U.S. patent application number 13/502041 was filed with the patent office on 2013-08-01 for underwater compressor arrangement and underwater process fluid conveying arrangement equipped therewith.
This patent application is currently assigned to MAN Diesel &Turbo SE. The applicant listed for this patent is George Kleynhans, Claude Stalder, Roger Suter. Invention is credited to George Kleynhans, Claude Stalder, Roger Suter.
Application Number | 20130195618 13/502041 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 43038050 |
Filed Date | 2013-08-01 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130195618 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kleynhans; George ; et
al. |
August 1, 2013 |
Underwater Compressor Arrangement And Underwater Process Fluid
Conveying Arrangement Equipped Therewith
Abstract
Underwater compressor arrangement and underwater process fluid
conveying arrangement outfitted therewith. The underwater
compressor arrangement has a housing, a turbocompressor with a
compressor rotor, and a rotary drive unit with a drive rotor. The
turbocompressor and rotary drive unit are arranged in the housing,
and the compressor rotor is in rotationally driving connection with
the drive rotor. The housing is hermetically sealed with the
exception of operating connections for the turbocompressor and
rotary drive unit, The compressor rotor is rotatably supported in
the housing by a rolling element bearing arrangement.
Inventors: |
Kleynhans; George; (Buelach,
CH) ; Suter; Roger; (Zuerich, CH) ; Stalder;
Claude; (Gossau, CH) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Kleynhans; George
Suter; Roger
Stalder; Claude |
Buelach
Zuerich
Gossau |
|
CH
CH
CH |
|
|
Assignee: |
MAN Diesel &Turbo SE
Augsburg
DE
|
Family ID: |
43038050 |
Appl. No.: |
13/502041 |
Filed: |
July 28, 2010 |
PCT Filed: |
July 28, 2010 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/DE2010/050052 |
371 Date: |
August 6, 2012 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
415/110 ;
415/122.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F04D 25/0686 20130101;
F04D 29/063 20130101; F04D 27/001 20130101; F04D 7/00 20130101;
F04D 13/0653 20130101; F04D 25/0606 20130101; F04D 29/5846
20130101; F04D 29/059 20130101; F04D 13/086 20130101; F04D 27/0261
20130101; F04D 17/122 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
415/110 ;
415/122.1 |
International
Class: |
F04D 7/00 20060101
F04D007/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Oct 13, 2009 |
DE |
10 2009 045 633.3 |
Claims
1-19. (canceled)
20. An underwater compressor arrangement for compressing a process
fluid, comprising: a hermetically sealed housing; a rotary drive
unit with a drive rotor arranged in the housing; a turbocompressor
with a compressor rotor arranged in the housing in rotational
driving connection with the drive rotor; and a rolling element
bearing arrangement arranged in the housing configured to rotatably
support the compressor rotor.
21. The underwater compressor arrangement according to claim 20,
wherein the rolling element bearing comprises at least one of ball
bearings, roller bearings, and needle bearings.
22. The underwater compressor arrangement according to claim 20,
wherein the rotary drive unit is arranged such that a maximum
rotational speed determined for a fatigue strength of the rolling
element bearing arrangement is not exceeded during rotational
driving of the compressor rotor.
23. The underwater compressor arrangement according to claim 20,
further comprising a shared rotor shaft by which the compressor
rotor and the drive rotor are in direct rotationally driving
connection with one another.
24. The underwater compressor arrangement according to claim 20,
further comprising: a maintenance device configured to ensure at
least one of a lubrication and a cooling of the rolling element
bearing arrangement, wherein at least one of a liquid and a gas is
provided as an operating medium for the one of the lubricating and
the cooling of the rolling element bearing arrangement.
25. The underwater compressor arrangement according to claim 24,
wherein the medium for the at least one of the lubricating and the
cooling of the rolling element bearing arrangement is a
methanol-ethanol-glycol mixture.
26. The underwater compressor arrangement according to claim 25,
wherein the maintenance device is arranged to supply the operating
medium for the at least one of the lubricating and the cooling of
the rolling element bearing arrangement to the rolling element
bearing arrangement via the process fluid to be compressed.
27. The underwater compressor arrangement according to claim 26,
wherein the turbocompressor is configured to process natural gas as
process fluid to be compressed.
28. The underwater compressor arrangement according to claim 20,
further comprising a vibration monitoring unit configured to
monitor vibrations in the rolling element bearing arrangement with
respect to at least one of amplitude and frequency of the
vibrations.
