【Ten Years of Rapid Development in Chemical Equipment】The first domestically produced expansion machine for ethane recovery with a capacity of 10 million cubic meters was put into use in China between 2018 and 2023

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Looking at the development of chemical technology over the past decade, we praise the prosperity and strength of modern China. This is just a starting point to encourage further discussion among everyone; with your participation, things will become even more interesting. [Ten Years of Progress in Chemical Equipment] – Continuous updates and summaries are available; feel free to join the discussions: https://bbs.hcbbs.com/thread-3576046-1-1.html. It’s important to enhance quality awareness and promote high-quality development. -----------------------------------------In late May 2023, China’s first domestically produced expansion machine capable of handling large volumes of ethane was put into use at the Jiaxian area of the Shenmu gas field in the Jidong oilfield operated by PetroChina. Thanks to this domestically manufactured expansion machine, the ethane content reached 98.41%, while the methane content was below 1%; all parameters met the required standards, achieving the desired goals. An expander is a machine that utilizes the principle of generating mechanical work as compressed gas expands and its pressure decreases, thereby reducing the gas temperature to obtain energy; it is a vital device in the field of ultra-low temperatures. For a long time, expander equipment has had to be imported, which not only hindered the development of complete sets of deep-cold technology in China but also severely affected the thorough utilization of natural gas resources in the country. In light of the long delivery times and difficulties associated with purchasing imported expansion machines, in 2021, the Southwest Branch of China National Petroleum Engineering Corporation took it upon itself to ensure the thorough utilization of natural gas resources in China. Aiming to advance the localization of deep-cold temperature equipment, it made full use of the platform available at the Second Research Institute for the Localization of Key Equipment of its **Energy Liquefied Natural Gas Technology R&D Center. At the beginning of the groundwork for expanding production capacity in the southern area of the Shenmu Gas Field in the Jidong Oilfield, which was under its general contracting, it initiated systematic technical research efforts, working together with Sichuan Air Separation Group to develop such equipment. During the development process, the company, together with Sichuan Air Separation Group, established a R&D team for domestic expansion machines, and conducted extensive theoretical research, experimental studies, and technical efforts on key parameters such as the vibration data of the expansion machines, shaft temperature, and rotational speed. After more than a year of technical research, as well as design and optimization of equipment processes, China’s first domestic expansion machine for large-scale ethane recovery with a capacity of tens of millions of cubic meters was developed. This machine not only solves problems such as vibration but also has a processing capacity that is much higher than that of existing domestic equipment. After successful development and passing the acceptance tests, the expander was sent to the site of the surface engineering project for capacity expansion in the southern area of the Jiaxian block in the Shenmu gas field of the Jidong Oilfield. Following 15 days of commissioning, the expander was put into operation on May 24th. With the help of the expander, qualified products can be produced rapidly to achieve the set goals. To date, parameters such as the vibration data of the expander, shaft temperature, and rotational speed are operating stably. With the help of this expander, the temperature of natural gas can be reduced by approximately 5–8°C based on J-T valve cooling, which improves the recovery rate of ethane. This has provided first-hand engineering data for the localization and application of large-scale expanders, further contributing to the technological advancement of domestic equipment.