Multi-objective Genetic Algorithm Optimization of Natural Gas Pressure Drop Station Heaters Using the Entropy Generation Minimization Method

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

1 Mechanical Engineering Department, Kharazmi Campus, Shahrood University of Technology

2 Mechanical Engineering Department, Engineering Faculty, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad

3 Faculty of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, Shahrood University of Technology

4 Department of Industrial Engineering & Management Systems, Amirkabir University of Technology

Abstract

In recent years, with the continuous growth of natural gas consumption in Iran, the number of pressure drop stations has increased significantly. In throttling valves of these stations, the temperature drop due to the Joule-Thomson effect causes the gas to hydrate, freeze the valves, and block the transmission path. Hence, about 14,000 indirect-fired water-bath heaters have a duty for preheating high-pressure gas before entering them. Unfortunately, the 30% average efficiency of indirectly fired water-bath heaters wastes nearly one billion cubic meters of processed natural gas every year, equivalent to a 400 MW power plant capacity. In this article, intending to optimize, indirect-fired water-bath heaters were modeled thermodynamically and thermo-economically, and three objective functions including thermal efficiency, entropy generation number, and wasted cost number are defined and the mathematical model was proposed in two scenarios. Then the model was solved based on the multi-objective genetic algorithm, using the entropy generation minimization method, and the Pareto optimal fronts of the scenarios were determined. The model implementation results with a deviation of less than ±10% compared to the results of a real sample indicate its acceptable performance. Based on the techno-economic justified results, it is possible to improve the efficiency of indirectly fired water-bath heaters between 48 and 55% depending on the gas volume flow rate. The relations, curves, and dimensionless groups obtained, can be used as a reference for the optimal design of indirect-fired water-bath heaters. 

