Stuart Blackburn, Product Management Director at 

, discusses his company, evolving market trends and what constitutes a good filter for gas turbines.

AAF International was founded in 1921 and specializes in air filtration across residential, industrial and commercial applications. Founded in Louisville, Kentucky, it now has office and manufacturing 

gas turbine (GT) air inlet filtration market

, suitable for all GT technologies across a wide range of applications and environments. The focus of the business is to ensure GT owners and operators can extract the maximum plant performance, availability and reliability by using optimized air inlet filtration systems.

As well as upgrading existing installations, AAF supplies OEMs with new equipment, including air inlet filtration systems, inlet heating and cooling, acoustic enclosures and exhaust systems.

What trends have you noticed with regard to filtration?

There is a growing need for inlet filter system optimization. GT air inlet systems present far higher levels of complexity and individuality than previously appreciated. Owners and operators have begun to understand the benefits available from optimizing these systems to improve performance, availability and reliability, while reducing operating costs and CO2 emissions.

Solutions need to be individual, and based on operational requirements and environmental conditions. A tailored approach increases inlet air quality, reduces offline water washing frequency and reduces GT maintenance spend.

What changes have you observed in the GT marketplace?

Customers are moving away from traditional F-grade filters and upgrading to 

. Their positive impacts outweigh initial filter supply costs.

The higher the operating hours, the more likely you are to see the greatest benefit. But it is dependent on the plant’s contractual arrangements. Overall, high-efficiency filters have grown in popularity and low cost, low-performance filters are viewed as a false economy.

What advice would you pass on to GT users? 

Air inlet filters represent the largest consumable spend on a GT power plant outside of the hot section. This makes them a high priority for spend reduction initiatives.

The benefits derived from optimizing filter systems can be many multiples of the filter cost. Therefore, don’t be fixated on filter cost. Instead, focus on total cost of ownership (TCO), by taking into account performance, longevity, GT maintenance and other factors.

Also, be sure to understand environmental operating conditions: do you have periods of high dust concentration or high humidity, extreme temperature or driving rain, seasonal pollen or insect swarms, high levels of industrial pollution or a high concentration of hydrocarbons? For example, regular early morning fog requires a filtration system that can remove moisture without spikes in differential pressure.

The filter efficiency grade and the filter media are significant features, as well as how the filter deals with varying environmental conditions, and how the construction of the filter affects performance. GTs consume large volumes of air every second. Therefore, a well-designed filter frame and faceguard (or protective screen) add much more than just strength.

Shutdowns, restarts and changing operating conditions lead to large variations in the airflow through the filter system. These turbulent conditions can result in distortion and weakening of the filter over time. A high-strength GT filter supports both the media pack and the filter frame, eliminating the risk of distortion of the filter and deflection of the media pack. This results in extended stable filter life, for optimum performance and protection.

Tell our readers about one of your products 

 has a larger media area for higher dust holding capacity. It is designed to maximize protection for GT turbine performance and power output. Its (H)EPA efficiency reduces compressor fouling and the need for offline water washing, resulting in increased machine availability and reduced operational costs.

The frame and protection screen prevent distortion of the media pack over its lifespan. The media repels water, oil, hydrocarbons and salt. Efficient drainage ensures performance is maintained and the GT remains protected, even during moist and humid conditions.

What other products and services do you offer? 

AAF Optimize is a new web-based platform to help operators understand TCO. It contains details on over 33,000 GTs around the world. Based on site location, it can understand environmental challenges and weather data. An operator enters operating data to establish existing TCO and to evaluate how this figure could be improved with better filtration.

What changes have you noticed in the oil & gas market?

In the oil and gas industry, there remains a limited amount of capex spend so operators are keen to find filtration solutions without a major overhaul. Ambient air offshore is heavily contaminated with sea salt aerosols, salt in solution, fog and mist.

Industrial processes such as drilling, grit blast, and mud burn, as well as GT and supply-vessel exhaust fumes further contaminate the air. High velocity (smaller) air inlet filtration systems that use low efficiency bag filters are the norm offshore.

