Optimization of combined algorithms control electric drives of installations natural gas cooling

Abstract

The relevance of the problem of reducing energy consumption by electric drives of natural gas cooling units at compressor stations of main gas pipelines is substantiated. The possibility of solving this problem with the help of a combined control system containing two groups of gas air cooling devices is considered: with continuously and discretely controlled speed of electric fan drives. An algorithm for control that is optimal according to the criterion of maximum power savings is obtained, taking into account the peculiarities of temperature distribution along the length of the heat exchanger of the cooling apparatus. It is shown that under conditions of restrictions on control actions, the optimal control algorithm consists of several intervals. Relationships were obtained for calculating the optimal speed of electric fan drives of the first group, the number of switched on electric fan drives of devices of the second group, and power savings at individual control intervals. The influence of the number of devices with continuous fan speed control on the amount of power savings was assessed. The possibility of using a simplified methodology for assessing energy savings based on average indicators of the operating mode of a cooling installation is discussed.