29. The underwater compressor arrangement according to claim 28,
wherein the vibration monitoring unit is configured to transmit
monitoring data reproducing the one of the amplitude and the
frequency of the vibrations to an above-water position remote from
the underwater compressor arrangement.
30. An underwater process fluid conveying arrangement comprising:
an underwater compressor arrangement having: a hermetically sealed
housing; a rotary drive unit with a drive rotor arranged in the
housing; a turbocompressor with a compressor rotor arranged in the
housing in rotational driving connection with the drive rotor; and
a rolling element bearing arrangement arranged in the housing
configured to rotatably support the compressor rotor; a feed line
by which a process fluid source is fluidically connected to a
process fluid inlet of the turbocompressor of the underwater
compressor arrangement to supply the process fluid to the
turbocompressor from the process fluid source; and a discharge line
by which a process fluid receiver is fluidically connected to a
process fluid outlet of the turbocompressor of the underwater
compressor arrangement so that compressed process fluid is supplied
to the process fluid receiver from the turbocompressor, wherein at
least the process fluid source and the underwater compressor
arrangement are arranged below a water surface of a body of
water.
31. The underwater process fluid conveying arrangement according to
claim 30, wherein the process fluid receiver has a storage space
configured to receive compressed process fluid.
32. The underwater process fluid conveying arrangement according to
claim 31, wherein the process fluid receiver is arranged below the
water surface of the body of water.
33. The underwater process fluid conveying arrangement according to
claim 32, wherein the process fluid receiver is a cavern.
34. The underwater process fluid conveying arrangement according to
claim 31, wherein the process fluid receiver is arranged above the
water surface of the body of water.
35. The underwater process fluid conveying arrangement according to
claim 34, wherein the process fluid receiver is one of a ship and a
production platform.
36. The underwater process fluid conveying arrangement according to
claim 35, wherein the process fluid source is a borehole in the
underwater ground.
37. The underwater process fluid conveying arrangement according to
claim 30, wherein the process fluid is natural gas.
38. The underwater process fluid conveying arrangement according to
claim 30, wherein the operating medium for at least one of
lubricating and cooling of the rolling element bearing arrangement
of the turbocompressor of the underwater compressor arrangement is
a methanol-ethanol-glycol mixture injected into the process fluid
at the process fluid source.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This is a U.S. national stage of application No.
PCT/DE2010/050052, filed on 28 Jul. 2010. Priority is claimed on
German Application No. 10 2009 045 633.3 filed 13 Oct. 2009 the
content of which is incorporated here by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The invention is directed to an underwater compressor
arrangement and an underwater process fluid conveying arrangement
outfitted with an underwater compressor arrangement.
[0004] 2. Description of Prior Art
[0005] An underwater compressor arrangement or subsea compressor
arrangement in the form of a HOFIM Sealed (High Speed Oil Free
Integrated Motor compressor) available from MAN Turbo AG is
described on pages 24-25 of the magazine "MANforum", issue 01/2007,
from the MAN Group.
[0006] FIG. 1 shows an underwater compressor arrangement 1' of this
kind having a high-frequency electric motor 10' as a rotary drive
unit and two turbocompressors 30' which are each in direct rational
driving connection with the high-frequency motor 10' via a shared
rotor shaft 20'. The high-frequency motor 10', rotor shaft 20', and
two turbocompressors 30' are combined and arranged in a housing
40', which is hermetically closed with the exception of operating
connections for the turbocompressors 30' (e.g., process fluid inlet
31' and process fluid outlet 32') and the high-frequency motor 10'
(e.g., power supply 11'). The shared rotor shaft 20' is supported
in the housing 40' by a plurality of electrically operated magnetic
bearings 21'.
[0007] The underwater compressor arrangement 1' shown in FIG. 1 can
be used for moving process fluids, e.g., natural gas, into and out
of storage in a process fluid receiver such as an intermediate
storage. So-called caverns for example, cavities in depleted
natural gas fields or tanks arranged below or above sea level, can
be used as intermediate storages. Therefore, the underwater
compressor arrangement 1' can advantageously be used, e.g., for
natural gas extraction, on the open sea, e.g., by platforms or
ships.