Keywords

Main Subjects


[1] P. Abbaszadeh, A. Maleki, M. Alipour, Y.K. Maman, Iran's oil development scenarios by 2025, Energy Policy, 56 (2013) 612-622.
[2] IGS, Natural Gas Leakage Control in Transmission Pipeline and Distribution Networks, in, Oil and Gas Standards of National Iranian Gas Company, http://igs.nigc.ir/, 2017.
[3] API, Specification for Indirect Type Oilfield Heaters, in, American Petroleum Institute, Washington, D.C., 2009.
[4] M. Stewart, Surface Production Operations: Vol 2: Design of Gas-Handling Systems and Facilities, Elsevier Science, 2014.
[5] NlGC, Annual Reports of Exploitation Affairs of The Gas Supply Management, in, Ministry of Petroleum, National Iranian Gas Company, https://en.nigc.ir/, 2019, pp. [Accessed March, 17, 2019].
[6] SHANA, Iran Gas Consumption Exceeds 700 mcm, in, Ministry of Petroleum, Petroenergy Information Network (with SHANA standing for its Persian acronym), https://en.shana.ir/, 2021, pp. [Accessed November, 24, 2021].
[7] SATBA, How much does it cost to produce one kilowatt of electricity?, in, Ministry of Energy, Organization of Renewable Energy and Electricity Productivity (with SATBA standing for its Persian acronym), http://www.satba.gov.ir/en/home, 2019, pp. [Accessed October, 9, 2019].
[8] P. Soleimani, M. Khoshvaght Aliabadi, H. Rashidi, H. Bahmanpour, Enhancing the Thermal Efficiency of Gas Pressure Reduction Stations (CGS) Heaters Using the Twisted Tapes (Case study: Iran Golestan Qaleh-Jiq Station), Iranian Journal of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering (IJCCE), 40(4) (2021) 1333-1145.
[9] d. shafiei, a. mostafavi, s. jafari, Thermal Analysis of Indirect Water Heater in City Gate Station of Natural Gas and Calculating the Efficiency and Fuel Consumption and Presenting the Optimal Geometric Model, Journal of Petroleum Research, 31(1400-5) (2021) 51-65 (in Persian فارسی).
[10] S.A. Mostafavi, M. Shirazi, Thermal modeling of indirect water heater in city gate station of natural gas to evaluate efficiency and fuel consumption, Energy, 212 (2020) 118390.
[11] M. Khosravi, A. Arabkoohsar, A.S. Alsagri, M. Sheikholeslami, Improving thermal performance of water bath heaters in natural gas pressure drop stations, Applied Thermal Engineering, 159 (2019) 113829.
[12] S.R. Kazemi Mazandarani, M. Farzaneh-Gord, M.M. Shahmardan, Optimization of Geometric Dimensions of Fire Tube and Heat Coil Used in City Gate Stations Heaters, Modares Mechanical Engineering, 19(5) (2018) 1103-1114 (in Persian).
[13] S. Romocki, J. Zarkesh, H. Melloy, I. Cheung, S. Le Fouest, An indirect heating solution to reduce CO2 emission and improve efficiency of gas distribution networks, Energy Reports, 4 (2018) 49-55.
[14] A.R. Rahmati, M. Reiszadeh, An experimental study on the effects of the use of multi-walled carbon nanotubes in ethylene glycol/water-based fluid with indirect heaters in gas pressure reducing stations, Applied Thermal Engineering, 134 (2018) 107-117.
[15] M. Olfati, M. Bahiraei, S. Heidari, F. Veysi, A comprehensive analysis of energy and exergy characteristics for a natural gas city gate station considering seasonal variations, Energy, 155 (2018) 721-733.
[16] M. Naderi, G. Ahmadi, M. Zarringhalam, O. Akbari, E. Khalili, Application of water reheating system for waste heat recovery in NG pressure reduction stations, with experimental verification, Energy, 162 (2018) 1183-1192.
[17] S. Salari, K. Goudarzi, Heat transfer enhancement and fuel consumption reduction in heaters of CGS gas stations, Case Studies in Thermal Engineering, 10 (2017) 641-649.
[18] E. Afshari, A. Ebrahimpour, T. Alian, A. Pashaie, D. Tavoosi, Numerical Simulation and Design a Recuperator to Preheat the Air in Urban Gas Pressure Regulating Stations, Case Study: Isfahan HESA Station, Journal of Mechanical Engineering, 46(4) (2017) 19-26 (in Persian).
[19] M. Farzaneh-Gord, R. Ghezelbash, M. Sadi, A.J. Moghadam, Integration of vertical ground-coupled heat pump into a conventional natural gas pressure drop station: Energy, economic and CO2 emission assessment, Energy, 112 (2016) 998-1014.
[20] A. Arabkoohsar, M. Farzaneh-Gord, M. Deymi-Dashtebayaz, L. Machado, R.N.N. Koury, A new design for natural gas pressure reduction points by employing a turbo expander and a solar heating set, Renewable Energy, 81 (2015) 239-250.
[21] E. Ashouri, F. Veysi, E. Shojaeizadeh, M. Asadi, The minimum gas temperature at the inlet of regulators in natural gas pressure reduction stations (CGS) for energy saving in water bath heaters, Journal of Natural Gas Science and Engineering, 21 (2014) 230-240.
[22] S. Sanaye, A. Mohammadi Nasab, Modeling and optimizing a CHP system for natural gas pressure reduction plant, Energy, 40(1) (2012) 358-369.
[23] A. Bejan, Advanced engineering thermodynamics, John Wiley & Sons, 2016.
[24] R.K. Shah, D.P. Sekulic, Fundamentals of heat exchanger design, John Wiley & Sons, 2003.
[25] A. Bejan, Entropy generation minimization: the method of thermodynamic optimization of finite-size systems and finite-time processes, CRC press, 2013.
[26] A. Bejan, G. Tsatsaronis, M. Moran, Thermal design and optimization, John Wiley & Sons, 1996.
[27] A. Lazzaretto, G. Tsatsaronis, SPECO: A systematic and general methodology for calculating efficiencies and costs in thermal systems, Energy, 31(8) (2006) 1257-1289.
[28] A. Bejan, Convection Heat Transfer, Wiley, 2013.
[29] S.A. Klein, Engineering Equation Solver (EES), in: https://fchartsoftware.com/ees (Ed.) Professional V10.561 - 3D, 2018.
[30] D. Dasgupta, Z. Michalewicz, Evolutionary Algorithms in Engineering Applications, Springer, 1997.
[31] L. eNom, Global Petrol Prices, in:  Iran fuel prices, electricity prices, natural gas prices, https://www.globalpetrolprices.com/Iran/, 2022, pp. [Accessed September 10, 2022].
[32] K. Hitesh, Carbon Steel Pipe Price List, in:  Price of Carbon Steel Seamless Pipe including ASTM A106 Grade B, ASTM A53 Gr.B, API 5L, https://www.tridentsteel.co.in/carbon-steel-pipe-price-list.html, 2022, pp. [Accessed September 10, 2022].
[33] K. Deb, A. Pratap, S. Agarwal, T. Meyarivan, A fast and elitist multiobjective genetic algorithm: NSGA-II, IEEE transactions on evolutionary computation, 6(2) (2002) 182-197.
[34] C. Moler, MATrix LABoratory (MATLAB), in: https://www.mathworks.com/matlab (Ed.) Professional R2016a (9.0.0.341360), 2016.
[35] OGI, Oil, Gas, and Industrial Process Equipment Incorporated, in:  TERI brand, Horizontal Natural Draft, https://www.ogipe.com/product-item/horizontal-natural-draft/, 2019, pp. [Accessed April 19, 2019].