【Ten Years of Rapid Development in Chemical Engineering Equipment】The methane expansion and recompression units model 2421-2025 were completed and passed inspection at Institute 711, marking significant progress in the localization of high-end energy equipment

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This post was last edited by “Fish Swimming in the Desert” on June 8, 2025, at 17:13. Let’s give a thumbs up and encouragement to the achievements made in China’s chemical technology and equipment sector. Your participation and discussions serve as the greatest motivation for us! ********************** [Ten Years of Great Development in Chemical Equipment] This is a continuously updated summary thread; all are welcome to join the discussions: https://bbs.hcbbs.com/thread-3576046-1-1.html ***************** In early May 2025, the expansion-compression unit developed and designed by CSIC’s 711th Research Institute for CNOOC Daxie Petrochemical successfully completed its Factory Acceptance Test (FAT). The product’s performance has been unanimously recognized by clients and engineering firms such as CNOOC, Sinopec, and CNPC. As one of the core equipment in the overall project of the 3.2 million tons per year catalytic cracking complex, the successful completion of the FAT marks significant progress by China in the field of domestic production of high-end energy equipment. Technical complexity: The expansion compressor is the core equipment in the low-temperature separation system of olefin plants. Due to its high technical complexity, it has long been monopolized by a few foreign manufacturers. This device is a veritable \"power converter\" that can efficiently recover pressure energy for secondary pressurization while achieving deep cooling. This energy recovery and conversion capability not only reduces the specific energy consumption and operating costs of the device, but also minimizes environmental impact, contributing to the achievement of the **\"dual carbon\" goals**. A key breakthrough: Since undertaking the project, the team from 711 Institute has, based on preliminary product research, successfully overcome various critical technologies such as simulation of the properties of hydrocarbons at low temperatures, advanced aerodynamics, magnetic bearings, low-temperature materials and structures, dynamics of high-speed rotors, and modular performance testing. As a result, China’s first magnetic levitation expansion compressor using methane-hydrogen as the working medium (500kW class) was tested and delivered. Application scenarios: Expansion compressors can be widely used in fields of deep refrigeration such as air separation, olefin production, light hydrocarbon recovery, and gas cryogenic liquefaction. At present, the 711 maglev expansion compressor has been successfully applied in low-temperature applications such as natural gas, nitrogen, helium, and hydrogen-rich gases, and efforts to advance technology in the field of hydrogen liquefaction are ongoing. The successful passing of the factory acceptance test for this expansion compressor represents an important milestone in the construction of Daxie Petrochemical’s 3.2 million tons per year catalytic cracking complex, laying a solid foundation for the subsequent installation and commissioning of equipment. In the days to come, 711 Institute will continue to provide on-site support to ensure the smooth commissioning of the facilities and the safe, stable, long-term, efficient, and optimal operation of the equipment, thereby injecting new momentum into the upgrading of the Daxie petrochemical industry and the regional economic development.