Turbomachinery International: September/October 2024

The September/October 2024 issue of Turbomachinery International examines the evolution of the global energy landscape and how recent projections and industry updates highlight the dynamic shifts within the natural gas sector. The Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis estimates that LNG production capacity will increase by 40% in the next five years—the fastest capacity growth in the history of the global LNG industry. Our cover story—The Global LNG Market: The Rise of LNG Production—takes a deep dive into the global LNG market, including trends, newsworthy happenings, and commentary from a few industry folks on the market and the recent halt to the Department of Energy’s LNG export pause.

In tandem with our cover story on LNG is a Product Spotlight that introduces Baker Hughes’ modular LNG solution for mid-scale gas liquefaction: NMBL. In contrast to traditional large-scale liquefaction plants, mid-scale solutions based on multiple smaller modular trains represent an important innovation for the industry. Other innovations are discussed in our show report from Turbo Expo 2024. Speakers and panelists weigh in on the role of gas turbines in a sustainable energy future as new fuels are introduced, technology gaps are satisfied, and market dynamics are considered. To look back at our complete coverage, visit turbomachinerymag.com/conference.

Also in this issue, Abdullah Sofiany from Aramco lays out several case studies demonstrating how machine learning techniques offer real-time anomaly detection that proactively identifies potential failures in turbomachinery. “The introduction of machine learning algorithms offers a promising solution to enhance predictive maintenance strategies and mitigate the shortcomings of conventional monitoring approaches,” Sofiany said. “By leveraging real-time operational data and advanced analytics, machine learning models can accurately identify subtle deviations in vibration patterns, even below alarm thresholds, enabling early detection of developing anomalies.”

In Modernization for Ammonia Syngas Trains with Steam Turbine Drives, Siemens Energy shares insights into the modernization of syngas trains at ammonia plants. As these plants age—many in the United States are older than 50 years—modernizing syngas trains is vital due to their significant impact on overall plant efficiency, production capacity, and operating expenses.

Amin Almasi tackles compressors with side streams, a challenging class of turbomachines, as he says, in his bi-monthly column Turbo Tips. And in part one of the Myth Busters’ two-part column on centrifugal compressor maps, the duo covers the basic physics of constant speed head-flow performance lines. I hope you have a great autumn.

Click here to view the September/October 2024 issue.