However, these bag filters provide inadequate protection against highly contaminated ambient air. The result is air compressor blade fouling, corrosion, erosion and frequent offline water washing. The AAF N-hance filter provides EPA E12 efficiency and can be retrofitted internally within the existing filter housing with no increase in differential pressure.

Articles

Q&A: What constitutes the ideal inlet air filter?

NEW LNG TERMINALS, SKYROCKETING ORDERS AND WORLDWIDE PRODUCTION ARE AT RECORD LEVELS

) is in the midst of a global boom. Import and export terminals are being added across the world. Orders for equipment are flooding in. New, state-of-the-art mega-facilities are coming online, and worldwide production is hitting record levels year after year. There appears to be no stopping the LNG juggernaut.

Where gas is abundantly available, export terminals are being erected. Where it is in short supply, import terminals keep popping up. And the pipeline for more terminals extends well into the future.

Global demand for LNG grew by 12.5% to 359 million m.t. in 2019, according to Shell’s latest annual 

. Some 40 million m.t. of additional supply became available last year, the highest ever single year jump and a record year for investment decisions for new or expanded liquefaction capacity.

“The global market continued to evolve in 2019 with demand increasing for LNG and natural gas in power and non-power sectors,” said Maarten Wetselaar, Integrated Gas and New Energies Director, Shell. “Record supply investments will meet people’s growing need for the most flexible and cleanest-burning fossil fuel.”

Europe was the home for the majority of 2019 consumption growth. Competitively priced LNG encouraged more coal-to-gas switching in the power sector. China, too, has become an LNG consumption haven, with imports rising by 14% for the year.

“LNG demand is growing very strongly across the world,” said Fatih Birol, Executive Director, International Energy Agency (IEA). “Countries like the U.S., Canada, Qatar and Australia are making big inroads in terms of expanded LNG export capability.”

"By 2025, LNG will serve more than a quarter of worldwide demand for gas."

Natural gas consumption is expected to rise to 156 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) worldwide in 2025, according to Forecast International. By that time, LNG will serve more than a quarter of worldwide demand for gas.

This, in turn, will drive the procurement of mechanical drive machines as gas needs to be transported by pipeline to LNG export terminals and from LNG import terminals to demand centers.

 The Calcasieu Pass LNG project in Louisiana[/caption]

While smaller gas turbines (GTs) will be used in some cases, Forecast International believes in the coming decade more than half of all models sold for this purpose will be at least 7.5 MW in size. Aeroderivatives, such as the GE LM2500/2500+ and competing models from Siemens, are likely to be in demand.

Similarly, Solar Turbines has plenty of orders to replace older and smaller Solar Centaur and Taurus GTs with larger and more modern units. As a result, Forecast International predicts a 16.7% rise in sales of mechanical drive GTs delivered between 2019 and 2028, compared with the previous ten-year period.

That adds up to $23.95 billion over the decade. Whether from new pipelines or upgrades to existing compressor stations, sales of 3,294 turbines are expected for the forecast period.

Baker Hughes, for example, is dealing with the largest order backlog in its history. From the last quarter of 2018 to the end of 2019, the company was awarded 90 million m.t. per annum (MTPA) of LNG contracts.

 LNG in Louisiana. That adds up to dozens of compressors and GTs.

Hot on the heels of a best ever year, Baker Hughes received an order for six 7EA GTs and twelve centrifugal compressors for three LNG trains with a capacity of 16 MTPA of LNG for the Golden Pass LNG export facility in Sabine Pass, Texas. Golden Pass is being jointly developed by ExxonMobil and Qatar Petroleum.

Baker Hughes is also providing turbomachinery for the Calcasieu Pass LNG and the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim FLNG project. The later will consist of four trains using the PGT25+G4 aeroderivative GT to drive a centrifugal compressor.