[0008] Since the pressure in a borehole in developed natural-gas
fields continuously decreases until normal conveying is impossible,
it is scarcely possible to fully exploit the gas reserves in such
natural-gas fields. With the underwater compressor arrangement 1',
which can raise the pressure after the borehole to a desired value,
natural-gas fields located up to 3000 meters below seal level can
be fully exploited. Accordingly, the completely outwardly sealed
housing 40' of the underwater compressor arrangement 1' makes this
underwater compressor arrangement 1' ideally suited for conveying
directly at the borehole on the sea floor, i.e., for subsea
applications. To this end, the underwater compressor arrangement 1'
is sunk and is connected to an undersea pipeline and conveying
robots.
[0009] The rotor shaft 20' of the underwater compressor arrangement
1' is rotatably mounted in the housing 40' by electrically operated
magnetic bearings 21', which must be controlled by one or more
electronic control devices (not shown in FIG. 1) as is described,
e.g., in WO 97/13986 A1, e.g., referring to FIGS. 1 and 6, or in EP
1 069 313 B1, e.g., referring to FIG. 4.
[0010] Further details on magnetic bearing technology and on the
use of underwater compressor arrangements are also described in
Lecture Notes 2009, "Theorie and Praxis der
Magnetlagertechnik--eine kurze Einfuhrung" by R. Schob,
Eidgenossischen Technischen Hochschule Zurich.
[0011] In the case of a natural gas-compressing underwater
compressor arrangement on the sea floor, a MTBF (Mean Time Between
Failure) of five years is required. However, magnetic bearings with
electronic control devices have a digital failure behavior; that is
to say, a stoppage or outage of the entire underwater compressor
arrangement due to failure of the magnetic bearings that takes
place without prior warning. In the case of an underwater
compressor arrangement, this means that the underwater compressor
arrangement must be hoisted from the sea floor at a moment's notice
by a ship's crane, which can be very time-consuming due to
preparation of the ship's crane. Further, additional costs and
damages can occur due to the sudden outage of the underwater
compressor arrangement.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0012] It is an object of one embodiment of the invention to
provide an underwater compressor arrangement in which a sudden
outage of the bearing support can be prevented for the most part.
The invention further provides an underwater process fluid
conveying arrangement outfitted with an underwater compressor.
[0013] According to first aspect of the invention, an underwater
compressor arrangement for compressing a process fluid has a
housing, a turbocompressor with a compressor rotor, and a rotary
drive unit with a drive rotor, and the turbocompressor and rotary
drive unit are arranged in the housing, and the compressor rotor is
in rotationally driving connection with the drive rotor, the
housing is hermetically sealed with the exception of operating
connections for the turbocompressor and rotary drive unit, and the
compressor rotor is rotatably mounted in the housing by a rolling
element bearing arrangement.
[0014] The rotary drive unit is preferably formed by an electric
motor but can also be formed, e.g., by a fluid motor or the
like.
[0015] The rolling element bearing arrangement, according to one
embodiment of the invention, of the compressor rotor--and
preferably also of the drive rotor--prevents a digital failure
behavior in a simple and robust manner because a failure of rolling
element bearings is generally preceded by gradually increasing
vibrations in the respective bearing location. This makes it
possible for an operator of the underwater compressor arrangement
to schedule a maintenance window based on vibration trends and to
replace the underwater compressor arrangement according to schedule
in due time before a failure.
[0016] The rolling element bearing arrangement is preferably formed
by at least one, particularly a plurality of, ball bearings, roller
bearings and/or needle bearings. Bearings of this kind are
available as standard parts for a broad range of loads and can
accordingly be supplied quickly and inexpensively.
[0017] According to one embodiment of the invention, the rotary
drive unit is arranged such that a maximum rotational speed which
is determined for the fatigue strength of the rolling element
bearing arrangement is not exceeded during rotational driving of
the compressor rotor.
[0018] Turbocompressors are generally operated at rotational speeds
that are too high for standard rolling element bearings and
therefore lead to premature failure. For this reason, among others,
noncontacting magnetic bearings or hydrodynamic bearings, for
example, are used for turbocompressors in the prior art. However,
by limiting the rotational speed of the rotary drive unit to a
maximum rotational speed suited to the fatigue strength, the
fatigue strength can also be ensured for rolling element bearings.
The rotational speed can be limited, for example, by mechanically
and/or electrically as known to the person skilled in the art.
[0019] According to another embodiment of the invention, the
compressor rotor and the rotary drive unit have a shared rotor
shaft by which the compressor rotor and the rotary drive unit are
in direct rotationally driving connection with one another.
[0020] In this way, clutches and transmissions which can present
other sources of failure can advantageously be eliminated and costs
can also be lowered.
