Development and testing of a prototype AGNKS BK-75 vehicle gas refueling compressor station

Abstract

Studies conducted by the OAO Kompressor on the development of the AGNKS BK-75 in a modular containerized-unit design calculated for the refueling of 75 vehicles per day were reported at international scientific-technical symposiums and conferences on compressor equipment in 1995 and 1996.A prototype AGNKS BK-75 was fabricated in 1996 in cooperation with the OAO Borkhimmash (Borisoglebsk, Voronezh Oblast) in accordance with building instructions developed by OAO Kompressor. Testing of the station began in January 1997 on a test bench developed by OAO Union Borkhimmash. Previously, the station had been adjusted.initially on air, and it has operated on natural gas since August 1997, providing for the refueling of vehicles equipped with gas cylinders.Preliminary testing of the station was completed in November 1997, and it has undergone acceptance testing. The OAO Kompressor and Borkhimmash set about tooling up for the production of experimental-commercial consignments of the AGNKS BK-75 station simultaneously with the acceptance testing. Delivery of the first series of stations is scheduled for the end of 1998 and beginning of 1999.The station can be connected to trunk gas lines and gas-supply networks, wells of small gas fields, sources of mine gas, etc., and is intended for a dense urban setting, small cities, sites at large establishments, and major highways (Fig. I). The area occupied by the containerized-block station is 50 m 2 with allowance for contiguous zones of -450 m 2 in accordance with the PI~U (without the approach ramps and the zones where gas-filling heads are located).The station consists of separate containerized units: inlet cocks, containerized production units (CPU), containerized accumulator units (CAU), and containerized operator units (COU), and an informational-management system with gas-refueling heads. Inlet filters and a moisture separator, a piston compressor driven off an internal-combustion gas engine (ICGE) with gas-cooling systems, a gas-cleaning and -drying unit, pipelines, and pipeline fittings, an automated control system for the station, a universal-exchange ventilation system, and an automated fire-fighting system are located in the CPU.The modular containerized-unit design and total plant readiness of the station ensures its rapid assembly and the possibility of operation at open sites in climatic zones where the temperature ranges from --45~ to +45~ and also in regions with a six-point seismicity as measured on the Richter scale. Use of the ICGE for the compressor drive makes it possible to lower operating expenditures for energy by a factor of two to three and reduce the consumption of electric power from external power grids to 20 kW.A small gas-piston crosshead compressor with a gas-filled casing (Fig. 2), a unit for the drying and cleaning of compressed gas (Fig. 3), and an automated control system for the stati.on were developed during the course of work conducted by OAO Kompressor on the building of a station based on series-produced high-pressure air compressors.In conn...