Global energy firm Jera is a major participant in the Freeport LNG project in Texas that started commercial operation for its first liquefaction train at the end of 2019. It produces LNG for export from natural gas procured in the U.S. When all three trains at Freeport are operational, its capacity will be 15 MTPA.

Venture Global is developing several LNG projects in the U.S. This includes Plaquemines LNG in Louisiana. It consists of 18 liquefaction blocks, each with a capacity of 1.2 MTPA.

It has 200,000 cubic meter LNG storage tanks with cryogenic pipeline connections to the plant and the three docks that can host ocean-going vessels.

Each ship can pick up to 185,000 m3 per load. Its combined cycle power plant has a capacity of 611 MW. A second project phase will double the power plant’s capacity.

Venture Global is also involved in the Calcasieu Pass project, which will have nine 1.2 MTPA liquefaction blocks and two 200,000 cubic meter LNG storage tanks. There will be two 0.6 MTPA trains per block, each with an electric driver.

The combined cycle power plant will use feed gas and boil off gas to produce power to drive the electric motors of the liquefiers. A 5 x 2 GT-to-steam-turbine configuration makes maintenance easier while maintaining production.

An LM6000 aeroderivative GT will also be placed on site for startup and peaking needs. The project has 20-year LNG sale and purchase agreements with Shell, BP, Edison, Galp, Repsol and PGNiG. Additionally, Venture Global is developing the 20 MTPA Delta LNG project in Louisiana.

LNG development specialist NextDecade is working on an export terminal for Permian Basin shale gas. The 27 MTPA Rio Grande LNG facility is in Brownsville, Texas. The 4.5 Bcf/d Rio Bravo Pipeline will funnel gas from Agua Dulce, TX to the export terminal.

NextDecade hired Bechtel for engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC). The first phase of Rio Grande LNG consists of three liquefaction trains, two 180,000 cubic meter storage tanks and two marine berths.

Each liquefaction train is expected to have a capacity of up to 5.87 MTPA. Technology providers include Air Products and Baker Hughes. It should commence operations in 2023.

“Once we get the first two trains running, we can add more trains easily as the costs go down,” said Matt Schatzman, Chairman & CEO of NextDecade. “Cheniere LNG already has six trains, and we are adding a third train at the Corpus Christi LNG facility.”

The U.S. is far from the only game in town. Projects are popping up all over the globe. Jera reports projects as far apart as Africa and Canada. Jera provides receiving and storage facilities to the LNG market.

Its assets include 7.74 million cubic kiloliters of LNG tank capacity, representing 40% of the Japanese total as well as eight LNG receiving terminals. Hendrik Gordenker, Chief Global Strategist at Jera, noted that there are so many more sources of LNG than before, citing Canada and Mozambique as recent examples.

“LNG competitors include renewables, coal and pipeline gas,” Gordenker said. “New markets face a lot of investment to establish the terminals, turbomachinery and transport for LNG.”

LNG Canada, for example, is an export facility under construction in Kitimat, British Columbia. A joint venture between Royal Dutch Shell, Petronas, PetroChina, Mitsubishi and Korea Gas, it will consist of two LNG processing trains. LNG Canada represents the largest private sector investment in Canadian history. And it should be operational around 2025, according to Peter Zebedee, CEO of LNG Canada.

Extensive preparation work has been done including clearing away vegetation, dredging to allow for the large LNG carriers to berth at its jetties, and construction of a village to house 4,500 workers. It is permitted to export 28 mtpa of LNG annually.

 Dredging in the Douglas Channel in British Columbia.[/caption]

The project is part of Canada’s reaction to the shrinkage of U.S. demand for Canadian oil and gas. Canada traditionally sold almost all its natural gas to its southern neighbor. But the low price of U.S. shale gas changed everything. Now Canada’s abundant supply of natural gas is looking for new markets in Asia.

“Our advantage is that 93% of our electrical power is hydro-based and this makes for production of some of the cleanest LNG in the world,” said Zebedee. “Independent benchmarking studies show that LNG Canada will emit 50% fewer greenhouse gas emissions than the average facility, and 30% fewer than the best performing facility.”

