Integral compressor-expander

1. A compressor-expander assembly, comprising:

a cryogenic expander positioned in an overhung configuration on a central shaft;

a multi-stage centrifugal compressor supported on the central shaft between at least two bearings;

a balance piston positioned along the central shaft between an outlet of the multi-stage centrifugal compressor and one of the at least two bearings; and

a thrust bearing positioned along the central shaft.

2. The compressor-expander assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:

an electric motor generator combination coupled to the central shaft and configured to supply rotational power to the central shaft or generate power from rotation of the central shaft, depending upon a current operational mode of the multi-stage compressor.

3. The compressor-expander assembly of claim 2 , wherein:

the cryogenic expander and the multi-stage centrifugal compressor are contained in a single casing; and

the central shaft extends from the single casing and is coupled to the electric motor generator combination.

4. The compressor-expander assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a rotating machinery device coupled to the central shaft, wherein the rotating machinery device is configured to either provide rotational power to or receive rotational power from the central shaft.

5. The compressor-expander assembly of claim 1 , wherein the cryogenic expander is a radial input axial output expander.

6. The compressor-expander assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least two bearings comprise at least one of radial magnetic bearings and lubricated oil bearings.

7. The compressor-expander assembly of claim 1 , wherein the cryogenic expander is contained in a first casing and the multi-stage centrifugal compressor is contained in a second casing, the first casing and the second casing being coupled together.

8. The compressor-expander assembly of claim 1 , wherein the cryogenic expander is configured to receive an input fluid stream that is at a temperature of between about 50° C. and about −150° C.

9. The compressor-expander assembly of claim 1 , wherein an output pressure from the multi-stage centrifugal compressor is between about 2 bara and about 165 bara.

10. A compressor-expander assembly, comprising:

a cryogenic expander positioned in an overhung configuration on a central shaft and configured to expand a pressurized fluid flowing therethrough, thereby providing rotational power to the central shaft;

a multi-stage centrifugal compressor supported on the central shaft between at least two bearings; and

an electric motor generator combination coupled to the central shaft and configured to supply rotational power to the central shaft or generate power from rotation of the central shaft, depending upon a current operational mode of the multi-stage centrifugal compressor,

wherein the electric motor generator combination is configured to operate in three modes comprising:

a first mode in which the cryogenic expander supplies the rotational power to the central shaft and the electric motor generator combination operates to generate electrical power from the rotation of the central shaft;

a second mode in which the cryogenic expander supplies the rotational power to the central shaft and the electric motor generator combination supplies additional rotational power to the central shaft; and

a third mode in which the cryogenic expander supplies the rotational power to the central shaft and the electric motor generator combination rotates with the central shaft without adding rotational power thereto or generating electric power therefrom.

11. The compressor-expander assembly of claim 1 , wherein a fluid may initially enter the multi-stage centrifugal compressor radially and compressed fluid may exit radially from the multi-stage centrifugal compressor.

12. The compressor-expander assembly of claim 1 , wherein the multi-stage centrifugal compressor is in a back to back configuration, a double flow configuration, or a compound compressor configuration.

13. A method comprising:

expanding a fluid in a cryogenic expander to create a rotational output on a central shaft to which the cryogenic expander, a multi-stage centrifugal compressor and a driver/generator device are directly coupled for concomitant rotation;

driving the multi-stage centrifugal compressor with the driver/generator device and the cryogenic expander if the output from the cryogenic expander is less than that required to drive the multi-stage centrifugal compressor;

driving the driver/generator device and the multi-stage centrifugal compressor with the cryogenic expander if the output from the cryogenic expander is more than that required to drive the multi-stage centrifugal compressor; and

driving only the multi-stage centrifugal compressor with the cryogenic expander if the output from the cryogenic expander is not more or less than that required to drive the multi-stage centrifugal compressor.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising positioning the cryogenic expander in an overhung configuration on the central shaft.

15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising supporting the driver/generator device on the central shaft.