[0021] Further, according to yet another embodiment of the
invention, the underwater compressor arrangement has a maintenance
device arranged to ensure a lubrication and/or a cooling of the
rolling element bearing arrangement, and a liquid and/or a gas
are/is provided as operating media/medium (lubricant and/or
coolant) for lubricating and/or cooling the rolling element bearing
arrangement.
[0022] The operating medium for lubricating and/or cooling the
rolling element bearing arrangement is preferably a
methanol-ethanol-glycol mixture which, e.g., in order to prevent
hydrate formation at a borehole, is injected into an underwater
ground such as a sea bottom and is therefore present in large
quantities at the underwater ground.
[0023] The maintenance device is preferably arranged to supply the
operating medium for lubrication and/or cooling of the rolling
element bearing arrangement to the rolling element bearing
arrangement via the process fluid to be compressed.
[0024] Accordingly, a lubrication and/or cooling of the rolling
element bearing arrangement is substantially guaranteed in a simple
and economical manner and the life of the rolling element bearing
arrangement is additionally prolonged in this way.
[0025] According to one embodiment of the invention, the
turbocompressor is arranged to process natural gas as process fluid
to be compressed.
[0026] According to one embodiment of the invention, the underwater
compressor arrangement has a vibration monitoring unit arranged to
monitor vibrations in the rolling element bearing arrangement with
respect to amplitude and/or frequency thereof.
[0027] For example, the vibration monitoring unit can have one or
more vibration sensors at one or all bearings. Further, the
vibration monitoring unit is preferably arranged to transmit
monitoring data reproducing the amplitude and/or the frequency of
the vibrations to an above-water position remote from the
underwater compressor arrangement. This can be realized, for
example, by a cable connection or via ultrasonic waves.
[0028] An above-water position of this kind remote from the
underwater compressor arrangement can be, for example, a
corresponding receiver on a ship, on a production platform or even
on a bank of the body of water in question.
[0029] Finally, an underwater compressor arrangement or subsea
compressor unit with rolling element bearing arrangement is
provided according to one embodiment of the invention. According to
an embodiment of the invention, the turbocompressor of the
underwater compressor arrangement operates with the rolling element
bearing arrangement. According to one embodiment of the invention,
the rotor of the turbocompressor is held by rolling element bearing
arrangements. According to embodiments of the invention, the
rolling element bearings are constructed either with balls, rollers
(cylindrical or spherical), needles or the like rolling elements of
suitable materials. According to an embodiment of the invention,
the lubrication and/or cooling of the rolling elements is carried
out with liquids and/or gases. According to an embodiment of the
invention, the monitoring of the bearings is carried out.
[0030] According to a second aspect of the invention, an underwater
process fluid conveying arrangement is provided which has an
underwater compressor arrangement according to one or more or all
of the embodiment forms of the invention described above in any
conceivable combination, a process fluid source which is
fluidically connected via a feed line to a process fluid inlet of
the turbocompressor of the underwater compressor arrangement so
that process fluid can be supplied to the turbocompressor from the
process fluid source, and a process fluid receiver which is
fluidically connected via a discharge line to a process fluid
outlet of the turbocompressor of the underwater compressor
arrangement so that compressed process fluid can be supplied to the
process fluid receiver from the turbocompressor, and at least the
process fluid source and the underwater compressor arrangement are
arranged below a water surface of a body of water.
[0031] A body of water within the meaning of the invention can be a
sea or ocean, a lake, a river or a canal. If the body of water is a
sea or ocean, the water surface forms the seal level.
[0032] The underwater compressor arrangement is preferably arranged
on an underwater ground such as a sea bottom.
[0033] According to one embodiment of the invention, the process
fluid receiver has a storage space for receiving compressed process
fluid.
[0034] According to one embodiment of the invention, the process
fluid receiver is arranged below the surface of the body of
water.
[0035] According to yet another embodiment of the invention, the
process fluid receiver is formed by a cavern.
[0036] According to one embodiment of the invention, the process
fluid receiver is arranged above the surface of the body of
water.
[0037] According to yet another embodiment of the invention, the
process fluid receiver is formed by a ship or a production
platform.
[0038] According to another embodiment of the invention, the
process fluid source is formed by a borehole in the underwater
ground, e.g., a sea bottom. Naturally, the process fluid source
could also be formed, e.g., by any other suitable storage such as,
e.g., a tank arranged on the underwater ground.