Nigeria LNG consists of six trains capable of producing 22 mtpa of LNG. A typical train consists of GE 7EA GT drivers for Baker Hughes 3MCL horizontally split centrifugal compressors, AN200 axial compressors and 2BCL radially split centrifugal compressors. On the power generation side, the train uses four GE Frame 6B GTs.

The company boasts 23 ships that delivered close to 5,000 cargoes to date. It currently has 200 Tcf (trillion cubic feet) of proven reserves with the potential for up to 600 Tcf ― lots of room for expansion in Nigeria. Thus, a seventh train is under development to bring annual production capacity to 30 mtpa.

Tony Attah, CEO of Nigeria LNG, said his company has reduced gas flaring from 65% to less than 20% with more work being done to bring it down further.

Oman LNG operates three liquefaction trains with a capacity of 10.4 MTPA. The company is adding a new gas engine-driven power plant by MAN Energy Solutions. Oman LNG recently inked a deal to supply 1.1 MTPA of LNG to BP Singapore for seven years.

Australia has been a star in the LNG world for some time. It is on track to surpass Qatar as the world’s top exporter. Australia’s capacity is around 11.4 Bcfd (billion cubic feet per day), following eight big LNG projects coming online since 2012: Wheatstone, Ichthys, Pluto, Gorgon, Queensland Curtis, Gladstone, Australia Pacific and Prelude. Gorgon, off the northwest coast, for example, produces 15.6 MTPA of LNG via three trains.

Hitoshi Okawa, Executive Vice President Australia for Japanese oil & gas company Inpex, the developer of the Ichthys LNG project, said his company is backing LNG and natural gas as a long-term and fundamental solution for the low-carbon economy.

As a result, the company is shifting its portfolio from oil to gas. It used to hold 80% oil and 20% gas. It has reduced its oil holdings to 60% and is aiming for 50%.

“Without gas and LNG, we won’t have growth,” said Okawa.

Mark Gvetvay, CFO of Russian natural gas producer Novatek, touted Russia as being highly gasified yet having a low carbon footprint. Natural gas is far more than a short-term transition fuel, he says.

His company is involved in building more infrastructure to support rapid expansion of Asian markets which currently lack the capacity to store LNG. This includes Arctic LNG 2 in Siberia, due to open around 2023.

Once operational, Arctic LNG 2 will have a production capacity of almost 20 MTPA. Novatek is working with Italy’s Saipem to build offshore platforms for Arctic LNG 2. Train two and three of Yamal LNG are operational, taking that site to 16.5 MTPA.

The sheer volume of cheaper LNG coming onto the market is opening the door to LNG-fueled transportation. Nigeria LNG is using some of its natural gas reserves to provide alternatives to the wood-burning fuel prevalent in the nation.

Chart Industries, a company that has supplied cryogenic equipment for LNG to 71 countries (including cold boxes and brazed aluminum heat exchangers for Venture Global’s 10 MTPA Calcasieu Pass LNG export terminal project in Louisiana) is installing LNG fueling terminals around the world.

According to President & CEO Jill Evanko, Chart completed the installation and commissioning of Europe’s largest LNG fueling station for Alternoil on Germany’s main A1 highway. Chart’s Saturation on the Fly technology eliminates methane emissions and recognizes both spark-ignited and compression engines. This allows the station to fuel all LNG trucks, regardless of original equipment manufacturer or brand.

Further, truck maker Iveco has announced an LNG truck that can travel 1,200 km per load. And recent tightening of shipping regulations is forcing many carriers to consider switching from diesel to LNG.

Fueled by consumer, industrial and power generation consumption, LNG expansion is predicted to continue for some time. Global LNG demand is expected to double to 700 million m.t. by 2040. South and Southeast Asia are expected to generate more than half of the increased demand over the next two decades.

But even in regions avowedly anti-gas, LNG terminals multiply. The reality is that natural gas is in high demand, and LNG is often the easiest way to get it to these markets.

