Improve energy efficiency using hydraulic power recovery turbines

The application of the Paris Agreement, which aims to reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions, in the chemical process industries (CPI) involves the study and employment of alternatives to improve energy efficiency and reduce emissions in an energy intensive sector. A significant amount of energy can be recovered by employing hydraulic power-recovery turbines (HPRT) where the fluid is incompressible (liquids), or expanders where the fluid is compressible (gases). In these devices, the energy recovered in pressure reduction, which would otherwise be lost in throttling, is transformed to rotational mechanical energy, which can then be used to directly drive another rotating machine, or an electrical generator. Even with low electricity prices, HPRT and expander technologies have advanced, representing reliable, economically feasible solutions to reduce power consumption and emissions from the CPI. The main types and components of HPRT are discussed, along with how an operations manager, consultant or energy auditor in the CPI can assess the economic and environmental benefits of a potential HPRT installation.