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Ah! What’s that? That is a propane compressor unit. What is a propane compressor unit, anyway? Propane compressors achieve the purpose of cooling the process medium by utilizing the expansion and vaporization of liquid propane under adiabatic conditions, which results in a decrease in its internal energy and thus a drop in its temperature. Propane compression units are mainly used in natural gas plants in the industrial sector, and they possess the following characteristics: 1. The unit has a simple structure, is compact, and features a high degree of automation. 2. Variable specific volume ratio technology. It can thus change in response to changes in the external pressure ratio, reducing compressor losses. 3. The propane compressor uses a slide valve for regulation, enabling stepless energy control. 4. Propane compressors are not sensitive to the inlet fluid and can use oil injection for cooling; therefore, at the same pressure ratio, their discharge temperature is much lower than that of piston compressors, allowing for a higher single-stage pressure ratio. 5. Propane compressors feature high rotational speed, good power balance, smooth operation, and low base vibration. I. The brand and model of natural gas propane compressors that are well-regarded for use in China is the York RWF II316E-CU twin-screw compressor. The operation mode of this compressor unit is to compress R290 (propane) gas and discharge it from the exhaust port; the lubricating oil in the refrigerant is separated in an oil separator, and after being cooled to an appropriate temperature by an oil cooler, it returns to the compressor. The R290 gas is condensed into a liquid in the condenser and cooled in the economizer; the cooled refrigerant liquid then passes through a throttle valve before entering the main and auxiliary evaporators. In the primary and secondary evaporators, the R290 refrigerant, being a low-temperature liquid, cools the natural gas while evaporating into a gas that is then returned to the compressor, thus restarting the cycle. Below is a detailed schematic diagram of the propane compressor. II. Refrigeration principle of natural gas propane compressors: Natural gas propane compressors operate using the vapor compression refrigeration method. The refrigeration process involves compression, condensation, expansion and evaporation, as well as cooling. Specifically, 1. the compression stage involves compressing the propane vapor in order to increase its pressure and temperature. 2. The condensation process involves using an air-cooled cooler to convert the compressed, high-temperature gaseous propane into liquid propane. 3. The expansion process involves passing high-pressure liquid propane through a throttling expansion valve in a control valve, thereby reducing its evaporation pressure. As the pressure decreases, the boiling point also drops; when the boiling point of the liquid propane is lower than the surrounding temperature, some of the liquid propane evaporates, absorbing heat in the process. However, since the expansion occurs very rapidly and under adiabatic conditions, propane cannot exchange heat with its surroundings; as a result, some of the thermal energy must be supplied by a decrease in the propane’s own internal energy. This is why the temperature of propane drops after throttling expansion, resulting in it forming a low-temperature gas-liquid mixture. 4. In the evaporation process, low-temperature gaseous propane enters the heat exchanger, absorbs heat from the substance to be cooled, and simultaneously evaporates into gaseous propane, thereby achieving the cooling purpose. III. Schematic diagram of the control process: IV. Startup control procedure for the York RWF II unit – List of key parameters. The above describes the working principle and schematic diagram of the York natural gas propane compression unit. Repairing this type of unit requires high technical skills in China; if you have any questions, feel free to contact Gonglenghui. Let’s work together to improve our skills, with the goal of eliminating any refrigeration units that are difficult to repair. The beautiful view of the natural gas plant in the evening