[0039] According to one embodiment of the invention, the process
fluid is formed by natural gas.
[0040] According to one embodiment of the invention, the operating
medium for lubricating and/or cooling the rolling element bearing
arrangement of the turbocompressor of the underwater compressor
arrangement is formed by methanol-ethanol-glycol mixture injected
into the process fluid at the process fluid source.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0041] The invention will be described in more detail in the
following with reference to preferred embodiment forms and the
accompanying drawings. The drawings show:
[0042] FIG. 1 is a perspective view in partial section of an
underwater compressor arrangement according to the prior art;
[0043] FIG. 2 is a schematic longitudinal section through an
underwater compressor arrangement according to one embodiment of
the invention;
[0044] FIG. 3 is a schematic longitudinal section through an
underwater compressor arrangement according to one embodiment of
the invention; and
[0045] FIG. 4 is a schematic view of an underwater process fluid
conveying arrangement according to one embodiment of the
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0046] FIG. 2 shows a schematic longitudinal section through an
underwater compressor arrangement 10 for compressing a process
fluid, e.g., in this case, natural gas, according to an embodiment
form of the invention.
[0047] As can be seen from FIG. 3, the underwater compressor
arrangement 10 has a housing 100, two radial-type turbocompressors
200 each having a compressor rotor 210, and a rotary drive unit 300
constructed as an electric motor with a drive rotor 310 and a drive
stator 320.
[0048] The two turbocompressors 200, 200 and the rotary drive unit
300 are arranged in the housing 100; the two compressor rotors 210,
210 and the drive rotor 310 are in a direct rotationally driving
connection with one another via a shared rotor shaft 400.
[0049] Depending on the desired compression or the intended
compression task, a user can connect the two turbocompressors 200,
200 of the underwater compressor arrangement 10 in tandem or in
series according to process or can also operate them in parallel or
individually according to process.
[0050] The housing 100 is hermetically sealed with the exception of
operating connections (not shown in FIG. 2 but similar to process
fluid inlet 31', process fluid outlet 32' and power supply 11; see
FIG. 1) for the turbocompressors 200, 200 and the rotary drive unit
300.
[0051] The shared rotor shaft 400 which is preferably formed in one
piece is rotatably supported in the housing 100 by a rolling
element bearing arrangement so that the compressor rotors 200, 200
arranged on the rotor shaft 400 and the drive rotor 310 which is
also arranged on the rotor shaft 400 are rotatably supported in the
housing 100 by the rolling element bearing arrangement.
[0052] According to one embodiment of the invention, the rolling
element bearing arrangement has four cylindrical roller bearings
410 that provide the rotor shaft 400 with the needed radial support
as well as the needed axial support in the housing 100. Naturally,
one or more radial rolling element bearings (such as radial ball
bearings) and, additionally, one or more axial rolling element
bearings (such as axial ball bearings) could also be provided
according to embodiment forms of the invention which are not shown
in the drawings.
[0053] Further, the underwater compressor arrangement 10 has a
rotational speed control device 330 for the rotary drive unit 300.
The rotational speed control device 330 is configured in such a way
that a maximum rotational speed determined for the fatigue strength
of the rolling element bearing arrangement is not exceeded during
rotational driving of the compressor rotors 210, 210.
[0054] The rotational speed control device 330 is only shown
schematically in FIG. 2 because it can be constructed in a wide
variety of forms, e.g., as a frequency converter, a corresponding
winding configuration (e.g., pole number) of drive rotor 310 and
drive stator 320, or a mechanical speed limiter.
[0055] The underwater compressor arrangement 10 further has a
maintenance device arranged to ensure a lubrication and cooling of
the rolling element bearing arrangement; a methanol-ethanol-glycol
mixture is provided as operating medium for lubricating and cooling
the rolling element bearing arrangement and is supplied to the
rolling element bearing arrangement via the process fluid to be
compressed, e.g., in this case, natural gas. In other words,
according to one embodiment of the invention, the maintenance unit
is realized in that sealing systems have been omitted in the
underwater compressor arrangement 10 so that the process fluid
containing the operating medium can circulate around the rolling
element bearing arrangement and can therefore lubricate it and cool
it.
[0056] The underwater compressor arrangement 10 further has a
vibration monitoring unit 500 which is arranged to monitor the
amplitude and frequency of vibrations in the rolling element
bearing arrangement. More precisely stated: the vibration
monitoring unit 500 has a vibration sensor 510 for each cylindrical
roller bearing 410, and the vibration sensors 510 are
signal-coupled, respectively, with an evaluating and transmitting
unit 520.