“The LNG market is growing and that will continue for a long time to come,” said Mike Sabel, Co- Founder & Co-CEO and Founder, Venture Global. “The current growth potential is greatly underestimated.” ■

No Stopping the LNG Juggernaut

TOP TRENDS INCLUDE SOFTWARE-AS-A-SERVICE, INTERNET OF THINGS AND DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

Compressor monitoring and controls are critical for optimizing the performance of compressors widely used across the oil & gas, refining, chemical and petrochemical industries.

Economic drivers include the growing demand for energy, improving compressor efficiency and increasing production of compressor-related products.

Further drivers include emerging Industrial Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled tools, such as advanced analytics, machine learning, and enhanced communications to enable remote monitoring of compressors and other complex rotating equipment. These will help users realize greater performance, higher compressor uptime, and lower maintenance costs.

In addition to greenfield installations, many legacy control systems will require upgrades to extend the life of the compressor. These upgrades will enhance functionality and boost their performance capability.

The marketplace for compressors and their related monitoring and controls solutions is now evolving at a face pace. Demand for service-based compressor monitoring and controls is expected to outpace that of hardware- and software-based products over the next five years as a growing number of operators and end users decide to outsource some or all of their compressor monitoring and controls.

This is typically known as Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) or Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS). SaaS is a model where the user buys a subscription-based license. The software itself is hosted in the cloud. Benefits include little or no upfront costs and no need to maintain the software as that is taken care of by the provider.

Most vendors in this space focus on compressor controls. But expect to see more robust growth for systems that have a primary function of monitoring as users seek to leverage Industrial IoT-enabled solutions for asset performance management and compressor optimization.

Most companies today employ on-premise compressor monitoring and controls. A small fraction are hosted by their compressor OEM via a remote service program. The latter segment will experience solid growth.

Similarly, there will be robust growth for the currently tiny share deployed via the cloud. Users are overcoming their fears about operating in the cloud and beginning to embrace the benefits of lower total cost of ownership, more flexible operations, and access to the world-class security and analytics of companies, such as Microsoft, AWS and Google.

The advent of smart, connected compressors is opening the doors to new business models. Suppliers can now become providers of services, such as compressed air-as-a-service or natural gas compression. Many are already offering remote monitoring and control services as users struggle to do more with fewer personnel.

Industrial IoT-enabled tools can provide business and operational value across many areas. However, rotating equipment, such as compressors, turbines and pumps, represents the lowest hanging fruit for operators and end users.

Compressor monitoring and controls solutions are increasingly being updated with new features to fulfill market demands and increase their value proposition. Smart Industrial IoT-connected compressors provide opportunities to increase operational efficiency from the plant floor (or the platform) to the supply chain by optimizing data, information and analytics. In the centrifugal compressor space, for example, monitoring and control packages are focusing on several areas:

• Pushing out performance of the surge line

• Using analytics to help optimize centrifugal compressor performance and increase or extend the life of the compressor.

Data gathering and communication capabilities via standard networking technologies are built-in features of some compressor monitoring and controls solutions. With the Industrial IoT, smart compressors could improve industrial processes. This, in turn, would drive the use of more automation.

In addition, the Industrial IoT offers opportunities to apply new kinds of business models that will promote growth. Suppliers in this space may start selling contract compression services along with compressor hardware or could partner with compressor manufacturers or packagers to offer remote monitoring and control services for a monthly or yearly fee.

As the shift to LNG from oil grows and demand for natural gas grows, the need for compression will increase. Downstream manufacturing operations have become increasingly dependent upon the performance and availability of compressors.

To increase availability, monitoring and controls providers need to incorporate technological innovations, such as Industrial IoT, to increase reliability, optimize load control, and ― for centrifugal compressors ― operate closer to their maximum designed performance or surge line.

Continuing innovation in sensors, embedded control algorithms and predictive condition monitoring are critical to the future of smarter compressors. Some users are specifying future-proof compressor monitoring and controls that are Industrial IoT-ready.

