Calnetix Technologies to present and exhibit at ASME Turbo Expo in Phoenix

Calnetix Technologies will exhibit and present a paper on turboexpander generators for natural gas pressure letdown (PLD) with Baker Hughes, a GE company (BHGE) at the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Turbomachinery Technical Conference and Exposition from June 18-20

Calnetix's Lead Engineer for Magnetic Bearings Control Rasish Khatri will present a paper entitled, "Design and Prototype Test Data for a 300 kW Active Magnetic Bearing (AMB) Supported Turbine Generator for Natural Gas Pressure Letdown" on June 18. The paper is co-authored by Calnetix's Director of Technology for Magnetic Bearings Larry Hawkins, and BHGE's Principal Engineer Massimiliano Ortiz Neri, Senior Engineer Francesco Cangioli and Aerodynamics Lead Engineer Davide Biliotti.

The paper describes the design and analysis of the turboexpander generator, magnetic bearings and touchdown bearings with a focus on the dynamic performance and key characteristics of the generator loaded expander.

The turboexpander generator developed by BHGE in conjunction with Calnetix consists of a 300-kW radial inflow turbine equipped with a fully integrated and sealed high-speed generator for natural gas pressure letdown. The turboexpander extracts energy from the pressure reduction at the various stages of gas distribution and allows for the generation of electricity with no added pollution or energy output.

"Together with our OEM partner BHGE, this year, we designed and commissioned a fully-sealed turboexpander generator levitated on Calnetix's active magnetic bearings at a natural gas PLD station in Bologna, Italy," said Calnetix's CEO Vatche Artinian. "Based on preliminary design metrics, this PLD turboexpander will enable a potential energy recovery of 1,600,000 kWh per year and a potential reduction in process gas consumption by 30,000 cubic meters per year."

In addition to the paper presentation, Calnetix will be showcasing its subsidiary Access Energy's Carefree Integrated Power Module™ (IPM), which consists of a high-speed turboexpander used in ORC systems, as well as a Calnetix designed compressor system on magnetic bearings at booth #400. The Turbo Expo is in its 64th year of bringing together the best and brightest experts from around the world to share the latest in turbine technology, research, development and application in gas turbines, steam turbines, wind turbines, fans/blowers, Rankine cycle and supercritical CO2.