical enterprises, natural gas with appropriate pressure is also needed to generate steam and provide heat energy for the production process.
Glass manufacturing industry: In glass melting furnaces, high pressure natural gas is required to provide sufficient heat to melt the glass raw materials. A natural gas booster can regulate the pressure of natural gas to meet the requirements of glass furnace burners, typically ranging from a few hundred kPa to several MPa, ensuring stable heating during the glass manufacturing process.
Metallurgical industry: In equipment such as heating furnaces and heat treatment furnaces in the metallurgical industry, natural gas boosters can provide natural gas pressure that meets process requirements, providing stable energy supply for metal heating, melting, and heat treatment processes. For example, in steel production, natural gas boosters are required to ensure the supply pressure of natural gas for blast furnaces, hot blast furnaces, and steel rolling heating furnaces.
4. Residential and commercial gas use areas
Residential gas consumption: In residential life, although natural gas generally undergoes multi-stage pressure regulation before entering the user's home, in some special situations, such as high-rise residential buildings or peak gas consumption periods, the natural gas pressure may be insufficient. Installing natural gas boosters at the pressure regulating stations or air intakes of buildings in residential areas can ensure the normal operation of gas equipment such as stoves and water heaters in households. For example, some old residential areas have aging pipelines and significant pressure losses, which can be restored to appropriate natural gas pressure through a booster.
Commercial gas: For commercial places such as hotels, restaurants, and shopping malls, equipment that heavily uses natural gas, such as large stoves and central air conditioning, requires stable natural gas pressure. Natural gas booster can provide natural gas pressure that meets the equipment operation requirements for these commercial places, ensuring the normal operation of commercial activities.