16. An apparatus, comprising:

an overhung cryogenic expander configured to receive and cool an input fluid stream while generating rotational work;

a multi-wheel centrifugal compressor;

a shaft operably coupling the cryogenic expander to receive the rotational work and also coupled to the multi-wheel centrifugal compressor, the shaft having a first end portion, a second end portion, and a longitudinal portion disposed between the overhung cryogenic expander and the multi-wheel centrifugal compressor;

a bearing rotationally supporting the longitudinal portion of the shaft;

a casing enclosing the overhung cryogenic expander, the multi-wheel centrifugal compressor, the first end portion of the shaft and the longitudinal portion of the shaft, with the second end portion of the shaft extending outwardly through the casing and adapted to be operatively coupled to an external piece of rotating machinery;

a balance piston positioned along the shaft between a compressor outlet of the multi-wheel centrifugal compressor and the bearing; and

a thrust bearing positioned along the shaft.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein an interior of the casing is pressurized.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the overhung cryogenic expander comprises an expander inlet and an expander outlet, and the multi-wheel centrifugal compressor further comprises a compressor inlet none of the expander inlet, the expander outlet, the compressor inlet, and the compressor outlet is directly exposed to an exterior of the casing.

19. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the input fluid stream is received by the cryogenic expander at a temperature of between about 50° C. and about −150° C.

20. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein an output pressure from the multi-wheel centrifugal compressor is between about 2 bara about 165 bara.

21. A compressor-expander assembly, comprising:

a cryogenic expander positioned in an overhung configuration on a central shaft and configured to receive and expand an input fluid stream, thereby providing rotational power to the central shaft; and

a multi-stage centrifugal compressor supported on the central shaft between at least two bearings,

wherein the compressor-expander assembly may further include an electric motor generator combination coupled to the central shaft and configured to supply rotational power to the central shaft or generate power from rotation of the central shaft, depending upon a current operational mode of the multi-stage centrifugal compressor;

wherein the cryogenic expander is a radial input axial output expander; and/or

wherein the at least two bearings comprise at least one of radial magnetic bearings and lubricated oil bearings; and/or

wherein the cryogenic expander and the multi-stage centrifugal compressor are contained in a single casing, and the central shaft extends from the single casing and is coupled to the electric motor generator combination; and/or

wherein the cryogenic expander is contained in a first casing and the multi-stage centrifugal compressor is contained in a second casing, the first casing and the second casing being coupled together; and/or

wherein the compressor-expander assembly further comprises a balance piston positioned along the central shaft between an outlet of the multi-stage centrifugal compressor and one of the at least two bearings, and a thrust bearing positioned along the central shaft; and/or

wherein the input fluid stream is received by the cryogenic expander at a temperature of between about 50° C. and about −150° C.; and/or

wherein an output pressure from the multi-stage centrifugal compressor is between about 2 bara and about 165 bara; and/or

wherein the electric motor generator combination is configured to operate in three modes comprising a first mode in which the cryogenic expander supplies the rotational power to the central shaft and the electric motor generator combination operates to generate electrical power from the rotation of the central shaft, a second mode in which the cryogenic expander supplies the rotational power to the central shaft and the electric motor generator combination supplies additional rotational power to the central shaft, and a third mode in which the cryogenic expander supplies the rotational power to the central shaft and the electric motor generator combination rotates with the central shaft without adding rotational power thereto or generating electric power therefrom; and/or

wherein fluid may initially enter the multi-stage centrifugal compressor radially and compressed fluid may exit radially from the multi-stage centrifugal compressor; and/or

wherein the multi-stage centrifugal compressor is in a back to back configuration, a double flow configuration, or a compound compressor configuration.

22. An apparatus, comprising:

an overhung cryogenic expander configured to receive and cool an input fluid stream while generating rotational work;

a multi-wheel centrifugal compressor;

a shaft operably coupling the cryogenic expander to receive the rotational work and also coupled to the multi-wheel centrifugal compressor, the shaft having a first end portion, a second end portion, and a longitudinal portion disposed between the overhung cryogenic expander and the multi-wheel centrifugal compressor;

a bearing rotationally supporting the longitudinal portion of the shaft;

a casing enclosing the overhung cryogenic expander, the multi-wheel centrifugal compressor, the first end portion of the shaft and the longitudinal portion of the shaft, with the second end portion of the shaft extending outwardly through the casing and adapted to be operatively coupled to an external piece of rotating machinery;

a balance piston positioned along the shaft between a compressor outlet of the multi-wheel centrifugal compressor and the bearing; and

a thrust bearing positioned along the shaft; and/or

wherein the interior of the casing is pressurized; and/or

wherein the overhung cryogenic expander comprises an expander inlet and an expander outlet, and the multi-wheel centrifugal compressor further comprises a compressor inlet, none of the expander inlet, the expander outlet, the compressor inlet, and the compressor outlet is directly exposed to an exterior of the casing; and/or

wherein the input fluid stream is received by the cryogenic expander is at a temperature of between about 50° C. and about −150° C.; and/or

wherein an output pressure from the multi-wheel centrifugal compressor is between about 2 bara about 165 bara.