[0057] The evaluating and transmitting unit 520 is arranged to
transmit the monitoring data reproducing the amplitude and the
frequency of the vibrations via an ultrasonic transmitter 521 to an
above-water position (see, e.g., FIG. 4) remote from the underwater
compressor arrangement 10.
[0058] FIG. 3 shows a schematic longitudinal section through an
underwater compressor arrangement 10A for compressing a process
fluid, e.g., in this case, natural gas, according to one embodiment
of the invention.
[0059] The embodiment of the underwater compressor arrangement 10A
shown in FIG. 3 is identical to the embodiment of the underwater
compressor arrangement 10 shown in FIG. 2 except for a few
differences which will be described in the following. Therefore,
only the differences will be described in the following, and the
same reference numerals are used to designate identical or similar
components.
[0060] In contrast to FIG. 2, the underwater compressor arrangement
10A according to FIG. 3 has only one individual turbocompressor
200. Further, the rolling element bearing arrangement has only
three cylindrical roller bearings 410. As a result, the underwater
compressor arrangement 10A according to FIG. 3 is somewhat shorter
in length than the underwater compressor arrangement 10 according
to FIG. 2.
[0061] FIG. 4 shows a schematic view of an underwater process fluid
conveying arrangement 1 according to an embodiment form of the
invention.
[0062] The underwater process fluid conveying arrangement 1 has an
underwater compressor arrangement 10, 10A according to FIG. 2 or
FIG. 3 and a process fluid source 20 fluidically connected via a
feed line 30 to a process fluid inlet 220 of the underwater
compressor arrangement 10, 10A or of the first turbocompressor 200
in the process so that process fluid can be supplied to the
turbocompressor 200 from the process fluid source 20.
[0063] The underwater process fluid conveying arrangement 1 further
has a process fluid receiver 50 fluidically connected via a
discharge line 40 to a process fluid outlet 230 of the underwater
compressor arrangement 10, 10A or of the last turbocompressor 200
in the process, so that compressed process fluid can be supplied to
the process fluid receiver 50 from the turbocompressor 200.
[0064] As is shown in FIG. 4, at least the process fluid source 20
and the underwater compressor arrangement 10, 10A are arranged
below the water surface 71 of a body of water 70.
[0065] The process fluid receiver 50 has a storage space 52, 54, 56
for receiving compressed process fluid.
[0066] According to a first variant shown in FIG. 4, the process
fluid receiver 50 is arranged below the water surface 71 of the
body of water 70, and the process fluid receiver 50 is formed by a
cavern 51 formed in the underwater ground 72 or by a storage tank
53 located on the underwater ground.
[0067] According to a second variant shown in FIG. 4, the process
fluid receiver 50 is arranged above the water surface 71 of the
body of water 70, and the process fluid receiver 50 is formed by a
ship 55 (or a production platform, not shown).
[0068] When the process fluid receiver 50 is formed by a ship 55,
it can have an ultrasonic receiver 57, as is shown in FIG. 4, which
can receive monitoring data sent by the ultrasonic transmitter 521
of the underwater compressor arrangement 10, 10A and transmit this
monitoring data to an on-board evaluating device (not shown).
Naturally, even if the process fluid receiver 50 is not formed by a
ship 55, a corresponding ultrasonic receiver 57 can be provided,
e.g., at a separate monitoring ship.
[0069] The process fluid source 20 is formed by a borehole in the
underwater ground 72, and natural gas is conveyed from the borehole
as process fluid.
[0070] The methanol-ethanol-glycol mixture which serves as
operating medium for lubricating and cooling the rolling element
bearing arrangement of the underwater compressor arrangement 10,
10A arranged on the underwater ground 72 is injected into the
process fluid during the conveying operation at the process fluid
source 20.
[0071] Thus, while there have shown and described and pointed out
fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a
preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood that various
omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of
the devices illustrated, and in their operation, may be made by
those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the
invention. For example, it is expressly intended that all
combinations of those elements and/or method steps which perform
substantially the same function in substantially the same way to
achieve the same results are within the scope of the invention.
Moreover, it should be recognized that structures and/or elements
and/or method steps shown and/or described in connection with any
disclosed form or embodiment of the invention may be incorporated
in any other disclosed or described or suggested form or embodiment
as a general matter of design choice. It is the intention,
therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the
claims appended hereto.
* * * * *