Design and Analysis of a Multiphase Turbine for Compact Gas-Liquid Separation

The rotary separator turbine (RST) uses unique technology to provide compact separation of oil and gas while recovering energy wasted in conventional pressure-reduction operations. The technology has been used for industrial refrigeration and geothermal applications since the early 1980s and has recently finished a field evaluation and assessment on a deepwater, tension-leg platform (TLP) in the Gulf of Mexico. The focus of this paper is to cover the operating principles and mechanisms of multiphase turbine technology and the design parameters for installation as a separation or power-generation system in new developments or in debottleneck-ing applications. Operational experience pertaining to separation efficiency, mechanical reliability, and power output in a live-fluid environment are highlighted.