Storage Facility Updates Aging Compression Equipment
Modernization Leads to Facility Reliability and Efficiency for Storage and Extraction Capabilities.
Ariel Compressors Utilized for ATCO EnPower Carbon Storage Facility Updates
ATCO EnPower was looking to improve its aging compression equipment at one of its two natural gas storage facilities in Alberta, Canada, in response to the increasing demand for reliable and efficient energy storage and extraction capabilities.
The facility is located near the village of Carbon, 75 miles northeast of Calgary. It is a critical component of ATCO EnPower’s business, supporting its energy transition goals toward a sustainable future.
The plant was home to three functional but dated compressors – two separable compressors and one integral compressor – that went online in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The growing unavailability of spare parts and general maintenance issues were also important factors in their decision to modernize.
Left: ATCO's earlier equipment, installed during the 1960s and 1970s, included two separable compressors and one integral compressor. Right: The ATCO EnPower natural gas storage facility is situated near the village of Carbon in Alberta, Canada.
ATCO EnPower chose to utilize Ariel compressors and, in collaboration with Canadian packagers Bidell and Compass, supported the setup of two Ariel KBZ/6 and two Ariel JGF/6 compressors. The compressors are equipped with the latest components and feature advanced compressor monitoring and diagnostics systems.
“Switching to the new Ariel compressors increased the capacity and improved the reliability of our facility. It allows us to move gas more efficiently and pass that improvement on to our customers. It also allows us to tailor our contracts to our customers' needs, improve the reliability of our operation, and help support our customers with their needs,” states Amrit Raeewal, Operations Engineer at ATCO EnPower’s Carbon Storage Facility.
“Switching to the new Ariel compressors increased the capacity and improved the reliability of our facility. It allows us to move gas more efficiently and pass that improvement on to our customers. It also allows us to tailor our contracts to our customers' needs, improve the reliability of our operation, and help support our customers with their needs,”
STORAGE AND THEN WITHDRAWAL ON DEMAND
In a natural gas storage application, gas is compressed and stored in an underground geologic formation below the Carbon storage facility. When needed, it is then withdrawn to meet consumer demand. Once extracted, the gas is compressed, cleaned, and sent through pipelines to the consumer for power generation, heating homes and businesses, and other benefits. This demanding application process calls for a dependable compression solution.
The result: ATCO EnPower installed four Ariel compressors equipped with Ariel Smart Compressor (ASC) technology. ASC utilizes numerous sensors and harnesses that relay operating information to an onboard central processor running Ariel performance calculation methodologies. This processor provides a digital twin to assist in troubleshooting potential performance discrepancies, preventing operational disruptions such as non-reversal, vibration shutdowns, and valve failures. The compressors also feature other key components, including electronic variable clearance pockets (eVCP) and suction valve unloaders, which work together with Ariel’s ASC system to provide a reliable compressor management system with increased compressor performance.
The Ariel Smart Compressor (ASC) hardware is installed on an Ariel KBZ/6. Right: Another key component is the electronic variable clearance pockets (eVCP) technology, which enhances compressor performance in conjunction with the ASC system.
“ATCO chose to go with newer technology, partly because of the application. In a storage withdrawal application, the operating conditions are always changing. If you're injecting gas, the suction pressure is constant, but the discharge pressure is always rising. If you're removing gas from the reservoir, the discharge pressure is approximately constant, but the suction pressure is constantly falling. Your goal is a wide operating envelope instead of the fixed design point of most other compressor installations. Having things like eVCPs and suction valve unloaders gave them the flexibility they needed to operate over that wider range,” states Walter Loeppky, Ariel’s New Unit Sales Manager for Canada.
ARIEL PERFORMANCE PROGRAM
Before proceeding with the removal of the existing integrals, Bidell and Compass conducted an extensive analysis to identify the specific frames, cylinders, and flow requirements needed for the ATCO EnPower storage application. Both packagers used the Ariel Performance Program, Ariel's desktop compressor sizing software solution, to assist in compressor and component selection and ensure the best application criteria for the project. The Performance Program software is tailored to optimize compression efficiency, enhance performance, and ensure reliability for customers sizing equipment for their compression projects. The sizing program is often the first step in compressor selection for any given application.
“The Performance Program was fundamental in being able to determine what we required for unloading and loading steps for both the injection and extraction processes that our client was using this compressor for,” explains Kerry Nussbaumer, Project Management Supervisor at Compass Energy Systems Ltd. of Canada. Nussbaumer added, “The utilities and tools allow us to size the equipment and package it. The support that we get from Ariel… it doesn't exist with anyone else.”
ARIEL: THE SOLUTION FOR INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS
Replacing aging equipment with Ariel compressors enabled ATCO EnPower's storage facility to meet its delivery commitments and more. The packagers also successfully ensured that the design solution fit within the existing buildings and on the existing pads as per ATCO EnPower's requirements. “Bidell had the additional constraint of fitting the KBZ6 units into the space previously occupied by the old compressors. Ariel’s sizing program, with access to drawings, was helpful in the process,” said Long Ta, Account Manager for Bidell Gas Compression.
The proposal, which included four Ariel compressors, was engineered with minimal modifications, perfectly aligning with ATCO EnPower's needs.
“We increased our flexibility. We went from three machines to four, which allowed us the flexibility in volumes that we were asked to produce – withdrawing or injecting,” stated Michael Ratzlaff, Operations Supervisor for ATCO EnPower Carbon Storage Facility. “It allowed us to move more volume than before and also be more flexible in the pressures that we were able to attain.”
“We increased our flexibility. We went from three machines to four, which allowed us the flexibility in volumes that we were asked to produce – withdrawing or injecting.”