In addition, the growing adoption of cloud- and edge-based solutions will help optimize compressor performance. Digitally enabled approaches that leverage artificial intelligence, machine learning, enhanced communications and software can go a long way towards realizing operational excellence.■

 is Senior Analyst at ARC Advisory Group in Dedham, Massachusetts, a company specializing in technology market research firm for industry, manufacturing, infrastructure and cities. For more information on ARC’s recently published Compressor Monitoring & Controls Market Analysis Report, contact tshea@arcweb.com

Compressor monitoring and control

A campaign is afoot to marginalize natural gas in the nation’s energy mix. We mentioned it in the 

 from our Jan/Feb 2020 issue Can Natural Gas Generation Survive? The numbers cited by analysts in that article don’t support the move away from natural gas generation any time soon. Yet the propaganda continues. And it is being actively spread to utilities and the general public.

“Renewables like wind and solar, complemented by flexible zero-carbon resources like storage and demand response, are already providing the same reliability services and energy as new natural gas plants at lower cost,” stated Mike O’Boyle, director of electricity policy at advocacy group Energy Innovation. “New gas infrastructure is increasingly likely to become stranded — the natural gas ‘bridge’ must end now if investors want to avoid massive stranded asset cost risk.”

The economics of this scaremongering are not backed by real world figures. The idea that grid support and grid inertia alternatives are readily and cheaply available is a fantasy. Perhaps on a small scale, under ideal conditions when the deck is stacked by regulation, someone might be able to make a limited case. But states like California need thousands of MW rapidly every night when solar power fades. It is up to natural gas to provide it.

What is most troubling is the attempt to undermine any investment in natural gas infrastructure. Planning to close a coal plant and replace it with natural gas to cut emissions by more than half? No way! How about upgrading aging natural gas plants to slash their emissions? Forget about it! And what about applying the latest seal and detection technology to reduce methane leakage by colossal amounts, and minimize methane flaring? That’s simply, “incompatible with a climate-stable future,” they say.

"Coal-to-gas switching can make huge progress in emissions reduction."

What we have, in effect, is the environmental lobby actively preventing sensible emissions reduction measures in their zeal to save the planet. If the goal is to greatly reduce and eventually eliminate emissions, coal-to-gas switching will make huge progress in that regard.

Seal up all the natural gas pipelines, get rid of flaring and you make another massive leap toward a cleaner planet. Upgrading old natural gas plants makes it possible for more renewables to be on the grid while taking emissions levels down considerably.

Meanwhile, build more wind and solar farms and continue to install storage facilities. Invest in research on hydrogen turbines and better batteries for a possible future when these alternatives are mature enough and cost effective enough for natural gas to fade into the sunset. But that’s unlikely before 2050. This bloodlust against natural gas generation is shortsighted in the extreme.

 Global power capacity by souce. Source: IEA.[/caption]

Matt Schatzman, Chairman & CEO of NextDecade, firmly believes that natural gas should stand hand in glove with renewables. “It would be a huge mistake for gas not to be front and center in energy policy,” he said at the Baker Hughes Annual Meeting in early February. “Renewables can’t replace all the coal generation around the world, but natural gas can.” You can read about the conference and the future of oil & gas in our show report on page 24.

NextDecade is engaged in LNG projects such as Cheniere LNG, which already has six large turbomachinery trains operating, as well as Corpus Christi LNG where a third train is being added. You can find out more about the global LNG boom in our cover story on page 17.

The rest of the issue includes informative articles on compressor monitoring and control, machined part measurement, addressing high sub-synchronous vibration in turboexpanders, turbine filtration, data corrections applied in turbomachinery testing, coatings and compressor startup and operation.

We missed you at the Western Turbine Users event in Long Beach due to its postponement. But we hope we get the chance to meet some of you at the Turbo Expo in the summer. Stay safe, happy and productive. ■

March/April 2020

Q&A: What constitutes the ideal inlet air filter?

No Stopping the LNG Juggernaut

Compressor monitoring and control

Propaganda versus reality